I want to start studding for a certification for MS Azure in the Ai Field, so I create a list of certifications to see which is the best fit for me. I recently noticed a job requiring MS Fabric knowledge.
So I'm checking if I should study something more specific or something broader.
⭐ 1. DP-700 — Microsoft Fabric Data Engineer Associate
Most directly relevant to Fabric engineering.
Focus: Implementing data-engineering solutions inside Fabric.
Covers:
- Lakehouses, Warehouses, KQL DBs
- Data ingestion & transformation (Pipelines, Dataflows, Notebooks)
- Storage design, Delta Lake
- Real-time ingestion (Eventstream/Eventhouse)
- Monitoring & governance in Fabric
Best for: Fabric Data Engineers / Fabric Architects
⭐ 2. DP-600 — Fabric Analytics Engineer Associate
Focuses on the semantic layer + analytics side of Fabric.
Covers:
- Semantic models
- Direct Lake / DirectQuery
- Power BI in Fabric
- Data modeling, DAX, metrics
- Performance tuning for analytics
Best for: BI/Fabric Analytics Engineers, those touching modeling/reporting.
⭐ 3. DP-203 — Azure Data Engineer Associate
The classic Azure data engineering cert.
Covers:
- Azure Data Lake, Synapse, Databricks
- Data ingestion/ETL/ELT
- SQL/NoSQL data stores
- Batch + streaming
- Lakehouse fundamentals (pre-Fabric world)
Useful because Fabric still relies on many Azure concepts.
Best for: Azure Data Engineers / Hybrid Fabric–Azure architects
⭐ 4. AZ-305 — Azure Solutions Architect Expert
High-level architecture and design certification.
Covers:
- Designing end-to-end Azure solutions
- Storage, networking, security, identity
- Cost optimization & governance
- Aligning designs with Microsoft Cloud Adoption Framework
Perfect match for the role’s architecture responsibilities.
Best for: Solution Architects / Lead Engineers / Consultants
➕ Helpful, but Secondary
5. PL-300 — Power BI Data Analyst
Covers:
- Data modeling
- DAX
- Report design
- Dataset relationships & performance
Useful for Fabric because Power BI is the semantic layer within Fabric.
6. AI-900 — Azure AI Fundamentals
Basics of:
- Cognitive Services
- ML concepts
- GenAI and Azure OpenAI
Good only if the project includes AI/ML components.
7. AI-102 — Azure AI Engineer Associate
Advanced AI implementation:
- NLP, Vision, Speech
- Azure AI services integration
- Responsible AI, deployment
Only relevant if Fabric solutions integrate AI pipelines.
Certification Comparison Table
| Certification | Focus Area | Key Topics Covered | Best For | Relevance to Azure AI / Fabric |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ⭐ DP-700 — Microsoft Fabric Data Engineer Associate | Fabric data engineering | • Lakehouses, Warehouses, KQL DBs • Pipelines, Dataflows, Notebooks • Delta Lake, storage design • Eventstream/Eventhouse • Monitoring & governance |
Fabric Data Engineers, Fabric Architects | Highest relevance for Fabric engineering |
| ⭐ DP-600 — Fabric Analytics Engineer Associate | Semantic modeling + analytics in Fabric | • Semantic models • Direct Lake / DirectQuery • Power BI in Fabric • DAX, metrics, performance tuning |
BI Engineers, Analytics Engineers | Strong for modeling/reporting inside Fabric |
| ⭐ DP-203 — Azure Data Engineer Associate | Core Azure data engineering | • ADLS, Synapse, Databricks • ETL/ELT workflows • SQL/NoSQL stores • Batch + streaming • Pre-Fabric lakehouse fundamentals |
Azure Data Engineers, Hybrid Azure–Fabric roles | Very relevant; Azure foundations still apply to Fabric |
| ⭐ AZ-305 — Azure Solutions Architect Expert | Architecture & high-level Azure design | • End-to-end Azure solution design • Networking, security, identity • Governance & cost optimization • Microsoft CAF alignment |
Solutions Architects, Lead Engineers | Very relevant if you’ll design Fabric + Azure solutions |
| ➕ PL-300 — Power BI Data Analyst | BI modeling and reporting | • Data modeling • DAX • Report design • Performance optimization |
Data Analysts, BI Engineers | Helpful because Power BI is Fabric’s semantic layer |
| ➕ AI-900 — Azure AI Fundamentals | Intro to Azure AI | • Cognitive Services basics • ML & GenAI fundamentals |
AI beginners, generalists | Useful only if touching AI components |
| ➕ AI-102 — Azure AI Engineer Associate | Applied AI engineering | • NLP, Vision, Speech • Azure AI service integration • Responsible AI • Deployment patterns |
AI Engineers | Relevant only if AI will be integrated with Fabric pipelines |
For a Fabric Data Engineer / Solution Architect consultant, the ideal bundle is:
Core / Highly Recommended
- DP-700 — Fabric Data Engineer
- DP-203 — Azure Data Engineer
- AZ-305 — Solutions Architect Expert
Nice-to-Have / Add-on
- DP-600 — Fabric Analytics Engineer
- PL-300 — Power BI Data Analyst
- AI-900 / AI-102 (only if AI-related work is expected)
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