Stay ahead by continuously learning and advancing your career. Learn More

Data Engineering on Microsoft Azure (DP-203) Exam

Practice Exam
Take Free Test

Data Engineering on Microsoft Azure (DP-203) Exam


Data Engineering on Microsoft Azure (DP-203) is designed for individuals with expertise in integrating, transforming, and consolidating data from diverse structured, unstructured, and streaming data systems into an appropriate schema to construct analytics solutions.

In the role of an Azure data engineer, candidates facilitate stakeholders' understanding of the data through exploration, and design and maintain secure, compliant data processing pipelines using a variety of tools and methods. They use different Azure data services and frameworks to store and generate refined, augmented datasets for analysis. 

As an Azure data engineer, they also contribute to ensuring that data pipelines and data stores are high-performing, efficient, well-organized, and dependable while adhering to specified business requirements and constraints. And, assist in identifying and resolving operational and data quality issues, and you design, implement, monitor, and optimize data platforms to align with the requirements of data pipelines.


Who should take the exam?

For Data Engineering on Microsoft Azure (DP-203) exam, candidates must have a solid knowledge of data processing languages, including:

  • SQL
  • Python
  • Scala

They must have proficiency in parallel processing and data architecture patterns. And, knowledge of using the following for creating data processing solutions:

  • Azure Data Factory
  • Azure Synapse Analytics
  • Azure Stream Analytics
  • Azure Event Hubs
  • Azure Data Lake Storage
  • Azure Databricks


DP-203 Exam Course Outline 

The Exam covers the given topics  - 

  • Topic 1: Understand how to design and implement data storage (15–20%)
  • Topic 2: Learn about developing data processing (40–45%)
  • Topic 3: Understand about securing, monitoring, and optimizing data storage and data processing (30–35%)

Data Engineering on Microsoft Azure (DP-203) Exam FAQs

The Data Engineering on Microsoft Azure (DP-203)  is suitable for Data Engineers to integrate, transform, and consolidate data from various structured and unstructured data systems into structures that are suitable for building analytics solutions. This exam measures your ability to accomplish the following technical tasks: design and implement data storage; design and develop data processing; design and implement data security; and monitor and optimize data storage and data processing.

The best way to prepare is to go through the exam study guide using the DP-203 exam tutorial and explore the various topics provided with documentation links for reference.


DP-203 Online Tutorial

The number of questions on an exam is subject to change as we update it over time to keep current changes in the technology and job role. Most Microsoft Certification exams contain between 40-60 questions; however, the number can vary depending on the exam.

After you complete your exam, the points you earned on each question are summed and then compared with the cut score to determine whether the result is pass or fail.

In case you have taken one of the two tests for Azure Data Engineer Associate (DP-200 and exam DP-201) earlier, then you have to appear for the exam before they retire on June 30, 2021. But if you have just started your preparation, then consider taking the new examination DP-203 instead.

Starting from early February 2021, you will be allowed to renew your contemporary certifications via passing a free renewal evaluation on Microsoft study. The renewal assessment can be finished online for your very own time, each time within six months before your certification expires. But, in case your certification was set to run out between January 1 and June 30, 2021, it became routinely prolonged for 6 months to give you enough time to renew it when the assessments become available.

Microsoft Certification exams are available in several languages. However, candidates who must take the exam in English rather than in their native language can request an accommodation for additional time. Approval for extra time is provided on a case-by-case basis and needs to be requested in advance of the exam.

No, you are not penalized for answering incorrectly. You simply don’t earn some or all of the possible points. For single-point items, you need to answer completely and correctly to be awarded the point. For multi-point items, you earn points for the parts of your response that are correct, and you don’t earn points for the parts of your response that are incorrect. We don’t deduct points from your score for incorrect answers.

If you do not see your score report online or receive your score report within two weeks after the date when the final exam is published, contact the exam delivery provider for more information on when your results will be processed.

Because Microsoft continually introduces innovative testing technologies and question types, we do not provide for the specific item types that will appear on a given exam.

The score report provides a numeric score for overall exam performance, pass/fail status, a bar chart showing performance on each skill area assessed on the exam, and details on how to interpret your results and next steps. Using this information, candidates can determine areas of strength and weakness.

You will receive notification of your pass or fail status within a few minutes of completing your exam. In addition, you will receive a printed report that provides your exam score and feedback on your performance on the skill areas measured. The exam delivery provider will forward your score to Microsoft within five business days. Beta exam results: Results for beta exams should be visible on your Microsoft transcript (if you’ve received a passing score) and on the exam delivery provider’s site within two weeks after the live exam is published. If you pass the beta exam, you earn credit for that exam and any resulting certification. You do not need to retake the exam in its live version if you pass the beta version.

  • Help stakeholders understand the data through exploration, and they build and maintain secure and compliant data processing pipelines by using different tools and techniques.
  • Use various Azure data services and languages to store and produce cleansed and enhanced datasets for analysis.
  • Also help ensure that data pipelines and data stores are high-performing, efficient, organized, and reliable, given a set of business requirements and constraints.
  • Deal with unanticipated issues swiftly, and minimize data loss.
  • Design, implement, monitor, and optimize data platforms to meet the data pipelines needs.

  • Exam Name: Data Engineering on Microsoft Azure
  • Exam Code: DP-203
  • Total Questions: 40-60 Questions
  • Exam Duration: 120 mins

The Data Engineering on Microsoft Azure (DP-203) Exam covers the following topics - 

  • Design and implement data storage (40-45%)
  • Design and develop data processing (25-30%)
  • Design and implement data security (10-15%)
  • Monitor and optimize data storage and data processing (10-15%)

The Data Engineering on Microsoft Azure (DP-203)  exam is suitable for candidates working as Data Engineering on Microsoft Azure with solid knowledge of data processing languages, such as SQL, Python, or Scala, and they need to understand parallel processing and data architecture patterns.