Updated 1 Nov 2026 · 5 min read
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What the Microsoft DP-900 is and who it is for
The DP-900, Microsoft Azure Data Fundamentals, is the one exam behind the Microsoft Certified: Azure Data Fundamentals certification. Microsoft describes it as a way to demonstrate your knowledge of core data concepts and related Microsoft Azure data services, and says it is intended for candidates beginning to work with data in the cloud.
Microsoft expects you to be familiar with two things before you start: the concepts of relational and non-relational data, and the different types of data workloads, such as transactional or analytical. The exam checks that you understand what each kind of data and each Azure data service is for, not that you can build or tune one.
The current skills outline has applied since 21 July 2026. Microsoft's change log rates the update as minor and limits it to three objective groups: ways to represent data, the capabilities of Azure storage, and real-time data analytics.
Microsoft DP-900 at a glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Exam code | DP-900 |
| Questions | Not published for this exam. Microsoft says most of its exams have 40 to 60 and the number varies |
| Time allowed | 45 minutes (Microsoft's Fundamentals exam duration), 65 minutes of seat time |
| Passing score | 700 out of 1000, scaled |
| Exam fee | US$99 in the US, priced by the country or region where you sit it |
| Languages | English, Arabic, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), French, German, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese (Brazil), Russian and Spanish |
| Where you sit it | Pearson VUE, online proctored or at a test centre. Students and educators can schedule through Certiport |
| Certification valid for | Does not expire |
What is on the exam
Describe core data concepts (25 to 30%). It asks how data is represented: structured, semi-structured and unstructured, and what each looks like in practice. It covers common data file formats, the features of common data stores including databases, and which Azure datastore suits a given use case. It then separates transactional workloads from analytical ones and finishes with roles: what a database administrator, a data engineer and a data analyst are each responsible for.
Identify considerations for relational data on Azure (20 to 25%). First the relational basics: the features of relational data, normalisation and why it is used, common SQL statements and common database objects. Then the services: the Azure SQL family (Azure SQL Database, Azure SQL Managed Instance and SQL Server on Azure Virtual Machines) and the Azure database services for open-source database systems.
Describe considerations for working with non-relational data on Azure (15 to 20%). The smallest domain. It covers Azure Storage, meaning Blob storage, Azure Files and Table storage, and what each one holds. Then Azure Cosmos DB: its use cases and its APIs, and when you would choose it.
Describe an analytics workload on Azure (25 to 30%). Large-scale analytics: data ingestion and processing, the options for analytical data stores, and Microsoft's cloud services for analytics, which the outline names as including Azure Databricks and Microsoft Fabric. It adds real-time analytics, including the difference between batch and streaming data and the services for real-time work. It ends with Power BI: its capabilities, the features of its data models, and choosing an appropriate visualisation for the data.
Why people fail it
Fundamentals does not mean easy, it means broad, and the wrong options are written to sound plausible.
The most common trap is service selection at speed. You will meet short scenarios where Azure SQL Database, Azure SQL Managed Instance and SQL Server on a virtual machine all look reasonable, and the deciding detail is how much control or compatibility the customer needs. The same happens with Cosmos DB against Table storage, and with a data lake against a data warehouse.
The second trap is vocabulary. OLTP against OLAP, structured against semi-structured, batch against streaming: one word in the question often decides the answer, and reading too fast costs marks.
The third is misreading the weighting. Core data concepts and analytics together are 50 to 60% of the exam. People who come from a SQL background tend to spend their time on the relational domain they already know, then lose marks on Fabric, Databricks, real-time analytics and Power BI. Microsoft Learn is also not available during Fundamentals exams, so you cannot look anything up.
A study plan that fits the exam
Six weeks suits most people who study part time. The split follows the weights: about a week and a half on core concepts, a week and a quarter on relational data, three quarters of a week on non-relational data, a week and a half on analytics and a final week of timed practice.
- Week 1: core data concepts. Structured, semi-structured and unstructured data, common file formats, and the types of data store. End the week with the free DP-900 practice questions to see where you stand.
- Week 2: workloads, roles and relational basics. Transactional against analytical workloads, the three data roles, then relational features, normalisation, common SQL statements and database objects.
- Week 3: relational and non-relational services. The Azure SQL family and when to pick each option, the open-source database services, then Blob storage, Azure Files and Table storage.
- Week 4: Cosmos DB and large-scale analytics. Cosmos DB use cases and APIs, then ingestion and processing, analytical data stores, Azure Databricks and Microsoft Fabric.
- Week 5: real-time analytics and Power BI. Batch against streaming, the real-time services, then Power BI capabilities, data models and choosing a visualisation.
- Week 6: timed runs. Take Microsoft's free Practice Assessment, then work through the questions-only copy in the DP-900 practice question pack in 45 minute blocks. Read the explanation for every miss, especially where two services both looked right.
On exam day
You book through Pearson VUE and sit the exam either online, proctored by webcam and microphone, or at a test centre. For an online exam you can check in from 30 minutes before your appointment, and Microsoft says the launch and check-in process takes about 15 minutes, so start early.
You have 45 minutes to answer, inside 65 minutes of seat time. Five minutes of break time is built into the exam, but the clock keeps running during a break and you cannot go back to questions you saw before it, so answer or review everything first. If the exam is not offered in your preferred language, you can request an extra 30 minutes.
Frequently asked questions
What happens if I fail the DP-900?
You can retake it after 24 hours. After that, Microsoft imposes a 14 day wait between attempts, with no more than five attempts in 12 months from the first. Microsoft's retake policy says you must pay to retake the exam where applicable, so it is worth being ready the first time.
Is the DP-900 being retired?
Not as far as Microsoft has said. As of 1 November 2026, the certification page and the study guide carry no retirement notice, and DP-900 does not appear on Microsoft's exam retirement page. The current skills outline took effect on 21 July 2026 with minor changes only.
Is the practice pack enough on its own?
Probably not if Azure data services are new to you. The pack is practice, not a course: it shows you how the exam asks about each service and explains why the wrong options are wrong, but it does not replace learning what Cosmos DB or Fabric actually do. Use Microsoft's self-paced learning paths on Microsoft Learn for that, then use the 323 questions to test yourself and find the gaps.
When you are ready to test yourself properly, get the DP-900 practice questions with full explanations.
Sources
The official pages the facts in this guide were checked against.
- learn.microsoft.com/en-us/credentials/certifications/resources/study-guides/dp-900
- learn.microsoft.com/en-us/credentials/certifications/azure-data-fundamentals/
- learn.microsoft.com/en-us/credentials/support/exam-duration-exam-experience
- learn.microsoft.com/en-us/credentials/certifications/exam-scoring-reports
- learn.microsoft.com/en-us/credentials/exam-pricing.json
- learn.microsoft.com/en-us/credentials/certifications/online-exams
- learn.microsoft.com/en-us/credentials/certifications/renew-your-microsoft-certification
- learn.microsoft.com/en-us/credentials/support/retake-policy
- learn.microsoft.com/en-us/credentials/support/retired-certification-exams
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