The Ultimate AI-901 Study Guide

AI-901 Azure AI Fundamentals Study Guide: 2026 Edition

Microsoft AI-901 is the new Azure AI Fundamentals exam. It replaces AI-900, which retires on June 30, 2026. AI-901 keeps the fundamentals spirit, but it leans toward building. It expects you to recognize AI concepts and to show that you can put a simple AI solution together with Microsoft Foundry.

This guide is written for that shift. You do not need to be a senior engineer, but you should be comfortable reading basic Python and working with Azure resources. This guide explains each concept plainly and then shows the shape of the code where the objective is code-based.

AI-901 was in beta as of 2026. Beta exams can change before they reach general availability, so treat the official Microsoft skills outline as the source of truth and use this guide to learn the shape of the material.

What Changed From AI-900 To AI-901

AI-900 was a recognition exam. It asked you to match a scenario to a workload and an Azure service. AI-901 keeps a strong concepts section, then adds a larger build section.

Two changes matter most. First, the machine learning fundamentals domain from AI-900 (regression, classification, clustering, training data) is gone as a standalone domain. Second, more than half of AI-901 is now about implementing AI solutions in Microsoft Foundry: writing prompts, deploying a model, calling it from the Foundry SDK, building a single agent, and extracting information with Azure Content Understanding.

One naming note: the platform is now called Microsoft Foundry. It was previously Azure AI Foundry, and Azure AI Studio before that. AI-901 uses the Microsoft Foundry name, so this guide does too.

What The Exam Expects You To Know

Microsoft organizes AI-901 around two domains:

Exam domain	Weight
Identify AI concepts and capabilities	40-45%
Implement AI solutions by using Microsoft Foundry	55-60%

The first domain is recognition: responsible AI, how generative models work, choosing and deploying models, and naming the right workload. The second domain is hands-on: prompts, model deployment, the Foundry SDK, agents, multimodal text, speech, vision, and information extraction. More than half your score comes from the build side, so do not stop at concepts.

Frequently Asked Questions

How hard is the AI-901 exam?

AI-901 is still a fundamentals exam, but it is more technical than AI-900. The build domain assumes you can read Python and follow how a client application calls a model or an agent. If you have written a little code and deployed a model once, the exam feels fair. If you have only read about AI, spend extra time in the Foundry portal before you take it.

Do I need to know Python?

You need to read it, not write it from scratch. The exam tests whether you can recognize what a short Python snippet does when it calls a model, sends a prompt, or talks to an agent. This guide shows those snippets and explains them.

What is the pass mark?

Microsoft scores certification exams out of 1000. You need 700 or higher to pass AI-901 and earn the Azure AI Fundamentals badge.

How long should I study for AI-901?

Plan three to four weeks if AI and Azure are both new to you. Two weeks is enough if you already work with Azure and have read some Python. Build time in the Foundry portal into your plan, because the second domain rewards hands-on practice.

How do I take the exam?

Schedule through your Microsoft Learn profile. You can take it online with a remote proctor or in person at a Pearson VUE test centre. Full details are on the Microsoft AI-901 exam page.

Is AI-901 in beta?

Yes, AI-901 was in beta as of 2026. Beta exams can shift their question mix before general availability, and practice assessments often arrive after a beta exam goes live. Check the official study guide for the latest skills outline before your exam date.

Is AI-901 worth taking?

Yes, especially if you want to build with AI rather than only describe it. AI-901 sets up role-based paths such as AI-102: Azure AI Engineer Associate. It is not a prerequisite, but the Foundry and prompt skills carry straight over.

How To Use This Guide

Each article covers one objective from the AI-901 skills outline and follows the same pattern:

What Microsoft expects you to know
Plain-English explanation
Service or concept to remember
Real-world example, with a short code snippet where the objective is code-based
Exam tip
Common trap
Quick knowledge check
Microsoft references for further study
What to read next

Read Part 1 in order to build your concepts. Spend the most time in Part 2, because it carries more of the exam and rewards practice in the Foundry portal.

Part 1: AI Concepts And Capabilities (40-45%)

This section builds the vocabulary and judgment the exam tests: responsible AI, how generative models work, choosing and deploying models, and recognizing workloads.

Part 2: Implement AI Solutions By Using Microsoft Foundry (55-60%)

This section is the build half of the exam. You write prompts, deploy a model, call it from the Foundry SDK, create an agent, and add text, speech, vision, and information-extraction features.

Wrap-Up And Practice

These final pages help you switch from learning mode to exam mode.

A Simple Study Plan

If you have three weeks, use week one for concepts, week two for hands-on Foundry work, and week three for practice.

Days 1-2: Read Part 1 on responsible AI and how generative models work.

Days 3-4: Study model selection, deployment options, and configuration parameters. Open the Foundry portal and look at the model catalog.

Days 5-6: Read the workload articles: text analysis, speech, computer vision and image generation, and information extraction.

Days 7-9: Start Part 2. Write prompts, deploy a model in the Foundry portal, and interact with it.

Days 10-12: Build a chat client with the Foundry SDK, then create and test a single agent.

Days 13-15: Work through text, speech, and vision features, including multimodal models and image generation.

Days 16-18: Study Azure Content Understanding for documents, images, audio, and video.

Days 19-21: Review the service selection cheat sheet, take practice questions, and rebuild one small Foundry app from memory.

What To Remember Before You Start

AI-901 rewards two habits. First, recognize the workload and the right model or service, the same skill AI-900 tested. Second, know the build path in Foundry: write a prompt, deploy a model, call it from code, and extend it with an agent, speech, vision, or Content Understanding. When a question shows a snippet, read what it is calling and why.