AI-901 vs AI-900: What Changed in 2026 and Which Exam to Take
AI-901 vs AI-900 compared: what changed in the 2026 Azure AI Fundamentals refresh, the move to Microsoft Foundry, and which exam you should take.
Searching for AI-901 vs AI-900? Here's the short version: both are Microsoft's Azure AI Fundamentals certification, but AI-901 is the refreshed 2026 edition built around Microsoft Foundry and generative AI, while AI-900 is the older version weighted toward classic machine learning, computer vision and NLP. This guide breaks down exactly what changed and which one you should take.
Same goal, different era
Both exams certify foundational Azure AI knowledge with no prerequisites and no coding. The difference is emphasis. AI-900 was designed before generative AI took over the industry, so it spread its questions across five workload areas. AI-901 reorganizes everything into two domains and puts hands-on generative AI — built with Microsoft Foundry — front and center.
What changed in AI-901
- Generative AI is the main event. Prompts, tokens, grounding/RAG, and agents are core, not a footnote.
- Microsoft Foundry takes center stage. You're expected to know the model catalog and the build-evaluate-deploy flow.
- Two domains instead of five. Domain 1 covers AI concepts and responsible AI; Domain 2 covers building with Foundry.
- Lighter on classic ML theory. Still tested, but more conceptual and less detailed than AI-900.
- Responsible AI stays essential. The six principles carry over and connect to Foundry's safety tooling.
Which exam should you take?
If you're registering today, take AI-901 — it reflects how AI is actually built now, and it's the version employers will recognize going forward. The only reason to look at AI-900 is if a specific training program or employer explicitly requires that version. Exam availability changes over time, so confirm what's currently bookable on the official Microsoft Learn page before you schedule.
Either way, the study skills are the same: learn the concepts, map workloads to services, and drill exam-style questions until the patterns are automatic.
Start practicing AI-901 questions for free
Reading explains the ideas; answering questions is what makes them stick. Get a question wrong, read why, try again — that loop is what moves your score on exam day.
Whichever version you target, On ExamStudyApp you can run a free AI-901 practice session right now — no account and no credit card required. Every Microsoft Azure AI Fundamentals question comes with a full explanation, so each one doubles as a mini lesson.
When you're ready for more, the Microsoft Azure AI Fundamentals (AI-901) practice tests add unlimited adaptive practice and timed, full-length mock exams with a per-objective score breakdown — so you know exactly what to review before you book.
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