AI-901 Exam Tips: Complete Study Guide 2026
AI-901: Microsoft Azure AI Fundamentals is the current exam behind the Azure AI Fundamentals certification. It replaces AI-900 with a different scope: Microsoft's audience profile for AI-901 now asks for knowledge of Python coding syntax and programming techniques on top of conceptual AI knowledge, and over half the exam is about implementing AI solutions with Microsoft Foundry. Describing AI concepts in the abstract, the old AI-900 focus, is now the smaller half. This guide covers what the exam tests, how it differs from AI-900, and how to study for it.
AI-901 Exam Overview
Microsoft describes the AI-901 audience as being at the beginning of their career in AI solution development, with conceptual knowledge of AI solutions in Azure, foundational technical skills to work with them, knowledge of Python coding syntax and programming techniques, and familiarity with Azure resources.
Who Should Take AI-901?
Microsoft's audience profile is specific about two things at once: this is still an entry point ("at the beginning of your career in AI solution development"), and it is no longer a no-code entry point. You are expected to bring conceptual knowledge of Azure AI solutions, the foundational technical skills to work with them, and knowledge of Python coding syntax and programming techniques. If you're coming from AI-900 with no coding background, budget time to get comfortable reading and writing basic Python before you tackle the Foundry domain. Trying to pick it up during exam prep itself leaves too little time for the domain that carries most of the marks.
Exam Details
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Passing score | 700 or greater, on a scale of 1 to 1,000 |
| Retirement date | None listed |
| Languages | Offered in English and 12 other languages |
| Price | Based on the country or region where the exam is proctored |
| Certification | Microsoft Certified: Azure AI Fundamentals |
| Required exams | AI-901 |
Domain Breakdown and Tips
Domain 1: Identify AI Concepts and Capabilities (40-45%)
Describe principles of responsible AI. Microsoft's study guide lists six considerations you need to describe:
- Fairness in an AI solution
- Reliability and safety in an AI solution
- Privacy and security in an AI solution
- Inclusiveness in an AI solution
- Transparency in an AI solution
- Accountability in an AI solution
Identify AI model components and configurations. This sub-area covers describing how generative AI models work, identifying an appropriate AI model based on its capabilities, and identifying appropriate model deployment options and configuration parameters.
Identify AI workloads. Per the study guide, you need to identify scenarios for common AI workloads, including generative and agentic AI, text analysis, speech, computer vision, and information extraction. You also need to describe common text analysis techniques (keyword extraction, entity detection, sentiment analysis, and summarisation), identify features of speech recognition and speech synthesis, identify features of computer vision and image-generation models, and identify techniques to extract information from text, images, audio, and video.
Domain 2: Implement AI Solutions by Using Microsoft Foundry (55-60%)
This is the domain that separates AI-901 from AI-900. It carries the majority of the exam weight and is organised into four sub-areas, all built around Microsoft Foundry.
Implement generative AI apps and agents by using Foundry:
- Create effective system and user prompts for generative AI models
- Deploy a model and interact with it in the Foundry portal
- Create a lightweight chat client application by using the Foundry SDK
- Create and test a single-agent solution in the Foundry portal
- Create a lightweight client application for an agent
Implement AI solutions for text and speech by using Foundry:
- Build a lightweight application that includes text analysis
- Respond to spoken prompts by using a deployed multimodal model
- Build a lightweight application by using Azure Speech in Foundry Tools
Implement AI solutions with computer vision and image-generation capabilities by using Foundry:
- Interpret visual input in prompts by using a deployed multimodal model
- Create new visual outputs by using generative models
- Build a lightweight application that includes vision capabilities
Implement AI solutions for information extraction by using Foundry:
- Extract information from documents and forms by using Azure Content Understanding in Foundry Tools
- Extract information from images by using Content Understanding
- Extract information from audio and video by using Content Understanding
- Build a lightweight application with information extraction capabilities by using Content Understanding
What Changed from AI-900
| AI-900 | AI-901 |
|---|---|
| Retired 30 June 2026 | Current exam, no retirement date listed |
| Five domains (AI workloads, ML, computer vision, NLP at 15-20% each; generative AI at 20-25%) | Two domains: concepts (40-45%) and Foundry implementation (55-60%) |
| Data science and software engineering experience not required | Knowledge of Python coding syntax and programming techniques expected |
| Concept recognition (name the service for the scenario) | Concept recognition plus deploy, build and extract tasks in Foundry |
The responsible AI principles and the core idea of matching an AI workload to a scenario both carry over. AI-900 asked you to describe the features of Azure AI Foundry; AI-901 asks you to deploy, build and extract with Microsoft Foundry directly.
How to Study for AI-901
Start with the official study guide
The AI-901 study guide on Microsoft Learn covers every sub-area under both domains. Work through it top to bottom before you touch a practice test, so you know what "implement" means for each Foundry sub-area instead of guessing from the exam name.
Get hands-on time in Foundry
Because Domain 2 asks you to deploy a model, build a lightweight chat client with the Foundry SDK, and create a single-agent solution, reading alone will not cover it. Set aside time in the Foundry portal to deploy a model, send it a prompt, and walk through building a small client or agent end to end.
Take the free practice assessment
Microsoft's practice assessment for Azure AI Fundamentals is available through AI Skills Navigator. You need to be signed in to launch it.
Use the instructor-led course as a syllabus, even self-paced
Microsoft's instructor-led course for this exam, Introduction to AI in Azure (AI-901T00), introduces the AI concepts and Azure services the exam covers, and treats some knowledge of Python coding syntax as useful background. Its module order is a reasonable self-study syllabus even if you never attend the course itself.
Don't skip the responsible AI list
All six responsible AI considerations sit in Domain 1 and are cheap marks if you know them cold: fairness, reliability and safety, privacy and security, inclusiveness, transparency, and accountability. For each principle, learn one real-world example of it being violated as well as its name.
Weight your study time to match the domains
Domain 2, Implement AI Solutions by Using Microsoft Foundry, carries 55-60% of the exam, against 40-45% for Domain 1. If you split your study time evenly between the two domains you are under-preparing for the larger one. If you can only deep-dive one domain before test day, make it this one. Spend the majority of your hands-on time in Foundry itself: deploying models, working through the chat client and single-agent exercises, and trying at least one task from each of the text and speech, computer vision, and information extraction sub-areas.
Two Ways to Prepare
Microsoft's AI-901 exam page lists two preparation routes: self-paced learning paths and modules, and the instructor-led course. Pick whichever fits your schedule. The exam sandbox is worth a run either way, since it shows the exam interface itself rather than the content, which removes one source of exam-day surprise.
Study Resources
- AI-901 study guide
- Practice assessment via AI Skills Navigator (sign-in required)
- Introduction to AI in Azure (AI-901T00) instructor-led course
- Exam sandbox to see the exam environment before test day
- AzurePrep AI-901 practice tests
Next Steps After AI-901
Microsoft states you can use Azure AI Fundamentals to prepare for other Azure role-based certifications, but it is not a prerequisite for any of them. Two current paths build directly on the ground AI-901 covers:
- AI-103: Developing AI Apps and Agents on Azure. Its audience profile is an Azure AI engineer who builds, manages, and deploys agents and AI solutions using Microsoft Foundry, with experience developing apps in Python. It extends the same Foundry, generative AI, and agent territory AI-901 introduces, at engineer depth. See our AI-103 study guide.
- AI-300: Operationalizing Machine Learning and Generative AI Solutions. Its audience profile calls for a data science background with Python programming experience and entry-level DevOps practice, covering MLOps and GenAIOps infrastructure on Azure. See our AI-300 study guide.
Which one fits depends on the role you're aiming at: AI-103 for building AI applications and agents, AI-300 for operating and scaling ML and generative AI systems in production. Both assume the Python and Foundry familiarity that AI-901 already introduces, so the jump from AI-901 is smaller than the jump from the old AI-900 would have been. Neither is a required prerequisite; Microsoft treats Azure AI Fundamentals as preparation, not a gate.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened to AI-900?
Microsoft retired AI-900 on 30 June 2026. It was replaced by AI-901, which now leads to the same Azure AI Fundamentals certification.
Do I need to know Python for AI-901?
Microsoft's audience profile for AI-901 states you need conceptual knowledge of AI solutions in Azure and the foundational technical skills to work with them, plus knowledge of Python coding syntax and programming techniques, and familiarity with Azure resources.
What are the AI-901 skills domains?
Two domains: Identify AI concepts and capabilities (40-45%) and Implement AI solutions by using Microsoft Foundry (55-60%).
Is Azure AI Fundamentals a prerequisite for other Azure AI certifications?
No. Microsoft states you can use Azure AI Fundamentals to prepare for other Azure role-based certifications, but it is not a prerequisite for any of them.
Does AI-901 have a retirement date yet?
Microsoft Learn does not list a retirement date for AI-901.
What is Microsoft Foundry?
Microsoft Foundry is the platform AI-901's second domain tests directly: deploying models, building lightweight chat clients and single agents through the Foundry SDK, and using Foundry Tools for text, speech, vision, and information extraction.
Conclusion
AI-901 tests the same responsible AI foundations AI-900 did, then adds a heavier Foundry domain that expects you to have deployed a model and built something with it. Work through the official study guide, spend real time in the Foundry portal, and treat the six responsible AI principles as easy marks you should never drop.
Practise with AI-901 questions to check your readiness against the current skills-measured list.
Last updated: September 2026