AI certification cost: exam fees, the issuer's prep and renewal
AI certification cost is the exam fee plus any paid prep the issuer sells, and sometimes a renewal. The table sets them side by side as each issuer states them, in its own currency.
What goes into the cost of an AI certification?
- The exam fee. What you pay to sit the exam, as the issuer shows it, for example AWS Certified AI Practitioner (AIF-C01) at $100; AUD 150 or AI-901 at $99 plus tax.
- The issuer's own prep. Many issuers publish free prep; some sell paid courses or subscriptions. Courses from other providers are not added.
- Renewal. Some certifications expire and renew by a free online assessment, some by a paid exam, some never expire. The table quotes each issuer.
The catch: a subscription price (per month) or a price the issuer doesn't state has no fixed total, so those rows show no computed cost.
What does each AI certification cost?
Every live certification we track. Exam fee as the issuer shows it; the issuer's own prep courses that name the certification, as each provider states their price; renewal in the issuer's words. The cost to certify is computed by us (8 of 69 rows): the one-off exam fee plus every one of the issuer's own prep courses, only when each price is stated, one-off and in one currency. Never converted. Order: live and active first, then those with no stated entry rule, then entry level first.
| Certification | Exam fee as shown | Issuer's own prep | Renewal | Cost to certify (computed) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Certified: Azure AI Fundamentals (AI-901)Microsoft | $99 plus tax | AI concepts for developers and technology professionals: Free; Get started with AI applications and agents on Azure: Free; Introduction to AI in Azure (AI-901T00): Free | Does not expire | $99 plus tax (computed) |
| Oracle Agentic AI Foundations Associate (1Z0-1157-26)Oracle | Free | None listed here | Not stated by Oracle | Not computed: no issuer prep course listed |
| AWS Certified AI Practitioner (AIF-C01)Amazon Web Services | $100; AUD 150 | AWS Artificial Intelligence Practitioner Learning Plan: Free to learn. Exam USD 100; Exam Prep Plan: AWS Certified AI Practitioner (AIF-C01 - English): Free to learn. Some parts paid | Before your certification expires, you can recertify by passing the latest version of this exam, or by earning the AWS Certified Machine Learning Engineer - Associate, which will automatically recertify this certification. | Not computed: a prep price is not stated as a one-off price |
| Microsoft 365 Certified: Copilot and Agent Administration Fundamentals (AB-900)Microsoft | $99 | Introduction to Microsoft 365 and AI administration: Free | Does not expire | $99 (computed) |
| IBM Certified watsonx Generative AI Engineer - Associate (C1000-185)IBM | $200 | None listed here | Not stated by IBM | Not computed: no issuer prep course listed |
| Databricks Certified Machine Learning AssociateDatabricks | $200 | None listed here | Recertification is required every two years to maintain your certified status. To recertify, you must take the current version of the exam. | Not computed: no issuer prep course listed |
| Microsoft Certified: Cloud and AI Security Engineer Associate (SC-500)Microsoft | $165 | None listed here | Not stated by Microsoft | Not computed: no issuer prep course listed |
| Microsoft Certified: SQL AI Developer Associate (DP-800)Microsoft | $165 | None listed here | Microsoft associate, expert, and specialty certifications expire annually. You can renew by passing a free online assessment on Microsoft Learn. | Not computed: no issuer prep course listed |
| Databricks Certified Generative AI Engineer AssociateDatabricks | $200 | None listed here | Recertification is required every two years to maintain your certified status. To recertify, you must take the current version of the exam. | Not computed: no issuer prep course listed |
| Databricks Certified Context Engineer AssociateDatabricks | $200 | None listed here | Recertification is required every two years to maintain your certified status. To recertify, you must take the current version of the exam. | Not computed: no issuer prep course listed |
| Microsoft Certified: Azure AI Apps and Agents Developer Associate (AI-103)Microsoft | $165 | Develop AI apps and agents on Azure: Free | Microsoft associate, expert, and specialty certifications expire annually. You can renew by passing a free online assessment on Microsoft Learn. | $165 (computed) |
| Microsoft Certified: Machine Learning Operations Engineer Associate (AI-300)Microsoft | $165 | None listed here | Microsoft associate, expert, and specialty certifications expire annually. You can renew by passing a free online assessment on Microsoft Learn. | Not computed: no issuer prep course listed |
| NVIDIA-Certified Associate AI Infrastructure and Operations (NCA-AIIO)NVIDIA | $125 | AI Infrastructure and Operations Fundamentals: $50 (one-off or subscription not stated) | Recertification may be achieved by retaking the exam. | Not computed: a prep price is not stated as a one-off price |
| Microsoft Certified: AI Agent Builder Associate (AB-620)Microsoft | $165 | Design and build integrated AI agent solutions in Copilot Studio: Free | There’s no cost to renew your certification, just make sure you pass the online assessment before your certification expires. Once you pass, your certification will be extended one year from the expiration date. | $165 (computed) |
| Agentic Automation AssociateUiPath | $150 plus tax | Agentic Automation Training: Price not stated by provider | Not stated by UiPath | Not computed: a prep price is not stated as a one-off price |
| Microsoft Certified: Dynamics 365 Contact Center AI Engineer Associate (AB-250)Microsoft | $165 | None listed here | Not stated by Microsoft | Not computed: no issuer prep course listed |
| NVIDIA-Certified Associate Generative AI LLM (NCA-GENL)NVIDIA | $125 | None listed here | Recertification may be achieved by retaking the exam. | Not computed: no issuer prep course listed |
| Databricks Certified Machine Learning ProfessionalDatabricks | $200 | None listed here | Recertification is required every two years to maintain your certified status. To recertify, you must take the current version of the exam. | Not computed: no issuer prep course listed |
| Agentic Automation Builder ProfessionalUiPath | $300 plus tax | None listed here | Not stated by UiPath | Not computed: no issuer prep course listed |
| AWS Certified Generative AI Developer - ProfessionalAmazon Web Services | $300; AUD 449 | Exam Prep Plan: AWS Certified Generative AI Developer - Professional (AIP-C01 - English): Free to learn. Some parts paid; AWS Generative AI Developer Advanced Learning Plan (includes Labs): Price not stated by provider | Not stated by Amazon Web Services | Not computed: a prep price is not stated as a one-off price |
| Agentic Automation ProfessionalUiPath | $300 plus tax | Agentic Automation Training: Price not stated by provider | Not stated by UiPath | Not computed: a prep price is not stated as a one-off price |
| Professional Machine Learning EngineerGoogle Cloud | $200 plus tax | None listed here | Candidates may renew their certification within the renewal eligibility period. | Not computed: no one-off exam fee stated |
| Microsoft AI Product Manager Professional CertificateMicrosoft | Not stated by Microsoft | The course is the certificate | Not stated by Microsoft | Not computed: no one-off exam fee stated |
| GIAC Offensive AI Analyst (GOAA)GIAC | $999 plus tax; $899 plus tax (retake) | None listed here | Collect 36 CPEs or retake the exam, then pay the renewal fee: Certification Renewal $499 (USD, excluding applicable sales tax). Additional renewals within 2 years of a full-price ($499) renewal are $249. | Not computed: no issuer prep course listed |
| GIAC AI Platform Security (GAIPS)GIAC | $999 plus tax; $899 plus tax (retake) | None listed here | Collect 36 CPEs or retake the exam, then pay the renewal fee: Certification Renewal $499 (USD, excluding applicable sales tax). Additional renewals within 2 years of a full-price ($499) renewal are $249. | Not computed: no issuer prep course listed |
| Microsoft Certified: AI Business Professional (AB-730)Microsoft | $99 | Build foundational generative AI skills: Free; Transform business workflows with generative AI: Free | Not stated by Microsoft | $99 (computed) |
| Google AI Professional CertificateGoogle | $49 per month | The course is the certificate | Not stated by Google | Not computed: no one-off exam fee stated |
| Google Prompting EssentialsGoogle | $49 per month | The course is the certificate | Not stated by Google | Not computed: no one-off exam fee stated |
| Google AI EssentialsGoogle | $49 per month | The course is the certificate | Not stated by Google | Not computed: no one-off exam fee stated |
| Cisco AI Technical Practitioner (810-110)Cisco | $150 | None listed here | You can renew with Continuing Education credits or retake exams before they expire. | Not computed: no issuer prep course listed |
| Gemini Certified FacultyGoogle for Education | Free | None listed here | Not stated by Google for Education | Not computed: no issuer prep course listed |
| Agentic AI Builder (AGB-110)CertNexus | Not stated by CertNexus | None listed here | Not stated by CertNexus | Not computed: no one-off exam fee stated |
| Gemini Certified EducatorGoogle for Education | Free | None listed here | Not stated by Google for Education | Not computed: no issuer prep course listed |
| IBM AI Engineering Professional CertificateIBM | Not stated by IBM | The course is the certificate | Not stated by IBM | Not computed: no one-off exam fee stated |
| Gemini Certified StudentGoogle for Education | Free | None listed here | Not stated by Google for Education | Not computed: no issuer prep course listed |
| Certified Artificial Intelligence Practitioner (AIP-210)CertNexus | $367.50 | None listed here | Not stated by CertNexus | Not computed: no issuer prep course listed |
| CompTIA SecAI+ (CY0-001)CompTIA | $298 | None listed here | Not stated by CompTIA | Not computed: no issuer prep course listed |
| IBM AI Product Manager Professional CertificateIBM | Not stated by IBM | The course is the certificate | Not stated by IBM | Not computed: no one-off exam fee stated |
| Generative AI for Educators with GeminiGoogle | Free | The course is the certificate | Not stated by Google | Not computed: the course is the certificate |
| Artificial Intelligence Governance Professional (AIGP)IAPP | $799 (non member); $649 (member) | None listed here | Certification holders must fulfill the two minimum requirements to maintain their certification: (1) submit evidence of 20 continuing education credits that correspond to the content in the AIGP BoK and (2) pay a certification maintenance fee for their term. For members, this fee is covered as part of their membership benefits. For non-members, the initial CMF is included in their exam fee and then a $250 CMF fee is required upon recertification. | Not computed: no issuer prep course listed |
| AI Agent FundamentalsDatabricks | Free | None listed here | Not stated by Databricks | Not computed: no issuer prep course listed |
| IBM RAG and Agentic AI Professional CertificateIBM | Not stated by IBM | The course is the certificate | Not stated by IBM | Not computed: no one-off exam fee stated |
| IBM Generative AI Engineering Professional CertificateIBM | Not stated by IBM | The course is the certificate | Not stated by IBM | Not computed: no one-off exam fee stated |
| GitHub Copilot (GH-300)GitHub | $99 | None listed here | GitHub is transitioning to Microsoft’s recertification process, which will provide a new way for candidates to maintain their certifications without retaking the full certification exam. Once the new recertification process is in place, candidates will be able to use Microsoft’s recertification process to maintain their active GitHub certifications. | Not computed: no issuer prep course listed |
| Salesforce Certified Agentforce SpecialistSalesforce | $200 plus tax; ¥30,000 plus tax; $100 plus tax (retake); ¥15,000 plus tax (retake) | None listed here | Complete the Salesforce Certified Agentforce Specialist certification maintenance module on Trailhead once a year. | Not computed: no issuer prep course listed |
| Artificial Intelligence Fundamentals CertificateISACA | $144 (non member); $120 (member) | None listed here | Not stated by ISACA | Not computed: no issuer prep course listed |
| Generative AI FundamentalsDatabricks | Free | None listed here | Not stated by Databricks | Not computed: no issuer prep course listed |
| IBM AI Developer Professional CertificateIBM | Not stated by IBM | The course is the certificate | Not stated by IBM | Not computed: no one-off exam fee stated |
| Microsoft Certified: AI Transformation Leader (AB-731)Microsoft | $99 | Drive AI transformation in your organization: Free | Not stated by Microsoft | $99 (computed) |
| Generative AI LeaderGoogle Cloud | $99 plus tax | Gen AI Agents: Transform Your Organization: Free | Candidates may renew their certification within the renewal eligibility period. | Not computed: no one-off exam fee stated |
| LangChain Certified Agent EngineerLangChain | $99 | Building Reliable Agents with LangSmith: Free; Introduction to Deep Agents: Free; Introduction to LangChain - Python: Free; Introduction to LangSmith Deployment: Free; Monitoring Production Agents: Free | Not stated by LangChain | $99 (computed) |
| Cisco AI Business PractitionerCisco | Free | None listed here | Not stated by Cisco | Not computed: no issuer prep course listed |
| AWS Agentic AI DemonstratedAmazon Web Services | Not stated by Amazon Web Services | None listed here | Not stated by Amazon Web Services | Not computed: no one-off exam fee stated |
| AWS Databases for Agentic AI DemonstratedAmazon Web Services | Free | None listed here | Not stated by Amazon Web Services | Not computed: no issuer prep course listed |
| AWS Securing Agent Identities DemonstratedAmazon Web Services | Free | None listed here | Not stated by Amazon Web Services | Not computed: no issuer prep course listed |
| Claude Certified Associate - Foundations (CCAO-F)Anthropic | Not stated by Anthropic | None listed here | Not stated by Anthropic | Not computed: no one-off exam fee stated |
| Claude Certified Architect - Foundations (CCAR-F)Anthropic | Not stated by Anthropic | None listed here | Not stated by Anthropic | Not computed: no one-off exam fee stated |
| Claude Certified Developer - Foundations (CCDV-F)Anthropic | Not stated by Anthropic | None listed here | Not stated by Anthropic | Not computed: no one-off exam fee stated |
| Claude Certified Architect - Professional (CCAR-P)Anthropic | Not stated by Anthropic | None listed here | Not stated by Anthropic | Not computed: no one-off exam fee stated |
| ISACA Advanced in AI Audit (AAIA)ISACA | $599 (non member); $459 (member) | None listed here | Not stated by ISACA | Not computed: no issuer prep course listed |
| ISACA Advanced in AI Risk (AAIR)ISACA | $599 (non member); $459 (member) | None listed here | Not stated by ISACA | Not computed: no issuer prep course listed |
| Microsoft Certified: Multi-Agent AI Solutions Expert (AI-500)Microsoft | $165 plus tax | None listed here | There’s no cost to renew your certification, just make sure you pass the online assessment before your certification expires. Once you pass, your certification will be extended one year from the expiration date. | Not computed: no issuer prep course listed |
| Microsoft Certified: Agentic AI Business Solutions Architect Expert (AB-100)Microsoft | $165 plus tax | Architecting agentic AI business solutions: Free; Architect AI solutions for business productivity: Free | There’s no cost to renew your certification, just make sure you pass the online assessment before your certification expires. Once you pass, your certification will be extended one year from the expiration date. | $165 plus tax (computed) |
| PMI Certified Professional in Managing AI (PMI-CPMAI)Project Management Institute | $899 (non member); $699 (member) | None listed here | Earn 30 professional development units (PDUs) every 3 years. | Not computed: no one-off exam fee stated |
| ISACA Advanced in AI Security Management (AAISM)ISACA | $599 (non member); $459 (member) | None listed here | Not stated by ISACA | Not computed: no issuer prep course listed |
| AWS Certified Machine Learning Engineer - Associate (MLA-C01)Amazon Web Services | $150; $75 (beta); AUD 224 | Exam Prep Plan: AWS Certified Machine Learning Engineer - Associate (MLA-C02 - English): Free to learn. Some parts paid; AWS ML Engineer Associate Learning Plan (includes labs): Price not stated by provider | Before your certification expires, you can recertify by passing the latest version of this exam. | Not computed: a prep price is not stated as a one-off price |
| Microsoft Certified: Dynamics 365 Sales AI Consultant Associate (AB-210)Microsoft | $165 | None listed here | Not stated by Microsoft | Not computed: no issuer prep course listed |
| AWS Certified AI Business Strategist (AIB-C01)Amazon Web Services | $50 (beta); $100 | AWS AI Business Strategist Learning Plan: Price not stated by provider; Exam Prep Plan: AWS Certified AI Business Strategist (AIB-C01 - English): Free to learn. Some parts paid | Not stated by Amazon Web Services | Not computed: a prep price is not stated as a one-off price |
| AI FoundationsOpenAI | Not stated by OpenAI | The course is the certificate | Not stated by OpenAI | Not computed: no one-off exam fee stated |
How is the cost to certify worked out?
It is computed by us from stated values only: the one-off exam fee plus every one of the issuer's own prep courses listed for that certification. A row gets no figure when any input is missing, monthly, or in another currency, and nothing is ever converted. Retake fees and taxes are not included. See how certifications are verified.
Questions people ask
Are there free AI certifications?
Yes, a few exams and many course certificates cost nothing. See free AI certificates, where a certificate is only called free when the provider says so.