Azure Fundamentals and Data Engineer certification preparation (AZ-900, DP-200, and DP-201)

I have been procrastinating to take Azure certification for almost a year now but finally, I am able to complete starting from Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900) and to both DP-200: Implementing an Azure Data Solution and DP-201: Designing an Azure Data Solution to acquire Azure Data Engineer certification.

In these difficult times, it’s a must to upskill and get market-ready, thanks to COVID lockdown, in a way, it’s helping us to get more time for learning that we generally waste in traffic jams while commuting to the office.

I have taken all these exams at home through PearsonVue’s online proctoring application “OnVue”, though I have faced few problems for figuring out how it works for the first time and started the exam by half an hour late :)

Tips to take the exam from home

1. Use your personal laptop than an office laptop, you will face problems with VPN.
2. Make sure you download the OnVue app and test your system requirements are met.
3. Make sure all the applications are closed while taking the exam, for one of the exams it popped a message like “Skype is running” and caused delays.

Here is the exam path for acquiring Azure Data Engineer

My general preparation strategy is

1. Understand the skills measured and the percentage of questions topic wise.
2. Go through Microsoft Learn — learning paths specific to certification.
3. Complete SandBox labs provided in learning modules.
4. Go through practice questions on Udemy and review and rectify mistakes by reading through documentation and blogs.

Once you finished DP200, schedule DP201 within a week, it’s better to take it when the memory is fresh, the learning material is the same for both.

Below find the learning material specific to the certification.

Common to all these exams there can be multiple sections in the exam like,

1. Use case scenario-based,

2. The same question with a different answer (Yes/No) once answered you cannot review the question.

3. MCQ: Drag-drop, Yes-No, Multi-answer, Select a service in Azure Portal Image, etc.,

Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900) :

The fundamentals exam is one of the easiest of the three, it’s easy both questions wise and the duration, you mostly get simple straight forward questions.

Duration: 90 minutes

Number of questions: 30–50

Skills Measured and Microsoft learn modules: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/certifications/exams/az-900

Udemy practice questions: https://www.udemy.com/course/az900-azure-tests/

DP-200: Implementing an Azure Data Solution

The learning modules will be the same for both 200 and 201, here the questions asked will be more on the lines of what steps needed to create a pipeline or integration of services.

Duration: 180 minutes

Number of questions: 30–50

Skills Measured and Microsoft learn modules: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/certifications/exams/dp-200

DP-201: Designing an Azure Data Solution

Here the questions asked will be mostly on which service or features you choose while designing a solution.

Duration: 180 minutes

Number of questions: 30–50

Skills Measured and Microsoft learn modules:https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/certifications/exams/dp-201

DP 200 and 201 Udemy practice questions:

https://www.udemy.com/course/microsoft-exam-dp-200-and-dp-201-practice-tests-new-2020/

The Badges awarded:

Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals was issued by Microsoft to saikrishna pujari.

Microsoft Certified: Azure Data Engineer Associate was issued by Microsoft to saikrishna pujari.