The Azure AI Fundamentals certification takes one exam, AI-901, and the AI-901 exam page lists it at $99 USD for the United States, before tax, as of October 7, 2026. Pass on the first attempt and you pay that fee once. A retake, or a booking change made too late, means paying it again.
Exam fee
The price depends on the country or region where the exam is proctored, so the exam page shows a different local amount when you pick another country. The footnote under the price says it can change without notice, so check the figure again on the day you book.
Retakes
Microsoft's retake policy, last updated July 27, 2026, covers Fundamentals exams and says each retake is paid for. At the US price, passing on the second attempt means $198 in exam fees, and passing on the third means $297.
The same policy sets when you can try again. After a first fail you wait 24 hours. Every attempt after that needs a 14-day gap. You get at most five attempts in the 12 months from your first one, and after a fifth fail you can book again 12 months after that first attempt. At the current US price, $495 before tax is the most you can spend on AI-901 attempts in those 12 months.
If an internet connection problem or equipment failure affected your exam and a Pearson VUE case was opened, you can request a waiver of the waiting period. The request must include the Pearson VUE case number, and the policy says waivers are not granted for any other reason.
Rescheduling and cancelling
Change or cancel your appointment at least 24 hours before it starts. Microsoft's reschedule and cancellation policy says a later change forfeits your fee, and a company-purchased voucher is forfeited the same way.
You make the change from your Microsoft Learn profile, under Credentials and then Certifications. Choosing Reschedule or Cancel on the appointment sends you to the exam provider's site to finish it.
Discounts and vouchers
Student pricing
Microsoft offers academic pricing on certification exams in most countries and regions, except India and China. To get it, mark yourself as a student in the interest survey on your Learn profile (Career Paths, then Student) and verify your academic status. The discount is then applied when you register. Microsoft's page does not say how large the discount is.
The AI-901 exam page also has a Certiport booking option for students and instructors. Microsoft's scheduling page says Certiport does not currently offer online proctored exams, so that route means a test center. Microsoft's pages do not say whether the student discount applies on the Certiport route as well as on Pearson VUE, so ask Credentials support before you choose it.
Vouchers
If an employer or an event gave you a voucher code, you enter it on Pearson VUE's payment screen under "Add Voucher or Promo Code", as Microsoft's voucher instructions describe. Other discounts you qualify for are applied at checkout.
Exam Replay
The AI-901 exam page links to Exam Replay, which Microsoft's offers page describes as one exam voucher plus one retake of the same exam, both taken within 12 months of purchase. Microsoft's page lists no excluded exams. Pearson's Exam Replay store page, where Microsoft's buy link goes, names Fundamentals exams among the exams the voucher does not cover. Going by Pearson's terms, Exam Replay cannot be used for AI-901, so budget any retake at the normal exam price.
Keeping the certification
Microsoft's renewal page says "Fundamentals certifications do not expire," so Azure AI Fundamentals has no renewal assessment and nothing to pay after you pass.
Before you book
You can check your readiness before you pay for an attempt. The AI-901 exam page links Microsoft's Practice Assessment, which runs on AI Skills Navigator and needs you to sign in, and an exam sandbox that demonstrates the exam experience.
If you are deciding whether to book now or study a little longer, CramHQ's free AI-901 assessment shows which areas are your weakest. It takes about 15 minutes and needs no credit card. If you decide to study first, the Pass Plan costs $19.99 one time for 12 months of access and includes 5 practice tests, a 40-question timed simulation and repair tasks ordered by how many exam points each gap costs.