DP-800 Prerequisites and Required Skills

The short version

Microsoft lists no required prerequisite exam or certification for DP-800 on the pages we checked. It does describe the candidate it has in mind: someone with experience writing T-SQL and developing databases, who is familiar with CI/CD in GitHub, AI-assisted development tools, and AI concepts such as embeddings, vectors, and models.

What is required and what is recommended

What Microsoft says
Required examsNone listed
ExperienceT-SQL and database development on Microsoft SQL platforms (SQL Server, Azure SQL, SQL database in Fabric)
FamiliarityCI/CD practices in GitHub, AI-assisted development tools, embeddings, vectors, and models
Working withApplication developers, DBAs, architects, AI engineers, DevSecOps engineers, security and compliance administrators

Microsoft does not state how many years of experience you need. Treat the description as a profile, not a rule. The Microsoft Learn DP-800 study guide is the authority.

Skills you should have before starting

You do not need to be an expert in all of this, but you should recognize every item and have used most of it.

Database and T-SQL basics

  • You write SELECT queries with joins, grouping, and subqueries without looking them up.
  • You can insert, update, and delete data safely and understand transactions.
  • You know what an index is and why a query might use it or ignore it.
  • You have created tables with keys and constraints.

Developer habits

  • You use Git: clone, branch, commit, and open a pull request.
  • You can read a JSON document and a YAML or JSON configuration file.
  • You know what a REST call is, with a URL, a method, a header, and a response code.

AI concepts (basic level)

  • You can explain what an embedding is: a list of numbers that represents the meaning of text.
  • You know that a language model answers from a prompt, and that you can add your own data to the prompt.
  • You have a sense of why “nearest neighbor” search finds similar text.

Skills you can learn along the way

Be ready to learn these during your studies: Data API builder, SQL Database Projects, Row-Level Security, Always Encrypted, the vector data type and vector search, and the details of `sp_invoke_external_rest_endpoint`. Our study plan schedules them.

Self-check list

Answer yes or no. Three or more “no” answers in one group tell you where to start.

T-SQL

  • Can you write a CTE and a window function with PARTITION BY?
  • Can you read a JSON value out of a column with T-SQL?
  • Can you explain the difference between a view, a function, and a stored procedure?

Security and performance

  • Can you describe the difference between masking and encryption?
  • Can you open an execution plan and find the most expensive operator?
  • Can you explain what blocking is?

Delivery

  • Can you explain what a pull request is for?
  • Have you deployed a database change from a script or a project, not by hand?

AI

  • Can you explain what an embedding is in two sentences?
  • Can you describe how a RAG system uses your data?

Do I need an earlier certification?

No. Microsoft does not list one for this credential. If you want a gentler start, the vendor’s learning paths on Microsoft Learn are free, but nothing on the pages we checked makes any of them a requirement. If you are unsure about the AI basics, read Microsoft’s learning material on embeddings and vector search before you start.

Practical needs

  • A Microsoft account to register. Microsoft strongly recommends a personal account, because records tied to a work or school account can be lost if you leave the organization.
  • A place to practice: a local SQL Server developer instance, an Azure SQL database, or a SQL database in Fabric.
  • Time for hands-on labs. Reading alone is rarely enough.

More guides for DP-800

Next step

If your self-check looks good, move to the domains explained page. For a gauge of where you stand, try the DP-800 practice tests.

Try the DP-800 practice exams