The Microsoft Azure Data Fundamentals certification earned by passing the DP-900 exam — validates foundational knowledge of core data concepts and Microsoft Azure data services. In 2026, as data literacy has become a baseline expectation for IT and business professionals alike, DP-900 is one of the most accessible and strategically valuable Microsoft fundamentals certifications available.
What the DP-900 Tests
The DP-900 covers four domains:
Describe Core Data Concepts (25–35%) — Relational versus non-relational data, batch processing versus stream processing, data formats (structured, semi-structured, unstructured), and the roles of database administrators, data engineers, and data analysts.
Identify Considerations for Relational Data on Azure (20–25%) — Characteristics of relational data, SQL Server concepts (tables, views, stored procedures, indexes). Azure relational database services: Azure SQL Database, Azure SQL Managed Instance, Azure Database for PostgreSQL, Azure Database for MySQL.
Describe Considerations for Working with Non-Relational Data on Azure (15–25%) — NoSQL data characteristics, key-value stores, document stores, column-family stores, graph stores, and Azure Cosmos DB as Microsoft’s multi-model NoSQL service.
Describe an Analytics Workload on Azure (25–35%) — Data warehousing concepts, ELT vs. ETL, Azure Synapse Analytics, Azure HDInsight, Azure Databricks, Microsoft Fabric, real-time analytics with Azure Stream Analytics, and data visualization with Power BI.
Who Should Take DP-900?
DP-900 is designed for candidates with non-technical data exposure who want to validate foundational data literacy:
- Business analysts who work with data but do not build data systems
- IT professionals learning the Microsoft data platform ecosystem
- Database administrators expanding from on-premises to Azure
- Non-technical stakeholders in data projects who need data vocabulary
- Candidates preparing for more advanced data certifications (DP-203, DP-100, DP-300)
Like AZ-900 and SC-900, DP-900 requires no prerequisites and is appropriate for candidates without programming or database administration backgrounds.
Most Frequently Tested DP-900 Topics
Relational vs. non-relational data scenarios — The most consistently tested concept area. Scenario questions describe a data requirement — variable schema, high throughput key-value lookups, complex joins across normalized tables — and ask you to identify whether a relational or non-relational solution is appropriate.
Azure SQL Database vs. Azure SQL Managed Instance vs. SQL Server on VM — These three options for running SQL workloads. Azure offer different compatibility levels, management responsibilities, and feature sets. Understanding when each is appropriate is directly tested.
Azure Cosmos DB APIs — Cosmos DB supports multiple APIs: SQL (Core) API, MongoDB API, Cassandra API, Gremlin API, and Table API. Each is optimized for different NoSQL data models. Knowing which API matches which data model scenario is tested.
Azure Synapse Analytics vs. Azure Databricks — Synapse is an integrated analytics service for enterprise data warehousing and big data analytics. Databricks is a collaborative Apache Spark-based analytics platform focused on data engineering and machine learning. Questions present a workload description and ask you to select the appropriate service.
Microsoft Fabric — Introduced as a SaaS analytics platform in 2023. Microsoft Fabric integrates data engineering, data warehousing, data science, real-time analytics, and business intelligence in a single platform. The DP-900 in 2026 includes Microsoft Fabric content — candidates using pre-2024 study materials may have gaps here.
For current DP-900 practice questions that include Microsoft Fabric content and cover all four domains with updated scenario-based questions, CertEmpire’s DP-900 exam dumps reflect the 2026 exam objectives with explanations that address the Azure data service selection decisions the exam tests.
DP-900 Study Plan: 2–3 Weeks
Week 1: Core data concepts — relational vs. non-relational data characteristics, batch vs. stream processing, common data formats, and data professional roles.
Week 2: Azure relational services (Azure SQL Database, Managed Instance, PostgreSQL, MySQL) and non-relational services (Cosmos DB, Table Storage, Blob Storage for data).
3rd Week: Analytics workloads — Azure Synapse Analytics, Databricks, Microsoft Fabric, Power BI fundamentals, and real-time analytics with Stream Analytics. Full practice exam at the end of week 3.
The DP-900 is one of the fastest Microsoft fundamentals certifications to prepare. Because it covers concepts at a higher level than Azure or security certifications. Data fundamentals — what a table is, what a schema is, what the difference between OLTP and OLAP workloads means — build on concepts many candidates have encountered before.
After DP-900: The Data Platform Certification Path
DP-900 is the entry point for Microsoft’s data platform certification ecosystem:
- DP-203 (Azure Data Engineer Associate) — For professionals building data pipelines and managing data lakes
- DP-300 (Azure Database Administrator Associate) — For database administrators managing Azure SQL environments
- DP-100 (Azure Data Scientist Associate) — For data scientists building machine learning models on Azure
- PL-300 (Power BI Data Analyst Associate) — For analytics professionals building Power BI reports and dashboards
DP-900 Exam Logistics
- Questions: 40–60
- Time: 45 minutes
- Passing score: 700/1000
- Exam fee: $165 USD
- Validity: Does not expire
For candidates pursuing the full Microsoft data platform certification path, CertMage provides a centralized platform for tracking study progress across multiple Microsoft data exam objectives from DP-900 through associate-level credentials.
