I'm a junior analyst, I do work with data but I'm planning a complete shift to data industry with the hopes of growing into AI/ML roles.
The issue is, I recently started looking into certifications. Because of Fabric Data Days DP-600 free voucher, I started preparing for it. Even though I have gone through the Learn contents, my results in demo exams have been unsatisfactory.
I have used PowerBI etc before. No hands-on experience with Fabric or Azure. Only theoretical knowledge.
I'm wondering if this was a mistake to start with DP-600. Which one should I start with first? And which certifications are expected to make an impact?
Thanks.
DP 600 is a tough place to start, especially if you do not have hands-on Fabric or Azure experience yet. Many people with real-world Fabric work still find it challenging, so it makes sense that the demos feel hard right now.
A more comfortable path into the data world is to build the basics first. AZ 900 gives you the cloud fundamentals. DP 900 gives you the core data concepts. After that you can choose DP 203 for data engineering or PL 300 for analytics, depending on what you enjoy.
Once you have that foundation, DP 600 will feel much more natural and far less overwhelming.
You did not make a mistake. You just picked a certification that expects more practical experience than you currently have, and that is completely normal.
DP-203 is retired, I would recommend DP-700 instead but it's very fabric heavy as well.
I looked into DP-700, isn't it the next one after DP-600?
they're not in sequence
My bad, I meant going by difficulty. 700 seems more difficult to me