AI-901: Microsoft Azure AI Fundamentals
Exam code: AI-901 (Beta) | Level: Fundamentals | Passing score: 700 / 1000
About This Exam
AI-901 is the updated Azure AI Fundamentals certification, designed for candidates at the beginning of their career in AI solution development. Unlike its predecessor, this exam validates both conceptual knowledge and hands-on technical skills.
You need to be able to:
- Understand core cloud and AI concepts
- Use Microsoft Foundry to deploy models and implement single-agent solutions
- Understand how client applications consume AI models and services
- Read and understand Python code that calls AI models and services
:::note Beta Exam AI-901 is currently in beta (updated April 15, 2026). A practice assessment is not yet available but will be released within 8 weeks of general availability. :::
Exam Domains
| # | Domain | Exam Weight |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Identify AI Concepts & Capabilities | 40–45% |
| 2 | Implement AI Solutions using Microsoft Foundry | 55–60% |
Prerequisites
- Azure account — create a free account
- Basic Python knowledge — you need to read and understand Python code snippets
- Familiarity with Azure resources (resource groups, deployments, portal navigation)
- No prior AI/ML experience required
Key Technologies Covered
| Technology | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Microsoft Foundry (Azure AI Foundry) | Unified portal and SDK for deploying and building AI apps |
| Azure OpenAI Service | GPT models, multimodal models, embeddings |
| Azure AI Language | Text analysis, sentiment, NER, summarization |
| Azure AI Speech | Speech-to-text, text-to-speech via Foundry Tools |
| Azure AI Vision | Computer vision via multimodal models |
| Azure Content Understanding | Extract information from documents, images, audio, video |
| Foundry SDK | Python SDK for building lightweight AI client apps |
| Azure AI Agents | Single-agent solutions built and tested in Foundry |
Official Resources
| Resource | Link |
|---|---|
| Exam page | AI-901 on Microsoft Learn |
| Study guide | AI-901 study guide |
| Instructor-led course | AI-901T00: Introduction to AI in Azure |
| Exam sandbox | Practice the exam interface |
| Azure AI Foundry | ai.azure.com |
How to Use This Guide
This guide mirrors the two exam domains. Start with Domain 1 to build conceptual foundations, then move to Domain 2 which covers hands-on implementation with Microsoft Foundry. Domain 2 carries the most exam weight (55–60%), so dedicate extra time to it.
:::tip Exam tip Unlike AI-900, this exam does include code. You'll need to understand Python snippets using the Foundry SDK. You don't need to write code from scratch, but you must be able to read and interpret it. :::