Brolly Academy | Microsoft Fabric
DP-600 vs DP-700
Which Microsoft Fabric Exam Should You Take in 2026?
DP-600 vs DP-700: DP-600 certifies Fabric analytics engineers who build semantic models with DAX, while DP-700 certifies Fabric data engineers who build pipelines with PySpark. Both cost ₹4,865 in India; pick the one that matches your daily work.
A side-by-side comparison of DP-600 and DP-700: roles, syllabus weightage, languages, fees, difficulty and which exam to take first for your career.
By Dinesh, Azure Data Engineering Trainer (9+ years) · Brolly Academy · Updated 19 October 2026 · Skills measured as of 19 October 2026
Table of Contents
Quick answer
DP-600 and DP-700 are both Microsoft Fabric associate exams, but for different roles.
- DP-600 (Fabric Analytics Engineer Associate): preparing data and building semantic models with SQL, KQL and DAX. Best for Power BI and analytics professionals.
- DP-700 (Fabric Data Engineer Associate): ingesting, transforming and streaming data, plus pipelines and monitoring, with SQL, PySpark and KQL. Best for data engineers.
Both are 100-minute proctored exams with a passing score of 700, and both cost ₹4,865 in India.
Key takeaways
- Role decides the exam: reports and models → DP-600; pipelines and data platforms → DP-700.
- DAX is only in DP-600. PySpark and streaming are mainly DP-700.
- Both share security, Git and deployment-pipeline topics, so the second exam is easier after the first.
- DP-600 puts 45–50% of its weight on preparing data; DP-700 splits evenly across three domains.
- In India, "dp 600" gets about 2,900 searches a month and "dp 700" about 4,400, so both are in demand.
1. DP-600 vs DP-700 at a glance
Short answer: Same platform, same format and same fee; different role, languages and weighting.
Verdict: If you write DAX and build semantic models, start with DP-600. If you build pipelines in PySpark or work with streaming data, start with DP-700.
2. Syllabus difference: DP-600 vs DP-700
Short answer: DP-600 is weighted towards preparing data (45–50%) and semantic models. DP-700 is weighted equally across managing, ingesting and transforming, and monitoring data solutions.
Topics only in DP-600
- Designing semantic models: storage modes, star schema, relationships, composite models
- DAX calculations: variables, iterators, windowing, calculation groups, field parameters
- Direct Lake configuration and incremental refresh for semantic models
- Power BI Desktop projects (.pbip), XMLA endpoint, template (.pbit) and data source (.pbids) files
Topics only in DP-700
- Streaming with Eventstream, Eventhouse and Spark Structured Streaming
- Full and incremental loading patterns, mirroring, and handling late-arriving data
- Orchestration with pipelines, notebooks, schedules and event-based triggers
- Monitoring and fixing errors across pipelines, notebooks, dataflows and Eventstreams
- Spark, pipeline and Eventhouse performance tuning
Topics in both
- Workspace and item access controls; row-, column- and object-level security
- Sensitivity labels and endorsement
- Git version control and deployment pipelines
- Star schemas, denormalizing, joining and aggregating data
- Choosing between Lakehouse, Warehouse and Eventhouse
Full DP-700 topic list: DP-700 syllabus and study guide. Official DP-600 list: DP-600 study guide.
3. Which exam should you take first?
Short answer: Match the exam to your current job, then add the second one if your role spans both.
Taking both
Many Fabric teams want engineers who understand both the pipeline and the model. If you pass one, the shared topics (security, Git, deployment pipelines and star schemas) shorten your preparation for the other. Plan roughly 4 extra weeks for the second exam.
4. Which one is harder?
Short answer: Neither is easier in general. DP-600 is harder if you are new to DAX and semantic modeling; DP-700 is harder if you are new to PySpark, KQL and streaming.
5. Career and salary impact
Short answer: DP-600 supports BI and analytics engineering roles; DP-700 supports data engineering roles. In Hyderabad job listings, data engineering roles usually ask for pipeline skills (Azure Data Factory, Databricks, Fabric), while BI roles ask for Power BI and DAX.
- DP-600 → analytics engineer, Power BI developer, BI developer
- DP-700 → data engineer, Fabric data engineer, ETL developer
For the Azure data engineering path, see our Azure data engineer certification guide and DP-700 practice questions.
Learn Microsoft Fabric with real projects
Our Microsoft Fabric Course in Hyderabad prepares you for Fabric roles and DP-600, and our Azure Data Engineer Training covers pipelines and data engineering with real-time projects. Book a free demo to compare both.
6. How Brolly Academy helps
- Microsoft Fabric Course in Hyderabad: a one-month program from ₹9,999 with DP-600 preparation.
- Azure Data Engineer Training in Hyderabad: 2–2.5 months, taught by Dinesh (9+ years), with Azure Data Factory, Databricks, PySpark, SQL and Python, from ₹9,999.
- Classroom, online and hybrid batches in English and Telugu, with a free demo. Explore all courses at Brolly Academy.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between DP-600 and DP-700?
DP-600 certifies Fabric analytics engineers (semantic models, DAX, data preparation). DP-700 certifies Fabric data engineers (pipelines, PySpark, streaming, monitoring). Both use Microsoft Fabric.
Which is better, DP-600 or DP-700?
Neither is better overall. Choose DP-600 for BI and analytics roles and DP-700 for data engineering roles.
Should I take DP-600 or DP-700 first?
Take the one that matches your current or target job. Power BI developers usually start with DP-600; ETL and data engineers usually start with DP-700.
Is DP-700 harder than DP-600?
It depends on your background. DP-700 is harder without PySpark, KQL and streaming experience; DP-600 is harder without DAX and semantic modeling experience.
Do DP-600 and DP-700 cost the same?
Yes. Both cost ₹4,865 in India and USD 165 in the US, according to Microsoft Learn's exam pricing in October 2026.
Is DAX on the DP-700 exam?
No. DAX is part of DP-600. DP-700 uses SQL, PySpark and KQL.
Can I take both DP-600 and DP-700?
Yes. Many professionals hold both. Shared topics such as security, Git and deployment pipelines make the second exam quicker to prepare for.
How long are the DP-600 and DP-700 exams?
Both exams are 100 minutes.
Which replaced DP-203, DP-600 or DP-700?
DP-700. Microsoft introduced DP-700 for data engineers after retiring DP-203 on 31 March 2025.
How much is DP-600 certification in India?
The DP-600 exam fee is ₹4,865 in India.
Sources and further reading
- Microsoft Learn — Microsoft Certified: Fabric Analytics Engineer Associate (DP-600)
- Microsoft Learn — Study guide for Exam DP-600
- Microsoft Learn — Microsoft Certified: Fabric Data Engineer Associate (DP-700)
- Microsoft Learn — Study guide for Exam DP-700
- Wikipedia — Microsoft Fabric
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