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Independent AI-901 decision guide | Sources checked September 14, 2026

Choose AI-901 preparation by the Azure AI work you need to practice

Microsoft Azure AI Fundamentals is now earned through AI-901, not the retired AI-900 exam. Despite the word “fundamentals,” the current outline is not only vocabulary: 55–60% covers implementing solutions with Microsoft Foundry. Choose a course only after it shows how you will deploy, prompt, code, test, and inspect those solutions.

Current AI-901 versionPython and Azure readinessFoundry implementation practiceAccess, schedule and total price

Microsoft certification page | official AI-901 study guide | official AI-901T00 course

The direct answer

Start here for Azure AI foundations—not as proof of production engineering depth

AI-901 fits an early-career technologist who needs a structured introduction to responsible AI, model choices, common workloads, and lightweight implementation in Microsoft Foundry. It does not by itself prove that you can design, secure, operate, or troubleshoot a production AI system. Pair preparation with small working artifacts you can explain.

If you only need broad, vendor-neutral AI literacy, compare lower-cost general learning before committing to a platform credential. If your employer uses Azure or explicitly asks for Azure AI fundamentals, AI-901 is the current exam target.

Version check

Do not buy an AI-900 course sold as current AI-901 preparation

Microsoft states that AI-900 retired on June 30, 2026 and was replaced by AI-901. The certification continues, but the assessed work changed materially. Ask any provider to name AI-901, show its courseware revision date, and map the outline to the current two-domain structure. Read Microsoft’s AI-900 retirement notice.

The course and exam have different retirement dates. Microsoft lists AI-900T00-A as retired on April 30, 2026, with AI-901T00 as its replacement; June 30 is the AI-900 exam retirement, not the course retirement or the end of the Azure AI Fundamentals credential. Check Microsoft’s retired-course table · Course-retirement evidence checked September 30, 2026. Confirm the delivered course code and revision before paying.

Formal access versus practical readiness

Beginner does not mean no technical preparation

Microsoft positions the credential at the beginning of an AI-development career, while also saying candidates need conceptual Azure AI knowledge, foundational technical skills, Python syntax and programming techniques, and familiarity with Azure resources. The official page also calls out REST APIs, SDKs, and command-line interfaces.

Before an accelerated class, you should be able to read and modify a short Python example, navigate an Azure resource, explain authentication at a basic level, and follow an SDK or REST request. If those are new, use a paced format with setup help and more practice time rather than assuming a one-day review will build the foundation from scratch.

Current course-outline test

Most of the published weight is implementation with Foundry

Identify AI concepts and capabilities | 40–45%

Responsible AI, model components and configuration, and workloads spanning generative and agentic AI, text, speech, vision, image generation, and information extraction.

Implement AI solutions with Microsoft Foundry | 55–60%

Prompts, model deployment, SDK clients, agents, text and speech, multimodal vision and image generation, and content extraction from documents and media.

A matching syllabus is necessary but insufficient. Ask which tasks each learner performs, which Azure subscription or sandbox is included, whether resources can be reset, how code is reviewed, and what remains accessible after class. Topic slides are not implementation practice.

Self-study or instructor-led

Use the free official route to test fit before buying a class

Microsoft publishes the AI-901 study guide and learning resources. Its separate AI-901T00-A course page describes a beginner, one-day instructor-led course and recommends Python plus basic cloud storage, compute, authentication, and authorization knowledge.

Choose self-study first when

You can create your own Azure practice environment, learn from documentation, and do not need a fixed completion date, instructor feedback, or an employer invoice.

Consider live training when

You need a scheduled cohort, setup help, guided implementation, questions answered live, team consistency, or an employer-ready package with dates and a complete price.

Microsoft’s certification page currently says no learning paths or courses are available, while Microsoft’s direct AI-901T00 page is live. Treat the direct course page as proof that the course exists, not proof that a particular provider has a current class, seat, lab, or authorized delivery relationship.

Complete-price check

Keep exam, training, lab access, and cloud usage separate

Microsoft localizes exam pricing by proctoring country or region and says taxes are excluded. The current United States listing surfaced USD 99, but confirm the payable exam amount at scheduling. For training, verify tuition, tax, Azure or lab access, courseware, recordings, practice assessment access, voucher inclusion, retake terms, cancellation policy, legal seller, delivery organization, and final total in writing.

AI-901 training: compare implementation practice, pace and the complete package

Microsoft, ONLC and Learning Tree pages checked September 14, 2026. These are dated research observations, not confirmed seats, quotes or a provider ranking.

Compare current AI-901 course coverage, implementation practice and package terms

AI-901 combines concepts with lightweight implementation in Microsoft Foundry. Compare current two-domain alignment, Python and Azure readiness, learner-performed work, lab access, schedule, voucher, seller, delivery organization and policies.

Official baseline

Exam scope: Microsoft weights Identify AI concepts and capabilities at 40–45% and Implement AI solutions by using Microsoft Foundry at 55–60%. The implementation domain covers generative AI and agents, text and speech, vision and image generation, and information extraction.

Training scope: Microsoft identifies AI-901T00-A as a one-day beginner course. Its audience guidance says Python knowledge is useful and recommends core cloud storage, compute, authentication and authorization concepts. The public course page does not establish that one day creates exam readiness for every starting level.

How to use it: Check whether the learner can already read basic Python and navigate Azure, then ask what they will deploy, prompt, code, test and inspect during class. A current title and topic list do not prove individual lab time, feedback, Azure access or a seat.

Microsoft AI-901 study guide (checked September 14, 2026) · Microsoft AI-901T00-A official course page (checked September 14, 2026)

ONLC: outline fit

Course: Provider page code AAI901, AI-901: Introduction to AI in Azure

Format and pace: One live-online weekday with a published 6-hour-45-minute class window; center attendance uses remote classroom instruction.

Published coverage:

  • responsible AI and AI workloads
  • generative AI and agents
  • text, speech, vision and image generation
  • information extraction
  • Microsoft Foundry endpoints and lightweight Azure implementation

Hands-on evidence: ONLC calls the course hands-on and instructor-led, but the page does not identify the exact exercises, Azure subscription or sandbox, learner-performed time, reset limits, feedback model or post-class access.

Readiness evidence: The page says there are no required prerequisites and lists basic computer, internet, math and programming familiarity. Microsoft’s current candidate profile is stronger: Python techniques, Azure resources, REST APIs, SDKs and CLIs should inform pace selection.

Likely fit: A learner with the technical foundation for a concentrated weekday who wants guided coverage of the current AI-901 outline and can verify the practice environment and voucher separately.

Archived provider calendar examples: These dates were observed when the source was checked; some have passed. They are not upcoming class cards, open seats, or a current quote. Use the training finder for its time-checked references, then verify dates and availability with the provider.

  • 2026-10-02 through 2026-10-02 · USD 595 published tuition · America/New_York. Provider-published date with a September 29 registration deadline; seat availability remains unverified. Published registration deadline: 2026-09-29.
  • 2026-10-26 through 2026-10-26 · USD 595 published tuition · America/New_York. Provider-published date; seat availability and run status remain unverified.
  • 2026-11-20 through 2026-11-20 · USD 595 published tuition · America/New_York. Provider labels this date Early Notice; seat availability remains unverified.

Verify before approval:

  • current seat and registration deadline
  • AI-901T00/current two-domain courseware revision
  • exact exercises, Azure access, feedback and post-class access
  • exam voucher inclusion or add-on terms
  • Microsoft Training Services Partner identity and instructor MCT status
  • jurisdiction restrictions, cancellation terms, tax and final total

ONLC AI-901 course outline and calendar (checked September 14, 2026)

Learning Tree International: outline fit

Course: Course 8580, Introduction to AI in Azure (AI-901)

Format and pace: One live instructor-led day, online or in person; the checked page lists Eastern-time dates without calendar years.

Published coverage:

  • AI concepts and responsible AI
  • machine learning and Azure Machine Learning
  • generative AI and Foundry
  • NLP, speech and vision
  • information extraction

Hands-on evidence: The page says hands-on labs are included and some chapters include exercises, but it does not identify the exact exercise set, Azure environment, individual practice time, access period, resets or feedback criteria.

Readiness evidence: The provider says no prerequisite certification is required and asks for basic computer, internet and Azure familiarity. Compare that with Microsoft’s current Python and Azure-resource candidate profile before choosing the one-day pace.

Likely fit: An employer-sponsored learner who wants a one-day live package with stated labs, official courseware, after-course coaching and an exam voucher, subject to exact entitlement and buyer verification.

Dated schedule: No exact calendar is linked in Learnerside’s retained observations. Ask for every meeting date, time and source time zone.

Verify before approval:

  • calendar year, exact seat and delivery format
  • commercial versus government buyer eligibility and price
  • current AI-901T00 courseware revision
  • lab, Azure environment and coaching access
  • AI-901 voucher delivery, expiry and retake terms
  • legal seller, current Microsoft partner identity, instructor, cancellation terms and final total

Learning Tree AI-901 course 8580 (checked September 14, 2026)

Evidence boundary: This comparison paraphrases public outlines; it does not republish a provider syllabus, verify a seat, or prove that every listed topic receives equal live instruction. A provider-issued proposal should identify the exact course version, schedule, delivery organization, inclusions and terms.

Dated course packages and archived calendar examples

In the September 14 observations, ONLC listed USD 595 and complete October 2, October 26 and November 20, 2026 calendars. Learning Tree listed USD 895 commercial and USD 803 government pricing with labs, official courseware, coaching and an exam voucher, but its checked schedule omitted the calendar year. These retained examples are not current prices or usable schedule options. Use the time-checked finder or the provider’s current page; Learnerside will not invent a calendar year or treat an old source check as confirmed availability.

Current course code is only the first check

Both pages name AI-901 and cover current Foundry, agents, text, speech, vision and information-extraction topics. Ask what each learner performs, the Azure environment supplied, code and prompt feedback, access after class, the exact AI-901T00 revision and the voucher entitlement. Neither page alone establishes the exact seller, delivery organization, instructor, current Microsoft partner coverage, seat, tax or final total.

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Requirements-first next step

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