Designing and managing analytics assets
RecommendedMicrosoft expects experience with semantic models, warehouses or lakehouses.
Microsoft Certified: Fabric Analytics Engineer Associate (DP-600)
Validates knowledge of preparing data and building semantic models in Microsoft Fabric, including governance, SQL, KQL and DAX.
Summary
DP-600 is Microsoft's certification for analytics engineers who prepare data and build semantic models in Microsoft Fabric. It covers security and governance, transforming data with SQL, KQL and DAX, and designing and optimizing enterprise semantic models with Direct Lake.
Good fit if
- You build Power BI semantic models and work in Fabric
- You are comfortable with SQL and DAX, and know some KQL
- Analytics engineer postings in your market mention Fabric
Salary & jobs
Prerequisites
Cost
What holders say
Most valuable at Microsoft partners
People at Microsoft partner and consulting firms describe direct payoffs, such as certification bonuses, partner-status requirements and clients reviewing consultants' certifications.
Weaker case where Fabric is not used
When someone asked whether to bother with little Fabric at work, one reply valued the study itself, while another called certifications largely irrelevant next to experience.
The next step after PL-300
Candidates comparing the two see PL-300 as an informal first step, with DP-600 adding enterprise semantic models and more of Fabric.
Renewal
Fabric Analytics Engineer Associate is valid for one year.
- Validity
- 1 year
- Renewal requirement
- Free online assessment
- Renewal fee
- None
The assessment opens six months before expiry on Microsoft Learn. It is unproctored and open book, and you can retake it as often as you need before the expiry date.
Microsoft Certification renewal ↗Alternatives
PL-300$165 required · Intermediate
For Power BI reporting and modeling without the wider Fabric platform.
DP-700$165 required · Intermediate
For building the ingestion and pipelines behind Fabric.
Databricks Certified Data Engineer Associate$200 required · Intermediate
The equivalent step if your lakehouse platform is Databricks.
FAQ
What changes on DP-600 on October 19, 2026?
Only minor wording under Query and analyze data. The three skill areas and their weights stay the same.
Is the DP-600 exam hard?
Harder than many expect. Some candidates who scored 90% or more on practice tests still failed, because the real questions lean on security, T-SQL and semantic model scenarios.
Do I need PL-300 before DP-600?
No. It is a common first step, since DP-600 builds on the same semantic model and DAX skills.
How long is DP-600 valid?
One year. Renew for free with an online assessment on Microsoft Learn in the six months before it expires.
Last updated October 2026