SOLUTIONS FOR MICROSOFT AZURE
5 Tips to Become a Microsoft Certified Azure AI Engineer Associate**
A summary of my personal experience on how to prepare and pass the Microsoft AI-102 exam. No, it’s not a study guide.
I recently passed the AI-102 exam to become a Microsoft Certified Azure AI Engineer Associate. However, I found it more challenging than other exams, so here are my 5 personal tips to make it easier for you.
1. Get inspired — or how to catch Polar Bears
You know how it goes: You jump into the topic, you wramp up your system, you read into the first content, and then it bores you to death, or your favorite Netflix show starts.
That’s why I think it is best to start with a very motivating end-to-end case, so it truly sets you on fire 🔥. Luckily there is a very nice step-by-step guide on Microsoft Learn: Track wild polar bears with AI.
You learn to detect and track polar bears through photos using AI and then use Power BI to show on a map where an array of virtual cameras spots polar bears. Cool, right?
It’s already a bit more advanced, but the outcome is great, and you already touch one of the Azure Cognitive Services: Custom Vision
If you’re still not on 🔥, then maybe this is not right for you 😉.
2. Use a Community Study Guide
The Microsoft Community is a wonderful place. Besides all the official content available on Microsoft Learn, there are tons of community-curated study guides.
One of the most recent study guides for AI-102 is provided by my fellow Azure Samurai Jose Luis Latorre 👉 AI-102 Study Guide — Azure AI Engineer Associate (azuresamurai.blog)
Remember, study guides are curated from personal experiences from people who passed the exam. So it’s definitively a good starting point.
3. Take a classroom training
COVID-19 doesn’t make it easy to book and visit a classroom training. However, classroom training is great for a couple of reasons:
- Full focus. No work, no cellphone, no TV.
- You get taught by a Microsoft Certified Trainer.
- Build your network. Engage and connect with other participants.
If you can’t take a classroom training, then you have the option to walk through the official labs yourself 👉 AI-102: AI Engineer Labs
4. Pass the exam from home
Because of COVID-19 (and even before), it is now possible to take most (all?) of the Microsoft exams from home. The exam is delivered through Pearson VUE and its at-home offering.
There are a lot of good reasons to take the exam from home:
- It literally feels like home 🏡
- Better coffee ☕
- Test centers are gray places 🏢
- No traveling 🛫
If you want to simulate the experience, a Test System page allows you to test your setup before any exam and get a climb of what to expect.
Important: You can check-in 30 minutes before your exam starts, and you should do so! Scanning your Id and walking through the check-in takes some time. You should take all the information passed to you before the exam very seriously.
Fun fact: I read some of the questions aloud, and the virtual proctor instantly reminded me that I’m not allowed to speak during the exam. So make sure you stay quiet 😉.
5. Mind the details
While the exam is mostly a mix between scenario-driven and multiple-choice, it surprised me with the granularity of its questions. While you can easily rush over the labs and guides during your preparation, you might miss important details, such as the different API endpoint URLs, JSON payloads, and code namespaces.
Whenever you work with code snippets, endpoints URLs, or JSON payloads during your studies, don’t just copy and paste it. Instead, I recommend writing code and URLs without the help of IntelliSense or your clipboard. It will take you more time in preparation, but it will definitively add some extra points to your exam score.
Bonus Tip: Prefer more recent content
As mentioned under tip #2, it’s a good idea to prefer more recent content over older content. AI-102 covers a broad range of technologies that constantly change. The exam has gone through a couple of iterations. AI-102 is the most recent one and the successor of AI-100. AI-102 got a little update on July 29, 2021. Make sure to visit the exam page and check for announcements on expiration or updates.
Another option is downloading the exam skill outline, which usually contains hints on what has changed since the last update. This allows you to close possible knowledge gaps and is worth a look.
Good luck with your exam.
👉
— Sebastian
