Lab Setup
The AI-901 is a fundamentals exam. The challenges in this guide are exploration-based and designed to cost $0 using Azure free-tier resources. No complex infrastructure or paid services are required.
What you need
| Requirement | Details |
|---|---|
| Azure account | Free tier is sufficient — includes $200 credit for 30 days |
| Web browser | Any modern browser (Edge, Chrome, Firefox) |
| Azure Cloud Shell | Built into the Azure Portal — no local install needed |
Setup steps
1. Create a free Azure account
- Go to https://azure.microsoft.com/free
- Click Start free
- Sign in with a Microsoft account (or create one)
- Complete the verification process (phone + credit card for identity — you won't be charged)
- You'll receive $200 in credits valid for 30 days, plus 12 months of free-tier services
2. Access the Azure Portal
- Navigate to https://portal.azure.com
- Sign in with your Azure account
- Familiarize yourself with the portal home page and navigation menu
3. Explore Azure AI services in the portal
- In the portal search bar, type Azure AI services
- Browse the available services: Vision, Language, Speech, OpenAI, Document Intelligence
- Note: You do not need to create any resources yet — the challenges will guide you through that
Tools used in this guide
| Tool | Purpose | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Azure Portal | Primary interface for creating and managing resources | Free |
| Azure Cloud Shell | Browser-based CLI for running commands (Bash or PowerShell) | Free (storage: negligible) |
| Azure AI Studio | Web UI for exploring and testing AI models | Free tier available |
| Azure Machine Learning Studio | Web UI for ML experiments and pipelines | Free workspace tier |
Troubleshooting
| Issue | Solution |
|---|---|
| "You don't have access to create resources" | Ensure you're using a subscription with the Owner or Contributor role |
| Azure Cloud Shell won't start | Create a storage account when prompted; select your active subscription |
| AI services not showing in portal | Some services require registration — search "Resource providers" in portal settings and register Microsoft.CognitiveServices |
| Credit card declined during signup | Try a different card; virtual/prepaid cards are sometimes rejected |
| $200 credit expired | Free-tier services remain available after credits expire; upgrade to Pay-As-You-Go (you still won't be charged for free-tier usage) |
Ready to begin?
Head to Challenge 01: AI Workloads Overview to start your AI-901 preparation.