AWS AI Practitioner
AIF-C01
1Fundamentals of AI and ML
20%
2Fundamentals of GenAI
24%
3Applications of Foundation Models
28%
4Guidelines for Responsible AI
14%
5Security, Compliance, and Governance for AI Solutions
14%
Certification comparison
AWS AI Practitioner vs AI-901
Both are entry-level AI certifications, one for each cloud. The AWS exam is about understanding AI and generative AI and how AWS services apply them. Microsoft’s goes a step further, into putting AI solutions together with its own tools. Neither asks you to train models.
Last updated
Side by side
The two exams at a glance
Every figure comes from the vendor’s own pages, through our exam guides, and is checked every week.
| AWS Certified AI Practitioner | Microsoft Azure AI Fundamentals | |
|---|---|---|
| Vendor | AWS | Microsoft |
| Exam code | AIF-C01 | AI-901 |
| Level | BeginnerAWS calls it Foundational | Beginner |
| Written for | AI or machine learning engineer | AI or machine learning engineer |
| Questions | 65 | Usually 40–60 |
| Time | 90 min | 45 min |
| Passing score | 700 / 1000 | 700 / 1000 |
| Exam cost | $100Per attempt, before tax | $99In the United States; set by country |
| Experience | Up to 6 months of exposure to AI/ML on AWSRecommended experience | NonePrerequisites |
| Renewal | Every 3 years: pass the exam again | Doesn’t expire |
| Exam outline | 5 domainsLargest: Applications of Foundation Models (28%) | 2 domainsLargest: Implement AI Solutions by Using Microsoft Foundry (55–60%) |
| What’s changing | No change announced | No change announced |
Levels are our own rating, from the level each vendor gives its exam. How we check our facts
Exam domains
What each exam covers
Each domain’s share of the exam, as the vendor publishes it. Where one exam has two versions on sale, this is the newer one.
AI-901
AI-901
1Identify AI Concepts and Capabilities
40–45%
2Implement AI Solutions by Using Microsoft Foundry
55–60%
Which one
Which should you take?
Choose AWS AI Practitioner if
your employer, or the jobs you want, use AWS.
Choose AI-901 if
your employer, or the jobs you want, use Microsoft Azure.
Which one first?
You only need one to start. The concepts carry over, so the second takes much less study if you later need both.
Beyond the numbers
What really differs
Same level, different emphasis
Both start with what AI and generative AI are and how to use them responsibly. The AWS exam stays with concepts and choosing services. A large part of Microsoft’s is about implementing solutions with Microsoft Foundry.
Keeping it
Microsoft’s Fundamentals certifications don’t expire. AWS certifications last three years, and passing a higher AWS exam renews the ones below it.
Who takes them
Both suit people who work with AI projects without building the models: analysts, managers, sales and support staff, and engineers taking a first look.
FAQs
Got Questions? We’ve Got Answers.
Find quick answers or contact our support team.
Should I take AWS AI Practitioner or AI-901 first?
You only need one to start. The concepts carry over, so the second takes much less study if you later need both.
Which is harder, AWS AI Practitioner or AI-901?
They sit at the same level: we rate both beginner. What differs is what they cover, so the harder one is usually the one further from your own experience.
What experience do I need for AWS AI Practitioner and AI-901?
AWS AI Practitioner: AWS recommends up to 6 months of exposure to AI/ML on AWS. It isn’t required to sit the exam. AI-901: Microsoft sets no prerequisites for AI-901. Knowing the exam’s domains well is what counts.
Which costs more, AWS AI Practitioner or AI-901?
AWS AI Practitioner costs more: $100 against $99 for one attempt.
