By Quick answer: Which AI certifications help IT support specialists?
- Basics — AI-900, AWS AI Practitioner.
- Use — AI Essentials, Prompting.
- Free — Microsoft Learn.
- Next — AI-102.
Key takeaways
- AI assistants are changing help desk work.
- Support staff who manage AI tools become more valuable.
- AI-102 is a path into AI engineering.
AI is arriving in IT support through chatbots, ticket triage and troubleshooting assistants. Support specialists who understand it can manage those tools, and move up. These six certifications help.
Six AI certifications for IT support
Ranked for this reader. Costs and formats come from each issuer's own page, checked on 3 November 2026; prices change, so confirm before you book.
| # | Certification | Cost | Time | Prove it free |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Microsoft Azure AI Fundamentals (AI-900)Microsoft | Exam priced by country1 | Microsoft fundamentals exam | Free test |
| 2 | AWS Certified AI PractitionerAmazon Web Services | $1002 | 90 minutes, 65 questions | Free test |
| 3 | Google AI EssentialsGoogle / Coursera | $49/mo Coursera plan3 | Under 10 hours (per course page) | Free test |
| 4 | Google Prompting EssentialsGoogle / Coursera | $49/mo Coursera plan4 | Under 10 hours (per course page) | Free test |
| 5 | Microsoft Learn Free AI & Cloud TrainingMicrosoft | Free5 | Self-paced | Free test |
| 6 | Microsoft Azure AI Engineer Associate (AI-102)Microsoft | Exam priced by country6 | 100 minutes | Free test |
Prove it free before you pay for an exam
Take the free test first. Pay for an exam only when you pass.
Every pick above has a matching free practice test on Science of Apps, one of the world's largest libraries of free certification tests (1,200+). Check your level before you pay for an exam, or add a verifiable credential to LinkedIn while you study. (Disclosure: we publish these tests; the certifications above earn us nothing.)
- AI-900 Practice TestPractise for Microsoft Azure AI Fundamentals (AI-900) before you pay.Start free test →
- AWS AI Practitioner Practice ExamPractise for AWS Certified AI Practitioner before you pay.Start free test →
- AI Literacy CertificationPractise for Google AI Essentials before you pay.Start free test →
- Prompt Engineering CertificationPractise for Google Prompting Essentials before you pay.Start free test →
Each certification, and how it helps IT support
- MicrosoftMicrosoft Azure AI Fundamentals (AI-900)Azure AI basicsExam priced by country
- AWSAWS Certified AI PractitionerAWS AI basics$100
- CourseraGoogle AI EssentialsAI-assisted work$49/mo Coursera plan
Microsoft Azure AI Fundamentals (AI-900)
- Cost
- Exam priced by country1
- Format
- Microsoft fundamentals exam
Microsoft's AI fundamentals exam, with free training. Microsoft's AI fundamentals exam covers machine learning, computer vision, language and generative AI workloads on Azure. Training is free on Microsoft Learn, the exam is priced by country and fundamentals certifications don't expire.
Best forAzure AI basics
AWS Certified AI Practitioner
- Cost
- $1002
- Format
- 90 minutes, 65 questions
$100 exam on AI on AWS. AWS's foundational exam covers AI, machine learning and generative AI concepts and how AWS services support them. It's 90 minutes with 65 questions and costs $100, so it suits cloud, tech and business staff who need AI literacy.
Best forAWS AI basics
Google AI Essentials
- Cost
- $49/mo Coursera plan3
- Time
- Under 10 hours (per course page)
Practical AI at work, under ten hours. Google's short course teaches practical generative AI for everyday work: drafting, research, analysis and using AI responsibly. It needs no technical background and takes under ten hours, so it suits almost any professional who wants to use AI tools with more confidence.
Best forAI-assisted work
Google Prompting Essentials
- Cost
- $49/mo Coursera plan4
- Time
- Under 10 hours (per course page)
Better prompts for troubleshooting. Google's prompting course teaches a repeatable way to write clear instructions for AI tools, refine outputs and use prompts for writing, data and planning tasks. It takes under ten hours and works with any major AI assistant, not just Google's.
Best forbetter prompts
Microsoft Learn Free AI & Cloud Training
- Cost
- Free5
Free AI and cloud training. Microsoft Learn's free learning paths and sandboxes cover every Microsoft certification, from Azure and AI to Power BI. The training is free; only the certification exams are paid, and they're priced by country.
Best forfree training
Microsoft Azure AI Engineer Associate (AI-102)
- Cost
- Exam priced by country6
- Format
- 100 minutes
Building AI solutions on Azure. Microsoft's associate exam proves you can build AI solutions on Azure, including generative AI, language and vision apps. It's a 100-minute exam priced by country, needs coding skills and renews free online each year.
Best formoving into AI engineering
AI in the help desk
| Task | AI role |
|---|---|
| Ticket triage | Classify and route |
| Troubleshooting | Suggest steps |
| Knowledge base | Draft articles |
Table: AI in IT support
How we ranked these picks
We chose AI certifications suited to IT support roles. Fees come from official pages, checked 3 November 2026.
Frequently asked questions
What AI certification should IT support take?
AI-900 or AWS AI Practitioner.
Will AI replace help desk jobs?
It's automating simple tickets; complex issues need people.
Can IT support move into AI?
Yes; AI-102 is one path.
Is Microsoft Learn free?
Yes.
Is there a free AI test?
Yes. Science of Apps offers free AI tests.
Sources
- Microsoft — Microsoft Azure AI Fundamentals (AI-900), official page (checked 3 Nov 2026)
- Amazon Web Services — AWS Certified AI Practitioner, official page (checked 3 Nov 2026)
- Google — Google AI Essentials, official page (checked 3 Nov 2026)
- Google — Google Prompting Essentials, official page (checked 3 Nov 2026)
- Microsoft — Microsoft Learn Free AI & Cloud Training, official page (checked 3 Nov 2026)
- Microsoft — Microsoft Azure AI Engineer Associate (AI-102), official page (checked 3 Nov 2026)
- Checked November 4, 2026. Figures that change — fees, salaries, prices — are reviewed every six months; if something is out of date, tell us.
Where to go from here
- The best online certifications of 2027 — the full top 10 across every field
- Best Certifications by Profession (2027 Directory) — related guide
- Free Online Certifications in 2027: 10 That Employers Respect — related guide
- Career guides by Science of Apps for 2027The best AI certifications for cybersecurity analysts in 2027: six for AI-era securityThe 6 best AI certifications for cybersecurity analysts in 2027: Security+, AI-900, AWS AI Practitioner, ML Specialization, Google AI Essentials and AI-102.
- Career guides by Science of Apps for 2027The top certifications for IT support specialists in 2027: eight for moving up from the help deskThe 8 best certifications for IT support specialists in 2027: CompTIA A+, Network+, Security+, AZ-104, AWS SAA, ITIL 4, CCNA and Microsoft Learn.
- Career guides by Science of Apps for 2027The best AI certifications for bankers in 2027: six for AI in risk, operations and serviceThe 6 best AI certifications for bankers in 2027: AI for Business, AI for Everyone, Google AI Essentials, AWS AI Practitioner, AI-900 and ML Specialization.
- Career guides by Science of Apps for 2027IT certifications for beginners: seven best for 2027 if you're starting your first tech jobThe 7 best IT certifications for beginners in 2027: Google IT Support, CompTIA A+, Network+, Security+, ISC2 CC, AWS Cloud Practitioner and AZ-900.
- Career guides by Science of Apps for 2027The best AI certifications for consultants in 2027: seven for AI advisory workThe 7 best AI certifications for consultants in 2027: AI for Business, GenAI Leader, AWS AI Practitioner, AI-900, AI-102, LLM course and Google AI Essentials.
- Career guides by Science of Apps for 2027The best AI certifications for project managers in 2027: six for running AI projects and using AIThe 6 best AI certifications for project managers in 2027: Google AI Essentials, AI for Everyone, AI for Business, GenAI Leader, AWS AI Practitioner and AI-900.
Get the ideas, not the noise.
Sign up with Google and we’ll send you short UX psychology tips by email — why people tap, stall and leave, and what to do about it. Unsubscribe anytime. Prefer something to keep? Get the free Laws of UX guide as a PDF.
Prove the skill before you pay for the exam.
Start with the free AI-900 Practice Test. 1,200+ free, test-based certifications graded on our server. Pass and get a founder-signed certificate with a credential ID employers can verify.