There are 3 Azure Fundamental Certification for beginners ie., AZ-900 for Cloud, AI-900 for AI, ML, Data Science, and DP-900 for working with data (DBA, Data Engineers, and Data Architects) on the cloud. Learn difference between AZ 900 and DP 900. [dp 900 vs az 900]
In this blog, we are going to cover some most frequently asked questions:
- What is the difference between AZ-900, AI-900, DP-900?
- Who these certifications are for?
- Which certification should I go for first?
What Is Azure?
Azure is a cloud computing platform service developed by Microsoft to build, test, deploy, and manage applications and services through data centers managed by Microsoft. It provides software as a service (SaaS), platform as a service (PaaS), infrastructure as a service (IaaS) and supports many different programming languages, tools, and frameworks, including both Microsoft-specific and third-party software and systems.
Learn more About Azure Cognitive Services (Overview & Types)
Azure Certifications
A role-based Azure Certification structure is offered by Microsoft that has fundamental, associate, and expert level certifications.
AZ-900, AI-900, and DP-900 are Azure fundamental level certifications that form the building blocks for associate and expert level certifications as they help you build knowledge and get familiar with the working environment.
Read about Azure Cosmos DB, Key features and Capabilities, create a Cosmos DB account, and create a database and container.
Why Do You Need Certification?
So the next question that might come to your mind is that why exactly do I need to get certified or how getting certified will impact my professional career, so here is an answer for this:
- A CV with gleaming certifications have an enormous advantage in terms of job prospects and earning, as it leads to a rampant gain in both.
- Updating your profile with a certificate will boost your job profile and shoot up your chances of getting chosen.
- Most of the people agree that certification has improved their earning and 84% of people have seen better job prospects after getting certified.
- It gives you global recognition for your knowledge, skills, and experience.
- It gives an unfair advantage over a non-certified professional.
Now that you know the importance of certification let’s look at the three fundamental level certifications in detail.
Read this article on Azure machine learning studio
Microsoft Azure Fundamentals AZ-900
Cloud can be referred to as the servers that are accessed over the Internet, where software and databases are run. These cloud servers are located in data centers across the globe. To get a better understanding of Cloud and related terms, read our blog [AZ-900] Microsoft Azure Fundamentals: Cloud Computing – Overview & Benefits.
AZ-900 is intended for candidates who are planning to take their first step in Cloud or are new to Azure. It helps candidates to demonstrate foundational level knowledge of cloud services and how those services are provided with Microsoft Azure.
Azure Fundamentals can be used to prepare for other Azure role-based certifications like Azure Administrator [AZ-104], Azure DevOps Engineer [AZ-400], and more, but it is not a prerequisite for any of them.
The job roles for AZ-900 include Azure Cloud Architect, Azure Cloud Administrator, Azure Consultant, and more.
The candidates are tested on these 6 skills:
- Understand Cloud Concepts
- Understand Core Azure Services
- Understand Core Solutions And Management Tools On Azure
- Describe General Security And Network Security Features
- Describe Identity, Governance, Privacy, And Compliance Features
- Describe Azure Cost Management And Service Level Agreements
Also, there are some Step-by-Step Hands-On Guides recommended by us which will help in understanding the cloud concepts more clearly and are also important from the exam perspective.
To know more about AZ-900 certification, you can read our blog [AZ-900] Microsoft Azure Certification Fundamental Exam: Everything You Must Know
Microsoft Azure AI Fundamentals AI-900
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a wide branch of computer science dealing with building smart machines capable of performing tasks that typically require human intelligence and Machine learning is a subset of AI which helps the systems by providing them with the ability to learn automatically and improve from experience without being explicitly programmed.
AI 900 certification is ideal for aspiring cloud professionals to capture fundamental knowledge in machine learning and AI concepts and want to start their career in Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, or Data Science.
This exam is designed for candidates with both technical and non-technical backgrounds, however, having some general programming knowledge or experience would be beneficial.
AI-900 can be used to prepare for other Azure role-based certifications such as Azure Data Scientist Associate [DP-100], but it’s not a prerequisite for any of the exams.
The job roles for AI-900 include AI/Machine Learning Engineers, AI Cloud Engineers, AI Consultants, and more.
The candidates are tested on these 5 skills:
- Artificial Intelligence workloads and considerations
- Understand fundamental principles of machine learning on Azure
- Features of computer vision workloads on Azure
- Understand features of Natural Language Processing (NLP) workloads on Azure
- Understand features of conversational AI workloads on Azure
Also, there are 5 Step-by-Step Hands-On Labs recommended by us which will help in a better understanding of the topics.
To know more about AI-900 certification, you can read our blog [AI-900] Microsoft Certified Azure AI Fundamentals Course: Everything you must know.
Microsoft Azure Data Fundamentals DP-900
Data refers to information that is in a form that is efficient for processing. Data can either be in a structured format or unstructured format. To know more about it you can read our blog Structured Data Vs Unstructured Data Vs Semi-Structured Data.
DP-900 is for candidates who want to start working with data on the cloud, get basic skills in cloud data services, and also build their foundational knowledge of cloud data services in Microsoft Azure.
Azure Data Fundamentals can be used to prepare for other Azure role-based certifications like Azure Data Engineer Associate [DP-200/DP-201], Azure Data Scientist Associate [DP-100], and Azure Database Administrator Associate [DP-300], but it’s not a prerequisite for any of these exams.
The job roles for DP-900 include DBA, Data Engineers, and Data Analyst.
The candidates are tested on these 4 skills:
- Understand core data concepts
- Describe how to work with relational data on Azure
- Describe how to work with non-relational data on Azure
- Describe an analytics workload on Azure
There are some Step-by-Step Hands-On Guides recommended by us that will give a clear idea of how these concepts can be applied practically and are also important from an exam point of view.
To know more about DP-900 certification, you can read our blog Microsoft Azure Data Fundamentals [DP-900]: All You Need To Know
Confused?
If you are not sure of which certification to opt for, then Contact Us and tell us your background, interest, and what you want to achieve, so our team can suggest the right certification for you.
Rau says
Are AZ900 and AI900 or DP900 interchangeable? Can someone take part in AZ203 if he has passed DP900 or attend DP300 after being certified for AI900?
Rahul Dangayach says
Hi Rau,
DP-900, AI-900 & AZ-900 are fundamental level certifications that are the foundations of various other Azure Certifications.
AZ-900 is intended for candidates who are planning to take their first step in Cloud or are new to Azure. It helps candidates to demonstrate foundational level knowledge of cloud services and how those services are provided with Microsoft Azure.
AI 900 certification is ideal for aspiring cloud professionals to capture fundamental knowledge in machine learning and AI concepts and want to start their career in Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, or Data Science.
DP-900 is for candidates who want to start working with data on the cloud, get basic skills in cloud data services, and also build their foundational knowledge of cloud data services in Microsoft Azure.
So to answer your question, no they are not interchangeable.
AZ-203 is now upgraded to AZ-204 and the candidates for this exam are Azure Developers who design and build cloud solutions such as applications and services. So basic Azure concept knowledge will be helpful to clear the certification
Candidates for the DP-300 exam are database administrators and data management specialists that manage on-premises and cloud relational databases built with Microsoft SQL Server and Microsoft Azure Data Services and DP-900 is a pre-requisite for this certification.
Hope this helps.
Thanks and Regards
Rahul Dangayach
Team K21 Academy
Watt Efird says
I am about to finish a postgraduate course in Data Science and Business Analytics and am having trouble deciding for the DP900 or AZ900. I am interested in both because I enjoy working with SQL but also enjoy Machine Learning. Which one do you recommend taking first or in general? With SQL being used in many different areas I am leaning towards DP900, would you recommend that one first?
Rahul Dangayach says
Hi Watt,
Yes, would recommend you to start with DP-900 first also as you are from in Data science and Business Analytics Background then move to PL-300.
Would suggest you attend a 60-90 mins free master call which help you to get the clarity if you would like to go for PL-300.
https://k21academy.com/pl30002
Hope this helps.
Thanks and Regards
Rahul Dangayach
Team K21 Academy
Hemant K Chitale says
Is AZ 900 OR understanding the Azure cloud platform a pre-requisite for DP 900 ?
Rahul Dangayach says
Hi Hemant,
For DP900: Microsoft Azure Data Fundamentals there is no such prerequisite as it is, already a fundamental course you can directly start with DP900 course.
Hope this helps.
Thanks and Regards
Rahul Dangayach
Team K21 Academy
Neha Patil says
I am Qlik Developer, I should go with AZ-900 or DP-900?
Rahul Dangayach says
Hi Neha,
Regarding this, I would suggest, you should go for the DP900 course.
Also for more details on the course please drop us an email at contact@k21academy.com, and the team will help.
Thanks and Regards
Rahul Dangayach
Team K21 Academy
Naraine says
I am not well in coding and completed az900 and interested in ml and data sectors too
now what should i do next?
which will be easy for me?
Rahul Dangayach says
Hi Naraine,
As you have completed the AZ900 and want to go for ML and Data field then I would suggest you start with AI900 and then DP100 course.
For more details on AI900 and DP100 course please check the link below:
AI900
DP100
Also for more details on the course please drop us an email at contact@k21academy.com, and the team will help.
Hope this helps.
Thanks and Regards
Rahul Dangayach
Team K21 Academy
Hasham says
Hi Naraine,
You have done your AZ-900, can you please share your experience and material related to this certification? I am planning to give an exam AZ-900. If you can help me in it, would be really thankful to you.
Ravinder Singh says
Hi Hasham,
Please have a look at this blog “AZ-900 Microsoft Azure Fundamentals Exam: Everything You Must Know”: https://k21academy.com/az90011
Also, we have the FREE Class on our K21Academy Youtube Channel: k21academy.com/youtube
Here’s the Direct URL for the Sessions:
Day 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bozsHUHlsqU&ab_channel=K21Academy
Recap Day 1 blog: https://k21academy.com/az900day1
Day 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r37O9wE9eE4&t=36s
Recap Day 2 blog: https://k21academy.com/az900day2
Day 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSMTq1tW6N0&ab_channel=K21Academy
Recap Day 3 blog: https://k21academy.com/az900day3
Day 4: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWyQiFy32co
Day 5: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMD07UygWSs
Hope this helps.
Thanks and Regards
Ravinder Singh
Team K21 Academy
Hasham says
Hi Ravinder,
Thank you so much for sharing all this stuff, finally, I cleared my PL-900.
I am thinking to give exam PL-100 Power Apps Maker, If you have some samples questions and some tutorials Please share them with me.
Prashant says
I have 6 years non technical experience, I want to switch my career in Azure. Which certification should I prepare AZ 900 or DP 900.
Rahul Dangayach says
Hi Prashant,
Regarding your career switch, we suggest you to start with AZ900 certification first and then proceed with AZ104.
But if you want to go for Data Background then Please go for DP900.
For more details on AZ900 and DP900 course please check the link below:
AZ900
DP900
Also for more details on the course please drop us an email at contact@k21academy.com, and the team will help.
Hope this helps.
Thanks and Regards
Rahul Dangayach
Team K21 Academy
Farid says
I want to be Sql Developer
Which certificate should I get?
Thanks in advance
Rahul Dangayach says
Hi Farid,
Regarding your query, If you would like to go for the SQL Developer profile you should start with DP900 for clearing your basics and then move to the DP300 certification.
If you are interested in the DP300 course we suggest you attend the 60-90 mins free master call where we have covered all you need to know about the certification.
Please check the link below:
https://k21academy.com/dp30002
For any other course-related queries please drop us an email at contact@k21academy.com and the team will help you.
Hope this helps.
Thanks and Regards
Rahul Dangayach
Team K21 Academy
SEEDORF says
hello, I am training to be a network engineer, so I have to pass the AZ 700 certification later. But before that I would like to start with a fundamental certification but not seeing which fundamental I have to start with, I turn to you to ask you the question. Thank you.
Rahul Dangayach says
Hi Seedorf,
I would suggest you start with AZ900 certification first and then proceed.
If you are interested in the AZ900 course we suggest you attend the 60-90 mins free master call where we have covered all you need to know about the certification.
Please check the link below:
https://k21academy.com/az90002
For any other course-related queries please drop us an email at contact@k21academy.com and the team will help you.
Hope this helps.
Thanks and Regards
Rahul Dangayach
Team K21 Academy
pramid reddy says
Hi, I am a complete beginner, I am confused with what I should take, either AZ-900 or AI-900 because I don’t have any basics in the cloud or in programming. Can u tell me which to choose?
Rahul Dangayach says
Hi Pramid,
As you are a complete beginner to the cloud then I would suggest you start with AZ900 certification first and then proceed.
If you are interested in the AZ900 course we suggest you attend the 60-90 mins free master call where we have covered all you need to know about the certification.
Please check the link below:
https://k21academy.com/az90002
For any other course-related queries please drop us an email at contact@k21academy.com and the team will help you.
Hope this helps.
Thanks and Regards
Rahul Dangayach
Team K21 Academy
Jagadeesh G says
I recently completed AZ 900 certification, I am training to be data scientist so now Iam planning to learn DP-900 course
is that okay
Rahul Dangayach says
Hi Jagadeesh,
Regarding your query, If you are interested in the Azure Data Scientist [DP-100] and have completed AZ900 then you should go for AI-900 certification which will be beneficial for you.
I suggest you attend the 60-90 mins free master call where we have covered all you need to know about the certification.
Please check the link below:
https://k21academy.com/dp0002
Also please check our blog which help you to know everything you need regarding the cretification:
https://k21academy.com/dp10011
For any other course-related queries please drop us an email at contact@k21academy.com and the team will help you.
Hope this helps.
Thanks and Regards
Rahul Dangayach
Team K21 Academy
Umakanth S says
Hi , Iam a sybase DBA having 16 years of experience, I want to change my career path to cloud, which certification is best for me.
Rahul Dangayach says
Hi Umakanth,
As you are a complete beginner to the cloud then I would suggest you start with AZ900 certification first as AZ-900 is intended for candidates who are planning to take their first step in Cloud or are new to Azure. It helps candidates to demonstrate foundational level knowledge of cloud services and how those services are provided with Microsoft Azure and then proceed with AZ400.
Also, AZ400 is more database related which help you to corelate the things over cloud.
If you are interested in the AZ900 and AZ400 courses we suggest you attend the 60-90 mins free master call where we have covered all you need to know about the certification.
Please check the link below:
https://k21academy.com/az90002
https://k21academy.com/az40002
For any other course-related queries please drop us an email at contact@k21academy.com and the team will help you.
Hope this helps.
Thanks and Regards
Rahul Dangayach
Team K21 Academy
Sai says
I want to start my carrier in Azure data factory,which course should I need to learn.
Rahul Dangayach says
Hi Sai,
Regarding your query, If you would like to go for the Azure Data Engineer profile you should start with DP900 for clearing your basics and then move to the DP203 certification.
If you are interested in the DP900 and DP203 course we suggest you attend the 60-90 mins free master call where we have covered all you need to know about the certification.
Please check the link below:
https://k21academy.com/dp20302
For any other course-related queries please drop us an email at contact@k21academy.com and the team will help you.
Hope this helps.
Thanks and Regards
Rahul Dangayach
Team K21 Academy
zamandla says
is dp-900 an open book exam?
Rahul Dangayach says
Hi Zamandla,
This exam is available through online proctoring and not an Open book.
Hope this helps.
Thanks and Regards
Rahul Dangayach
Team K21Academy
Sam says
Hi,
I have worked in the Analytics domain for the past 6 years primarily working on automation and visualization projects
using tools such as Alteryx, Power BI, etc. I would like to move towards Azure cloud tech. Please suggest which certification makes sense for my career path. Please note although I have some knowhow about R language, I don’t want to enter a field where a lot of coding or programming would be required. Also I have worked with SQL in the past but not at a very high level and would also not prefer to delve deeper into complex SQL programming (user defined functions, Stored Procs etc). Please suggest a path for me keeping these things in mind.
Rahul Dangayach says
Hi Sam,
Regarding this, if you have the knowledge of Power BI and such tools so would suggest you to go for PL-300 and to clear the fundamentals go for DP-900.
If you are interested in the DP900 and PL300 courses we suggest you attend the 60-90 mins free master call where we have covered all you need to know about the certification.
Please check the link below:
https://k21academy.com/pl30002
For any other course-related queries please drop us an email at contact@k21academy.com and the team will help you.
Hope this helps.
Thanks and Regards
Rahul Dangayach
Team K21 Academy
Ram says
I am a Senior Manager with 17+ years of experience and now getting into Azure cloud projects. I am a hands-on guy with lot of ETL/Reporting. What is the learning path in Azure that can help me in managing the Azure projects?
Rahul Dangayach says
Hi Ram,
Regarding this, As you are a complete beginner to the cloud then I would suggest you start with DP900 certification first as DP-900 is intended for candidates who are planning to take their first step in Cloud or are new to Azure. It helps candidates to demonstrate foundational level knowledge of cloud services and how those services are provided with Microsoft Azure and then proceed with either DP203.
If you are interested in the DP900 and DP203 courses we suggest you attend the 60-90 mins free master call where we have covered all you need to know about the certification.
Please check the link below:
https://k21academy.com/dp20302
For any other course-related queries please drop us an email at contact@k21academy.com and the team will help you.
Hope this helps.
Thanks and Regards
Rahul Dangayach
Team K21 Academy
Ranjan says
Hello Rahul,
I am having 17+ yr of experience on mobile domain/VOIP protocol test. interested to work on cloud network, which certification i need to do first AZ900 or DP900
Rahul Dangayach says
Hi Ranjan,
If you have 17+ years of experience in the mobile domain and VOIP protocol testing and are interested in working on cloud networks, it’s great that you’re considering certification to enhance your skills.
In terms of choosing between the AZ-900: Microsoft Azure Fundamentals and DP-900: Microsoft Azure Data Fundamentals certifications, the right choice depends on your specific career goals and interests within the cloud network field.
The AZ-900 certification is an entry-level certification that provides a foundational understanding of cloud concepts and Microsoft Azure services. It covers topics such as Azure architecture, core services, security, pricing, and support. This certification is ideal for professionals who want to gain a general understanding of cloud computing and Azure before diving deeper into specific areas.
On the other hand, the DP-900 certification is focused on data-related concepts and services within Microsoft Azure. It covers topics such as data storage, data processing, data security, and data governance in the Azure environment. This certification is suitable for individuals interested in data analytics, data engineering, or data science roles within the cloud network domain.
Considering your background in mobile domain/VOIP protocol testing, if you are more inclined towards working with data and analytics in the cloud, the DP-900 certification may be a good choice for you. However, if you want to start with a broader understanding of cloud computing and Azure services, the AZ-900 certification can provide a solid foundation.
Ultimately, it’s important to assess your career goals, interests, and the specific skills you want to develop within the cloud network field. You can review the exam objectives and content for both certifications to determine which aligns better with your aspirations.
Hope this helps.
Thanks and Regards
Rahul Dangayach
Team K21 Academy
Rohini V N says
I have 13 years of programming experience developing client side applications for both desktop and embedded devices. Even though, I have worked in the client side of IOT applications, the cloud part is entirely new to me. I would like to learn it. Where should I start AZ-900 or DP-900
Rahul Dangayach says
Hi Rohini,
Regarding this would suggest you start with DP900 if you are into data but if you are into AI and ML then please go for AI-900 and after that DP-100.
For any other course-related queries please drop us an email at contact@k21academy.com and the team will help you.
Hope this helps.
Thanks and Regards
Rahul Dangayach
Team K21 Academy
Rachel says
I am a Junior BI Developer with around 7 months of experience. I have passed the PL-300 exam and have experience with BI tools like MicroStrategy and Power BI. I want to become a full stack Developer but I don’t have any knowledge about cloud or Azure. How do you recommend I start?
Izhar Alam says
Hi Rachel,
Regarding your query, If you would like to go for the Full Stack Developer profile you should start with AZ900 for clearing your Azure basics and then move to the AZ400 certification.
If you are interested in the az400 course we suggest you attend the 60-90 mins free master call where we have covered all you need to know about the certification.
Please check the link below:
https://k21academy.com/az40002
For any other course-related queries please drop us an email at contact@k21academy.com and the team will help you.
Hope this helps.
Thanks and Regards
Izhar Alam
Team K21 Academy
Maheshwar Anandh M says
I’m a 2nd year college student, I’m currently doing my B.E in computer science.
i have prepared for az 900 and I’m going to clear it next week, now can i take anyone of the other fundamentals (AI 900, DP 900) , which one should i choose , or will it be a waste of time to get 2 fundamental certificates ,
Also since i know the concepts of az 900 , will it be easy for me to clear the other one
Rahul Dangayach says
Hi Maheshwar,
Congratulations on preparing for and planning to clear the AZ-900 exam! Regarding your question about taking another fundamental certification, it depends on your personal and professional goals.
If you are interested in expanding your knowledge in specific areas like artificial intelligence or data science, then taking the AI-900 or DP-900 exam could be beneficial. However, if you feel that your current focus is on cloud computing and Azure, then you may want to wait until you have more experience and knowledge in those areas before pursuing additional certifications.
Having knowledge of the concepts in AZ-900 will certainly help you in understanding the material covered in AI-900 or DP-900. However, it is important to note that each certification exam has its own set of topics and concepts that may not necessarily overlap completely with AZ-900. Therefore, it is recommended that you review the exam objectives for the specific certification you plan to take and study accordingly.
In terms of whether obtaining multiple fundamental certifications is a waste of time, it ultimately depends on your career aspirations and goals. Having a well-rounded understanding of various fundamental concepts can demonstrate your versatility and willingness to learn. Ultimately, the decision to pursue additional certifications is up to you and what you feel will best benefit your career.
Hope this helps.
Thanks and Regards
Rahul Dangayach
Team K21 Academy
Zama Sikhakhane says
I have just qualified as an Software Tester , which exam would be benefical for me AI 900 or DP900?
Rahul Dangayach says
Hi Zama,
Both the AI-900 and DP-900 exams are beneficial for software testers, but they focus on different areas. The AI-900 exam covers the basics of artificial intelligence, including machine learning, natural language processing, and computer vision. The DP-900 exam covers the basics of data science, including data collection, data analysis, and data visualization.
If you are interested in learning more about artificial intelligence and how it can be used in software testing, then the AI-900 exam is a good choice. If you are interested in learning more about data science and how it can be used to improve the quality of software, then the DP-900 exam is a good choice.
Ultimately, the best exam for you will depend on your individual interests and goals. If you are not sure which exam to take, I recommend talking to your manager or a senior software tester at your company. They can help you decide which exam is the best fit for your career.
Hope this helps.
Thanks and Regards
Rahul Dangayach
Team K21 Academy