I recently achieved my Microsoft Azure AI Engineer Associate certification by completing two exams, AI-900 (Microsoft Azure AI Fundamentals) and AI-102 (Designing and Implementing a Microsoft Azure AI Solution), within a 20-day period. This note serves to summarize my experience in obtaining this credential in such a short span of time.
It is important to keep in mind that everyone’s experience with Azure and AI is different. I have two years of hands-on experience working with Azure, AI, and Python, as well as .NET. During that time, I have incorporated AI and ML into a variety of applications and hosted web-apps on Azure. Although I have not taken any exams from the perspective of studying, I have gained a great deal of practical experience. If you do not possess the same level of experience with Azure and AI, you may require additional time to pass the exams.
AI-900 – Microsoft Azure AI Fundamentals
In order to pass the Microsoft Azure AI Fundamentals (AI-900) exam, it is necessary to have a fundamental understanding of machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI), as well as related Microsoft Azure services. This exam offers an opportunity to display proficiency in ML and AI technologies, which are becoming increasingly important in the modern world.
The AI-900 exam is not necessary to complete the AI-102 course. However, AI-900 is an advanced certification that might provide additional value in the job market. It is recommended that you look into what kind of certification employers are looking for and determine if it is worth taking the time to complete the AI-900 exam.
Here are some crucial steps or information to attain the exam.
Microsoft Learning Profile
Create your account on https://learn.microsoft.com, it is critical in setting up your learning profile and linking it with a professional email to centralize all your Microsoft certifications. https://learn.microsoft.com is the Microsoft Learning Platform, a website that provides educational resources and training materials for Microsoft technologies and products. The platform provides a comprehensive learning experience for individuals and organizations looking to improve their skills with Microsoft products, technologies and services. It offers a range of resources including online courses, certifications, assessments, and hands-on labs, to help individuals and organizations build the skills they need to succeed with Microsoft technologies. The profile also enables you to schedule and view your exam appointments on the dashboard.
Microsoft Virtual Days
Microsoft Virtual Days are online events hosted by Microsoft that provide training and education opportunities for IT professionals, developers, and data professionals. These events typically include live and on-demand technical sessions, hands-on labs, and other interactive experiences, all delivered virtually through the internet. You can visit below URL to join Microsoft Virtual Days.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/trainingdays/azure
To attend Azure AI fundamentals training on Virtual Days, you can sign up. After completion of the training, you’ll receive a voucher to take the AI-900 exam for free. If the training is not currently offered, you’ll need to wait for Microsoft to schedule it or register for the exam by paying. Ensure you use the same email id to register for Virtual Days that you originally used to create learning profile.
The exam can be scheduled within three months after completing the training. It’s recommended to take the exam within two weeks.
Additional Study Material
While the virtual day training is sufficient for the foundation exam, it tests your theoretical knowledge of Azure services for AI and ML. However, if you have limited experience, I suggest taking additional trainings and practice exams on Udemy. I have some recommendations for good ones.
Scheduling the exam
Upon completion of the Microsoft Virtual Day training, a free exam voucher will be granted. To access the voucher, log in to your learning profile and accept it. The instructions will be provided in an email from Microsoft. Remember to click the Apply Discount button before scheduling the exam, otherwise you will be charged the full fee.
To schedule your exam with Pearson VUE, simply click on the Schedule option and select a convenient date and time. Note that you must cancel or reschedule at least 24 hours prior to the exam, otherwise it cannot be changed.
Get the batch on Credly
Credly is a digital credentialing platform that allows organizations and individuals to recognize, verify, and share achievements and skills through customizable and secure digital credentials.
After passing the exam, you can log in to the Credly website and claim your certificate, ready to be displayed on LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter. You can view my profile here at https://www.credly.com/users/sachin-korgaonkar.3ac4abf1/badges
AI-102 – Designing and Implementing a Microsoft Azure AI Solution
The AI-102 exam is considered challenging due to its focus on testing one’s hands-on programming skills in AI and ML using Azure Services. You can take the exam using either Python or C# as your preferred programming language.
Microsoft Virtual Days does not provide free exam vouchers for AI-102 as it is only available for foundation level exams. Therefore, you will need to pay for the exam.
I suggest taking the following course to prepare for the exam as it covers all relevant topics with hands-on examples.
Upon successful completion of this assessment, you will be awarded the Azure AI Engineer Associate badge.