What Is DP-900?

What DP-900 Actually Is

DP-900 is the exam code for Microsoft Certified: Azure Data Fundamentals. Passing the exam earns that credential. It is an entry-level certification from Microsoft that verifies you understand the basic vocabulary of data (rows, documents, key-value pairs, batch and streaming) and can match common data workloads to the right Azure services.

The acronym is easy to misread. "DP" is part of Microsoft's naming scheme for data-focused role exams, and "900" marks it as a fundamentals-level exam. It is a different exam from AZ-900 (Azure Fundamentals). AZ-900 is about cloud concepts in general; DP-900 is specifically about data: how data is structured, stored, processed and analyzed on Azure. If you are weighing both, the DP-900 certification overview and the explainer on what DP-900 stands for cover the naming in more detail.

Who Issues It and How the Exam Is Delivered

Microsoft Corporation governs and issues the certification. Exam delivery runs through Pearson VUE, and Certiport is also offered to students and educators. The authoritative reference is Microsoft's own Azure Data Fundamentals certification page on Microsoft Learn, along with the published study guide for Exam DP-900.

Booking mechanics

• Fee: The U.S. list price shown on Microsoft's certification page is $99 USD. Your final price depends on country, taxes and any eligible discounts. Microsoft does not publish a general member versus non-member pricing tier. For a fuller breakdown, see the DP-900 certification cost guide.
• Delivery: A proctored, computer-based assessment. You can test at a center or, in supported regions, through Pearson VUE online proctoring, which has ID, system and room requirements.
• Accommodations: If you need them, request them in advance rather than on exam day.
• Scheduling: Timing and availability questions are addressed in the DP-900 exam dates guide.

Prerequisites

Microsoft does not state any mandatory degree, work hours, references or preceding certification for DP-900. It does recommend familiarity with data concepts and the related coursework. Certiport's broader pathway material mentions instructional hours, but that is not a verified entry rule for this exam. The DP-900 requirements guide separates what is actually required from what is merely recommended.

The Four Skill Areas You Are Tested On

Microsoft publishes four skill areas with percentage ranges. Treat these as ranges, not exact question counts; the live exam does not publish a fixed allocation, and Microsoft notes that the subtopic bullets in its guide are illustrative, so related topics may also appear.

One quirk worth knowing: Microsoft's certification page and "skills at a glance" list the fourth area as "Describe an analytics workload on Azure," while the study guide's detailed heading omits "on Azure." They refer to the same area. For a deeper walk through each area, see the complete guide to all four DP-900 content areas.

Domain 1 in Depth: Core Data Concepts

The trap here is overthinking. Questions in this area tend to test whether you can categorize a scenario correctly. A table of customer orders is structured; a JSON document with variable fields is semi-structured; a folder of images is unstructured. If you can sort scenarios quickly, this domain becomes a reliable source of points.

Pay particular attention to the contrast between transactional and analytical workloads. Transactional systems handle many small reads and writes with strong consistency, such as processing an order. Analytical systems scan large volumes of historical data to answer questions, such as trends over a year. This distinction recurs in Domains 2 and 4, so learning it here pays off three times.

Domains 2 and 3: Relational vs. Non-Relational on Azure

These two domains are paired in practice, because the exam repeatedly asks you to choose between them. Together they account for a substantial portion of the exam, with relational at 20-25% and non-relational at 15-20%.

The decision pattern the exam rewards

The exam is rarely asking you to write code. It is asking you to read a short scenario and choose the best-fitting service. A useful habit is to ask three questions of every scenario: Is the data structured with fixed relationships? Does it need a flexible schema or massive scale? How much administration does the team want to handle themselves? Those three questions eliminate most wrong answers.

Candidates coming from a SQL background often find Domain 2 comfortable and Domain 3 unfamiliar, while those from a development background see the reverse. If you are honest about which side you are weaker on, you can allocate time accordingly. The DP-900 difficulty guide discusses how background affects the experience.

Domain 4 in Depth: Analytics Workloads

Many first-time candidates underestimate this domain because it feels more like architecture than facts. In practice, it rewards a clear mental picture of a pipeline: data lands, gets transformed, gets stored in a form suited to analysis, and is finally presented to people who make decisions. If you can narrate that flow and name the Azure service that plays each part, you are well prepared.

Format, Scoring and Retakes

What to expect on exam day

• Time: The assessment is allotted 45 minutes, and Microsoft lists 65 minutes as seat time for Fundamentals exams (which includes check-in and administrative steps).
• Questions: The number varies. Microsoft publishes a general 40-60 range across exams, but no fixed DP-900 total or scored/unscored split is verified. Certiport's exam length listing has indicated 43-48 for DP-900, but that is a provider-specific figure with version caveats, so treat it as a rough expectation rather than a promise.
• Question types: The mix is not disclosed, and the exam may include interactive elements. Be prepared for more than plain multiple choice.
• Resources: Microsoft Learn is unavailable during Fundamentals exams.

Scoring

You need a score of 700 or greater on a scaled range of 1 to 1,000. This is a scaled score, not a percentage of questions answered correctly, and some questions may be unscored. Do not try to back-calculate a number of questions you can miss. The details are covered in the DP-900 passing score guide. Microsoft does not publicly disclose a pass rate in the sources reviewed, so be skeptical of any site quoting a precise one; the DP-900 pass rate article explains what can and cannot be said.

If you do not pass

Microsoft's retake policy allows a second attempt after 24 hours following a first failure. Subsequent attempts require a 14-day wait, with a maximum of five attempts in a 12-month period. Retakes are paid unless covered by an eligible offer.

Validity

Fundamentals certifications do not expire. There is no renewal assessment and no continuing-education quota, which makes DP-900 a one-time investment.

Who Should Take It and Where It Leads

DP-900 suits a wide audience because it assumes little. Typical candidates include:

• Career changers moving into data, analytics or cloud roles who need a recognized first credential
• Students and educators, particularly those using the Certiport route
• Business analysts and managers who work alongside data teams and want shared vocabulary
• Developers and IT generalists who need to understand Azure's data portfolio before specializing

It is a foundation, not a destination. Employers generally treat it as evidence of baseline literacy rather than job-ready depth, and it pairs best with demonstrable projects or hands-on practice. For realistic views of the job market and earnings, the DP-900 jobs overview and the salary guide are the right next reads, and the ROI analysis helps you decide whether it justifies the fee and effort for your situation.

Microsoft offers a one-day instructor-led course aligned to the exam, and its free self-paced learning content covers the same areas. Optional exercises and completion certificates from that training are preparation only; they do not substitute for the proctored certification exam. More on formal preparation options is in the DP-900 training guide.

Sequencing Your Preparation Around the Domains

Rather than a generic schedule, sequence your study by how the domains build on each other. This is one reasonable ordering for a four-week plan; compress or stretch it to fit your background.

Analytics goes last because it draws on everything that precedes it: you cannot reason about a warehouse without understanding the sources feeding it. For a full plan with resources, see the DP-900 study guide, and keep the DP-900 cheat sheet handy for last-minute review. When you are ready to test your recall under realistic conditions, use the DP-900 practice tests. These are preparation materials and do not reproduce the undisclosed live exam format or official questions.

Frequently Asked Questions