Is AI-102 worth it?
7 of 23,274 AI engineer job ads in the United States name the AI-102 (Adzuna, October 2026)
The answer to "is AI-102 worth it" is no if you are starting now: Microsoft retired the exam on June 30, 2026, so it can no longer be booked. The exam earned Microsoft Certified: Azure AI Engineer Associate (Azure is Microsoft's cloud service). If you hold it, Microsoft keeps it active until it expires (one year).
The AI-102 certification page on Microsoft Learn (Microsoft's training site), read October 12, 2026, says: "This certification and the renewal assessment are retired." The renewal assessment was the free online test that kept the certification valid for another year. For building AI (artificial intelligence) apps on Azure, Microsoft's current exam is AI-103.
Show the numbers
| Item | Ads | Share of ads |
|---|---|---|
| Python | 4,727 | 20% |
| Llm | 3,396 | 15% |
| Pytorch | 1,264 | 5.4% |
| AWS AI Practitioner | 103 | 103 of 23,274 |
| AWS Machine Learning | 45 | 45 of 23,274 |
| AI-102 | 7 | 7 of 23,274 |
| AI-900 | 3 | 3 of 23,274 |
| AI-103 | 2 | 2 of 23,274 |
| AI-901 | 1 | 1 of 23,274 |
Is AI-102 worth it for you?
Instant answer from October 2026 job ads. No email needed.
Rarely named
7 of 23,274 ai engineer job ads in the United States name AI-102.
- Most-named alternative
- AWS AI Practitioner 103 ads
- Skill asked for most
- Python 20%
Source: Adzuna job ads, October 2026.
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On this page
Is AI-102 worth it for your situation?
It depends on whether you already hold it. Here is what to do in each case:
- Student or career changer with no target job yet: skip AI-102 courses and practice tests, because they prepare you for an exam you cannot book. Start with Microsoft's AI-901 exam (Microsoft Azure AI Fundamentals, Microsoft's entry level), the entry exam for AI on Azure. Microsoft's AI-901 page lists no retirement date, and its renewal page says Fundamentals certifications do not expire. Our suggestion, based on AI-103's wording that it asks for experience developing apps "by using Python" (a programming language): move on to AI-103 once you build apps in Python.
- You hold AI-102: open your Microsoft Learn profile and note the expiration date. List the certification on your resume under its full name with the date you earned it and its expiry status, or "expired" if it has lapsed. The credential shows you passed the AI-102 exam before it was retired, and it cannot be renewed. If you want a current credential, AI-103 is the closest Microsoft exam; we found no Microsoft page that offers AI-102 holders an upgrade path.
- You were partway through AI-102 study: switch to the AI-103 study guide. The comparison in what replaced AI-102 shows which topic areas only partly carry over.
- You saw AI-102 in a job ad: read it as the employer naming the older credential. If you plan to apply, check whether AI-103 or AI-901 would meet the same line in the ad.
Is AI-102 retired, and what replaced it?
Yes. Microsoft's AI-102 study guide says: "This exam was retired on June 30, 2026, at 11:59 PM Central Standard Time." The certification page says the certification and its renewal assessment are retired too. Microsoft's renewal FAQ gives the general reason: "A certification will be retired when it is deemed to have lost relevancy."
The full exam name was Exam AI-102: Designing and Implementing a Microsoft Azure AI Solution. It earned Microsoft Certified: Azure AI Engineer Associate, which Microsoft labeled Intermediate (its own difficulty label), for the role Microsoft calls AI Engineer.
The closest current Microsoft certification is Microsoft Certified: Azure AI Apps and Agents Developer Associate, earned with Exam AI-103: Developing AI Apps and Agents on Azure. Microsoft labels it Intermediate and lists the roles AI Engineer and Developer. Its page says the certification "validates your expertise in designing, developing, and deploying advanced Azure AI solutions using Python and Microsoft Foundry." Microsoft Foundry is Microsoft's Azure platform for AI models, agents and tools. The AI-103 pages do not mention AI-102, so the overlap below comes from the two outlines, matched by topic-area name, and it is only partial: AI-103 dropped AI-102's custom language model topics.
In plain words, generative AI writes text or creates images, and agents (agentic solutions) are AI programs that carry out tasks in steps on their own. Computer vision is software that reads images. Natural language processing, or text analysis, is software that reads meaning from human language. Knowledge mining means making large sets of documents searchable; information extraction pulls details such as names or totals out of them.
| Topic area | AI-102 (skills as of December 23, 2025) | AI-103 (skills as of April 16, 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Plan and manage an Azure AI solution | 20–25% | 25–30% |
| Generative AI and agents | 15–20% generative AI, plus 5–10% agentic solutions (20–30% combined) | 30–35% generative AI and agentic solutions |
| Computer vision | 10–15% | 10–15% |
| Language | 15–20% natural language processing | 10–15% text analysis (closest match) |
| Information extraction | 15–20% knowledge mining (making documents searchable) and information extraction | 10–15% information extraction |
Source: Microsoft AI-102 and AI-103 study guides on Microsoft Learn.
AI-103 gives generative AI and agents the largest share, and its page asks for experience developing apps "by using Python"; AI-102 named Python or C#.
What happens if you already hold AI-102?
Your certification stays valid until its own expiration date. Microsoft's expiration policy says a retired credential "will remain in the Active section of your transcript until it expires," if it has an expiration date. The transcript is Microsoft's record of your credentials. Microsoft's associate certifications (the level above entry), including this one, are valid for one year from the date you earned them. So if you earned it more than a year ago and did not renew, it has probably already expired; check the date on your Microsoft Learn profile, the same page as your transcript.
You cannot renew it now, because the renewal assessment is retired. Microsoft's renewal FAQ says that when a retirement date comes before an expiration date, learners are told to renew before the retirement; that window closed on June 30, 2026. After it expires, Microsoft's policy is that you earn the certification again by passing the exam, which is no longer possible for AI-102.
How hard was AI-102?
Microsoft labeled it Intermediate and expected real coding experience; we have no pass rates. The certification page said candidates have "experience developing solutions that use languages such as" Python and C# (two programming languages). It also asked for REST APIs (a standard way for programs to request data from a web service), SDKs (code libraries for a service) and responsible AI principles (Microsoft's rules for using AI fairly and safely).
The exam gave you 100 minutes and was proctored, meaning a supervisor watched while you took it. Microsoft's page said it could include interactive components, and the study guide set the passing score at 700 or greater on Microsoft's scale. It was offered in 10 languages: English, Japanese, Chinese (Simplified), Korean, German, French, Spanish, Portuguese (Brazil), Chinese (Traditional) and Italian. Microsoft listed no required earlier exam.
How much did AI-102 cost?
No price is shown. The AI-102 certification page on Microsoft Learn displays no exam fee, and you can no longer book the exam. The AI-103 page also gives no figure; it says the price is "based on the country or region in which the exam is proctored," so check it when you book. Renewal was free while the AI-102 renewal assessment existed: Microsoft's renewal page says "There's no cost to renew your certification."
Do employers still name AI-102 in job ads?
The code still appears in some AI-engineer ads in the US, the UK and India, in small counts. In October 2026, we ran a role plus phrase search on Adzuna, a job-ad search site, for the job title ai engineer and the phrase ai-102.
| Country | AI-engineer ads naming ai-102 |
|---|---|
| US | 7 of the 23,274 |
| UK | 5 of the 1,146 |
| India | 4 of the 2,714 |
Source: Adzuna, October 2026; analysis: CertWorthIt. Each count is a small sample, read with care.
These ads name a certification that Microsoft has retired, so they show employers still writing the old code, or old listings still online, not an exam you can take. Ads that name only Azure AI Engineer Associate, or write AI 102 without the hyphen, may not be counted. How we count ads. For the skills and certifications that AI-engineer ads name, see our AI-engineer role page.
Show the numbers
| Country | AI-102 | AWS Machine Learning |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 5 of 1,146 | 0 of 1,146 |
| India | 4 of 2,714 | 7 of 2,714 |
| United States | 7 of 23,274 | 45 of 23,274 |
Where should you go instead of AI-102?
For building AI apps on Azure, AI-901 is the entry exam and AI-103 is the associate exam (Microsoft labels it Intermediate). The Microsoft pages we read do not require one before the other. Our AI-901 page covers the entry exam, its cost and how much Python it needs. If your target employers use AWS (Amazon Web Services) instead of Azure, AWS AI Practitioner is the AWS entry exam on AI basics, and it does not test coding.
AI-102 vs DP-100
Both certifications are retired, so neither is a choice now. DP-100 earned Microsoft Certified: Azure Data Scientist Associate, an Intermediate certification for data scientists, people who build and train models from data. Its certification page carries the same notice as AI-102: "This certification and the renewal assessment are retired." AI-102 was for engineers who build AI apps; DP-100 was for people who train models. Today's Microsoft exam for AI apps on Azure is AI-103.
What do Reddit posters say about AI-102?
The posts we collected in r/AzureCertification, a Reddit forum for Microsoft Azure exams, ask what to do now that AI-102 is gone. Each question below links to the post.
- A poster who held AZ-204 (another Microsoft Azure exam) and AI-102 asked what to take next, in June 2026. For another AI credential on Azure, AI-103 is the current associate exam; we did not check AZ-204 or other next steps on this page.
- A poster with another voucher that expires next year (a prepaid code that covers an exam fee) asked whether to keep going with AI engineering toward an expert certification, Microsoft's level above associate, or pick another one. We did not check which expert certifications exist or their prerequisites.
- A poster asked in July 2026 why the AI-102 practice tests had disappeared. Microsoft retired the exam at the end of June 2026; we found no Microsoft statement about the practice assessment itself, so use the AI-103 study guide below as the current resource.
- A beginner asked whether to start with AZ-900, AI-900, AZ-104, AZ-204 or AI-102 (all Microsoft exam codes). AI-102 is retired, and AI-900 (the older entry exam on AI) has been replaced by AI-901, as our AI-901 page explains. For an AI start, AI-901 is the entry exam; we did not check the other Azure exams here.
- A poster asked for study resources. Microsoft's AI-102 study guide is still online with its retirement note; for a current exam, use the AI-103 study guide.
- One poster asked two things. First, the expert certification the poster named listed AI-103 as a prerequisite (a credential you must hold first), and they asked whether AI-102 would count. The Microsoft pages we read for AI-102 and AI-103 do not say, so check the prerequisite list on that expert certification's own page. Second, they asked whether the renewal test would cover AI-103 or AI-102 topics. Microsoft says the AI-102 renewal assessment is retired, so there is no AI-102 renewal test to take; see what happens if you already hold AI-102.
AI-102 salary: what we can and cannot tell you
We found no source that measures pay for AI-102 holders, so we give no figure. Pay follows the job title, the country and experience, not the exam. See AI-engineer pay and demand for the role.
What we did not check
- DP-100 exam retirement date: we found the certification notice but not the exam's date.
- Price: Microsoft's AI-102 page shows none, and we found no other Microsoft page with the old fee.
- Number of questions and lab tasks: the AI-102 certification page states neither.
- Upgrade path: we found no Microsoft page that names one for AI-102 holders. The retirement notice links to a Microsoft Tech Community blog post whose text we could not retrieve.
- Pass rates for AI-102 or AI-103: we found none from Microsoft.
- The expert certification and the voucher terms Reddit posters asked about, and the other Azure exams (AZ-900, AZ-104, AZ-204).
- AI-103's price in any country.
- Study time: the Reddit posts we collected hold no study-time reports for AI-102.
- Pay: we found no source that measures pay for AI-102 holders.
Sources
- Adzuna job-ad counts by country for the role
ai engineerand the phraseai-102, October 2026; analysis: CertWorthIt. How we count. - All Microsoft pages below were read October 12, 2026. Microsoft Learn: Azure AI Engineer Associate certification page (AI-102), AI-102 study guide, Azure AI Apps and Agents Developer Associate certification page (AI-103), AI-103 study guide, Azure Data Scientist Associate certification page (DP-100), AI-901 exam page.
- Microsoft certification policies: credential expiration policy, renewal, renewal FAQ.
- Questions from Reddit posts we collected in r/AzureCertification, posted June to August 2026, linked in the text.
Rules change; confirm on Microsoft Learn before you plan around a Microsoft exam.
Edited by Jere Salmisto · Data checked October 12, 2026
Questions people ask
Is AI-102 worth it?
AI-102 is no longer worth starting: Microsoft retired the exam, which earned Microsoft Certified: Azure AI Engineer Associate, so it can no longer be booked. Azure is Microsoft's cloud service. If you want a current Microsoft credential for building AI (artificial intelligence) apps on Azure, look at AI-103, Microsoft's Intermediate-level exam for AI apps and agents. If you already hold AI-102, it stays active on your Microsoft Learn record (Microsoft's training site) until its expiration date.
Is AI-102 retired?
Yes. Microsoft's AI-102 study guide says the exam was retired on June 30, 2026, at 11:59 PM Central Standard Time. The certification it earned, Microsoft Certified: Azure AI Engineer Associate, is retired too, and so is its renewal assessment, the free online test that kept the certification valid for another year. Both statements are on Microsoft Learn, Microsoft's training site, as read on October 12, 2026.
What replaced AI-102?
The closest current Microsoft exam is AI-103: Developing AI Apps and Agents on Azure, which earns Microsoft Certified: Azure AI Apps and Agents Developer Associate. Microsoft labels it Intermediate and lists AI Engineer among its roles. Its pages do not mention AI-102. Both outlines open with planning and managing an Azure AI solution. AI-103 puts 30–35% of the exam on generative AI (AI that writes text or creates images) and agents (AI programs that carry out tasks in steps on their own). Azure is Microsoft's cloud service.
How hard was AI-102?
Microsoft labeled the Azure AI Engineer Associate certification (exam AI-102) Intermediate. The exam lasted 100 minutes, was proctored (supervised while you took it), could include interactive tasks and needed a score of 700 or greater on Microsoft's scale. Microsoft expected experience in Python or C# (two programming languages), REST APIs and SDKs (ways for code to use a web service). We have no pass rates. The exam was retired in June 2026.
Is the AI-102 certification worth it?
The AI-102 certification, Microsoft Certified: Azure AI Engineer Associate, is worth keeping on your resume if you earned it, with the date you earned it. You cannot earn it now: Microsoft retired it and its renewal assessment (the free online test that renewed it). In our October 2026 count of Adzuna, a job-ad search site, the code ai-102 appeared in 7 of the 23,274 US AI-engineer ads, a small sample, read with care.
How long does it take to get AI-102?
You cannot get AI-102 now. Microsoft retired the exam in June 2026, so no study plan leads to the Azure AI Engineer Associate certification any more. The Reddit posts we collected hold no study-time reports for AI-102, so we give no figure. If you want a current Microsoft credential for AI apps on Azure (Microsoft's cloud service), plan around the AI-103 study guide instead.
AI-102 vs DP-100: which should I take?
Neither. Both certifications are retired. AI-102 earned Microsoft Certified: Azure AI Engineer Associate, for people who build AI apps; DP-100 earned Microsoft Certified: Azure Data Scientist Associate, for data scientists (people who build and train models from data). Microsoft's page for each certification says the certification and its renewal assessment are retired. For building AI apps on Azure, Microsoft's cloud service, the current exam is AI-103.
What happens to my AI-102 certification now?
It stays in the Active section of your Microsoft Learn transcript (Microsoft's record of your credentials) until it expires. Microsoft's associate certifications, such as Azure AI Engineer Associate (exam AI-102), are valid for one year from the date you earn them. Microsoft says the AI-102 renewal assessment is retired, and an expired certification cannot be renewed, only earned again by exam, which is no longer possible for AI-102. Check your expiration date on your Microsoft Learn profile.
Is there an AI-102 salary?
We found no reliable salary figure for holders of AI-102 (Microsoft Certified: Azure AI Engineer Associate). Pay follows the job title, the country and your experience, so check it by role on our AI-engineer page (AI engineers build software on AI models).