Which AI cert should you get?

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A lot of you have written in asking some version of the same question: "Should I actually get an AI certification, and if so, which one?"

It's a fair question, and the honest answer is that it depends on why you want one. A cert is good for three things: proving you actually know your stuff, moving toward an AI or cloud role, or just giving yourself a structured way to learn instead of poking around at random.

The confusing part is that there are a lot of them now, and the names don't tell you much. So here's a plain-English guide to the main ones, grouped by who they're actually for.

Start here. These four prove you understand AI without requiring any programming, which makes them a great first credential even if you'd never call yourself technical.

AWS AI Practitioner and Azure AI Fundamentals are the two most recognized entry-level certs, tied to the two biggest cloud platforms. If your workplace uses Amazon or Microsoft tools, pick the matching one.

CompTIA AI Fundamentals is vendor-neutral, so it's a good choice if you don't want to tie yourself to one company's ecosystem.

Google Generative AI Leader is aimed more at managers and decision-makers who need to talk about AI credibly without getting into the engineering.

These go deeper and carry more weight with employers hiring for technical positions.

AWS Machine Learning Engineer is the step up from the AI Practitioner cert, for people who want to build and deploy models, not just understand them.

NVIDIA NCA-GENL focuses on generative AI specifically, and NVIDIA NCA-AIIO is about the infrastructure side: the GPUs and systems that AI actually runs on. If you're interested in the hardware and operations layer, that's the one.

Oracle OCI AI Foundations matters if your company runs on Oracle Cloud, and VMware VCF Administrator is for the cloud-infrastructure and virtualization crowd. Niche, but valuable if that's your world.

If you're not sure, start with AWS AI Practitioner or Azure AI Fundamentals. They're the most recognized, they need no coding, and they give you a real foundation you can build on later. Pick the one that matches whatever your workplace already uses.

The best way to choose is to actually try a few questions. Every cert has a free, no-sign-up practice set, so you can see what the material feels like before committing to anything.

I wrote up a full side-by-side comparison of all nine — what each one covers, who it's for, and how hard it is — over on the site: the complete guide to AI certifications.

And if you decide to go for one, the full practice platform (complete question banks, timed mock exams, and a Claude-powered AI tutor that explains anything you miss) is $12/month for every cert we cover. But start with the free questions first — no reason to pay until you know it's right for you.

🧠 Your AI forgets you
The 10-minute setup that stops you re-explaining yourself to AI every time. Free AI Memory Kit included.

⚡ The prompts I use most
The six short prompts I reach for almost every day. Free Tiny But Mighty Prompt Pack included.

🏆 Which AI are you?
The 4 AI skill levels and how to move up each one. Free Level Up Your AI Cheat Sheet included.

I’ve spent a lot of time building this and I’m excited to share it with you!

HOW TO // AI Cert is our new practice platform for AI and cloud certifications. It covers nine of the most in-demand certs with over 2,700 original practice questions, all written in plain English with explanations that actually make sense. The same no-hype approach you get here every week.

Here's how it works:

Whether you want to prove your AI skills or move toward an AI or cloud role, this is the most thorough and least painful way I know to get there. Start with the free questions, and upgrade only if it's working for you.

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Stay curious, stick with it, and watch your skills grow week by week!

Until next time :)

— David

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