AI and machine learning 路 Free
Azure AI Apps and Agents Developer (AI-103) Exam Preparation
Preparation for Microsoft's AI-103 exam, built on the skills measured as of 16 April 2026: planning, securing and monitoring Microsoft Foundry solutions, generative apps and RAG, agents with tools, MCP and multi-agent workflows, vision, text, speech and information extraction with Content Understanding and Azure AI Search. Preparation for the exam, not the Microsoft certification itself.
Inside the course
From the lessons
The AI-103 exam, the retired AI-102, and planning an AI solution on Azure
Microsoft Learn
Infrastructure, security and CI/CD for Foundry projects
cloud-monk - cloud in plain english
Tools, function calling and optimising generative AI performance
Microsoft Learn
Building agents with Foundry Agent Service, VS Code and custom tools
Microsoft Learn
Agent workflows and multi-agent orchestration with Microsoft Agent Framework
Microsoft Learn
Speech solutions and speech as an agent modality
Microsoft Learn
Lesson frames belong to the creators named in the Credits below and are shown from YouTube.
What you will learn
Name the AI-103 skill areas and their weights and plan your study against them; choose models, deployment types and Foundry services for a scenario; secure a Foundry solution with managed identities, roles and private endpoints; build a chat app and agents with tools, MCP servers, knowledge and approvals; orchestrate several agents with Microsoft Agent Framework; evaluate, trace and monitor them; use vision, text, speech and Content Understanding; build a retrieval pipeline with Azure AI Search; and sit Microsoft's exam with a method for scenario questions.
- Map your study to the AI-103 skills measured as of 16 April 2026 and their weights
- Choose a model, a deployment type and the Foundry services for a stated scenario
- Secure a Foundry solution with managed identities, least-privilege roles and private endpoints
- Build a Python chat app and agents with function, OpenAPI and MCP tools behind human approval
- Orchestrate several agents with Microsoft Agent Framework and Foundry workflows
- Evaluate, trace and monitor generative apps and agents, and configure guardrails
- Use Azure Language, Translator, Speech, Voice Live and multimodal vision for stated tasks
- Extract content with Content Understanding and build hybrid retrieval with Azure AI Search
For you
Taking Azure AI Apps and Agents Developer (AI-103) Exam Preparation from the United States
- Free in the United States, as everywhere, and self-paced: lessons, notes and the final assessment are open at any hour, so your time zone and shift pattern do not matter.
- The optional certificate for learners in the United States is a one-off US$28.99. What you get for it
- Plants across the Americas most often run Allen-Bradley, Siemens and Inductive Automation; each has its own free course to take next.
- See automation and engineering jobs in the United States, and what the industry looks like in Houston, Detroit and Chicago.
- EDWartens also has a regional site for the United States, for classroom training and local support: edwartens.com/us.
The course project 路 about 24 hours
An engineering document desk: agents that extract specs, answer with citations and route change requests for approval
Build a small multi-agent desk on Microsoft Foundry for an engineering office: Content Understanding extracts fields from equipment specifications, Azure AI Search indexes the documents for hybrid retrieval, a question agent answers with citations, and a change agent drafts change requests that a named engineer must approve before anything is issued. Secure it without keys, evaluate it on a written test set, trace it, and write it up honestly.
Sample document pack, 5 documents, filled in for the scenario
- URSRequirement: engineering document desk trial
- Traceability matrixTraceability: requirements to design and tests
- Test reportTest report: question agent and workflow
- Change noticeChange notice drafted by the desk and approved by an engineer
- Risk registerRisk register: engineering document desk trial
Read inside the course and download as a workbook. The project is optional practice, marked when you submit it; the certificate needs only the modules and the final assessment.
Course content
15 modules 路 33 lessons 路 14h 19m
In order, at whatever pace suits you. Each module ends with a practice task that builds on the last.
- 01The AI-103 exam, the retired AI-102, and planning an AI solution on Azure1 lesson30m
- 02Choosing, deploying and evaluating Foundry models1 lesson28m
- 03Infrastructure, security and CI/CD for Foundry projects2 lessons19m
- 04Building a generative AI chat app with the Foundry SDK1 lesson36m
- 05Tools, function calling and optimising generative AI performance2 lessons56m
- 06Responsible AI, evaluation and monitoring in production3 lessons49m
- 07Building agents with Foundry Agent Service, VS Code and custom tools2 lessons56m
- 08Knowledge and tools for agents: MCP servers, Foundry IQ and Microsoft 3653 lessons1h 4m
Requirements
- Who it is for
- Intermediate. For engineers and developers who write Python and want an associate-level AI developer credential. The exam expects experience building apps in Python and familiarity with generative AI and Azure services. If you are new to AI on Azure, take the Microsoft Azure AI Fundamentals (AI-901) Exam Preparation course first.
- Software
- An Azure subscription: an Azure free account, or Azure for Students where you qualify. The Microsoft Foundry portal in the browser, Python 3 with the azure-ai-projects, azure-identity and agent-framework packages, the Azure CLI for sign-in, Visual Studio Code with the Microsoft Foundry extension, and Azure AI Search on its free tier, all free to install. Delete resources you no longer use, because model calls, search and some Foundry features are billed by use. What to download, and how
- Hardware
- A computer with a browser and Python; a microphone for the speech module.
Software you need
What to download, where from, what it costs and how to install it. Every link goes to the maker's own site, never a mirror.
An Azure free account, or Azure for Students, is needed for the Foundry, agent, search, speech and Content Understanding exercises; Azure AI Search has a free tier. Python runs the SDK and Agent Framework clients; the Azure CLI (az login) signs you in. VS Code with the Microsoft Foundry extension is used in the agents module. Delete resources after each module.
Required
- 01Free trial: 30 days of credit, some services free for 12 months
Azure free account
Microsoft, in the browser
- Runs on
- Any modern web browser
- Account
- A Microsoft account, a phone number and a credit or debit card for identity checks
New customers get credit to use within 30 days, free monthly amounts of 20+ popular services for 12 months, and 65+ always-free services. The card is only for identity checks: Microsoft does not charge it, though a temporary one-dollar (or equivalent) hold may appear. You are not charged unless you upgrade.
Steps
- 1.Open the Azure free account page and click Try Azure for free.
- 2.Sign in with a Microsoft account or create one.
- 3.Verify your phone number and enter a card for identity verification.
- 4.Accept the agreement and open the Azure portal.
- 5.Set a budget alert in Cost Management before starting labs.
- Students at eligible universities can use Azure for Students instead, which needs no card.
Open Azure free accountazure.microsoft.comAlternatives
- Azure for Students: Credit for 12 months with no credit card, for full-time university students using a school email. Renews each year while you are a student.
- 02Free
Python
Python Software Foundation
- Runs on
- Windows (not Windows 7 or earlier), macOS and Linux. Windows builds for x64, 32-bit and Arm64.
- Account
- None needed
Python is free, open source software. You can use it for learning and for commercial work at no cost.
Steps
- 1.Open python.org/downloads and click the download button for your system.
- 2.On Windows, run the Python install manager (or the classic 64-bit installer) you downloaded.
- 3.If you use the classic installer, tick "Add python.exe to PATH" on the first screen, then click Install Now.
- 4.Open a new Command Prompt or Terminal and run: python --version (on Windows you can also run: py --version).
- 5.Install packages with pip, for example: python -m pip install requests
- pip comes with Python. Run it as python -m pip so it always matches the Python you are using.
- Python.org now recommends the Python install manager on Windows. If it offers to add its folder to PATH, say yes so the python command works everywhere.
- Make a virtual environment for each project: python -m venv .venv
Official download pagepython.orgAlternatives
- Anaconda Distribution: Python with 600+ data science packages and Jupyter already included.
Optional
Useful, not needed to finish the course.
- 03Free
Visual Studio Code
Microsoft
- Runs on
- Windows 64-bit (supported Windows client versions), macOS (latest and two previous releases), Linux (Ubuntu 20.04, Debian 10, RHEL 8, Fedora 36 or later)
- Account
- None needed
- Size
- Less than 200 MB download, under 500 MB installed
Free to download and use. Extensions from the Marketplace each have their own licence.
Steps
- 1.Open code.visualstudio.com/download.
- 2.Pick the installer for your system (on Windows, the User Installer is fine).
- 3.Run the installer. On Windows, tick "Add to PATH" if it is offered.
- 4.Open VS Code and install the extensions your course uses, for example the Python extension.
- Hardware needs are small: a 1.6 GHz processor and 1 GB of RAM.
- On Windows, the "Open with Code" options in the installer let you open folders from File Explorer.
Official download pagecode.visualstudio.com
Checked against each maker's own page on 27 September 2026. Trial lengths and editions change; the maker's page is the final word.
Azure AI Apps and Agents Developer (AI-103) Exam Preparation at a glance
Azure AI Apps and Agents Developer (AI-103) Exam Preparation is a free, self-paced online course from EDWartens for engineers and Python developers preparing for Microsoft's AI-103 Azure AI Apps and Agents Developer exam worldwide. It has 15 modules and 14h 19m of video lessons by Microsoft Learn, John Savill's Technical Training, Microsoft Azure Developers and others, with written notes and worked problems, a practical project with a document pack and a 15-question final assessment (pass mark 60%). Learning is free with an account; an optional certificate with a public verification code is issued when you pass. Last updated 27 September 2026.
All course factsHide course facts
- Price
- Free, for good. No trial, no card. The only paid item is the optional certificate, a small one-off fee.
- Who it is for
- Engineers and Python developers preparing for Microsoft's AI-103 Azure AI Apps and Agents Developer exam worldwide
- Format
- 15 self-paced modules, 14h 19m of video, written notes, a practice task per module and one final assessment.
- Level
- Intermediate. Intermediate. For engineers and developers who write Python and want an associate-level AI developer credential. The exam expects experience building apps in Python and familiarity with generative AI and Azure services. If you are new to AI on Azure, take the Microsoft Azure AI Fundamentals (AI-901) Exam Preparation course first.
- Brand
- Vendor-neutral
- Software
- An Azure subscription: an Azure free account, or Azure for Students where you qualify. The Microsoft Foundry portal in the browser, Python 3 with the azure-ai-projects, azure-identity and agent-framework packages, the Azure CLI for sign-in, Visual Studio Code with the Microsoft Foundry extension, and Azure AI Search on its free tier, all free to install. Delete resources you no longer use, because model calls, search and some Foundry features are billed by use.
- Hardware
- A computer with a browser and Python; a microphone for the speech module.
- Certificate
- Optional EDWartens Certificate of Completion, verifiable by code. Not a vendor credential.
- Video lessons by
- Microsoft Learn, John Savill's Technical Training, Microsoft Azure Developers, Microsoft Mechanics, Kamal Rathnayake - MVP, cloud-monk - cloud in plain english (independent creators, credited below)
- Language
- English
- Last updated
- 27 September 2026
A shareable EDWartens certificate
Finish every module and pass the final assessment, and the optional EDWartens certificate is yours. It carries a unique verification code on a public page anyone can check, so it stands up when a recruiter looks it up. See it below.
The course itself stays free whether or not you ever buy one.
Stuck? Ask a practising engineer
A free course usually means a comment section and hope. This one does not. Every module has an Ask-your-trainer panel that reaches the same engineers who teach our paid programme: people who commission panels for a living, not moderators.
Pairs well with
PLC programming 路 FreeSiemens TIA PortalFrom zero electrical knowledge to a working, simulated S7-1200 program, for nothing.
PLC programming 路 FreeSiemens TIA Portal in Three HoursThe first three hours of the Siemens TIA Portal course, cut to end on a win: what a PLC is, how it is wired, a project configured in TIA Portal, and your first ladder program running in simulation. Finish it in an evening or two, earn a certificate, and carry straight on into the full course.
PLC programming 路 FreeTIA Portal: Build a MachineOne machine, start to finish. Take a bottle filling line from a written specification and an I/O list to a structured S7-1200 program with a fill station, a capper, a reject sorter and an operator screen with alarms, then test it against a written record and archive it for hand-over. The lessons are the reference; the machine is yours, and it is what you submit.
Instrumentation 路 FreeInstrumentation for PLC EngineersThe half of the loop that is not code. Follow one measurement from the transmitter in the field, down the 4-20 mA loop, into the analog card, through NORM_X and SCALE_X into engineering units, out again to a valve, and back to the control room when the reading is wrong.More free courses: Free AI courses for engineers 路 Free AI certification exam preparation courses
Learner reviews
No reviews yet
Reviews here are written only by learners who have finished every module of Azure AI Apps and Agents Developer (AI-103) Exam Preparation, and they are published exactly as written. Finish the course and yours will be the first.
Common questions
Is this the Microsoft Azure AI Apps and Agents Developer Associate certification?
No. This is a free preparation course for Microsoft's AI-103 exam. The Microsoft Certified: Azure AI Apps and Agents Developer Associate certification is awarded only by Microsoft after you pass its proctored AI-103 exam, which you book and pay for with Microsoft through Pearson VUE. EDWartens is not affiliated with Microsoft, and the EDWartens certificate is a certificate of completion for this course.
Who is this AI-103 preparation course for?
Engineers and developers who write Python and want an associate-level Microsoft credential for building AI apps and agents, including those in companies worldwide that run on Microsoft. If you are new to AI on Azure, start with the Microsoft Azure AI Fundamentals (AI-901) Exam Preparation course.
What replaced AI-102?
AI-103: Developing AI Apps and Agents on Azure. Microsoft lists the Azure AI Engineer Associate certification (AI-102) and its renewal assessment as retired. AI-103 opened as a beta in April 2026 and is live; on 5 October 2026 Microsoft's certification page shows no beta label.
What does the AI-103 exam measure?
Five skill areas, as measured on 16 April 2026: plan and manage an Azure AI solution (25 to 30 percent), implement generative AI and agentic solutions (30 to 35 percent), and computer vision, text analysis and information extraction (10 to 15 percent each). You have 120 minutes and need 700 to pass. Check the study guide before you book, because Microsoft updates the outline.
Is the course free to learn?
Yes. Every module, the notes, the worked problems, the project and the final assessment are free. Only the EDWartens certificate is paid, if you want one. The Microsoft exam is booked and paid for separately with Microsoft.
Do I need an Azure subscription?
For the hands-on work, yes: an Azure free account, or Azure for Students if you are eligible. Azure AI Search has a free tier for the retrieval module. Delete resources after each module, because model calls and some Foundry features are billed by use.
How long does the Azure AI Apps and Agents Developer course take?
About 19 hours of video, notes and practice at your own pace, of which about 14 hours is video, most of it Microsoft Learn's own AI-103 series. The optional engineering document desk project takes about 24 hours more.
What should I take next?
Go on to AI Agents and MCP for Engineers for agents connected to plant data, or to RAG and Chatbots with LangChain for deeper RAG work. The project in this course is a good portfolio piece for AI developer roles.
What you walk away with
Your certificate for Azure AI Apps and Agents Developer (AI-103) Exam Preparation
Finish the course, pass the final, and this is the document with your name on it.
Verifiable by anyone
Adds to LinkedIn in one click
QR code on the certificate
Names what you can do
A permanent link
Earned, not attended
Learning is free. The certificate is optional.
Add it now and pay only when you have finished the course, or come back for it later. One-off, US$28.99, with a receipt.
Issued by EDWartens, the training division of Wartens, as a Certificate of Completion for this self-paced course. Sold by Wartens Ltd (England and Wales). It is not a vendor certification, a university award or a CPD-accredited activity, and it does not certify competence on live equipment. Delivered electronically; see the refund policy.
Credits
Who made the video lessons
The video lessons in this course were created by the people below, not by EDWartens. Every lesson streams from its creator's own YouTube channel; EDWartens neither hosts nor sells that footage, and the creators are not affiliated with EDWartens and do not endorse this course. What EDWartens wrote is the study plan, the notes, the practice tasks and the assessments.
- Microsoft Learnthe twenty-six-episode AI-103 Develop AI apps and agents on Azure video series (planning, models, chat apps, tools, optimisation, responsible AI, agents in VS Code, custom and MCP tools, Foundry IQ, Microsoft 365, workflows, Agent Framework, Language, Speech, Voice Live, translation, vision, image and video generation, Content Understanding and Azure AI Search) and the AI-103 exam preparation session
- John Savill's Technical Trainingthe AI-103 study cram used for the full review before the exam
- Microsoft Azure Developersobserving and evaluating agents for quality and safety in Microsoft Foundry
- Microsoft Mechanicsthe explainer on automating evaluations in Microsoft Foundry
- Kamal Rathnayake - MVPprivate endpoints for Microsoft Foundry model deployments
- cloud-monk - cloud in plain englisha five-minute plain-English demo of Azure managed identities
If you are one of these creators and would like a lesson removed or credited differently, write to info@wartens.com.