If you have been planning to sit Microsoft's entry-level AI certification, the goalposts have moved. The comparison that matters now is AI-900 vs AI-901, because Microsoft is retiring AI-900 on 30 June 2026 and replacing it with a refreshed exam code, AI-901, that puts Microsoft Foundry, generative AI and agents at the centre.
The good news: it is still the same credential, the Microsoft Certified: Azure AI Fundamentals certification. The change is the exam you take to earn it, and the content that exam tests. This guide breaks down exactly what changed, what stayed the same, and which version you should sit depending on where you are in your study.
The Short Answer: Which Exam Should You Take?
If you can pass before 30 June 2026 and you are already studying the AI-900 material, sit AI-900 now and tick it off. After that date the option disappears.
If you are starting from scratch today, study for AI-901. It is the current exam, it reflects how Microsoft actually builds AI in 2026, and a certification earned through it carries the same Azure AI Fundamentals title. There is no benefit to chasing a retiring exam code with only days left on the clock.
Exam Tip: Both AI-900 and AI-901 lead to the identical certification, Microsoft Certified: Azure AI Fundamentals. If you already hold the certification from AI-900, it stays fully valid. You do not need to retake anything.
Why Microsoft Is Replacing AI-900
AI-900 launched in a world where "Azure AI" mostly meant pre-built services: vision, speech, language and a bit of classic machine learning. You were asked to describe those workloads and recognise the right service for a scenario. It was a describe-and-identify exam.
The way organisations use AI has changed. The centre of gravity has shifted to generative AI, retrieval-augmented generation, and agents that can take actions. Microsoft consolidated its tooling into Microsoft Foundry (the unified portal, SDK and model catalogue for building AI apps and agents), and the fundamentals exam needed to catch up.
So Microsoft published refreshed objectives on 15 April 2026, opened AI-901 in beta on 21 April 2026, and set AI-900 to retire on 30 June 2026. AI-901 is now the live exam for anyone earning the credential fresh.
AI-900 vs AI-901: The Key Differences
The headline change is focus. AI-900 asked you to describe Azure AI services and concepts. AI-901 asks you to understand how to build AI solutions and agents using Microsoft Foundry. There is more hands-on, build-oriented content, and a heavier weighting on generative AI.
| Feature | AI-900 (retiring) | AI-901 (current) |
|---|---|---|
| Certification earned | Azure AI Fundamentals | Azure AI Fundamentals (same) |
| Status | Retires 30 June 2026 | Live (beta opened 21 April 2026) |
| Core focus | Describe Azure AI services and concepts | Build AI solutions and agents with Microsoft Foundry |
| Generative AI weight | Light, conceptual | Heavy, hands-on |
| Domains | Five describe-style areas | Two domains (concepts, then Foundry implementation) |
| Questions | Roughly 40 to 60 | Roughly 50 to 60 |
| Duration | About 45 to 60 minutes | 60 minutes |
| Passing score | 700 out of 1000 | 700 out of 1000 |
| Cost (USD) | Around 99 dollars | Around 99 dollars |
| Prerequisites | None | None (Python syntax helpful, not required) |
The exam logistics are broadly similar. The cost is roughly 99 US dollars (prices vary by country), the pass mark is 700 out of 1000, and there are no formal prerequisites for either. What differs is what you are tested on.
The New AI-901 Exam Structure
AI-901 is organised into two domains rather than the five describe-style areas of AI-900. This is a deliberate signal: less breadth-for-its-own-sake, more depth on concepts plus practical Foundry skills.
Domain 1: Identify AI concepts and responsibilities (40 to 45 percent)
This is the conceptual half. Expect questions on:
- Core AI workloads: machine learning, computer vision, natural language processing and generative AI.
- Responsible AI principles such as fairness, reliability, privacy, transparency and accountability.
- How generative models and large language models behave at a high level, including prompts, tokens and grounding.
If you have studied AI-900, a lot of this will feel familiar, with the responsible AI and generative AI sections carrying more weight than before.
Domain 2: Implement AI solutions by using Microsoft Foundry (55 to 60 percent)
This is the new heart of the exam and the bigger slice. It covers:
- Navigating the Microsoft Foundry portal, models and tools.
- Choosing the right model and grounding approach for a scenario, including retrieval-augmented generation.
- Building generative AI apps and agents, and understanding the role of memory, tools and knowledge in an agent solution.
- Hands-on style topics such as creating a lightweight chat client with the Foundry SDK.
Exam Tip: Python coding syntax is helpful for the Foundry section because some topics touch the Foundry SDK, but you do not need to be a developer. Candidates new to code can still pass by focusing on the concepts and the workflow rather than memorising syntax.
What Stayed the Same
It is easy to overstate the change, so here is what did not move:
- The credential. You still earn Microsoft Certified: Azure AI Fundamentals.
- The level. It remains a fundamentals exam, aimed at beginners, career changers and non-technical staff who work alongside AI teams.
- The logistics. Around 99 US dollars, a 700 out of 1000 pass mark, no prerequisites, and a mix of question types including multiple choice, drag-and-drop, hotspot, scenario and yes or no.
- The audience fit. If your goal is to prove baseline AI literacy on Azure, this is still the right starting certification.
If you want to see how this entry point compares to the equivalent on another cloud, our guide on AWS AI Practitioner vs Azure AI Fundamentals walks through which to take first.
How to Study for AI-901 in 2026
Because the exam leans harder into Foundry, your study plan should be more hands-on than the old AI-900 routine of reading and flashcards.
- Get the concepts down first. Lock in the responsible AI principles and the four core workload types. This is fast, high-value revision and roughly 40 to 45 percent of your marks.
- Open Microsoft Foundry and click around. You learn the portal far quicker by using it than by reading about it. Create a project, browse the model catalogue, and run a simple prompt.
- Build one tiny thing. Stand up a basic chat experience or a simple agent using the Foundry SDK. You do not need production code, you need to understand the moving parts: model, prompt, grounding data, and tools.
- Drill exam-style questions. Fundamentals exams reward pattern recognition. Practising realistic questions trains you to spot what each scenario is actually asking, which matters when drag-and-drop and hotspot items appear.
Most candidates with no background can be ready in two to four weeks of steady study. If you already work in IT, a focused week or two is realistic.
Exam Tip: Aim for at least 85 percent on practice questions before booking. The real exam mixes question formats, so consistent practice-test scores are a better readiness signal than how confident you feel after reading.
Free Voucher? AI-901 Is a Smart Target
A lot of people are weighing this decision right now because they picked up a 100 percent discount voucher during Microsoft's AI Skills Fest. AI-901 is one of the most sensible exams to spend it on if you are new to AI, since it is beginner-friendly and maps directly to in-demand Foundry skills. If you are holding a voucher and unsure, our breakdown of the smartest exam to spend a free Microsoft voucher on compares the options.
For those ready to move beyond fundamentals, the natural next step on the developer track is AI-103, and our AI-103 8-week study plan covers that exam in detail.
Common Questions About the Switch
Does my AI-900 certification expire because of AI-901? No. If you already earned Azure AI Fundamentals through AI-900, it remains valid. The retirement applies to the exam you can book, not to certifications already earned.
Is AI-901 harder than AI-900? It is more practical. The concept questions are similar in difficulty, but the Foundry implementation domain expects you to understand how things are built, not just named. With hands-on practice it is very manageable for a fundamentals-level candidate.
Can I still book AI-900? Only until it retires on 30 June 2026. After that, AI-901 is the route to the credential.
Do I need to know how to code? No. Python familiarity helps with a few Foundry SDK topics, but the exam is designed so non-coders can pass by understanding concepts and workflows.
Ready to Start Practising?
The fastest way to pass AI-901 is to test yourself the way the exam tests you. CertCrush gives you realistic, exam-style questions with full explanations so you can find your weak spots in the Foundry domain before exam day, not during it.
Create your free CertCrush account and start practising for AI-901 today. Browse the full catalogue of certification courses to map out your next move after Azure AI Fundamentals, whether that is the AI-103 developer track or a broader cloud certification path.
The exam changed. Your plan to pass it just got sharper.