Certification guide
The Microsoft Certified: Azure Data Fundamentals credential, earned by passing exam DP-900, validates your foundational grasp of cloud data on Azure. It’s Microsoft’s entry-level data cert, sitting alongside AZ-900 and AI-900 as the three “900-series” fundamentals designed for people newer to the platform and to cloud data work.
DP-900 doesn’t demand hands-on production experience. What it does demand is that you can talk fluently about structured vs. semi-structured vs. unstructured data, relational vs. non-relational stores, the difference between OLTP and OLAP workloads, and where the major Azure data services fit: Azure SQL, Cosmos DB, Blob and Table storage, Data Factory, Synapse, Databricks, Fabric, and Power BI. If you can hold that map in your head, you can pass. This overview walks the four exam domains, their weightings, and how to prepare with realistic practice.
Core Data Concepts
Domain 1 · 25-30%Foundation terminology: structured, semi-structured, and unstructured data; file formats (CSV, JSON, Parquet, Avro); transactional vs. analytical workloads; ACID guarantees; and the four canonical data roles, database administrator, data engineer, data analyst, and where each one owns which part of the stack. Expect the largest share of your incorrect answers to come from this domain if you skim it, because the vocabulary is the vocabulary the rest of the exam assumes.
Relational Data on Azure
Domain 2 · 20-25%Relational fundamentals (primary keys, foreign keys, normalization, views, stored procedures, indexes) mapped onto Microsoft’s Azure SQL portfolio. You need to know when to pick Azure SQL Database (PaaS, most abstracted), Azure SQL Managed Instance (near-full SQL Server feature parity as a managed service), or SQL Server on Azure VMs (IaaS, full OS control), plus the managed open-source options Azure Database for PostgreSQL and MySQL. Basic SQL literacy (SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE, and which category CREATE TABLE lives in) is expected.
Non-Relational Data on Azure
Domain 3 · 15-20%The Azure non-relational lineup: Blob storage (with Hot / Cool / Cold / Archive tiers), Azure Files (SMB and NFS shares), Azure Table storage (schemaless key/attribute), and Azure Cosmos DB across its five APIs: NoSQL, MongoDB, Cassandra, Table, and Gremlin. Cosmos DB’s multi-model design, tunable consistency levels, and global-distribution story show up repeatedly.
Analytics Workload
Domain 4 · 25-30%The biggest domain by weight. It covers Azure Data Factory (linked services, triggers, pipelines), ETL vs. ELT, Azure Synapse Analytics (dedicated vs. serverless SQL pools, Spark pools), Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2 with hierarchical namespace, Azure Databricks and Delta Lake, Microsoft Fabric and OneLake, streaming with Event Hubs / IoT Hub / Stream Analytics, and Power BI reporting essentials, dashboards, reports, Power BI Desktop, DAX, and star-schema modeling.
Passing DP-900 requires 700 out of 1000 on Microsoft’s scaled scoring, which is not a raw 70%. Microsoft weights questions by difficulty and adjusts across forms, so a candidate who nails the easy items and drops most of the harder ones typically ends up in the low-to-mid 600s. To be safe, plan to know the harder edge cases in each domain (five Cosmos DB APIs, five consistency levels, three-tier Azure SQL spectrum, Data Factory concept vocabulary, Synapse pool types) rather than betting on the fundamentals-only questions to carry you through.
The practice bank below mirrors the DP-900 blueprint exactly: 28% D1, 24% D2, 18% D3, 30% D4. Each attempt draws 50 randomized items from a pool of 1,000 original questions organized around ten vertical themes (healthcare, financial services, manufacturing, federal, retail, SaaS, higher education, energy, and mixed simulator). Every explanation names not just why the correct answer is correct but why the strongest distractor is wrong, the muscle you need for the exam’s near-miss options.
Microsoft Azure Data Fundamentals - Practice Exam
Practice questionbank drawing across ten vertical themes: Generic Enterprise, Healthcare, Financial Services, Manufacturing/OT, Federal/Government, Retail/E-commerce, SaaS/Cloud-native, Higher Education, Energy/Utilities, and Mixed. Each attempt draws 50 randomized…
Subscribe to startFrequently asked questions about DP-900
What is the DP-900 exam?
DP-900 is the exam that earns the Microsoft Certified: Azure Data Fundamentals credential. It validates your foundational grasp of cloud data on Azure and is Microsoft’s entry-level data certification, sitting alongside AZ-900 and AI-900 as the three “900-series” fundamentals designed for people newer to the platform and to cloud data work.
How many questions are on DP-900 and how long is the exam?
Expect roughly 40 to 60 questions in about 60 minutes. The exact item count varies by exam form, which is one reason Microsoft reports a scaled score rather than a raw percentage.
What is the passing score for DP-900?
700 out of 1000 on Microsoft’s scaled scoring, which is not a raw 70%. Microsoft weights questions by difficulty and adjusts across forms, so a candidate who nails the easy items and drops most of the harder ones typically ends up in the low-to-mid 600s.
How much does the DP-900 exam cost?
$99 USD.
Are there prerequisites for DP-900?
None. DP-900 doesn’t demand hands-on production experience. What it does demand is that you can talk fluently about structured vs. semi-structured vs. unstructured data, relational vs. non-relational stores, the difference between OLTP and OLAP workloads, and where the major Azure data services fit.
What domains does DP-900 cover and how are they weighted?
Four domains: Core Data Concepts (25-30%), Relational Data on Azure (20-25%), Non-Relational Data on Azure (15-20%), and Analytics Workload (25-30%). Core Data Concepts and Analytics Workload are the two heaviest, so they deserve the most study time.
How hard is DP-900?
It is a fundamentals exam, but the scaled scoring makes it less forgiving than a 70% raw threshold suggests. Plan to know the harder edge cases in each domain, the five Cosmos DB APIs, the five consistency levels, the three-tier Azure SQL spectrum, Data Factory concept vocabulary, and Synapse pool types, rather than betting on the fundamentals-only questions to carry you through.
Does the Azure Data Fundamentals credential need to be renewed?
No. Microsoft fundamentals credentials, including Azure Data Fundamentals, do not expire and carry no renewal requirement, unlike Microsoft’s role-based certifications, which renew annually through a free online assessment. Always confirm the current policy on Microsoft’s own credentials site.
How should I prepare for DP-900?
Work the four domains in blueprint proportion and drill with realistic practice. The Certifym practice bank mirrors the DP-900 blueprint exactly (28% D1, 24% D2, 18% D3, 30% D4) and each attempt draws 50 randomized items from a pool of 1,000 original questions organized around ten vertical themes. Every explanation names not just why the correct answer is correct but why the strongest distractor is wrong.
What is the difference between DP-900 and AZ-900?
Both are Microsoft 900-series fundamentals aimed at people newer to Azure. AZ-900 covers the Azure platform broadly, while DP-900 is the data-specific entry point, core data concepts plus the Azure data services (Azure SQL, Cosmos DB, Blob and Table storage, Data Factory, Synapse, Databricks, Fabric, and Power BI). Many candidates take both.
Trademark notice & independence. Certifym.net is operated by Certifym Exam Services, LLC and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Microsoft Corporation. “Microsoft,” “Azure,” “DP-900,” and the Microsoft Certified logos are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation, referenced here solely to identify the certification our practice content targets. The DP-900 exam objectives are the property of Microsoft; candidates should always confirm the current exam guide, weightings, and logistics directly on Microsoft’s credentials site before scheduling.
All practice questions, explanations, and study guidance on this page are original content authored by Certifym Exam Services, LLC. No Microsoft exam content, question text, or objective language is reproduced. Practice attempts do not constitute the real exam and passing our practice bank does not guarantee a passing outcome on DP-900 itself.