Microsoft RETIRES the DP-203 Azure Data Engineer Associate Certification

By Microsoft MVP and MCT · Pluralsight Author

Published January 23, 2025 · Updated January 15, 2026 · Azure, Learning & Credentials

Microsoft just announced they are retiring the Microsoft Certification exam DP-203 Azure Data Engineer Associate Certification!

In this video we cover everything you need to know – including replacement exams depending on your chosen path!

MSFT Blog Post

Video Summary

  • Retirement Announcement: Microsoft is retiring the DP-203 Azure Data Engineer Associate certification on March 31, 2025. This news was subtly announced in a blog post about the DP-700 exam.
  • Advice for Current Candidates: If you’re almost done studying for the DP-203 exam, it’s recommended to complete it as it will still appear on your transcript. If you’re just starting, consider switching to the DP-700 certification.
  • Renewal for Existing Holders: Those who already have the DP-203 certification can renew it until March 31, 2025, which will extend its validity for another year.
  • Impact on Microsoft Partners: Microsoft partners who need the DP-203 certification for their qualifications can continue to use it for now. New requirements and updated credentials will be announced soon.
  • Future Credentials: For data professionals, Microsoft recommends new certifications such as DP-700 for data engineering, DP-100 for data science, and DP-600 or PL-300 for data analysis in addition to many Applied Skills

For more information, read the transcript blog below, or watch the video above!

Video Transcript

Today, we have some breaking news from the Microsoft certification world as Microsoft is retiring the DP-203 exam, which many of you better know as the Azure Data Engineer certification. Now, what does this mean for you and your career path? Stick around as we dive into the details and discuss what’s next for data engineering and data science certifications in the world of Azure. You won’t want to miss this crucial update, so let’s get started. I heard rumors about it in late 2024, but it’s true: Microsoft is retiring the Azure Data Engineer Associate certification in just over two months on March 31, 2025. At the time of recording this video, this is not even updated on the certification page. However, Microsoft announced this buried inside a blog post about the DP-700 exam on the Tech Community. It’s a bit weird to hide it like that and not put it on a page for everyone to see, but this is why you should follow the channel so you can keep up to date on those certification retirements.

Okay, back to our topic. I’m sure you have some questions, so let’s cover some of the frequently asked questions that Microsoft provided. First, and probably the most important for you aspiring Azure Data Engineers, is what if you’re studying for the exam now? If you’re almost done studying and your employer pays for the certification, I would honestly still go do it. You have nothing to lose; it will still appear on your transcript as done, so go do it. However, if you’re just starting studying or you’re just considering it but didn’t really start studying, I would look at the DP-700 certification that recently went live. Don’t worry, we’ll talk about all the updated Microsoft credentials packs for your role just a bit later in this video.

Now, what if you already have the certification? Well, you can still renew it until March 31, 2025. Simply go to your Learn profile and see if you can renew it yet. You can only do it six months before expiration, and if you’re able to renew it before March 31, it would add an extra year of it being active on your transcript. But if not, just let it retire. You will always have it on your transcript forever, so people will see that you passed it when it was active. Anyway, it will just become an expired certification eventually, whether it’s this year or next year.

You might also wonder what happens if you’re a Microsoft partner and you needed the certification to hit your level or your qualifications requirements. As you probably know by now, the Microsoft Learn organization and the Microsoft Partner organization don’t talk too much in advance. They’re fully different teams at Microsoft, and the partner team probably learned about this at the same time as everyone else. So for now, you can keep going for the certification to fill those requirements, and I’m sure that new requirements with updated credentials will be announced soon.

One final question is, does the retirement of the certification mean that Azure Synapse Analytics will also be retired? The answer is no. There are no current plans by Microsoft to retire Azure Synapse Analytics. Now that we’ve talked about the retirement, you’re probably wondering what credentials you should study as a data professional. You’re in luck since Microsoft created a really nice graphic depending on whether you want to get a credential in data science, data engineering, or data analytics. Let’s check out the plan.

First, if you want data science skills, Microsoft recommends three different applied skills: Implement a Data Warehouse in Microsoft Fabric, Implement a Data Science and Machine Learning Solution with Microsoft Fabric, and finally, Train and Manage a Machine Learning Model with Azure Machine Learning. As a reminder, applied skills are free to take and hands-on, so you should definitely check them out. Finally, Microsoft also recommends that you check out the Azure Data Scientist Associate certification, which is exam number DP-100.

Next up, let’s talk about data analysis. The first two applied skills recommended are the exact same, but then we have two recommended certifications: the Fabric Analytics Engineer Associate, which is exam number DP-600, and the Power BI Data Analyst Associate, which is exam number PL-300. Finally, if you want a credential in data engineering, look no further than the brand new Fabric Data Engineer, which you can achieve by passing exam number DP-700.

This is it for this video on the retirement of the Azure Data Engineer Associate certification, or exam number DP-203. Now, what I want to know is what do you think about this retirement? Do you think that the DP-700 is a good replacement, or should both certifications have coexisted? What do you think about the Microsoft recommended options for each role? Do you plan to take any of them? Please let me know in the comments below and make sure you subscribe to the channel. I’ve been hearing rumors about another Microsoft certification getting retired soon, and you won’t want to miss it. Also, on the screen right now, you should see some other videos that YouTube thinks you’re going to love, so make sure you check them out.