How I Studied and Passed Exam DP-203: Data Engineering on Microsoft Azure

As part of my employment at Microsoft, I have to get a higher-level technical certificate. So, I decided to go for the DP-203: Data Engineering on Microsoft Azure certificate. I’m super happy to say I passed the exam, and I want to share how I did it and the resources I used to help others who might want to try it too.

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How I Studied for, and Passed, Microsoft Exam: AZ-900 Azure Fundamentals

This whole “social distancing” is a perfect time to spruce up the resume. What better way than to add a new certificate? I recently took the Microsoft AZ 900 Azure Fundamentals exam and want to share the two-pronged approach I took to pass.

Before I go into that, I want to talk about the importance of the AZ 900 exam. This is my first certificate in Azure. I have some experience working with Azure through deploying Big Data Clusters on Azure Kubernetes Service. So not every concept was new to me, but I still decided it would be a good idea to expand my fundamental knowledge of Azure.

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How I Studied For, and Passed, Exam: 70-764 Administering a Microsoft SQL Database Infrastructure

Two Sides of the Coin

[UPDATE]: If you are interested in passing the Microsoft AZ 900 Azure Fundamentals Exam, check out my blog post here.

I know there is a stigma about certifications. Pros and Cons.

Cons

  • Certifications are too costly
  • Easy to cheat
  • Does not mean much without real world experience
  • Does not reflect what really happens in the real production environments

Pros

  • It’s great to get your foot in the door (for someone starting out)
  • Validates what you already know (hopefully)
  • Can create advancement opportunities (imagine an MCSE vs someone who doesn’t have a cert)

I actually agree with both sides. It all comes down to your intentions. If you are okay with lying/cheating to get a certification, then that’s your prerogative. If you want to get a certification to move up in your career or just prove to yourself that you can get a certification…that’s cool. Continue reading “How I Studied For, and Passed, Exam: 70-764 Administering a Microsoft SQL Database Infrastructure”