9 steps to crack the Microsoft Azure AI Fundamentals AI-900 Certification Exam

Introduction:

As an artificial intelligence enthusiast, if you are willing to progress your career with Microsoft Azure AI Fundamentals AI-900 Certification Exam then you are in the right place. Azure’s suite of AI services is empowering developers across the world to build chatbots, computer vision, predictive engines and digitally transforming today’s businesses. This is the right time now to get your certifications done and upskill your caliber as a Microsoft Azure AI professional.

What to expect from this article?

Thorough research for getting certified as a Microsoft Azure AI professional will lead you to all the material available in this article. Core concepts of Artificial Intelligence, Microsoft Azure AI services, exam pattern, different module names, and the percentage of questions from each module that may be expected during the actual exam, study material, test preparation guides, and much more. Sample questions and self-learning portal links are available in the later sections. Follow them thoroughly and you will pass the exam on your first attempt.

Prerequisites:

While there is no hard and fast rule for taking Microsoft Azure AI fundamentals, candidates must have basic knowledge of Machine Learning (ML) and Artificial Intelligence (AI). Foundation level knowledge of Microsoft Azure services that can be used to create AI solutions. Programming language knowledge is preferential for taking up the AI-900 certification exam.

Key Benefits of AI-900 Certification

Candidates will receive a vast amount of knowledge on Artificial Intelligence and the ability to identify Microsoft Azure services to support them. Grow your career as an Azure Data Scientist Associate or Azure AI Engineer Associate with the fundamental knowledge of Microsoft Azure AI Fundamentals certification. IT market is flooded with jobs for people who work with data and use Microsoft Azure Services.  Candidates having Microsoft certification badges in their CV have a huge advantage. Certification is a quick way to let others know that your skills have been validated.

Exam Pattern

Percentage of questions for all modules

In this exam, you can expect questions from the 5 modules listed below, and based on the weightage of each module, you can prepare for the certifications.

1. • Module 1: Describe AI workloads and considerations (15-20%)
   • Module 2: Describe fundamental principles of machine learning on Azure (30-35%)
   • Module 3: Describe features of computer vision workloads on Azure (15-20%)
   • Module 4: Describe features of Natural Language Processing (NLP) workloads on Azure (15-20%)
   • Module 5: Describe features of conversational AI workloads on Azure (15-20%)

Module 1: From this module, we can expect questions on 6 principles which is Fairness, Reliability, and Safety, Privacy, and Security, Inclusiveness, Transparency, and Accountability most questions were in Yes or No format and fill the missing blank for the given statement.
Module 2: From this module, we can expect maximum questions on machine learning principles, machine learning workload and machine learning models, and machine learning designer. We will get a greater number of questions on machine learning models such as which model we should use for the given requirement like Regression, Clustering, or Classification. There will be some questions on Machine learning Designer in which we have to drag and drop missing fields to create a pipeline.

Module 3: From this module, we can expect questions on services like computer vision, Custom vision, OCR (Optical character recognition), Form recognizer service. More questions are anticipated from computer vision We can get some questions in which you need to choose yes or no for the given statement about the services and some as MCQ.
Module 4: From this module, we can expect questions on cognitive services, Text analysis, Speech, translation both MCQ and in which we need to choose Yes or No for the given statement. We can expect maximum questions on cognitive services and few questions on speech, text analysis, and least from translate service.

Module 5: From this module, we can expect questions on QnA maker and Bot service. Fewer questions can be expected from this module.

Study Materials and References

There are various ways to prepare for the AI-900 course. Microsoft Learn Portal, Microsoft Documentation, and Microsoft Official Courseware (MOC) are self-learning portals. Otherwise, there is an option for instructor lead training that can help you learn the Azure fundamentals with a structured approach. Here is the course link from CloudThat with a detail about the course:

https://cloudthat.in/courses/course/microsoft-azure-certification-bootcamp-for-ai-900-microsoft-azure-ai-fundamentals/ 

Tips and tricks

Before going for an exam make sure that you have performed all the labs such as creating a pipeline to train a model, computer vision labs like detecting objects in pictures, etc. It will take around 2 weeks to get prepared for the examination and it would be great if you take training from CloudThat in that trainers have explained every topic very well with labs also which make it easier to understand. Manage your time properly and pace yourself on the questions as to not get stuck on one complex question. As there is no negative marking try to answer all the questions and get the maximum score.

Get certified now

If, at any point, you are confused amidst the chaos of Azure certifications, feel free to drop a message in the comments sections and we will get back to you with answers. You can register by visiting the Microsoft website:

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/certifications/exams/ai-900 . After preparing for AI-900, look forward to my next blog 11 Sample Questions for Microsoft Azure AI Fundamentals AI-900 certification exam to brush your knowledge and test your skills.

Many thanks to Anusha Shanbhag for co-authoring this blog article after completing the AI-900 certification and sharing her experience with me.

Feel free to drop any questions in the comment box, we would love to address them. I hope you enjoyed the article. Best of luck!