Azure data engineers: Exam DP-203 (beta) now available

In my recent blog post, We’re taking Azure certifications for data and AI to the next level, I shared exciting news. Today, I’m happy to announce that the new exam I talked about in that post, Exam DP-203: Data Engineering on Microsoft Azure (beta), is now available. It’s the only requirement to earn the Microsoft Certified: Azure Data Engineer Associate certification.

Exam DP-203 (beta) replaces both Exam DP-200 and Exam DP-201, which will retire on June 30, 2021.

Is this the right certification for you?

The Azure Data Engineer Associate certification is for candidates who have subject matter expertise in integrating, transforming, and consolidating data from various structured and unstructured data systems into structures that are suitable for building analytics solutions.

In this role, you help stakeholders understand the data, and you use different tools and techniques to explore, build, and maintain secure and compliant data processing pipelines. To store and produce cleansed and enhanced datasets for analysis, you use various Azure data services and languages. As an Azure data engineer, you also help ensure that data pipelines and stores are high-performing, efficient, organized, and reliable, given a specific set of business requirements and constraints. You deal with unanticipated issues swiftly, and you minimize data loss. You also design, implement, monitor, and optimize data platforms to meet the data pipeline needs.

Candidates must have solid knowledge of data processing languages, such as SQL, Python, or Scala, and they need to understand parallel processing and data architecture patterns. Does this sound like you?

Ready to prove your skills?

Take advantage of the limited-time discounted beta exam offer. The first 300 people who take Exam DP-203 (beta) on or before March 24, 2021, can get 80 percent off market price!

To receive the discount, when you register for the exam and are prompted for payment, use code DP203CARLISLE. This is not a private access code. The seats are offered on a first-come, first-served basis. As noted, you must take the exam on or before March 24, 2021. Please note that this beta exam is not available in Turkey, Pakistan, India, or China.

Get ready to take Exam DP-203 (beta):

Review the exam page for details. The Exam DP-203 skills outline document alerts you to key topics covered.
Explore the Azure data engineer content on Microsoft Learn, which we’ve created to help you prepare.
Need other preparation ideas? Check out my blog post, Just How Does One Prepare for Beta Exams?

Do you have questions? I’ve got answers

What will happen to Exams DP-200 and DP-201? Both exams retire on June 30, 2021. If you’ve already taken one of them, you still have time to complete your journey and take the other one before they retire on June 30, 2021.

If you’re just beginning your exam prep, consider taking the new Exam DP-203 (beta) instead. To compare versions, check out the skills outlines.

Can I renew the Azure Data Engineer Associate certification I already earned, by passing the new Exam DP-203 (beta)? No. Starting in March 2021, to renew your certification, you need to pass a renewal assessment on Microsoft Learn. For more information, see Stay current with in-demand skills through free certification renewals and our FAQs, Renew your Microsoft Certification.

Can I take this exam online? Yes. Online delivered exams—taken from your home or office—can be less hassle, less stress, and even less worry than traveling to a test center—especially if you’re adequately prepared for what to expect. To find out more, check out my blog post Online proctored exams: What to expect and how to prepare.

When will I get my exam results? The rescore process starts on the day an exam goes live, and final scores for beta exams are released approximately 10 days after that. For details on the timing of beta exam rescoring and results, read my post, Creating high-quality exams: The path from beta to live. For more information, follow me on Twitter (@libertymunson).