AI concepts for developers and technology professionals
Microsoft Learn
- Delivery
- Online, self-paced
- Cost
- Free
- Level
- Beginner
- For
- Developers and engineers
- Duration
- About 4 hours
- Certificate
- Not stated
Microsoft
Microsoft AI certification and courses: which to take first
The Microsoft AI certification to start with is Azure AI Fundamentals (AI-901), which replaced AI-900. It costs $99 plus tax and doesn't expire, but expects some Python.
- Courses listed
- 25
- Free to take
- 18
- Certifications
- 14
Which Microsoft AI certification fits your job?
- You build on Azure: Azure AI Fundamentals (AI-901) first, then Azure AI Apps and Agents Developer Associate, $165, which expects experience developing apps in Python.
- You use Microsoft 365 at work: AI Business Professional, $99, a 45-minute exam.
- You lead AI adoption: AI Transformation Leader, $99, which expects experience leading adoption or change management.
- You build agents in Power Platform or Copilot: AI Agent Builder Associate, $165.
The catch: the Associate certifications expire every year, and you renew them with a free online assessment on Microsoft Learn. The Expert exams, AB-100 and AI-500, need an Associate certification first.
Which free Microsoft AI courses are there?
To prepare for AI-901, Introduction to AI in Azure (AI-901T00) is free, no certificate. For everyday work, Work smarter with AI is free, with a badge. To build a first agent, Agent in a Day - Online workshop is free, with a badge.
Where should you start with Microsoft?
The first 2 courses in the recommended order of the list below.
Get started with AI applications and agents on Azure
Microsoft Learn
- Delivery
- Online, self-paced
- Cost
- Free
- Level
- Beginner
- For
- Developers and engineers
- Duration
- About 5.5 hours
- Certificate
- Not stated
More Microsoft AI courses
Recommended order: open now, wide audience, beginner level and lower cost first; closed courses last. The 2 courses shown above are not repeated here unless you filter or search. How we order courses.
No courses match all of these filters.
Or browse all AI courses.
AI concepts for developers and technology professionals
Microsoft Learn
Also shown above.
- Delivery
- Online, self-paced
- Cost
- Free
- Level
- Beginner
- For
- Developers and engineers
- Duration
- About 4 hours
- Certificate
- Not stated
Start any time
Checked against Microsoft Learn on Oct 20, 2026Get started with AI applications and agents on Azure
Microsoft Learn
Also shown above.
- Delivery
- Online, self-paced
- Cost
- Free
- Level
- Beginner
- For
- Developers and engineers
- Duration
- About 5.5 hours
- Certificate
- Not stated
Start any time
Checked against Microsoft Learn on Oct 20, 2026Transform business workflows with generative AI
Microsoft Learn
- Delivery
- Online
- Cost
- Free
- Level
- Beginner
- For
- Business professionals, Marketers
- Duration (as stated by provider)
- 1 day
- Certificate
- Not stated
Start any time
Checked against Microsoft Learn on Oct 20, 2026Work smarter with Copilot prompts for finance professionals
Microsoft Learn
- Delivery
- Online, self-paced
- Cost
- Free
- Level
- Beginner
- For
- Finance and accounting, Business professionals
- Duration
- Not stated
- Certificate
- Yes
Start any time
Free certificateLicense neededChecked against Microsoft Learn on Oct 20, 2026Empower your workforce with Microsoft Copilot
Microsoft Learn
- Delivery
- Online, self-paced
- Cost
- Free
- Level
- Beginner
- For
- Business professionals, Managers and leaders
- Duration
- Not stated
- Certificate
- Yes
Start any time
Free certificateLicense neededChecked against Microsoft Learn on Oct 20, 2026Work smarter with AI
Microsoft Learn
- Delivery
- Online, self-paced
- Cost
- Free
- Level
- Beginner
- For
- Business professionals, Everyone
- Duration
- Not stated
- Certificate
- Yes
Start any time
Free certificateChecked against Microsoft Learn on Oct 20, 2026Transform Your Everyday Business Processes with Agents (MS-4019)
Microsoft
- Delivery
- Online, self-paced
- Cost
- Free
- Level
- Beginner
- For
- Business professionals, Everyone
- Duration
- Not stated
- Certificate
- Yes
Start any time
Free certificateChecked against Microsoft on Oct 20, 2026Introduction to Microsoft 365 and AI administration
Microsoft Learn
- Delivery
- Online
- Cost
- Free
- Level
- Beginner
- For
- Business professionals
- Duration (as stated by provider)
- 1 day
- Certificate
- Not stated
Start any time
Checked against Microsoft Learn on Oct 20, 2026Drive AI transformation in your organization
Microsoft Learn
- Delivery
- Online
- Cost
- Free
- Level
- Beginner
- For
- Managers and leaders
- Duration (as stated by provider)
- 1 day
- Certificate
- Not stated
Start any time
Checked against Microsoft Learn on Oct 20, 2026Introduction to AI in Azure (AI-901T00)
Microsoft · Microsoft Learn
- Delivery
- Online
- Cost
- Free
- Level
- Beginner
- For
- Developers and engineers, Students and career changers
- Duration
- Not stated
- Certificate
- No
Start any time
Checked against Microsoft Learn on Oct 20, 2026Build foundational generative AI skills
Microsoft Learn
- Delivery
- Online, self-paced
- Cost
- Free
- Level
- Beginner
- For
- Business professionals, Everyone
- Duration
- Not stated
- Certificate
- Yes
Start any time
Free certificateChecked against Microsoft Learn on Oct 20, 2026Agent in a Day - Online workshop
Microsoft Learn
- Delivery
- Online, self-paced
- Cost
- Free
- Level
- Beginner
- For
- Business professionals
- Duration
- Not stated
- Certificate
- Yes
Start any time
Free certificateLicense neededChecked against Microsoft Learn on Oct 20, 2026Draft, Analyze, and Present with Microsoft Copilot (MS-4018)
Microsoft Learn
- Delivery
- Online, self-paced
- Cost
- Free
- Level
- Beginner
- For
- Business professionals, Everyone
- Duration
- Not stated
- Certificate
- Yes
Start any time
Free certificateLicense neededChecked against Microsoft Learn on Oct 12, 2026Microsoft 365 with Generative AI Professional Certificate
Microsoft · Coursera
- Delivery
- Online, self-paced
- Cost
- Free to learn
- Level
- Beginner
- For
- Business professionals
- Duration (as stated by provider)
- 2 months to complete at 10 hours a week
- Certificate
- Yes
Start any time
License neededChecked against Microsoft on Oct 12, 2026Microsoft Certified: Azure AI Fundamentals (Exam AI-901)
Microsoft · Microsoft Learn
- Delivery
- Online or in person
- Cost
- Paid, price not recorded yet
- Level
- Beginner
- For
- Developers and engineers, Students and career changers
- Duration
- Not stated
- Certificate
- Yes
Start any time
Checked against Microsoft on Oct 20, 2026AI Agents for Beginners
Microsoft · GitHub
- Delivery
- Online, self-paced
- Cost
- Price not stated by provider
- Level
- Beginner
- For
- Developers and engineers
- Duration
- Not stated
- Certificate
- Not stated
Start any time
License neededChecked against Microsoft on Oct 22, 2026Design and build integrated AI agent solutions in Copilot Studio
Microsoft Learn
- Delivery
- Online
- Cost
- Free
- Level
- Intermediate
- For
- Developers and engineers
- Duration (as stated by provider)
- 3 days
- Certificate
- Not stated
Start any time
Checked against Microsoft Learn on Oct 20, 2026Develop AI apps and agents on Azure
Microsoft Learn
- Delivery
- Online
- Cost
- Free
- Level
- Intermediate
- For
- Developers and engineers
- Duration (as stated by provider)
- 4 days
- Certificate
- Not stated
Start any time
Checked against Microsoft Learn on Oct 20, 2026GitHub Copilot
Microsoft Learn
- Delivery
- Online
- Cost
- Free
- Level
- Intermediate
- For
- Developers and engineers
- Duration (as stated by provider)
- 1 day
- Certificate
- Not stated
Start any time
Checked against Microsoft Learn on Oct 20, 2026Microsoft AI & ML Engineering Professional Certificate
Microsoft · Coursera
- Delivery
- Online, self-paced
- Cost
- Paid, price not recorded yet
- Level
- Intermediate
- For
- Developers and engineers, Data scientists and analysts
- Duration (as stated by provider)
- 6 months at 7 hours a week
- Certificate
- Yes
Start any time
License neededChecked against Microsoft on Oct 22, 2026Microsoft Certified: Azure AI Apps and Agents Developer Associate
Microsoft
- Delivery
- Online or in person
- Cost
- Paid, price not recorded yet
- Level
- Intermediate
- For
- Developers and engineers
- Duration
- Not stated
- Certificate
- Yes
Start any time
Checked against Microsoft on Oct 20, 2026Architect AI solutions for business productivity
Microsoft Learn
- Delivery
- Online, self-paced
- Cost
- Free
- Level
- Advanced
- For
- Developers and engineers, Managers and leaders
- Duration
- About 11 hours
- Certificate
- Not stated
Start any time
Checked against Microsoft Learn on Oct 20, 2026Architecting agentic AI business solutions
Microsoft Learn
- Delivery
- Online
- Cost
- Free
- Level
- Advanced
- For
- Developers and engineers, Managers and leaders
- Duration (as stated by provider)
- 3 days
- Certificate
- Not stated
Start any time
Checked against Microsoft Learn on Oct 20, 2026Microsoft AI Product Manager Professional Certificate
Microsoft · Coursera
- Delivery
- Online, self-paced
- Cost
- Paid, price not recorded yet
- Level
- Beginner
- For
- Product managers
- Duration (as stated by provider)
- 3 months at 10 hours a week
- Certificate
- Yes
Start any time
License neededChecked against Microsoft on Oct 22, 2026Generative AI for Marketers Specialization
Microsoft · Coursera
- Delivery
- Online, self-paced
- Cost
- Paid, price not recorded yet
- Level
- Beginner
- For
- Marketers, Small business owners
- Duration (as stated by provider)
- 4 weeks to complete at 5 hours a week
- Certificate
- Yes
Start any time
License neededChecked against Coursera on Oct 12, 2026
Which Microsoft certifications can you earn?
| Certification | Type | Price as shown | Valid for | Who can take it | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Certified: Agentic AI Business Solutions Architect Expert (AB-100) | Exam | $165 plus tax | 1 year | Needs another credential | Active |
| Microsoft Certified: Azure AI Fundamentals (AI-900) | Exam | Not stated by Microsoft | Not stated by Microsoft | No requirement listed | RetiredJune 30, 2026 |
| Microsoft Certified: AI Agent Builder Associate (AB-620) | ExamProctored | $165 | 1 year | No requirement listed | Active |
| Microsoft Certified: AI Business Professional (AB-730) | ExamProctored | $99 | Not stated by Microsoft | No requirement listed | Active |
| Microsoft AI Product Manager Professional Certificate | Course certificate | Not stated by Microsoft | Not stated by Microsoft | Open to anyone | Active |
| Microsoft Certified: AI Transformation Leader (AB-731) | ExamProctored | $99 | Not stated by Microsoft | No requirement listed | Active |
| Microsoft Certified: Azure AI Apps and Agents Developer Associate (AI-103) | ExamProctored | $165 | 1 year | No requirement listed | Active |
| Microsoft Certified: Azure AI Engineer Associate (AI-102) | Exam | Not stated by Microsoft | Not stated by Microsoft | No requirement listed | RetiredJune 30, 2026 |
| Microsoft Certified: Azure AI Fundamentals (AI-901) | Exam | $99 plus tax | Does not expire | No requirement listed | Active |
| Microsoft Certified: Azure Data Scientist Associate (DP-100) | ExamProctored | Not stated by Microsoft | Not stated by Microsoft | No requirement listed | RetiredJune 1, 2026 |
| Microsoft Certified: Cloud and AI Security Engineer Associate (SC-500) | ExamProctored | $165 | 1 year | No requirement listed | Active |
| Microsoft 365 Certified: Copilot and Agent Administration Fundamentals (AB-900) | ExamProctored | $99 | Does not expire | No requirement listed | Active |
| Microsoft Certified: Dynamics 365 Contact Center AI Engineer Associate (AB-250) | ExamProctored | $165 | 1 year | No requirement listed | Active |
| Microsoft Certified: Dynamics 365 Sales AI Consultant Associate (AB-210) | ExamProctored | $165 | 1 year | No requirement listed | Beta |
| Microsoft Certified: Machine Learning Operations Engineer Associate (AI-300) | ExamProctored | $165 | 1 year | No requirement listed | Active |
| Microsoft Certified: Multi-Agent AI Solutions Expert (AI-500) | Exam | $165 plus tax | 1 year | Needs another credential | Active |
| Microsoft Certified: SQL AI Developer Associate (DP-800) | ExamProctored | $165 | 1 year | No requirement listed | Active |
Which Microsoft AI exams are current, and which are retired?
Current, as Microsoft's exam pages show them:
- AB-100 Agentic AI Business Solutions Architect Expert: active.
- AB-620 AI Agent Builder Associate: active.
- AB-730 AI Business Professional: active.
- Microsoft AI Product Manager Professional Certificate Microsoft AI Product Manager Professional Certificate: active.
- AB-731 AI Transformation Leader: active.
- AI-103 Azure AI Apps and Agents Developer Associate: active.
- AI-901 Azure AI Fundamentals: active.
- SC-500 Cloud and AI Security Engineer Associate: active.
- AB-900 Microsoft 365 Certified: Copilot and Agent Administration Fundamentals: active.
- AB-250 Dynamics 365 Contact Center AI Engineer Associate: active.
- AB-210 Dynamics 365 Sales AI Consultant Associate: beta.
- AI-300 Machine Learning Operations Engineer Associate: active.
- AI-500 Multi-Agent AI Solutions Expert: active.
- DP-800 SQL AI Developer Associate: active.
Past exams, each with the date Microsoft gives:
- AI-900 Azure AI Fundamentals: retired on June 30, 2026, replaced by AI-901.
- AI-102 Azure AI Engineer Associate: retired on June 30, 2026.
- DP-100 Azure Data Scientist Associate: retired on June 1, 2026.
A course or guide that still teaches an exam code from the second list is out of date.
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