Microsoft Certified Azure AI-900 and AI-901

A structured path to earn both Azure AI fundamentals certifications can combine Microsoft Learn training, educator-focused resources, and the official study guides.

Understand the certifications and exams

Exam AI-900: Microsoft Azure AI Fundamentals (current Azure AI fundamentals exam).
Exam AI-901: Microsoft Azure AI Fundamentals (new exam with updated skills measured as of April 15, 2026).
Use the official study guides to understand skills measured, exam format, and supporting resources:
- AI-900 study guide: includes study resources and links to self-paced learning paths, documentation, and videos.
- AI-901 study guide: details the new skills measured (responsible AI, AI concepts, and implementing AI solutions with Microsoft Foundry) and provides links to training and documentation.

Follow the AI-900 learning and study resources Use the AI-900 study resources to build foundational knowledge:

Get trained
- Follow “Choose from self-paced learning paths and modules or take an instructor-led course” for AI-900 to access:
  - Self-paced learning paths and modules on Azure AI fundamentals.
  - Instructor-led courses if classroom training is preferred.
Deepen product knowledge with documentation
- Study the linked Azure AI services and concepts:
  - Anomaly Detector
  - Language Understanding
  - Azure Machine Learning
  - Computer Vision
  - Natural language processing technology
  - Azure Bot Service
  - Speech to Text
  - Speech Translation
Use community and media resources
- Ask questions on Microsoft Q&A.
- Follow the Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Hub and Microsoft Learn Tech Community.
- Watch “The AI Show” and other Microsoft Learn shows for practical demos.

Suggested sequence for AI-900:

Complete the self-paced learning paths and modules referenced under AI-900 “Get trained”.
Explore the documentation links for each Azure AI service to understand capabilities and scenarios.
Use the AI Show and other videos to reinforce concepts with demos.
Take the free practice assessment (if available from the study guide) and then schedule and take Exam AI-900.

Prepare specifically for AI-901 (new Azure AI Fundamentals) AI-901 focuses on both conceptual AI knowledge and hands-on work with Microsoft Foundry.

Key skill areas from the AI-901 study guide:

Identify AI concepts and responsibilities (40–45%)
- Principles of responsible AI: fairness, reliability and safety, privacy and security, inclusiveness, transparency, accountability.
- AI model components and configurations: how generative AI models work, choosing appropriate models, deployment options and configuration parameters.
- AI workloads: generative and agentic AI, text analysis, speech, computer vision, information extraction; techniques such as keyword extraction, entity detection, sentiment analysis, summarization; capabilities of speech recognition/synthesis and computer vision/image-generation models.
Implement AI solutions by using Microsoft Foundry (55–60%)
- Generative AI apps and agents:
  - Create effective system and user prompts.
  - Deploy and interact with models in the Foundry portal.
  - Build lightweight chat client applications with the Foundry SDK.
  - Create and test single-agent solutions and lightweight client apps for agents.
- Text and speech solutions:
  - Build lightweight applications including text analysis.
  - Respond to spoken prompts with deployed multimodal models.
  - Use Azure Speech in Foundry Tools.
- Computer vision and image-generation:
  - Interpret visual input in prompts.
  - Create new visual outputs with generative models.
  - Build lightweight applications with vision capabilities.
- Information extraction with Foundry:
  - Use Azure Content Understanding in Foundry Tools to extract information from documents, forms, images, audio, and video.
  - Build lightweight applications with information extraction capabilities.

Study resources for AI-901:

Get trained
- Use “Choose from self-paced learning paths and modules or take an instructor-led course” under AI-901 to access updated content aligned with Foundry and the new skills.
Documentation and community
- The AI-901 guide references the same core Azure AI documentation set (Anomaly Detector, Language Understanding, Azure Machine Learning, Computer Vision, NLP technology, Azure Bot Service, Speech to Text, Speech Translation) to reinforce foundational AI services.
- Use Microsoft Q&A, AI community hubs, and AI Show videos as with AI-900.

Suggested sequence for AI-901:

Review the “Skills measured as of April 15, 2026” section to map out topics.
Complete the AI-901-aligned self-paced learning paths and/or an instructor-led course.
Practice with Microsoft Foundry:
- Deploy generative and multimodal models in the Foundry portal.
- Build small sample apps (chat, text analysis, speech, vision, information extraction) using Foundry SDK and tools.
Reinforce responsible AI concepts and AI workloads using the skills list as a checklist.
Take the free practice assessment (if available) and then schedule and take Exam AI-901.

Educator-focused resources (optional but useful) For educators or trainers, Microsoft Learn for Educators (MSLE) and AI bootcamps provide structured ways to teach AI-900 content and integrate it into academic programs:

Prepare to teach AI-900 Microsoft Azure AI fundamentals in academic programs
- Learning path with modules on:
  - Introduction to Microsoft Learn for Educators program.
  - Onboarding to MSLE.
  - Course preparation and planning.
  - Best practices from Microsoft Technical Trainers.
  - Tips and tricks for teaching AI-900.
  - Preparing for course delivery and supporting student certification.
Microsoft AI Bootcamp for Educators – Azure AI Fundamentals
- One-day course that trains educators on how to deliver AI-900 and introduces MSLE benefits and resources.

General certification preparation steps

Decide which exam to take first (AI-900 is a good starting point; AI-901 builds on similar fundamentals with updated content).
Use Microsoft’s Technical Certifications page to explore other related certifications once AI-900/AI-901 are completed.
Connect a Microsoft Learn profile to manage exams, renewals, and certificates, and to access practice assessments and the exam sandbox.

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