BBHQ logoBuilds & Battle HeadquartersAI field guides for every age
Pathways

Get certified in AI, at any age.

One ladder for each reader of the BBHQ books. Every step lists what it costs, who can take it, how long it takes, and how long it lasts. Steps go from easiest to hardest.

With a grown-up

Kids 5 to 10

Completion certificates from free activities. No exams exist for this age, and none of these needs a child account.

  1. Hour of AI certificate

    Activity certificate
    Code.org
    CostFree
    AgeGrades 2 to 12, class or family
    TimeAbout 1 hour
    ValidNo expiry
    Print it at the end of the activity.Official page

  2. AI for Oceans certificate

    Activity certificate
    Code.org
    CostFree
    AgeGrades 3 to 12
    TimeAbout 1 hour
    ValidNo expiry
    Teach a computer to sort fish from trash.Official page

  3. Day of AI lessons

    Classroom lessons
    MIT RAISE
    CostFree
    AgePreK to 12, teacher-led
    Time1 to 5 hours per module
    ValidNo certificate
    Ask your school to run it.Official page

  4. Scratch project portfolio

    Portfolio, not a certificate
    Scratch Foundation
    CostFree
    AgeAges 8 to 16; under 16 needs a parent OK to register
    TimeOpen-ended
    Validn/a
    Save projects under a parent email.Official page
First real credentials

Teens 11 to 17

Free course certificates first, then exams that accept teens with a parent or guardian's consent.

  1. Code.org AI courses

    Course certificate
    Code.org
    CostFree
    AgeMiddle and high school
    TimeA semester to a year
    ValidNo expiry
    AI Discoveries, then AI Foundations.Official page

  2. Gemini Certified Student

    Online exam
    Google for Education
    CostFree
    AgeAges 13 to 17
    TimeAbout 2 to 5 hours
    Valid3 years
    The easiest real exam to start with.Official page

  3. AWS Certified AI Practitioner (AIF-C01)

    Proctored exam, 65 questions
    AWS
    Cost$100
    Age13+; under 18 needs parent consent
    TimeAbout 15 to 40 hours
    Valid3 years
    Online or at a test center.Official page

  4. IT Specialist: Artificial Intelligence

    Proctored exam at a testing center
    Certiport (Pearson VUE)
    Cost$133 with retake
    AgeSuggested 14+
    TimeAbout 150 hours of instruction
    Valid5 years
    Many high schools are testing centers.Official page
Teach it with confidence

Parents and teachers

Mostly free. Start with a short course, then take the free Google exam, then go deeper if you teach it every week.

  1. Code.org AI 101 for Teachers

    Self-paced course
    Code.org
    CostFree
    AgeAdults
    TimeAbout 5 hours
    Validn/a
    Five short modules.Official page

  2. AI Basics for K-12 Teachers

    Self-paced course
    Common Sense Education
    CostFree
    AgeAdults
    TimeAbout 1 to 2 hours
    Validn/a
    Good for parents too.Official page

  3. Gemini Certified Educator

    Online exam
    Google for Education
    CostFree
    AgeAdults
    TimeAbout 3 to 6 hours
    Valid3 years
    A credential you can put on a resume.Official page

  4. AI Deep Dive for Educators

    15-hour course with an instructor
    ISTE+ASCD
    Cost$186 members, $249 others
    AgeAdults
    Time15 hours (Oct 5 to Dec 5, 2026 run)
    Validn/a
    Optional graduate credit for a fee.Official page
Proof for work

Adults and career changers

Start free, then pick one exam that matches your job. None of these needs a coding background.

  1. Elements of AI

    Self-paced course
    University of Helsinki
    CostFree
    AgeAdults
    TimeAbout 30 hours
    ValidNo expiry
    The plain-language classic.Official page

  2. Google AI Essentials

    Course certificate
    Google on Coursera
    Cost$49 a month on Coursera (7-day trial)
    Age13+ on Coursera
    TimeUnder 5 hours
    ValidNo expiry
    Finishable inside the free trial.Official page

  3. AWS Certified AI Practitioner (AIF-C01)

    Proctored exam
    AWS
    Cost$100
    Age13+
    TimeAbout 15 to 40 hours
    Valid3 years
    The most common first AI exam.Official page

  4. Google Cloud Generative AI Leader

    Proctored exam
    Google Cloud
    Cost$99
    Age18+
    TimeAbout 10 to 20 hours
    Valid3 years
    Made for non-technical leaders.Official page

  5. Azure AI Fundamentals (AI-901)

    Proctored exam
    Microsoft
    Cost$99
    AgeCheck Microsoft's policy
    TimeAbout 10 to 20 hours
    ValidDoes not expire
    AI-901 replaced AI-900 on June 30, 2026.Official page
Prove you can ship safely

Builders and vibe coders

For people building apps with AI. The Claude exams need the free Claude Partner Network membership, and all prep courses are free.

  1. Anthropic Academy courses

    Free courses with certificates
    Anthropic
    CostFree
    AgeCheck course terms (Claude is 18+)
    Time1 to 10 hours each
    Validn/a
    AI Fluency is the place to start.Official page

  2. Claude Certified Associate

    Proctored exam
    Anthropic via Pearson
    Cost$99
    Age18+
    TimeAbout 10 to 20 hours
    Valid12 months, free renewal test
    Then Developer ($125) and Architect ($125 / $175).Official page

  3. NVIDIA Certified Associate: Generative AI LLMs

    Online proctored exam
    NVIDIA
    Cost$125
    AgeCheck NVIDIA's policy
    TimeAbout 20 to 40 hours
    Valid2 years
    Good if you work with models directly.Official page

  4. AWS Certified ML Engineer Associate

    Proctored exam
    AWS
    Cost$150 (new C02 beta $75)
    Age13+
    TimeAbout 60 to 120 hours
    Valid3 years
    Needs about a year of hands-on AWS AI work.Official page
Under 13? No AI exam accepts kids under 13, so the kids ladder uses activity certificates. Ages 13 to 17 can take the AWS exam with a parent's consent. Google Cloud, Claude, and most discount codes are 18+.

Sources: code.org (Hour of AI, AI for Oceans, CodeAI, AI 101); dayofai.org; scratch.mit.edu/parents; edu.google.com certifications; aws.amazon.com/certification (AI Practitioner, ML Engineer Associate, testing policies); certiport.pearsonvue.com (IT Specialist AI); commonsense.org (AI Basics for K-12 Teachers); iste.org (AI Deep Dive); elementsofai.com; grow.google/ai-essentials and coursera.org terms; cloud.google.com (Generative AI Leader); learn.microsoft.com (Azure AI Fundamentals); claude.com/blog and pearsonvue.com/anthropic (Claude certifications); nvidia.com (NCA-GENL).