DP-900 Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass

The Number: 700 on a 1-1,000 Scale

The passing standard for Microsoft Certified: Azure Data Fundamentals (DP-900) is a scaled score of 700 or greater on a scale of 1 to 1,000. That is the whole official threshold. Microsoft does not publish a separate cut line for individual domains, and a strong result in one content area does not formally exempt you from the others. Your single overall scaled score decides pass or fail.

If you are still deciding whether to sit the exam, it helps to know what the credential is. DP-900 validates foundational knowledge of core data concepts and how they map to Azure data services. It is a fundamentals-level exam, and Microsoft states no mandatory degree, work experience, training hours or preceding certification. For the full eligibility picture, see our guide to DP-900 requirements and prerequisites. If you are brand new to the topic, What Is DP-900 Certification? gives the plain-language overview.

Why 700 Is Not 70% Correct

The single most common misunderstanding about this exam is treating 700 as a percentage. Microsoft is explicit that exam scores are converted to a scale, and 700 is the scaled equivalent of the passing standard, not a count of correct answers divided by total questions. Several consequences follow.

• Some questions may be unscored. Microsoft notes that an exam can include items that do not count toward your result. You cannot tell which ones they are, so treat every question as if it counts.
• Raw-percentage arithmetic is unreliable. Because scoring is scaled, "I answered about 70% correctly" tells you almost nothing about whether you reached 700.
• Question weighting can differ. You should not assume every item contributes identically, so do not spend a disproportionate amount of time protecting one hard question.

For a sense of how demanding that standard actually feels in practice, read How Hard Is the DP-900 Exam?, which breaks down where candidates tend to lose ground.

Reading Your Score Report by Domain

After the exam you receive a score report. Microsoft documents its exam scoring reports, and the overall result is your scaled score against the 700 standard. The report also gives performance feedback by skill area, which is most useful if you do not pass, because it shows where to concentrate your next round of preparation.

A useful way to use that feedback is to map it to the four official skill areas:

These are ranges Microsoft publishes, not exact item counts. Microsoft's skills outline also states that listed subtopics are illustrative and that related topics may appear, so treat the bullets in the study guide as a floor, not a ceiling. Our complete guide to all four DP-900 content areas walks through each domain in more depth.

Format, Timing and the Pressure on Your Score

Knowing the delivery conditions helps you protect your score on exam day.

• Time: the assessment is 45 minutes. Fundamentals exams allot 65 minutes of total seat time, which covers check-in and exam-experience steps rather than additional answering time.
• Questions: the count is variable. Microsoft does not publish a fixed DP-900 total or a scored/unscored split. Microsoft's general range of 40-60 questions for exams is not an exact DP-900 number, and Certiport indexes a 43-48 figure in one July 2026 listing that you should treat as provider-specific and subject to later updates.
• Format: a proctored, computer-based assessment that may be interactive. The specific mix of question types is not disclosed, so do not prepare for only one style.
• Resources: Microsoft Learn is not available during Fundamentals exams. Everything you need must be in your head.
• Delivery: Pearson VUE delivers the exam, with online proctoring available in supported regions (ID, system and room requirements apply), and Certiport also offers it to students and educators. Request accommodations in advance if you need them.

Check our DP-900 exam dates and scheduling guide to plan booking around your readiness rather than a deadline.

Where Your Points Come From: The Four Domains

Because the pass decision is a single scaled score, the practical question is where to invest your preparation. The published ranges tell you: two domains carry the heaviest share, and a third is meaningful. Here is what a candidate must be able to do in each.

Add the two heaviest ranges together and they represent a majority of the exam by weight, which is why they get priority in the plan below. Our DP-900 study guide expands each of these topic lists into a full learning path.

A Domain-Ordered Plan for Reaching 700

Rather than a generic schedule, sequence your preparation by how domains build on each other. Core concepts come first because the terminology in Domain 1 is the vocabulary of every other domain. Analytics comes last because it assumes you already understand relational and non-relational storage.

For a compressed version of the facts worth memorizing, use the DP-900 cheat sheet in your final days, and work through realistic questions on our DP-900 practice test site. Our practice questions are preparation material and do not claim to replicate the live exam's undisclosed format or official questions.

If You Miss 700: Retakes, Fees and Next Steps

A score below 700 is recoverable, and Microsoft's retake policy is defined clearly:

• After your first failed attempt, you can retake after 24 hours.
• For subsequent failures, you must wait 14 days between attempts.
• You can attempt the exam at most five times in a 12-month period.
• Each attempt requires payment unless an eligible offer covers it.

On cost, the U.S. list price shown on the issuer's certification page is $99 USD. Country, taxes and eligible discounts affect what you actually pay, and Microsoft does not publish a general member versus non-member pricing tier. Because every retake can carry a fee, preparing well the first time is the cheaper path. Our DP-900 certification cost breakdown covers booking mechanics in detail.

One positive on the other side of the exam: Microsoft states that Fundamentals certifications do not expire and carry no renewal assessment or continuing-education quota. Once you clear 700, the credential is yours. If you are weighing whether that outcome justifies the effort, see Is the DP-900 Certification Worth It? and the related DP-900 jobs overview for how the credential fits into entry-level data and cloud roles.

Numbers You Should Ignore

Search results for this exam are cluttered with figures that Microsoft does not publish. Treat the following as unverified unless you see them on Microsoft's own pages:

• Specific pass rates. Microsoft does not publicly disclose a DP-900 pass rate in the official sources reviewed. Any precise percentage on a third-party site is unsupported. Our DP-900 pass rate article explains what can and cannot be known.
• Exact question totals. No fixed DP-900 count or scored/unscored split is verified. Certiport's 43-48 listing is provider-specific, and the row may change with later updates.
• Equal 25% domain splits. Some third-party pages present four equal domains. Microsoft's published ranges are 25-30%, 20-25%, 15-20% and 25-30%, and the study guide notes that related topics may also appear.
• Inconsistent fee and timer claims. Rely on Microsoft's certification page and exam-duration documentation instead.

Also be aware that Certiport has listed English and localized DP-900 update dates for August and October 2026, separate from Microsoft's skills-effective date of July 21, 2026. Before you book, confirm you are studying against the current skills outline on Microsoft Learn.

Frequently Asked Questions