Microsoft is at the forefront in machine learning and artificial intelligence. Azure places a lot of emphasis on both internal AI and machine-learning, as well as external growth. Microsoft clearly states that they want to empower app developers and data scientists to discover and develop the potential of these technologies. There has never been a better moment to learn Azure if you are one of these groups.
Microsoft’s certification pathway in this area is still in development. They typically have three levels of certification: Expert, Associate, and Fundamentals. The Microsoft Certified Azure AI Engineer Associate accreditation was launched in mid-2019. The Microsoft Certified Azure AI Fundamentals certification went live in mid 2020. It is likely that an Azure AI Expert level certification will be available sometime in the coming year.
What is the AI-900?
To earn the Microsoft Certified: Azure AI Foundations certification, you must pass the AI-900 exam. It focuses more on the philosophical and theoretical aspects of artificial intelligence than the practicalities of using AI on Azure. Candidates with technical and non-technical backgrounds are eligible to apply for the certification.
The exam is technical and Microsoft says that you should have some programming experience or knowledge. The exam is not inherently technical. Microsoft states that no data science or software engineering experience is required. This certification is ideal for anyone who works in AI, but not in programming.
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Start trainingWhat is the AI-900 Test?
The AI-900 exam tests knowledge across five focus areas.
Describe AI workloads and considerations (15-20%)
Describe the fundamental principles of machine-learning on Azure (30-35%)
Describe the features of computer vision workloads in Azure (15-20%)
Describe the features of Natural Language Processing (NLP), workloads on Azure (15-20%)
Describe the features of conversational AI workloads in Azure (15-20%)

It is important to note that this material was updated on January 27, 2021. Make sure that you have the appropriate adaptations in any material that you use.
The material is generally conceptual in nature. One subsection under “describe Artificial Intelligence workloads, considerations” requires that the test-taker “identify guiding principles to responsible AI.” This is further broken down into half a dozen bullets that discuss values like fairness, inclusivity, transparency, accountability, and accountability.
How Much Does the AI-900 Exam Price?
The AI-900 exam costs only $99 (USD). This exam is a great opportunity to advance your career. The test has 40-60 multiple-choice questions. It takes 60 minutes to complete.
What experience do you need for the AI-900 exam?
According to the AI-900 skills outline, candidates should have a foundational knowledge of machine intelligence (ML) concepts and related Microsoft Azure services. While you don’t need to be able to use these technologies, it is important to have a basic understanding of the available options and an idea about what they can do.
To make it more concrete, consider this: If you hired a company to help you with an AI/ML project. What would the minimum knowledge you expect everyone to have? This is the approximate amount of experience you will need to pass the AI-900 exam. This exam will allow you to demonstrate your knowledge of common ML workloads and how they can be implemented on Azure.
Who Should Take the AI-900 Exam?
This is the audience profile that Microsoft created for this cert