- I passed Azure AI Fundamentals and organized my prep around Microsoft Learn, NotebookLM, and Python exercises.
- Doing the hands-on in Python was especially important for learning Azure AI SDK patterns.
- Focus on core concepts, service categories, and practical demos rather than memorizing every product name.
I recently earned the Azure AI Fundamentals certification, and I wanted to capture the study resources and approach that helped me pass the exam.
Why Azure AI Fundamentals
This certification is a great entry point for anyone who wants to understand how AI services are offered in Azure. It is not about becoming a machine learning engineer overnight. Instead, it covers the core concepts behind responsible AI, computer vision, natural language processing, conversational AI, and agent workloads in the context of Azure services.
For me, the exam was worth it because it helped me organize my knowledge around Azure’s AI ecosystem and learn the product names and capabilities in a way that can be referenced later.
What I used to prepare
- Microsoft Learn: the official learning path is the best starting point. I went through the modules for “Azure AI Fundamentals (AI-901)” and made sure I completed the hands-on exercises. I also made a point of doing the practical labs in Python, which helped me learn the Python SDK and sample code patterns used in Azure AI.
- Azure free account: I no longer have the trial account, but to run all the exercises I spent only 1.70 Reais, that is like 30 cents of a US dollar.
- NotebookLM: Since I took the test on its beta version, there were no practice tests available yet. But I used NotebookLM from Google to generate questions for me about each topic.
What helped the most
The combination of hands-on practice and official learning content was the biggest win. Microsoft Learn gave me the structure, while doing every exercise on my own account brought the content to life.
If you are planning to take the exam, I recommend:
- Start with the AI-901 learning path on Microsoft Learn.
- Build a few small apps using Azure, even if it is just a Q&A bot or an image analyzer.
- Use NotebookLM to generate notes and quizzes.
Final thought
Azure AI Fundamentals is a certification that rewards practical understanding more than deep technical detail. If you want a clear map of Microsoft’s AI offerings, this is a solid credential and a good way to get comfortable with the Azure AI landscape.