Azure AI Fundamentals (AI-900) — quick overview
| Parameter | Details |
|---|
| Certification | Microsoft Azure AI Fundamentals (AI-900) |
| Level | Fundamentals (beginner — no prior AI knowledge needed) |
| Exam fee India | ~₹3,165 (can be lower with discount vouchers) |
| Passing score | 700/1000 |
| Exam duration | 45 minutes |
| Questions | 40–60 (multiple choice + drag-and-drop) |
| Validity | Lifetime (fundamentals certs don't expire) |
| Format | Online proctored from home or test centre |
AI-900 syllabus — what's covered
| Domain | Weight | Key topics |
|---|
| AI workloads and considerations | ~15–20% | Types of AI workloads, responsible AI principles |
| ML fundamentals on Azure | ~20–25% | Azure ML Studio, model training concepts, AutoML |
| Computer Vision | ~15–20% | Azure Vision API, Face API, document intelligence |
| NLP and Conversational AI | ~15–20% | Azure Language Service, Text Analytics, LUIS, Bot Service |
| Generative AI | ~15–20% | Azure OpenAI Service, GPT, DALL-E, responsible GenAI |
Azure AI learning path — beyond AI-900
AI-900 is the starting point. The Azure AI career path: AI-900 (Fundamentals) → AI-102 (Azure AI Engineer Associate) — builds and deploys AI solutions (₹9,000 exam fee, 3–4 months preparation, targets ₹8–15L roles) → AI-900 + Specialisations (Azure Cosmos DB, Azure OpenAI Service advanced usage). Most serious AI engineers pursue AI-102 after AI-900.
Azure AI vs AWS AI vs Google Cloud AI — India comparison 2026
| Certification | Provider | India exam fee | Best for | Job postings India |
|---|
| AI-900 (Fundamentals) | Microsoft Azure | ~₹3,165 | Enterprise/corporate, Microsoft shops | Most |
| AWS AI Practitioner | Amazon AWS | ~₹9,000 | Startups, AWS-heavy companies | High |
| Google Cloud AI Essentials | Google | Free (cert) / ₹6K (exam) | Data roles, GCP users | Moderate |
| IIT Madras GenAI Certificate | IIT Madras | ~₹1.5L | Hands-on GenAI engineering + IIT brand | N/A (not job portal cert) |
How to prepare for AI-900 — free resources
- Microsoft Learn — official free learning path for AI-900 (8–10 hours total)
- YouTube — "AI-900 full course" by Adam Marczak or John Savill (free, 4–6 hours)
- Practice tests — MeasureUp (paid, ₹2,500) or free quizzes on Exam Topics
- Hands-on — create a free Azure account, try Azure Vision API and Azure OpenAI playground
- Study time: 15–20 hours preparation is sufficient for most backgrounds
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