DP-900 Certification

What the DP-900 Credential Actually Is

DP-900 is the exam code for Microsoft Certified: Azure Data Fundamentals. It is a Microsoft-issued, entry-level credential that verifies you understand foundational data concepts and how Microsoft Azure supports relational, non-relational and analytics workloads. If you have seen the acronym attached to other credentials elsewhere, set that aside: this article covers only the Microsoft exam, and every fact below is specific to it.

One identity point trips up new candidates constantly. DP-900 is not AZ-900. AZ-900 (Azure Fundamentals) is a broader cloud-concepts exam, while DP-900 concentrates on data: how it is structured, stored, queried and analyzed. If you want the naming background first, our explainers on what DP-900 certification is and what DP-900 stands for cover the basics before you commit to a study plan.

The credential is a good fit for people who need data literacy rather than deep engineering skill. Microsoft recommends familiarity with data concepts and related coursework, but it does not state a mandatory degree, work experience, training hours, references or preceding certification. For the full eligibility picture, see our DP-900 requirements guide.

The Four Measured Areas and Their Published Ranges

Microsoft's study guide, with skills measured as of July 21, 2026, groups the exam into four areas with official percentage ranges. The ranges are what Microsoft publishes, so avoid collapsing them into midpoints or assuming an exact number of live-form questions per area. The guide also notes that its subtopic bullets are illustrative, so related topics may appear.

Notice that two areas share the top range of 25-30%. Together, the core data and analytics areas anchor a large share of the exam, which should shape where your study hours go. For a deeper walk-through of each area, read our complete guide to all four DP-900 content areas.

Core Data Concepts: What to Master

The first area is the foundation, and because it carries one of the two highest ranges, weak fundamentals here will cost you across the whole exam. Everything later assumes you can distinguish kinds of data and understand how they are stored and used.

The transactional-versus-analytical distinction deserves special attention because it reappears in the relational and analytics areas. If you can explain why a system optimized for many small writes differs from one optimized for large aggregated reads, later questions become much easier to reason through.

Relational vs. Non-Relational Data on Azure

Areas two and three are the contrast pair. The exam repeatedly asks you to choose the right kind of data store for a described scenario, so learn them side by side rather than in isolation.

Relational data on Azure (20-25%)

Expect questions on relational fundamentals such as tables, rows, keys and normalization, plus the purpose of SQL and the broad categories of SQL statements. You should also be able to identify Azure's relational offerings and match a scenario to the right deployment style: a fully managed database service, a managed instance, or a virtual machine running a database engine. The recurring theme is trade-offs: how much control you retain versus how much administration Azure handles for you.

Non-relational data on Azure (15-20%)

This area carries the lowest published range, but it is still worth real study time. Focus on what each non-relational storage option is for: blob, file and table storage, and document-style and other NoSQL approaches. Practice reading a short scenario and deciding whether it calls for flexible-schema storage, object storage for unstructured files, or a relational design.

The Analytics Workload Area

The fourth area shares the 25-30% top range with core data concepts, so it should never be treated as an afterthought. It asks you to describe how organizations turn raw data into insight on Azure.

A useful frame is to ask three questions of every analytics scenario: where does the data originate, how fast must it be processed, and who consumes the output? Answering those usually eliminates most wrong options. If you are comparing preparation resources for this area, our DP-900 study guide lays out a full approach, and the one-page DP-900 cheat sheet is handy for last-minute review of the terminology.

Exam Mechanics: Fee, Time, Format and Scoring

Knowing the logistics removes anxiety on exam day. The figures below come from Microsoft's published materials, and where something is not verified, it is stated as such.

Two points deserve emphasis. First, the passing score is a scaled score, not a percentage of questions answered correctly, and some questions may be unscored. Our DP-900 passing score guide explains what that means in practice. Second, the exact number of questions is not fixed. Microsoft's general Fundamentals range is not a DP-900-specific count, and Certiport's listing of 43-48 carries a retrieval caveat, so avoid treating any single number as guaranteed.

For a full cost discussion, including how regional pricing and discounts work, see the DP-900 certification cost breakdown.

Booking, Delivery Options and Retake Rules

You can take the exam through Pearson VUE, either at a testing center or, in supported regions, through online proctoring. Online delivery has real requirements: acceptable identification, a system check, and a room that meets the proctoring rules. Test your equipment and read the online exam requirements well before exam day, not on the morning of. If you need an accommodation, request it in advance rather than at check-in.

Retake rules are clearly published. After a first failed attempt you must wait 24 hours before retrying. For subsequent attempts the wait is 14 days, and you may attempt the exam at most five times in a 12-month period. Payment applies to each attempt unless an eligible offer covers it. These rules make a failed first attempt recoverable, but they also mean you should not book casually and treat the first sitting as a trial run.

Scheduling windows and provider update timing are covered in our DP-900 exam dates guide. One timing detail worth noting: Certiport's update archive lists an English DP-900 update planned for August 4, 2026, and localized updates planned for October 6, 2026. Those provider release dates are separate from Microsoft's July 21, 2026 skills-effective date for the study guide, so check which version applies when you book.

Sequencing Your Preparation Around the Weights

Because the published ranges are uneven, a sensible plan front-loads the heaviest and most foundational material. Here is one way to sequence about four weeks, tied directly to the four areas.

The logic is simple: core data concepts underpin everything, so they come first, and analytics returns in the final week because it carries the same top range and benefits from the context built in between. If you want a plan that goes further, the DP-900 study guide expands this into a fuller approach, and Microsoft's own one-day course is a legitimate preparation option, though completing a course does not itself award the certification. If you are weighing formal options, our page on DP-900 training compares routes.

Who Benefits From This Certification

DP-900 suits people who touch data in a business or technical setting but are not yet specialists. That includes students building a first credential, business analysts who want to speak the language of data platforms, sales and project staff working alongside cloud teams, and career changers moving toward data engineering, database administration or analytics. It is also a common stepping stone: many candidates use it to build confidence before pursuing more advanced Azure data credentials.

Hiring value is honest but modest. A fundamentals credential signals baseline literacy and initiative rather than hands-on mastery, so it works best alongside projects, coursework or practical experience. For the job-market angle, see DP-900 jobs, and for whether the effort pays off, our ROI analysis and salary guide examine earnings and career impact. We do not quote salary figures here because no verified number belongs in this article.

On difficulty, the exam is introductory, but the scenario-style questions reward understanding over rote recall. Our piece on how hard the DP-900 exam is sets realistic expectations. One benefit worth stressing: the certification does not expire, and there is no renewal assessment and no continuing-education quota, so the effort you invest is a one-time cost.

Source Cautions: Figures You Should Not Trust

Because this is a popular exam, third-party sites publish confident-sounding numbers that do not match Microsoft's published information. Some list the four areas as equal 25% blocks, which contradicts the official ranges. Others quote inconsistent fees or timers and cite pass rates that no official source supports. None of those figures are adopted here.

Microsoft does not publish a DP-900 pass rate in the official sources reviewed, so any specific percentage you see is unsupported. For a measured discussion of what can and cannot be said, read our DP-900 pass rate analysis. When in doubt, go to the issuer's certification page and study guide and treat them as the authority for objectives, pricing and policy.

Frequently Asked Questions