Microsoft Certified: Azure Data Fundamentals (DP‑900) Practice Exams
About the Azure DP-900 exam
Exam at a glance
Microsoft's entry-point data certification at the fundamentals tier. Microsoft Fundamentals certifications do not expire — no renewal required.
DP-900 covers core data concepts and the Azure data services that implement them. It's a strong fit for business analysts, project managers, IT generalists, and anyone preparing for higher-tier Azure data certifications like DP-100 (Data Scientist Associate) or DP-203 (Data Engineer Associate).
Skill areas measured
- Describe core data concepts — ~25-30%
- Identify considerations for relational data on Azure — ~20-25%
- Describe considerations for working with non-relational data on Azure — ~15-20%
- Describe an analytics workload on Azure — ~25-30%
Prerequisites
No formal prerequisites. DP-900 is designed as a first-look certification — anyone beginning to work with data in the cloud can take it. Familiarity with relational vs non-relational data and transactional vs analytical workloads helps, but the exam itself teaches these distinctions.
Why take this certification
- Permanent credential. Unlike Microsoft's Associate and Expert tier certifications, Fundamentals certifications never expire. Pass DP-900 once and the credential is yours for life — no annual renewal assessment, no recertification fee.
- Resume signal for non-engineers. DP-900 is widely recognized by hiring managers as proof that business analysts, PMs, and IT generalists understand modern data architecture vocabulary — relational vs non-relational, OLTP vs OLAP, batch vs stream.
- Foundation for higher-tier data certs. Although not a formal prerequisite, DP-900 covers concepts you'll need for DP-100 (Data Scientist Associate), DP-203 (Data Engineer Associate), DP-300 (Database Administrator Associate), and DP-420 (Cosmos DB Developer Specialty).
- Low-friction first cloud cert. 45-minute exam, $99 USD, free Microsoft Learn study path, no Azure experience required. One of the fastest cloud certifications you can add to a resume.
What you'll learn in the DP-900 exam
DP-900 validates that you can identify the right Azure data service for a given workload at a conceptual level. The exam is vocabulary-driven — most questions describe a scenario and ask you to choose the data type, workload pattern, or service that fits.
Core data concepts
- Data type distinctions: structured (rows + columns, fixed schema), semi-structured (JSON, XML, key-value), and unstructured (text, images, video, binary blobs).
- Workload patterns: transactional (OLTP — high-volume short reads/writes, ACID consistency) vs analytical (OLAP — large aggregations across historical data, eventual consistency).
- Data roles: database administrator, data engineer, data analyst — and which Azure services each role typically owns.
Relational data on Azure
- Azure SQL Database — fully managed PaaS SQL Server engine; serverless and Hyperscale tiers.
- Azure SQL Managed Instance — near-100% SQL Server feature parity for lift-and-shift migrations.
- SQL Server on Azure VMs — IaaS option when you need full OS control.
- Azure Database for MySQL Flexible Server, PostgreSQL Flexible Server, and MariaDB — managed open-source relational engines.
- Provisioning, querying with T-SQL basics, security primitives (firewall rules, Microsoft Entra authentication, transparent data encryption).
Non-relational data on Azure
- Azure Cosmos DB — globally distributed multi-model database with five APIs: NoSQL (Core), MongoDB, Cassandra, Gremlin (graph), and Table.
- Azure Table Storage — simple key-attribute NoSQL store for semi-structured data.
- Azure Blob Storage — object storage for unstructured data (hot / cool / cold / archive tiers).
- Azure Files — fully managed SMB/NFS file shares.
Analytics workloads on Azure
- Microsoft Fabric — unified analytics SaaS platform combining Synapse, Data Factory, and Power BI experiences.
- Azure Synapse Analytics — enterprise data warehousing + big-data analytics.
- Azure Data Factory — cloud ETL / ELT and data integration orchestration.
- Azure Databricks — Spark-based collaborative analytics and ML workspace.
- Azure Stream Analytics — real-time event processing on streaming data.
- Azure HDInsight — managed open-source big-data clusters (Hadoop, Spark, Kafka).
- Azure Event Hubs — high-throughput event ingestion for streaming pipelines.
- Power BI — data visualization basics: reports, dashboards, datasets, the modeling-to-publish flow.
How the practice exams help
Every free question and every premium exam mirrors the scenario-and-vocabulary style Microsoft uses on DP-900 — short stems, four to six options, and detailed explanations that cover why the right answer fits and why the distractors miss. You learn the service trade-offs rather than memorizing wordings.
How to prepare for the DP-900 exam
DP-900 is approachable. Most candidates pass after 2-4 weeks of focused study, and IT generalists with prior database exposure can pass in less. Recommended approach:
- Work through Microsoft Learn (1-2 weeks). The free DP-900 learning path on Microsoft Learn walks through every objective with interactive units. Focus on the relational and non-relational modules first — they share the most concepts with later exams.
- Hands-on with Azure free tier (1 week). Create a free Azure account and provision an Azure SQL Database and a Cosmos DB account in a sandbox. Run a few queries, inspect the firewall rules, switch between Cosmos DB APIs. Hands-on minutes pay off disproportionately on scenario questions.
- Read the DP-900 study guide (1-2 days). Microsoft's official DP-900 study guide lists every measured skill in detail. Skim it for any topic you can't explain in two sentences and circle back to Microsoft Learn for those.
- Practice exams (3-5 days). Take timed practice tests to identify weak areas. Detailed explanations on every answer option help you learn the reasoning, not just memorize answers. Aim for consistent 80%+ scores before scheduling your exam.
Recommended timeline
2-4 weeks of focused study (5-8 hours per week) for IT generalists. Complete beginners with no cloud or database background should allow 4-6 weeks. Existing database administrators or data analysts can often pass after a single weekend of review.
Official resources
Download the official DP-900 study guide and use the free Microsoft Learn DP-900 learning path as your primary text. Microsoft also publishes a free DP-900 practice assessment on the certification page — take it once near the start to gauge your baseline and once again the week of your exam.
Frequently asked questions
Are these actual exam questions?
No. All Nex Arc Azure DP-900 practice questions are original content based on the provider's published exam blueprint, official documentation, and real-world scenarios across every topic the exam covers. We do not offer brain dumps, leaked questions, or actual exam content. Using or distributing real exam questions violates certification provider agreements and can result in certification revocation.
How many questions are in the Azure DP-900 exam?
The Azure DP-900 exam typically contains 40-60 questions that you need to complete in 45 minutes. Question formats include multiple choice, multiple response, drag-and-drop, and case study items. Microsoft does not publish an exact question count and may vary it between forms.
What's the DP-900 passing score?
The passing score is 700 out of 1000. Microsoft uses a scaled scoring model, so not every question carries the same weight. Focus on understanding the underlying data concepts rather than memorizing individual answers.
How do I access the full DP-900 practice exam?
Click on the Buy Now button in the sidebar to purchase the complete Azure DP-900 course. After payment, you'll have instant access to 12 practice exams with detailed explanations and lifetime access.
What are the prerequisites for the DP-900 exam?
There are no formal prerequisites for DP-900. Microsoft positions it as an entry-point Fundamentals certification suitable for business analysts, project managers, IT generalists, and anyone beginning to work with data in the cloud. Familiarity with the basic concepts of relational and non-relational data and the difference between transactional and analytical workloads is helpful but not required — the exam itself teaches these distinctions.
Does DP-900 expire?
No. Microsoft Fundamentals certifications, including DP-900, do not expire and do not require renewal. Once you pass, the credential is permanent. This is different from Microsoft's Associate and Expert tier certifications, which require a free annual online assessment to stay current.
What's the exam cost and can I retake it if I fail?
The DP-900 exam costs $99 USD (price varies by country or region in which the exam is proctored). The exam is delivered through Pearson VUE at testing centers or via online proctoring. If you fail, you can retake the exam 24 hours after the first attempt. For subsequent retakes, the waiting period increases. Each attempt requires a new payment. Microsoft occasionally offers Exam Replay vouchers that bundle the exam with a single retake at a discount.
What Azure data services are most heavily tested on DP-900?
DP-900 covers a broad surface area at fundamentals depth. On the relational side, expect questions on Azure SQL Database, Azure SQL Managed Instance, SQL Server on Azure VMs, and the open-source flavors (Azure Database for MySQL Flexible Server, PostgreSQL Flexible Server, and MariaDB). On the non-relational side: Azure Cosmos DB and its APIs (NoSQL, MongoDB, Cassandra, Gremlin, Table), Azure Table Storage, Azure Blob Storage, and Azure Files. Analytics topics include Microsoft Fabric, Azure Synapse Analytics, Azure Data Factory, Azure Databricks, Azure Stream Analytics, Azure HDInsight, and Azure Event Hubs, with a brief introduction to Power BI for visualization.
How does DP-900 differ from AZ-900 and DP-100?
AZ-900 (Azure Fundamentals) is the broad Azure cloud entry point — it covers compute, networking, storage, identity, governance, and pricing across the whole Azure platform. DP-900 is narrower and deeper on the data side: relational and non-relational data services, plus analytics workloads. DP-100 (Azure Data Scientist Associate) sits one tier above DP-900 and focuses specifically on machine learning with Azure Machine Learning — model training, deployment, and MLOps. A typical learning path is AZ-900 → DP-900 → DP-100, but DP-900 can be taken standalone with no AZ-900 prerequisite.
Can I retake the DP-900 exam if I fail?
Yes. Microsoft allows a retake 24 hours after your first attempt. Subsequent retakes have longer waiting periods. You pay the full exam fee again on each attempt. There is no limit on total attempts.