DP-900 Microsoft Azure Data Fundamentals Exam Study Guide

By: Daniel Calbimonte | Updated: 2024-02-02 | Comments | Related: More > Professional Development Certifications

Problem

Microsoft continues to sell and support various on-premises technologies, but there are no certifications associated with them. And currently, Microsoft is moving full steam ahead to the cloud. So, where should I begin if I want to be certified in Azure SQL?

Solution

The answer is to start with Microsoft Azure Data Fundamentals. This article provides tips, books, courses, and links to pass the DP-900 Exam.

What does the DP-900 exam entail?

This exam is the basic exam related to Azure. If you do not have experience in Azure, it is a great way to start. If you already have experience, you may try other Azure certifications like the DP-300, DP-203, etc.

What is the difference between the AZ-900 exam and the DP-900 exam?

The AZ exam is oriented to Azure, e.g., the cloud and basic computer knowledge. The AZ-900 exam is geared toward cloud administrators, solution architects, or those in tech support.

DP stands for Data Professionals, and this exam focuses on data. You need to have some basic knowledge of databases. The DP-900 exam is for data engineers, DBAs, data analysts, or data scientists.

Is this exam difficult?

Not at all. The fundamentals exam is designed for newbies and is the most basic exam. However, if you are new to this world, you may need to study more than someone with experience.

What score is considered passing on this exam?

The minimum score is 700/1000 points approximately.

What happens if I fail the exam?

If you fail the exam, do not worry. You have another chance. If you almost passed and feel ready to take the exam immediately afterward, your second attempt can occur in 24 hours. If you need more time to study, take your time. The third, fourth, and fifth attempts require a waiting period of 14 days. After five attempts, you have to wait one year.

What books would you recommend for this exam?

The following books will help you a lot in the exam:

Can you share some links for studying for the exam?

Yes. The following links can be helpful for the exam:

Description of the Data Concepts

Describe ways to represent data

Explore data storage alternatives

Discuss prevalent data workloads

Identify roles and duties in data management

Examine considerations for relational data on Azure

Explain fundamental relational concepts

Detail Azure's relational data services

Discuss the Azure SQL product family, covering Azure SQL Database, Azure SQL Managed Instance, and SQL Server on Azure Virtual Machines
Identify Azure database services for open-source systems

Explore considerations for non-relational data on Azure

Examine Azure storage capabilities

Explore features of Azure Cosmos DB

Elaborate On an Analytics Workload on Azure

Describe key elements of large-scale analytics

Considerations for data ingestion and processing
Examine analytical data store options
Discuss Azure services for data warehousing, including Azure Synapse Analytics, Azure Databricks, Microsoft Fabric, Azure HDInsight, and Azure Data Factory

Considerations for real-time data analytics

Differentiate between batch and streaming data
Identify Microsoft cloud services for real-time analytics

Discuss data visualization in Microsoft Power BI

What courses can I take to pass this exam?

The following courses may be useful:

Next Steps

For more information about Microsoft exams, refer to the following links.

About the author

Daniel Calbimonte is a Microsoft SQL Server MVP, Microsoft Certified Trainer and 6-time Microsoft Certified IT Professional. Daniel started his career in 2001 and has worked with SQL Server 6.0 to 2022. Daniel is a DBA as well as specializes in Business Intelligence (SSIS, SSAS, SSRS) technologies.

This author pledges the content of this article is based on professional experience and not AI generated.

View all my tips

Article Last Updated: 2024-02-02