Microsoft Fabric · Exam comparison
DP-600 vs DP-700: which Fabric exam should you take?
Both are Microsoft Fabric associate exams, and they test different jobs. DP-600 (Fabric Analytics Engineer Associate) is about preparing and modeling data for analysis. DP-700 (Fabric Data Engineer Associate) is about getting data in: ingesting, transforming and orchestrating it at scale.
- Choose DP-600 if you build semantic models and Power BI reports, write DAX, and prepare data for analysts.
- Choose DP-700 if you build pipelines, transform data with PySpark or SQL, and handle batch and streaming loads.
Side by side
| DP-600 | DP-700 | |
|---|---|---|
| Certification | Fabric Analytics Engineer Associate | Fabric Data Engineer Associate |
| Main job | Prepare, model and analyze data | Ingest, transform and orchestrate data |
| Languages | SQL, KQL and DAX | PySpark, SQL and KQL |
| Biggest skill areas in our practice tests | Transform data (18%) Design and build semantic models (16%) Query and analyze data (16%) | Ingest and transform batch data (14%) Ingest and transform streaming data (12%) Identify and resolve errors (11%) Optimize performance (11%) |
| Career path on ExamKite | DP-900 → PL-300 → DP-600 | DP-900 → DP-700 → DP-750 |
| ExamKite practice | 6 practice tests, 350 questions | 6 practice tests, 350 questions |
Where they overlap
Both exams run on the same Fabric platform, so both test workspaces, security and governance, and lifecycle management such as Git integration and deployment pipelines. In our practice tests that's 28% of DP-600 questions and 27% of DP-700 questions. Whichever you pass first, that part carries over to the second.
Where they differ
DP-600 goes deep on semantic models: designing them, writing DAX and optimizing large models make up 26% of its practice questions, alongside querying and transforming data.
DP-700 goes deep on data movement: batch and streaming ingestion, loading patterns and orchestration make up 44% of its practice questions, and it adds troubleshooting and performance tuning of Fabric items.
Which should you take first?
Neither exam has a prerequisite. Coming from Power BI, DP-600 builds on what you know, and PL-300 is the usual step before it. Coming from SQL or Spark data engineering, start with DP-700. If your role spans both, take the one closest to your daily work first; the shared Fabric parts make the second one quicker.
Questions people ask
Do I need DP-600 before DP-700?
No. Neither exam has a prerequisite exam, so you can take them in either order.
Which exam has more coding?
DP-700. Its transformation tasks use PySpark, SQL and KQL. DP-600 also uses SQL and KQL, but much of it is DAX and semantic modeling.
Can I try both before choosing?
Yes. Each exam has a free diagnostic on ExamKite, so you can see where you stand on both before you decide.
More answers in the full FAQ.
Practice in the real exam formats
Every exam on ExamKite starts with a free diagnostic and a study plan for the topics you miss.