AI-102 vs AI-103: AI-102 Is Retired — Here’s What Changed and What to Do
The short version: AI-102 retired on June 30, 2026. Microsoft replaced it with AI-103, which leads to the Azure AI Apps and Agents Developer Associate credential and launched on June 19, 2026. You can no longer book AI-102, and Microsoft has retired its renewal assessment too. If you’re choosing an Azure AI engineering exam today, AI-103 is the only option — and if you already hold AI-102, there are a few things worth knowing.
Correction, September 2026: earlier versions of this page said AI-102 had not been retired. That was wrong — Microsoft retired AI-102 on June 30, 2026 and names AI-103 as its replacement. We’ve rewritten this page to match Microsoft’s official pages.
Side by side
| AI-102 (retired) | AI-103 (current) | |
|---|---|---|
| Credential | Azure AI Engineer Associate | Azure AI Apps and Agents Developer Associate |
| Status | Retired June 30, 2026 | Released June 19, 2026 as AI-102’s replacement |
| Focus | Breadth across Azure AI services: vision, language, knowledge mining, generative AI, and agents | Microsoft Foundry and Python; generative AI and agentic solutions are the heaviest domain (30–35%), with vision, text analysis, and information extraction still included |
| Languages | Python and C# | Python |
| Exam time | 100 minutes | 120 minutes |
| Price | Microsoft lists associate exams at typically US$165, priced by country | |
| Passing score | 700 | |
| Renewal | Renewal assessment retired | Yearly, free online renewal assessment |
What actually changed
AI-103 isn’t a narrow “agents only” exam, which is a common misreading. Microsoft still describes the AI-103 candidate as an Azure AI engineer, and the exam keeps computer vision, text analysis, and information extraction (each 10–15%). What moved is the center of gravity: planning and managing solutions in Microsoft Foundry is 25–30%, and building generative AI apps and agents is the single biggest domain at 30–35%. The other practical change is language: AI-102 accepted Python or C# developers, while AI-103 expects Python.
I hold AI-102 — what happens now?
- Your certification stays on your Microsoft Learn transcript. Microsoft doesn’t erase credentials when an exam retires.
- You can’t renew it. Microsoft associate certifications expire yearly, and the AI-102 renewal assessment has been retired, so check the expiration date in your Microsoft Learn profile.
- To stay current, take AI-103. Your Azure AI services knowledge carries over; the new ground is Foundry, agents, and Python-first development.
I was studying for AI-102
Switch to AI-103 — your prep isn’t wasted. Anything you learned about Azure Vision, Azure Language, search, and document extraction maps onto AI-103’s vision, text analysis, and information extraction domains. Put the extra hours into Microsoft Foundry and building agents, since that’s where AI-103 puts the most weight. Be careful with study material: anything written for AI-102 won’t cover the Foundry and agent content, and “AI-103” practice tests that are really relabeled AI-102 questions will mislead you.
Job postings that still name AI-102
Hiring posts lag certification changes, so you’ll keep seeing AI-102 in job listings for a while. If you hold AI-102, list it as usual. If you don’t, you can’t take it anymore — AI-103 is the current credential for that role, and it’s worth saying so in your application: “Azure AI Apps and Agents Developer Associate (AI-103, the successor to AI-102).”
Ready to start? Take our free AI-103 practice questions to see where you stand, then work through the AI-103 study guide and the 3-week study plan. For everything Microsoft changed in 2026, see Microsoft AI certifications in 2026; if you’re coming from fundamentals, AI-901 vs AI-103 covers that decision.
Sources: Microsoft’s AI-102 certification page, the Microsoft Learn exam retirement list, Microsoft Partner Center’s June 2026 announcements, and the AI-103 certification page and study guide. AI-102, AI-103, AI-901, and Azure are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation; we reference them descriptively.
Related guides
- AI-103 Study Guide & Cheat Sheet (Azure AI Apps & Agents Developer)
- Free AI-103 Practice Questions (Azure AI Apps & Agents Developer)
- Is the AI-103 Certification Worth It? An Honest Look at Microsoft’s Newest AI Cert
- How to Pass AI-103: A 3-Week Study Plan for Microsoft’s New Azure AI Exam
- AI-103 Dumps: Why You Don’t Need Them
Frequently asked questions
Is AI-102 retired?
Yes. Microsoft retired the AI-102 exam (Azure AI Engineer Associate) on June 30, 2026. Its renewal assessment is retired too, so the exam can no longer be booked or renewed.
Does AI-103 replace AI-102?
Yes. Microsoft states that AI-102 was replaced by AI-103, the Azure AI Apps and Agents Developer Associate, which launched on June 19, 2026.
What happens to my AI-102 certification?
It stays on your Microsoft Learn transcript, but you can no longer renew it. Microsoft associate certifications expire yearly, so check your expiration date and plan to take AI-103 if you want a current credential.
Is AI-103 harder than AI-102?
Both are associate-level exams with a passing score of 700. AI-103 gives you 120 minutes (AI-102 gave 100), expects Python rather than Python or C#, and puts the most weight on building generative AI apps and agents in Microsoft Foundry.
