Free AI-901 practice exam: Azure AI Fundamentals exam guide (updated 2026)
AI-901 replaced the AI-900 with an exam centered on Microsoft Foundry, generative AI, and agents. Format, the real domains, and how to practice with Brains4Cloud.
The AI-901 (Azure AI Fundamentals) fully replaced the AI-900 as of April 15, 2026 — and it's not a simple content refresh. The old exam was conceptual and didn't require code; the AI-901 revolves around Microsoft Foundry (the rebrand of Azure AI Studio) and expects you to know how to deploy models, write effective prompts, and build lightweight applications with SDKs, not just recognize definitions.
If you studied with old AI-900 material, most of those notes no longer apply — the domain structure changed completely.
What you need to know about the exam
| Questions | ~40-60 |
| Duration | ~60 minutes |
| Reference cost | USD 99 |
| Passing score | 700 out of 1000 (scaled) |
| Validity | Does not expire |
| Prerequisites | None formally, but Microsoft recommends knowing basic Python syntax |
Official domains and their weight
| Domain | Weight | Main content |
|---|---|---|
| Identify AI concepts and capabilities | 40-45% | Responsible AI, how generative models work, AI workloads (text, speech, vision, information extraction) |
| Implement AI solutions with Microsoft Foundry | 55-60% | Prompts, model deployment, agents, lightweight apps with the Foundry SDK, Azure Speech, Content Understanding |
Only two official domains — much more concentrated than the previous AI-900 (which had five separate blocks for ML, vision, NLP, etc.). The second domain, centered on implementing with Microsoft Foundry, accounts for more than half of the exam: knowing what a model is isn't enough; you have to know how to deploy it, connect it to your own data, and build a basic client that consumes it.
Common mistakes that make people fail
- ▸Preparing with old AI-900 material. The structure, the domain weights, and the hands-on focus changed — reviewing notes from the previous version leaves big gaps in Foundry and agents.
- ▸Underestimating the hands-on part. Even though it's still a fundamentals exam, it now asks about SDKs, model deployment, and service calls — it's no longer 100% theoretical like before.
- ▸Not distinguishing grounding/RAG from fine-tuning. It's one of the concepts that comes up most when discussing how to improve the responses of a model deployed in Foundry.
How to prepare with Brains4Cloud
- ▸Complete AI-901 guide — a summary of the two official domains, updated to the structure in effect since April 2026.
- ▸AI-901 Deep Dive — each topic broken down, focused on Microsoft Foundry, agents, and the generative AI capabilities that dominate the exam.
- ▸AI-901 interactive labs — practice with Azure AI services in a guided environment, without needing your own subscription.
- ▸Practice exam — original questions aligned with the current blueprint, with an explanation for every option. Create your free account and take your first practice exam.
Frequently asked questions
Did the AI-901 replace the AI-900? Yes, since April 15, 2026, the AI-900 can no longer be scheduled — the AI-901 replaced it with a fairly different exam, not just a content update.
Do I need to know how to code? It helps, but you don't need to be an expert. Microsoft recommends knowing basic Python syntax and being familiar with SDKs, REST APIs, and CLIs — the exam includes implementation scenarios, not just theory.
What is Microsoft Foundry? It's the current name of the platform previously called Azure AI Studio — the unified entry point for deploying models, creating agents, and building generative AI applications on Azure. It's the core of the AI-901 exam.
Is it a good foundation for the AZ-305 or more advanced AI certifications? Yes, and more so than before — since it includes real model and agent deployment, it leaves a more applied foundation for associate- or expert-level AI certifications.
Put what you learned to the test
Original practice exams with detailed explanations. No brain dumps.