You can’t take AI-102 anymore. Microsoft retired the exam on June 30, 2026, at 11:59 PM Central Standard Time, and the Azure AI Engineer Associate certification and its renewal assessment are listed as retired too. The active associate-level path is Exam AI-103: Developing AI Apps and Agents on Azure, which leads to Microsoft Certified: Azure AI Apps and Agents Developer Associate. Like AI-102 before it, it’s worth taking only if you’re moving into building Azure AI solutions. For most desktop engineers, AI-901 (Azure AI Fundamentals) is the better first credential.
What changed
| Azure AI Engineer Associate | Azure AI Apps and Agents Developer Associate | |
|---|---|---|
| Exam | AI-102 | AI-103: Developing AI Apps and Agents on Azure |
| Status | Retired June 30, 2026 (retired exams list) | Active (certification page) |
| Renewal | Renewal assessment retired | Standard certification renewal |
| Focus | Azure AI services, Azure AI Search, Azure OpenAI | Azure AI solutions built with Python and Microsoft Foundry |
Caveat: Microsoft Learn doesn’t state in plain words that AI-103 replaces AI-102. The AI-102 retirement notice links to a Microsoft Tech Community post for details. AI-103 is the active associate-level Azure AI developer certification, and its skills outline covers the same domains.
What AI-103 measures
From the AI-103 study guide (skills as of April 16, 2026):
| Domain | Weight |
|---|---|
| Plan and manage an Azure AI solution | 25–30% |
| Implement generative AI and agentic solutions | 30–35% |
| Implement computer vision solutions | 10–15% |
| Implement text analysis solutions | 10–15% |
| Implement information extraction solutions | 10–15% |
Microsoft says candidates should have experience developing apps in Python and be familiar with general AI, generative AI, and Azure services. The exam is proctored and may include interactive components. If you fail, you can retake it 24 hours after the first attempt, and later retakes have longer waits (retake policy). Microsoft prices the exam by the country or region where it’s proctored.
When AI-103 makes sense for desktop engineers
When your job moves beyond endpoint administration into owning things like:
- internal AI assistants or service desk agents
- Azure-hosted support tools and knowledge retrieval
- AI-enabled automation that calls models or agents
At that point you’re building, and an associate-level developer credential matches the work.
When it doesn’t make sense yet
- Your day job is still enrollment, policy troubleshooting, app deployment, remediation scripting, and endpoint security.
- You don’t write Python. AI-103 expects app development experience in it.
- You haven’t covered the fundamentals. Start with AI-901, where 55–60% of the exam is Microsoft Foundry tasks. It’s a gentler introduction to the same stack. See AI-900 retired: is AI-901 worth it for desktop engineers?.
A practical progression for most Microsoft-heavy engineers:
- A lab-based Applied Skills credential, such as Build a generative AI chat app
- AI-901
- AI-103, if your role is moving toward building AI solutions
For a self-paced Coursera route with no proctored exam, see Microsoft Generative AI Engineering certificate: worth it?.
If you already hold AI-102
The renewal assessment is retired, so you can’t renew the Azure AI Engineer Associate. Check your Learn profile for its current status and expiry date. If you need an active Azure AI developer credential, plan for AI-103. The skills overlap a lot, but the agentic and Foundry content is new.
FAQ
When did AI-102 retire?
June 30, 2026, at 11:59 PM Central Standard Time, per the AI-102 study guide and Microsoft’s retired exams list.
What replaced the Azure AI Engineer Associate?
The active associate-level Azure AI developer certification is Microsoft Certified: Azure AI Apps and Agents Developer Associate, earned with Exam AI-103. Learn doesn’t explicitly call it a replacement.
Can I renew my Azure AI Engineer Associate?
No. Microsoft Learn says the renewal assessment is retired.
Should desktop engineers take AI-103?
Only those moving into building Azure AI solutions in Python. Most should take AI-901 first.
What replaced AI-900?
AI-901 is now the exam for Azure AI Fundamentals.
Sources
- Azure AI Engineer Associate, Microsoft Learn (retired)
- Study guide for Exam AI-102, Microsoft Learn (retirement warning)
- Exam and assessment lab retirement, Microsoft Learn
- Azure AI Apps and Agents Developer Associate, Microsoft Learn
- Study guide for Exam AI-103, Microsoft Learn