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Microsoft Exam Syllabus

DP-900 syllabus, skills measured, and exam topics

The DP-900 exam measures Describe core data concepts, Identify considerations for relational data on Azure, and Describe considerations for working with non-relational data on Azure. Use this page to review the current official syllabus, major domains, and source links before exam day.

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Skills measured by domain

Use the weighting table to decide where to spend the most study time.

Domain Weight
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 25–30%
Describe an analytics workload on Azure 25–30%

Detailed outline

Scan each section as a working study checklist instead of one long wall of text.

Describe core data concepts (25–30%)

  • Describe the features of structured data
  • Describe the features of semi-structured data
  • Describe the features of unstructured data
  • Describe common formats for data files
  • Describe features of common data stores including databases
  • Identify Azure datastores for common use cases
  • Describe features of transactional workloads
  • Describe features of analytical workloads
  • Describe responsibilities for database administrators
  • Describe responsibilities for data engineers
  • Describe responsibilities for data analysts

Identify considerations for relational data on Azure (20–25%)

  • Identify features of relational data
  • Describe normalization and why it is used
  • Identify common structured query language (SQL) statements
  • Identify common database objects
  • Describe the Azure SQL family of products, including Azure SQL Database, Azure SQL Managed Instance, and SQL Server on Azure Virtual Machines
  • Identify Azure database services for open-source database systems

Describe considerations for working with non-relational data on Azure (15–20%)

  • Describe features of Azure Blob storage
  • Describe features of Azure Files
  • Describe features of Azure Table storage
  • Identify use cases for Azure Cosmos DB
  • Describe Azure Cosmos DB APIs

Describe an analytics workload (25–30%)

  • Describe considerations for data ingestion and processing
  • Describe options for analytical data stores
  • Describe Microsoft cloud services for large-scale analytics, including Azure Databricks and Microsoft Fabric
  • Describe the difference between batch and streaming data
  • Identify Microsoft cloud services for real-time analytics
  • Identify the capabilities of Power BI
  • Describe features of data models in Power BI
  • Identify appropriate visualizations for data

Purpose of this document

  • This study guide should help you understand what to expect on the exam and includes a summary of the topics the exam might cover and links to additional resources. The information and materials in this document should help you focus your studies as you prepare for the exam.
  • Useful links: Description
  • Take a free Practice Assessment: Test your skills with practice questions to help you prepare for the exam.
  • Your Microsoft Learn profile: Connecting your certification profile to Microsoft Learn allows you to schedule and renew exams and share and print certificates.
  • Exam scoring and score reports: A score of 700 or greater is required to pass.
  • Exam sandbox: You can explore the exam environment by visiting our exam sandbox.
  • Request accommodations: If you use assistive devices, require extra time, or need modification to any part of the exam experience, you can request an accommodation.

Updates to the exam

  • We always update the English language version of the exam first. Some exams are localized into other languages, and those are updated approximately eight weeks after the English version is updated. Although Microsoft makes every effort to update localized versions as noted, there may be times when the localized versions of an exam are not updated on this schedule. Other available languages are listed in the Schedule Exam section of the Exam Details webpage. If the exam isn't available in your preferred language, you can request an additional 30 minutes to complete the exam.
  • The bullets that follow each of the skills measured are intended to illustrate how we are assessing that skill. Related topics may be covered in the exam.
  • Most questions cover features that are general availability (GA). The exam may contain questions on Preview features if those features are commonly used.

Audience profile

  • This exam is an opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge of core data concepts and related Microsoft Azure data services. As a candidate for this exam, you should have familiarity with Exam DP-900’s self-paced or instructor-led learning material.
  • This exam is intended for you, if you’re a candidate beginning to work with data in the cloud.
  • The concepts of relational and non-relational data.
  • Different types of data workloads such as transactional or analytical.
  • You can use Azure Data Fundamentals to prepare for other Azure role-based certifications like Azure Database Administrator Associate or Azure Data Engineer Associate, but it is not a prerequisite for any of them.