Microsoft AI Skills Fest wraps—and the momentum continues
AI Skills Fest, June 8–12, 2026, brought together a dynamic global community to build practical AI skills. Here’s what to do next and how to keep building on what you’ve learned. Wow, what a week! One of my favorite things about Microsoft AI Skills Fest was seeing so many people jump in, try something new, and build practical AI skills together. The festival may be wrapping up, but the energy from this week is still going strong. Across roles, industries, and experience levels, you explored new tools, sharpened your prompts, and put AI to work in ways that go far beyond a single week. Want a quick look back? Check out our recap video for standout moments, familiar faces, and even a few bloopers—because no great event is complete without those. In just one week, you—and people around the world—really made AI Skills Fest count. That’s the power of learning together. And it doesn’t stop here. What to do next Claim your perks If you took part in AI Skills Fest, now’s the time to claim the perks you earned—on top of the great skills you built along the way. Sweepstakes prizes If you’re a sweepstakes winner, we’ll email you by June 22, 2026, with details on how to claim your prize. Credly badges If you completed a featured skilling playlist, that’s an achievement worth celebrating. Watch for an email from Credly by June 19, 2026, with instructions for claiming your badge. Add it to your LinkedIn profile, and share it with your network. We can’t wait to celebrate with you! Free Microsoft Certification exam vouchers You may be eligible for a free exam voucher if you: Registered for AI Skills Fest. Completed an eligible featured skilling playlist during the event window. Submitted your claim within the required time frame. If you qualify for a free exam voucher: Our partner Pearson will send you an email between June 19, 2026, and July 10, 2026, with your voucher code and instructions. Check your inbox (and junk folder) so you don’t miss it. Follow the guidance in that email to schedule your exam by August 18, 2026. You must take the exam on or before October 18, 2026. Exam prep tip: Revisit AI Skills Fest exam prep sessions on demand, explore training content in AI Skills Navigator, and feel more prepared before test day. Resume your playlists If you started a featured AI Skills Fest skilling playlist but didn’t finish, no worries. You can jump back in anytime. To pick up where you left off, head to Skilling playlists in AI Skills Navigator. Everything you started is saved there and ready when you are. Watch on-demand content Want to rewatch a favorite session or catch a few you missed? Go to the AI Skills Fest event page, and select Explore content. Watch mainstage moments, LinkedIn Live or hackathon sessions, and more—on your schedule. Start a new featured skilling playlist, and keep learning. AI Skills Fest content remains available for a limited time, so take this opportunity to dive back in. Stay tuned for results from the Agents League hackathon The competition continues. We’ll announce the winners of the Agents League hackathon in early July 2026 on the Microsoft Developer Community Blog. We’ll also notify each winner via email. In the meantime: Relive the best hackathon moments and battles on the AI Skills Fest event page. Stay engaged, and keep building your skills with the IQ Series. Keep building—and stay connected A few things really stood out across AI Skills Fest. Human skills matter more than ever. AI may power the future of work, but judgment, creativity, and critical thinking set you apart. Learning by doing drives real progress. The biggest gains came from applying AI in real scenarios. Everyone can build with AI. No matter your role or experience, you can create with AI. Stay connected. AI Skills Fest brought together an incredible global community—and that connection doesn’t stop here. Join us on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and TikTok, and keep the conversation going. Share what you learned. Show off your badge. Tell us your favorite moments from the event. Whether AI Skills Fest was your starting point for AI fluency or a step along the way, what matters most is what you do with what you learned. Take what you explored and discovered—new tools, new skills, new ways of thinking—and build on it in ways that work for you. The festival may be wrapping up, but there’s plenty more AI learning ahead. And when you’re ready for what’s next, we’re here to support you along the way.New Microsoft Certified: Cybersecurity Business Professional Certification
As data moves across tools and teams, security risks increase. Built for business professionals, the new Exam SC‑730 (beta) validates how you protect data, reduce risk, and respond to incidents. [NOTE: Based on beta feedback, we’re pausing the launch of SC-730 while we reassess how it can best support learners and align with our evolving certification portfolio. (June 22, 2026)] Work today depends on shared data, AI and cloud tools, and constant collaboration. As that expands, so do everyday security risks, phishing attempts, accidental data exposure, and misuse of sensitive information. Security isn’t handled by one team anymore. It shows up in day-to-day decisions made across roles. To reflect that shift, we’re introducing a new certification focused on how business professionals contribute to security in their daily work. The Microsoft Certified: Cybersecurity Business Professional Certification helps you validate your ability to recognize common threats, apply everyday security best practices, protect sensitive data, and respond appropriately to incidents to help protect your organization. To earn this new Certification, you need to pass Exam SC-730: Cybersecurity Business Professional, currently in beta. Is this the right Certification for you? This Certification validates your ability to apply practical security awareness and foundational knowledge related to reducing risk, supporting compliance, and safeguarding your organization in today’s threat landscape. It assesses how well you can: Understand cybersecurity concepts. Recognize cybersecurity risks and threats. Apply basic security best practices to protect the organization. Report and respond to security Incidents. As a candidate for this Certification, you’re a business professional (administrator, analyst, project manager, marketer, or sales pro) who relies on digital tools and cloud-based collaboration. Although security may not be your primary responsibility, you regularly handle sensitive information and work across networks, which increases your exposure to cyber risks. You’re accountable for protecting personal and organizational data and for complying with company privacy and security policies. You have foundational knowledge of cybersecurity awareness, privacy expectations, and security event response, and you understand basic security concepts well enough to apply simple, role-relevant practices that help support organizational compliance and risk awareness. You should be able to: Recognize common threats, such as phishing, malware, and social engineering. Apply basic protection practices, including strong passwords, multifactor authentication, and safe internet use. Follow organizational privacy and security policies when handling sensitive data. Report suspected incidents promptly and take appropriate steps during data breaches. Maintain continuous awareness of evolving threats and best practices through organizational updates and training. Ready to prove your cybersecurity skills? Take advantage of the discounted beta exam offer. The first 300 people who take Exam SC-730 (beta) on or before May 27, 2026 can get 80% off. To receive the discount, when you register for the exam and are prompted for payment, use SC730Eclipse. This is not a private access code. The seats are offered on a first-come, first-served basis. As noted, you must take the exam on or before May 27, 2026. Please note that this discount is not available in Turkey, Pakistan, India, or China. How to prepare Review the Exam SC-730 (beta) page for exam registration and other details. The Exam SC-730 study guide explores key topics covered in the exam. Connect with Microsoft Training Services Partners in your area for in-person offerings. Need other preparation ideas? Check out Just How Does One Prepare for Beta Exams? Ready to get started? You can take Certification exams online, from your home or office. Get the details in Online proctored exams: What to expect and how to prepare. Remember, the number of spots is limited to the first 300 candidates on or before May 27, 2026. Beta exam rescoring begins when the exam goes live, with final results released approximately 10 days later. For more details, read Creating high-quality exams: The path from beta to live. Stay tuned for general availability of this Certification in July 2026. Additional information For more cloud and AI Certification updates, read our recent blog post, The AI job boom is here. Are you ready to showcase your skills? Follow our credentials news on The Skills Hub Blog as we roll out additional new Certifications in May, June, and July 2026. Join our Microsoft Worldwide Learning SME Group for Credentials on LinkedIn for beta exam alerts and opportunities to help shape future Microsoft learning and assessments. If you’d like to learn more about Microsoft Credentials, visit AI Skills Navigator.New Microsoft Certified: Azure AI Apps and Agents Developer Associate
Ready to move from prototypes to production? Demonstrate your readiness to deliver scalable, real‑world AI apps and agents using Azure services and Microsoft Foundry with the new Exam AI‑103 (beta). As AI changes how work is done across many industries and roles, organizations are rapidly moving AI apps and agents from experimentation into operational use. These shifts create opportunities for software developers who can build generative AI apps and production‑ready agents on Azure. To meet these opportunities, we’re introducing the Microsoft Certified: Azure AI Apps and Agents Developer Associate Certification. This new Microsoft Certification focuses on modern AI development, including generative AI, multimodal scenarios, agentic workflows, and responsible AI, by using Azure services and Microsoft Foundry to deliver scalable, real-world solutions. To earn this new Certification, you need to pass Exam AI-103: Developing AI Apps and Agents on Azure, currently in beta. Is this the right Certification for you? This Certification validates the skills needed to build and deploy AI apps and agents using production‑oriented development practices on Azure by using Foundry, the unified platform for model management, agent configuration, and evaluation pipelines. Exam AI-103 demonstrates your ability to plan and manage Azure AI solutions and to implement generative AI and agentic solutions, computer vision solutions, text analysis solutions, and information extraction solutions. As a candidate for this Certification, you’re a developer who uses Python and Azure services to plan, implement, and manage AI solutions and agents that take advantage of Foundry, working closely with business stakeholders, solution architects, data scientists, DevOps engineers, and cloud security engineers. For this exam, you should have experience developing apps by using Python, and you need to be familiar with the capabilities of general AI, generative AI, and Azure services. Exam AI-103 provides a modernized, scenario‑driven focus on agent development as the core of Azure AI solution building, expanding coverage into multimodal generation (images, video, speech), visual understanding, large language model–first text analysis, and information‑extraction pipelines for retrieval-augmented generation (RAG). Candidates demonstrate their ability to work with end‑to‑end solution scenarios that involve grounded, multimodal, governed, and secure AI system design. Ready to prove your skills? Take advantage of the discounted beta exam offer. The first 300 people who take Exam AI-103 (beta) on or before May 7, 2026, can get 80% off. To receive the discount, when you register for the exam and are prompted for payment, use code AI103Claxton. This is not a private access code. The seats are offered on a first-come, first-served basis. As noted, you must take the exam on or before May 7, 2026. Please note that this discount is not available in Turkey, Pakistan, India, or China. How to prepare Get ready to take Exam AI-103 (beta): Review the Exam AI-103 (beta) exam page for details. The Exam AI-103 study guide explores key topics covered in the exam. Work through the self-paced Course AI-103: Develop AI apps and agents on Azure. Connect with Microsoft Training Services Partners in your area for in-person offerings. Need other preparation ideas? Check out Just How Does One Prepare for Beta Exams? Ready to get started? You can take Certification exams online, from your home or office. Get the details in Online proctored exams: What to expect and how to prepare. Remember, only the first 300 candidates can get 80% off Exam AI-103 (beta) with code AI103Claxton on or before May 7, 2026. Beta exam rescoring begins when the exam goes live, with final results released approximately 10 days later. For more details, read Creating high-quality exams: The path from beta to live. Stay tuned for general availability of this Certification in June 2026. Additional information For more cloud and AI Certification updates, read our recent blog post, The AI job boom is here. Are you ready to showcase your skills? Follow our credentials news on The Skills Hub blog as we roll out additional new Certifications in April, May, and June 2026. Join our Microsoft Worldwide Learning SME Group for Credentials on LinkedIn for beta exam alerts and opportunities to help shape future Microsoft learning and assessments. Explore Microsoft Credentials on AI Skills Navigator.AI Skills Fest is just days away—here's what to expect
From headliners to hands-on learning, we’ve got your insider’s guide to a week full of can’t-miss moments in AI skilling. I always say my top career tip is simple: stay curious and keep on learning. Ask questions, try new things, follow what sparks your interest. That’s what Microsoft AI Skills Fest is all about. This isn’t just another learning event, it’s a full-on virtual festival experience, taking place June 8–12, 2026, with something for every role, from IT to marketing to leadership. Different stages, different sessions, one goal: helping you build your AI skills. And now, it’s time to reveal the AI Skills Fest lineup, packed with experts. Think of this blog post as your festival game plan for what to watch, try, and learn. Start here: Real perspectives from AI experts at the Mainstage The AI Skills Fest Mainstage is where the headliners will gather and the vibes will be electric, with honest conversations about where AI is going and the skills (both human and AI) that matter most. Join us at any time on June 8, 2026. It’s a can’t-miss event. Jeana Jorgensen, Corporate Vice President, Microsoft Global Skilling, sits down with two industry experts (who are also New York Times bestselling authors!) for a vibrant conversation about the critical role of human skills in the era of AI: Aneesh Raman, Chief Economic Opportunity Officer at LinkedIn and co-author of Open to Work: How to Get Ahead in the Age of AI. Gina Smith, PhD, Research Director at IDC and co-author of Powering Up: Human Skills for the AI Era. Plus, hear about how Microsoft is approaching AI transformation from the inside with leaders like: Katy George, Corporate Vice President, Microsoft Workforce Transformation. Pam Maynard, Microsoft Chief AI Transformation Officer. In addition to this thought leaders, hear voices from people just like you from around the world. Because we all have something meaningful to share. Make the Mainstage your first stop. It’s a great place to get context for everything else you do at AI Skills Fest, including what skills matter and where to focus next. Go deeper: Live learning This is where AI Skills Fest really comes to life. Join us online for expert-led live sessions via LinkedIn and get answers to your questions. Discover real AI workflows, prepare for Microsoft Certification exams, get career coaching and learn alongside a global community in real time—all with a focus on practical application. I’m looking forward to watching the Reimagine AI Collaboration for Business session which includes real example prompts and workflows. Another one that caught my attention is Ask a Recruiter—a great session for students who want some honest advice on landing that first job in the era of AI. If you’re focused on earning a Certification, we’ve got you covered. Tune into live exam prep sessions with expert guidance and real-time Q&A. Find clear direction, real answers, and the confidence to say, I can actually do this. Build something: Compete for prizes in the hackathon Some people learn by watching. Others learn by doing. If you fall in the second category, like me, or if you’re from the developer community, you won’t want to miss the hackathon. Agents League Hackathon is the marquee experience for developers at AI Skills Fest, combining hands‑on building with an e-sports‑style competition. Create your own agent, compete against your peers, and watch live coding battles as you climb the leaderboard. The hackathon is also a great chance to network with developers globally and get feedback from Microsoft product teams. Register now and submit your project through June 14, 2026, for a chance to win cash prizes, exciting swag, and category recognition.* And everyone who submits a project receives a digital badge. Find your path: Role-based skilling playlists After you’ve seen the mainstage lineup and joined a few live moments, build on your momentum with featured playlists—self-guided training curated for specific roles and organized so you always have a clear next step. Each unit builds on the learnings from those that came before. The result? You can focus on content built for you. We’re planning a lot more, but here are a few skilling playlists you won’t want to miss. If you’re a… Check out… And discover… Business professional Using Copilot Agents at Work A deeper understanding of how and when to use agents to boost productivity. Developer Develop your first agent with Microsoft Foundry A clear path to developing agents from model selection to publishing. Executive Leading at the Frontier: for talent and learning leaders Practical ways to lead AI transformation through people, skills, and business strategy. Educator or student Responsible AI in education Confidence applying responsible AI in real learning and academic scenarios. IT, data, or security pro Save time with Azure Copilot Helpful ways to use Azure Copilot to save time and improve workflows. Skilling playlists drop June 8, 2026, on AI Skills Navigator. Trust me, you’ll want to be the first to check them out. Complete a featured playlist by June 12, 2026, at 11:59 PM (your time), to earn a Credly badge. Submit your voucher claim form by the same date and time for a chance at a free Microsoft Certification exam.* Learn together: Partnerships that expand your experience AI Skills Fest is a worldwide learning party, and we’re bringing along some friends to make it more accessible, practical, and relevant—wherever you’re learning. Through our global network of Microsoft Training Services Partners, you can join local, in-language AI Skills Fest events that bring the festival closer to you. With Pearson, we’re showing how AI learning turns into real impact, from working toward Certification-led adoption to building practical, job-ready skills. With Finding Mastery, we’re exploring the human side of AI with a session focused on the mindset and skills that help you adapt, lead, and stay grounded. Anthropic brings a dedicated session on AI applications and agent development using Foundry with Anthropic AI models. And MasterClass is joining with its new certificate, Lead With AI: Adapt, Implement & Transform Your Organization, plus a special offer for AI Skills Fest attendees. See you (virtually) at the AI Skills Fest! Because every great festival comes with perks, we’ve got a few worth getting excited about: Register and you’re automatically entered into a sweepstakes* for exciting prizes. You might even score a VIP experience at Microsoft Ignite 2026, complete with your very own pair of bedazzled shoes. (If you register before June 8, 2026, you’ll get two entries and double your chance of winning.)* Complete an AI Skills Fest featured playlist, and earn a Credly badge* you can share. Finish an eligible playlist and receive a voucher for select Certification exams. Register now for AI Skills Fest. Mark your calendar for the mainstage moment. Pick a few live sessions. Commit to a skilling playlist. Try something hands-on. The festival forecast looks good: the lineup is sunny, and the paths are clear. I’m looking forward to seeing you there! *Friendly fine print: Terms and conditions apply. Sweepstakes, prizes, and Certification exam vouchers are subject to eligibility requirements and other restrictions.
