Skip to content
Independent certification guide · exam data reviewed November 2026 Study guidesBrowse by fieldHow we review
Find a certification

Microsoft Azure Data Fundamentals (DP-900)

DP-900 vs 3 alternatives compared

Exam fee, level, duration, validity and salary side by side. Blank cells mean we do not have verified data yet.

Microsoft Azure Data Fundamentals (DP-900)Google Cloud Professional Data EngineerMicrosoft Azure AI Fundamentals (AI-900)AWS Machine Learning Specialty (MLS-C01)
VendorMicrosoftGoogle CloudMicrosoftAmazon Web Services
LevelBeginnerAdvancedBeginnerAdvanced
Exam fee$99$200 (plus tax where applicable)$99300 USD
Duration—2 hours—180 minutes
Passing score————
Valid for—2 years—3 years
Typical salary$80K–$105K$145K–$175K$75K–$100K$145K–$180K
Prerequisites—None—2+ years experience developing, architecting, and running ML or deep learning workloads i…

Which should you choose?

Should I take DP-900 or Google Cloud Professional Data Engineer first?

DP-900 is the lower-level certification (Beginner vs Advanced), so it is usually the better first step.

Should I take DP-900 or AI-900 first?

Both are rated Beginner. Pick the one whose exam domains match the job you want, and check which one employers in your area ask for.

Should I take DP-900 or MLS-C01 first?

DP-900 is the lower-level certification (Beginner vs Advanced), so it is usually the better first step.