I’m currently studying to take a couple of Microsoft Certifications. I’m using Azure, BI, data and analytics technologies all the time but with my current work break, it seems like the perfect time to schedule and take a couple of Microsoft certification tests.
In thinking about what to take and how to study, I went to learn.microsoft.com and came across an interactive PDF. What I liked about this pdf is it’s interactive – in a browser it will take you to just what is needed for more info! Hover over the image and try the link for more!
I ended up thinking I should take the fundamentals of Azure, Data, AI and maybe the latest Power BI exam. I passed the 2021 version of the Power BI exam but the application is updated almost monthly so it might be time to take it again.
I asked Perplexity.ai to help me summarize the 4 exams I’m taking for this page. The result is below and pretty good (I think), I especially liked the “citations” feature of Preplexity.ai – makes it great for research!
AZ-900: Azure Fundamentals
The AZ-900: Microsoft Azure Fundamentals exam is designed for individuals aiming to showcase a basic understanding of cloud services and how Microsoft Azure delivers them. It covers a broad range of topics including cloud concepts, core Azure services, security, privacy, compliance, and trust, as well as Azure pricing and support. Candidates for this exam should have a foundational knowledge of cloud services and how those services are provided with Microsoft Azure. The exam format includes multiple-choice and multi-response questions, and it typically consists of 40-60 questions to be completed in 60 minutes. A passing score is 700 out of 1000. – I passed this exam last month (April 2024)
DP-900: Azure Data Fundamentals
The DP-900: Microsoft Azure Data Fundamentals exam is an opportunity to demonstrate knowledge of core data concepts and related Microsoft Azure data services. This exam is intended for candidates beginning to work with data in the cloud. It covers topics such as core data concepts, working with relational and non-relational data on Azure, and an analytics workload on Azure. The exam format includes 40-60 questions, and the duration is 65 minutes. A passing score is 700 out of 1000. Candidates should be familiar with the concepts of relational and non-relational data, and different types of data workloads such as transactional or analytical. I scheduled this exam for next week!
PL-300: Power BI
The PL-300: Microsoft Power BI Data Analyst exam measures your ability to identify business requirements, clean and transform data, build data models, deliver actionable insights, enable others to perform self-service analytics, and deploy solutions for consumption using Power BI. The exam focuses on evaluating the candidate’s skills in designing and implementing data models, creating and managing reports and dashboards, and securing data in Power BI. The exam format includes 40 to 60 questions in different formats such as multiple-choice, true/false, drag and drop, list builds, and case studies, to be completed in 100 minutes. A passing score is 700 out of 1000. I passed this in 2021 so time to take it again!
AI-900: Azure AI Fundamentals
The AI-900: Microsoft Azure AI Fundamentals exam is designed for candidates having basic and foundational knowledge in the field of machine learning (ML), artificial intelligence (AI) concepts, and related Microsoft Azure services. This exam covers topics such as AI workloads and considerations, fundamental principles of machine learning on Azure, features of computer vision workloads on Azure, and Natural Language Processing (NLP) workloads on Azure. The exam format includes 40-60 questions, and the duration is 65 minutes. A passing score is 700 out of 1000. It is an opportunity for candidates to demonstrate their knowledge of common ML and AI workloads and how to implement them on Azure.
