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Azure Data Fundamentals (DP-900) Exam Preparation 2026

This course is for people preparing for Microsoft Exam DP-900: Azure Data Fundamentals, the beginner exam on core data concepts and Microsoft cloud data services. Four lessons follow the four skill areas in Microsoft's study guide, with practical exercises. Each lesson has an untimed topic quiz with explanations, and a timed 40-question final assessment unlocks a certificate of completion when you score 80% or more.

  • Course
  • Canada
  • 80 questions
  • Checked October 13, 2026
  • Fact-checked October 13, 2026

Quick answer

This free course has about 300 minutes of lessons, 4 untimed topic quizzes (80 questions in all) and a timed final assessment of 40 questions drawn at random. Score 80% or more on the final assessment to download a certificate of completion (private, not accredited). Checked against official sources on October 13, 2026.

Start with the lessonsAzure Data Fundamentals (DP-900): Lessons: about 300 minutes of reading. Every test question is covered in the lessons.

What you will learn

  • Describe structured, semi-structured and unstructured data and common file formats
  • Explain transactional (OLTP) and analytical workloads, including ACID rules
  • Identify the main responsibilities of database administrators, data engineers and data analysts
  • Use relational ideas such as keys, normalization and common SQL statements
  • Choose between Azure SQL Database, Azure SQL Managed Instance, SQL Server on Azure VMs and open-source database services
  • Describe Azure Blob Storage, Azure Files, Azure Table storage and Azure Cosmos DB APIs
  • Describe large-scale and real-time analytics with Microsoft Fabric, Azure Databricks and related services
  • Pick suitable Power BI visuals and describe the parts of a data model

Score 80% or more to download your certificate.

Your study plan

Read each lesson, take its topic quiz (untimed, with explanations), then the timed final assessment. A new mix of questions is drawn every time. Your progress is saved in this browser.

  1. Read the lessons4 lessons, about 300 min
  2. Topic quiz 1: Core data concepts20 questions
  3. Topic quiz 2: Relational data on Azure20 questions
  4. Topic quiz 3: Non-relational data on Azure20 questions
  5. Topic quiz 4: Analytics workloads20 questions
  6. Final exam40 questions, 40 min · Score 80% or more

Topic quiz 1: Core data concepts

  1. Question 1 of 20

    Which kind of data follows a fixed schema, so every record has the same fields?
    Show answer

    Answer: A. Structured data

    Structured data follows a fixed schema, usually as tables of rows and columns, so all records have the same fields.

  2. Question 2 of 20

    A company stores customers as JSON documents. Some customers have two email addresses, and some have none. What kind of data is this?
    Show answer

    Answer: B. Semi-structured data

    Semi-structured data has some structure but allows variation between records. JSON is a common format for it.

  3. Question 3 of 20

    Video recordings from a security camera are an example of which kind of data?
    Show answer

    Answer: B. Unstructured data

    Documents, images, audio, video and other binary files have no specific structure, so they are unstructured data.

  4. Question 4 of 20

    In a customer record, the customer's phone number is best described as what?
    Show answer

    Answer: D. An attribute of an entity

    Entities are the things an organization cares about, such as customers. Attributes are their characteristics, such as name, address and phone number.

  5. Question 5 of 20

    Which file format separates fields with commas and puts each record on its own line?
    Show answer

    Answer: D. CSV

    CSV is the most common delimited text format: commas separate fields, and a new line ends each row.

  6. Question 6 of 20

    Which human-readable format uses tags in angle brackets and has largely been replaced by the less wordy JSON format?
    Show answer

    Answer: A. XML

    XML defines elements and attributes with tags in angle brackets. It was popular in the 1990s and 2000s, but JSON has largely replaced it.

  7. Question 7 of 20

    Which statement describes the Parquet file format?
    Show answer

    Answer: A. A columnar format that stores each column's data together

    Parquet is a columnar format from Apache. Data for each column is stored together in row groups, and metadata helps apps find the right chunk quickly.

  8. Question 8 of 20

    Which optimized file format is row-based and stores a JSON header that describes the binary records in the file?
    Show answer

    Answer: A. Avro

    Avro is a row-based format created by Apache. Its JSON header describes the structure, and the data is stored as binary blocks of records.

  9. Question 9 of 20

    In which type of non-relational database does each record have a unique key and a value that can be in any format?
    Show answer

    Answer: A. Key-value database

    A key-value database stores each record as a unique key with an associated value in any format.

  10. Question 10 of 20

    A social network wants to store people as nodes and the links between them as relationships. Which type of database fits best?
    Show answer

    Answer: B. Graph database

    Graph databases store entities as nodes, with links that define the relationships between them.

  11. Question 11 of 20

    Which type of database is a form of key-value database in which the value is a JSON document that the system can parse and query?
    Show answer

    Answer: A. Document database

    A document database is a specific form of key-value database where the value is a JSON document the system is optimized to parse and query.

  12. Question 12 of 20

    A store's checkout system records thousands of sales every hour and must create, read, update and delete records quickly. What kind of workload is this?
    Show answer

    Answer: B. A transactional (OLTP) workload

    Online transactional processing (OLTP) systems record many small transactions and are optimized for both reads and writes (CRUD operations).

  13. Question 13 of 20

    A bank moves $75 from account A ($500) to account B ($120). The debit from A works, but the credit to B fails. If the system follows ACID rules, what are the balances after the transaction ends?
    Show answer

    Answer: A. A $500 and B $120

    Atomicity means a transaction succeeds completely or fails completely. Because the credit failed, the debit is also undone, so both balances stay as they were.

  14. Question 14 of 20

    A transaction is committed, and then the database server loses power. When the server restarts, the change is still there. Which ACID property is this?
    Show answer

    Answer: D. Durability

    Durability means that once a transaction is committed, it stays committed, even if the system is switched off and on again.

  15. Question 15 of 20

    While a transfer between two accounts is in progress, another query cannot see one account before the transfer and the other after it. Which ACID property is this?
    Show answer

    Answer: C. Isolation

    Isolation means transactions running at the same time cannot interfere with each other, so no query sees a half-finished transfer.

  16. Question 16 of 20

    Which role is mainly responsible for database availability, performance, backup and recovery plans, and granting users access to data?
    Show answer

    Answer: A. Database administrator

    Database administrators manage the design, operation and security of databases, including backups, recovery and user permissions.

  17. Question 17 of 20

    Which role designs and builds data ingestion pipelines, cleansing and transformation steps, and data stores for analytical workloads?
    Show answer

    Answer: A. Data engineer

    Data engineers build and monitor the pipelines that move and transform data, and they apply data cleaning routines across the organization.

  18. Question 18 of 20

    Which role explores data to find trends, builds analytical models and creates reports and visualizations for the business?
    Show answer

    Answer: B. Data analyst

    Data analysts turn raw data into insights by exploring it, modelling it and presenting it in reports and visualizations.

  19. Question 19 of 20

    In an analytics solution, data is extracted and loaded into the data lake first, and transformed afterwards. What is this pattern called?
    Show answer

    Answer: D. ELT

    In ELT (extract, load, transform), data is loaded first and transformed afterwards. In ETL, it is transformed before it is loaded.

  20. Question 20 of 20

    Which type of analytical store combines the flexible, scalable file storage of a data lake with the relational querying of a data warehouse?
    Show answer

    Answer: B. A data lakehouse

    A data lakehouse puts table abstractions over files in a data lake, so you get lake storage with warehouse-style SQL querying.

What to know before the test

  • The DP-900 skills measured (as of July 21, 2026) have four areas: core data concepts (25–30%), relational data on Azure (20–25%), non-relational data on Azure (15–20%) and an analytics workload (25–30%).
  • A passing score is 700 or greater. Scores are on a scale of 1 to 1,000, and because they are scaled, 700 may not equal 70% of the points.
  • Fundamentals exams have an exam time of 45 minutes, and Microsoft suggests allowing 65 minutes of seat time.
  • Microsoft does not list the exact number of DP-900 questions. It says most of its certification exams have 40–60 questions, but the number can vary.
  • There is no penalty for guessing, and some exam questions may be unscored, so answer every question.
  • The exam is proctored. You can schedule it through Pearson VUE, or through Certiport if you are a student or educator.
  • If you fail, you can retake the exam 24 hours after the first attempt; the wait for later retakes varies.
  • Fundamentals certifications do not expire.

Frequently asked questions

Is this the official DP-900 exam?

No. This is an independent practice course with original questions. To take the real exam, register on the Microsoft Learn exam page. Microsoft also offers a free practice assessment there.

What does the certificate of completion show?

It shows that you finished this course and scored at least 80% on its final assessment. It is not the Microsoft Certified: Azure Data Fundamentals certification and is not a Microsoft exam result.

How long is the real DP-900 exam, and how many questions does it have?

Microsoft gives Fundamentals exams 45 minutes. It does not publish the exact number of DP-900 questions; it says most of its exams have 40–60 questions.

What score do I need to pass DP-900?

You need 700 or greater on a scale of 1 to 1,000. It is a scaled score, so it may not equal 70% of the questions.

Does the Azure Data Fundamentals certification expire?

No. Microsoft says Fundamentals certifications do not expire.

How long is the final assessment here?

It has 40 questions in 40 minutes, drawn at random from all four topics, so every attempt is different. You need 80% to pass.

Is the certificate accredited or officially recognised?

No. It is a private certificate of completion for knowledge only. It is not recognised, accredited or approved by any government, licensing body, regulator or educational institution, and it does not replace any licence, certification or training required by law.

Sources

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