The short version
Take DP-750 if you work with Azure Databricks inside the Microsoft ecosystem and want an associate-level Microsoft credential. Take the Databricks Data Engineer Professional exam if you want a harder, vendor-issued test of production engineering on Databricks, whatever the cloud. If you are new, DP-750 is usually the gentler first step, but nothing requires an order.
Both exams cover Databricks work such as Unity Catalog, ingestion, Lakeflow and deployment. They differ in who issues them, how deep they go, and how they are delivered.
Side-by-side table
| Item | DP-750 | Databricks Data Engineer Professional |
|---|---|---|
| Issued by | Microsoft | Databricks |
| Level | Associate | Professional |
| Focus | Azure Databricks, with Entra, Data Factory and Azure Monitor around it | The Databricks platform in general |
| Structure | Four domains: 15-20%, 15-20%, 30-35%, 30-35% | Nine sections, from 5% to 23% |
| Passing score | 700 on a scale of 1 to 1,000 | Not published |
| Questions | Not published; Microsoft says 40 to 60 is typical | 59 scored on the certification page, 60 in the guide |
| Time | 120 minutes on the certification page | 120 minutes |
| Question style | Several styles possible, such as multiple choice, drag and drop and case studies | Multiple choice |
| Reference material | Microsoft Learn can be opened during associate exams | No test aids allowed |
| Delivery | Proctored through Pearson VUE | Online proctored or test center |
| Validity | One year, free online renewal | Two years, then take the current exam again |
| Retakes | 24 hours, then 14 days; five attempts in 12 months | 14 days; no stated limit; every attempt is paid |
| Outline date | Skills measured as of October 19, 2026 | Exam guide of October 9, 2026 |
Microsoft’s DP-750 certification page lists 10 languages. The Databricks pages disagree slightly on the number of scored questions (60 versus 59) and on languages, so check the current page when you book.
What each exam emphasizes
DP-750 asks you to choose and configure: which compute, which privilege, which ingestion method, which table layout, which job setting. About two thirds of the weight is on preparing data and on deploying and maintaining pipelines.
The Databricks Professional exam asks you to engineer for production. Its largest section, developing code for data processing in Python and SQL, carries 23%. Cost and performance optimization carries 15%, and ingestion and data manipulation 12% each. Monitoring and debugging are each 10%. Security, governance and modeling are small sections.
Expect the Professional exam to put two or three plausible answers side by side and decide by a constraint such as latency, cost or a privacy rule. DP-750 has that style too, but at a lower depth.
Overlap
- Unity Catalog objects, privileges and governance.
- Ingestion with Auto Loader, COPY INTO, streaming and change data capture.
- Lakeflow Jobs and declarative pipelines.
- Declarative Automation Bundles and deployment.
- Optimization of Delta tables, and debugging of slow Spark jobs.
Differences that matter
- Issuer and audience. DP-750 suits people in Azure teams who want a Microsoft credential. The Professional exam suits people whose work centers on the Databricks platform itself.
- Lookups. Microsoft allows Learn during the exam, which helps with exact settings. The Databricks exam allows none, so you must recall.
- Depth. The Databricks guide recommends about a year of hands-on experience with the listed tasks. DP-750 expects hands-on experience too, but its target is associate level.
- Cost of a miss. A Databricks retake is a paid attempt after 14 days, with no free retakes. Microsoft also charges where a fee applies, and caps attempts at five in 12 months.
- Upkeep. Microsoft’s credential needs a yearly free assessment. The Databricks credential needs a full exam every two years.
How to choose
- Check your employer’s cloud. Azure and Microsoft partner: DP-750 is a natural fit.
- Check your depth. If you can already explain streaming state, cost tuning and bundles, the Professional exam is realistic. If not, DP-750 is a better first test.
- Check your preference for upkeep. A short yearly task or a full exam every two years.
- Consider both. DP-750 preparation covers much of the shared ground, and you then fill gaps for the Professional exam.
More guides for DP-750
- DP-750 Exam Format, Scoring and Retakes
- DP-750 Study Plan: 4-Week and 8-Week
- DP-750 Domains Explained With Examples
- DP-750 Sample Questions With Answers
- Is DP-750 Hard? An Honest Difficulty Check
- DP-750 Prerequisites and Skills Check
- DP-750 Renewal and Retakes Explained
- Is DP-750 Worth It? An Honest Look
- DP-750 Cheat Sheet: Key Facts to Review
- DP-750 vs DP-700: Which Exam First?
Next step
Read the DP-750 overview and the Databricks Professional overview to see their outlines. For practice, there are DP-750 practice tests and Databricks Professional practice tests. The Databricks certification page is the authority for its facts: Databricks Data Engineer Professional.
FAQ
Do I need DP-750 before the Databricks Professional exam?
No. Databricks lists no prerequisite exam, and Microsoft’s pages we checked list none for DP-750.
Which is more valuable?
It depends on the employer. Choose the issuer your target employers recognize.
Is the Databricks exam harder?
It is a higher level, with a recall-only format. Judge your readiness with timed practice.