DP-900 Study Guide

Microsoft Certified: Azure Data Fundamentals

Before You Start Studying

Before diving into the study sections, review the prerequisites and recommended background knowledge below to understand what will help you succeed.

Recommended Exam Path

DP-900 is a fundamentals-level certification, so it is one of the best starting points if you are new to Microsoft data services, cloud data platforms, or modern analytics concepts.

DP-900 is especially useful before moving into more role-based certifications such as:

DP-600: Microsoft Certified – Fabric Analytics Engineer Associate
DP-700: Microsoft Certified – Fabric Data Engineer Associate
PL-300: Microsoft Certified – Power BI Data Analyst Associate

DP-900 helps you build:

Foundational understanding of data concepts
Awareness of relational and non-relational data workloads
Understanding of analytics workloads
Familiarity with Azure data services
Basic awareness of Microsoft Fabric and Power BI concepts

If you are new to Microsoft data certifications, DP-900 is a strong first exam. If you already have hands-on experience with Azure data services, SQL databases, Power BI, or Microsoft Fabric, you may be able to prepare for DP-900 quickly.

Prerequisites

There are no strict prerequisites to start DP-900 preparation.

You do not need to be a developer, data engineer, or database administrator to begin. However, it helps if you have basic familiarity with:

What data is used for in business applications
Basic database concepts
Tables, rows, and columns
Simple reporting and analytics scenarios
Cloud computing concepts
Microsoft Azure at a high level

Recommended Background Knowledge

DP-900 focuses on fundamental data concepts and Azure data services, not deep implementation.

Core Data Concepts

Structured, semi-structured, and unstructured data
Batch and streaming data
Operational and analytical workloads
Relational and non-relational data
Transactional processing and analytical processing

Relational Data Fundamentals

Tables, rows, columns, and schemas
Primary keys and foreign keys
Normalization concepts
Basic SQL query concepts
Azure SQL Database and related relational services

Non-Relational Data Fundamentals

Key-value data
Document data
Column-family data
Graph data
Azure Cosmos DB
Azure Storage concepts

Analytics Workloads

Data ingestion and transformation
Data warehousing concepts
Data lakes and lakehouses
Batch analytics and real-time analytics
Basic Power BI concepts
Awareness of Microsoft Fabric as an analytics platform

Azure Data Services Awareness

Azure SQL Database
Azure Cosmos DB
Azure Storage
Azure Synapse Analytics
Azure Databricks
Microsoft Fabric
Power BI

Step-by-Step Study Guide

Step 1: Review the Official Study Guide

What to do:

Open the official DP-900 study guide
Read the skills measured sections
Note any topics that are new to you
Use it as your checklist throughout your prep

Link to The Official Study Guide

Step 2: Schedule Your Exam

What to do:

Choose a date that gives you enough time for study and practice
Schedule the exam through the official Microsoft certification page
Put the date on your calendar and plan backwards

Recommended timing:

If you already know basic data concepts: 1 to 2 weeks
If you are new to Azure but know databases: 2 to 3 weeks
If you are new to both cloud and data concepts: 3 to 5 weeks

Certification and Exam Details Page

Step 3: Go Through the Official Learning Path

What to do:

Complete the official DP-900 course and modules
Take notes on concepts you cannot explain in simple terms
Focus on understanding the purpose of each Azure data service
Avoid memorizing product names without understanding when they are used

Official Learning Path Course Page

Step 4: Use Microsoft Official Exam Prep Resources

What to do:

Review Microsoft’s official exam prep and readiness content
Use the videos to understand how Microsoft frames the exam objectives
Pay attention to common exam wording and scenario-based questions
Revisit the official study guide after watching prep content

Tips:

DP-900 is a fundamentals exam, so focus on concepts before details
Make sure you can explain each workload type in simple terms
Understand when to use relational, non-relational, and analytical services

Microsoft Exam Readiness Zone

Microsoft Learn DP-900 Video Course

Step 5: Build Basic Hands-On Familiarity

DP-900 is not a deep hands-on implementation exam, but basic exposure to Azure data services makes the concepts much easier to understand.

Reading and watching content helps you learn the terminology, but hands-on exploration helps you recognize how services are used in real scenarios.

You should aim to get basic familiarity with:

Creating or viewing an Azure SQL Database
Understanding what a relational database looks like
Exploring Azure Cosmos DB concepts
Understanding Azure Storage containers and files
Recognizing what a data lake is used for
Understanding where Power BI fits in analytics solutions
Recognizing how Microsoft Fabric supports analytics workloads

You do not need to become an expert in these services for DP-900. The goal is to understand what each service is for, when it is used, and how it fits into a data solution.

Step 6: Benchmark Your Knowledge

What to do:

Use CertiAce to benchmark your readiness
Practice exam-style questions
Use the official Microsoft practice assessment
Review explanations carefully, especially for wrong answers
Return to Microsoft Learn for weak topics

Recommended target:

Aim for consistent performance, not one lucky high score
If a topic is unstable, return to the official learning path
Pay close attention to questions involving workload types, service selection, and data concepts

CertiAce DP-900 Exam Practice

Step 7: Take the Exam

The day before:

Review your weak topics only
Revisit key differences between relational, non-relational, and analytics workloads
Review the main Azure data services and their use cases
Avoid learning brand new topics

On exam day:

Read questions carefully and identify what they are truly asking
Eliminate wrong options first
Watch for wording that points to relational, non-relational, batch, streaming, operational, or analytical workloads
Focus on the best service for the scenario, not just a service you recognize
Remember that DP-900 tests fundamentals, not advanced implementation details

Additional Learning Resources

Microsoft Official Resources

YouTube

Other Resources

https://powerbi.microsoft.com/

Ready to test your knowledge?

Practice questions for DP-900