DP-900 vs AZ-900: differences and which certification to take first
One covers the Azure cloud in general and the other data on Azure. We compare the outline, difficulty, and profile of each, and when it makes sense to take both.
The AZ-900 and the DP-900 are Microsoft fundamentals certifications with the same cost, the same duration, and no expiration date. The difference is the focus: the AZ-900 covers the Azure cloud in general, and the DP-900 concentrates on data: how it's represented, where it's stored, and how it's analyzed on Azure.
Quick comparison
| AZ-900 | DP-900 | |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Azure Fundamentals | Azure Data Fundamentals |
| Focus | Cloud concepts and Azure services | Relational and non-relational data, and analytics |
| Duration | 45 minutes | 45 minutes |
| Passing score | 700/1000 | 700/1000 |
| Reference cost | USD 99 | USD 99 |
| Validity | Does not expire | Does not expire |
| Key products | VMs, App Service, networking, Azure Policy, costs | Azure SQL, Cosmos DB, Blob Storage, Fabric, Power BI |
What each one tests
The AZ-900 is broad: IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS, public, private, and hybrid cloud, regions, compute, networking, storage, identity, governance, and costs. Databases appear only as one more service.
The DP-900 goes deep into exactly that part. It asks about OLTP and OLAP, ACID properties, normalization, and SQL; about the Azure SQL family and the Cosmos DB APIs; and about analytics with the data lake, the lakehouse, Microsoft Fabric, and Power BI.
Where they overlap
There are some shared topics, so studying one helps with the other:
- ▸Azure SQL Database as a PaaS database
- ▸Azure Cosmos DB as a globally distributed NoSQL database
- ▸Azure Blob Storage and its access tiers
- ▸The difference between IaaS and PaaS applied to databases
Again, the difference is depth. The AZ-900 asks "which Azure database offers global distribution?", and the DP-900 asks "which Cosmos DB API would you use to migrate a Cassandra app?".
Which one is harder?
Both are approachable without hands-on experience. The AZ-900 is broader but shallower. The DP-900 has fewer topics, but it requires understanding data concepts (normalization, ACID, star schemas) that may be new if you've never worked with databases. If you already use SQL or advanced Excel, the DP-900 will feel natural.
Which one should you take first?
- ▸Start with the AZ-900 if you're new to the cloud or you're on an Azure infrastructure, administration, or architecture path.
- ▸Start with the DP-900 if your goal is working with data: analytics, data engineering, or database administration.
- ▸Take them together if you're aiming for data engineering on Azure: the AZ-900 gives you the platform context and the DP-900 the foundation for DP-700 (Fabric Data Engineer), DP-300 (database administration), or PL-300 (Power BI).
How to prepare with Brains4Cloud
- ▸AZ-900 guide and AZ-900 cheat sheet for the Azure foundation.
- ▸DP-900 cheat sheet with SQL, the Azure SQL family, Cosmos DB, Fabric, and Power BI.
- ▸Glossary with the terms from both exams explained.
- ▸Practice exams for both certifications with original questions and an explanation for every option. Create your free account and try both.
Frequently asked questions
Is the AZ-900 a prerequisite for the DP-900? No. No Microsoft fundamentals certification has prerequisites.
Do I need to know how to code for the DP-900? No. You just need to recognize common SQL statements and understand what each one does. There's no code to write.
How long do I need for each one? With steady study, two to four weeks each if you're starting from scratch, and less if you already work with Azure or with data.
Put what you learned to the test
Original practice exams with detailed explanations. No brain dumps.