The Microsoft Azure DP-900 exam, also known as the Microsoft Azure Data Fundamentals exam, is designed for individuals who want to demonstrate foundational knowledge of cloud data services in Microsoft Azure. To prepare for the DP-900 exam, Microsoft recommends that you have a basic understanding of data storage, data processing, and data analysis concepts. You should also have experience working with Excel and SQL, as well as familiarity with basic programming concepts.
Microsoft Azure DP-900 Exam Glossary
Here are some key terms and concepts that may be useful to know for the Microsoft Azure DP-900 exam:
- Cloud computing: The delivery of computing services, including servers, storage, databases, networking, software, analytics, and intelligence, over the internet (the cloud).
- Big data: Extremely large datasets that require advanced tools and techniques to manage, process, and analyze.
- Data analytics: The practice of examining data sets to draw conclusions and insights about the information they contain.
- Data ingestion: The process of importing data from various sources into a system for processing and analysis.
- Learn Data processing: The process of transforming raw data into a usable format for analysis.
- Data storage: The process of saving data for later use or retrieval.
- Data visualization: The graphical representation of data to help users understand the information they contain.
- Relational database: A type of database that organizes data into one or more tables with a unique key for each row.
- Non-relational database: A type of database that does not use a tabular structure, and may be document-based, key-value, graph-based, or other formats.
- Azure Cosmos DB: A fully managed, globally distributed database service that supports multiple data models and APIs.
- Azure Synapse Analytics: A cloud-based analytics service that brings together big data and data warehousing.
- Understand Azure Stream Analytics: A real-time analytics service that processes streaming data from various sources.
- Azure HDInsight: A cloud-based service that provides managed Hadoop, Spark, and Hive clusters.
- Azure Databricks: A fast, easy, and collaborative Apache Spark-based analytics platform.
- SQL Server: A relational database management system developed by Microsoft.
- Azure SQL Database: A fully managed relational database service in Azure that provides high availability, scalability, and security.
- Managed instance: A deployment option for Azure SQL Database that provides the full power of SQL Server with added benefits of PaaS.
Microsoft Azure DP-900 Study Guide
Here are some official resources that may be helpful in preparing for the Microsoft Azure DP-900 exam:
- Microsoft DP-900 certification exam page: This page provides an overview of the exam, including the skills measured, exam format, and registration information. It also includes a link to a free online course that covers the exam content.
- Microsoft Learn DP-900 learning path: This free learning path includes a series of modules that cover the topics and skills measured on the exam. Each module includes interactive lessons, hands-on labs, and assessments.
- DP-900 exam study guide: This study guide provides an overview of the exam content, including the skills measured, exam format, and recommended study materials.
- Microsoft Azure documentation: Microsoft Azure documentation provides a wealth of information about the Azure platform, including tutorials, guides, and best practices for using Azure services.
- Azure free account: Microsoft offers a free Azure account with limited access to its services, which can be used to practice and experiment with Azure features.
- Microsoft certification community: The Microsoft certification community is a forum where you can ask questions, get support, and connect with other certification candidates.
- Microsoft Official Practice Tests: The official practice tests for DP-900 are available on the Microsoft website. These practice tests help candidates prepare for the exam by providing an opportunity to test their knowledge and familiarize themselves with the exam format.
Microsoft Azure DP-900 Exam Tips and Tricks
Here are some tips and tricks that may help you prepare for the Microsoft Azure DP-900 exam:
- Understand the exam objectives: Make sure you have a solid understanding of the skills and concepts that are covered on the exam. Review the exam objectives and study resources to ensure you have a good grasp of each topic.
- Gain hands-on experience: Practice using Azure services and features hands-on, and experiment with different configurations and scenarios. This will not only help you understand the concepts better, but also help you build confidence and increase your familiarity with the Azure platform.
- Use official Microsoft resources: Microsoft offers a wide range of resources to help you prepare for the exam, including online courses, documentation, and practice tests. Make use of these resources to supplement your knowledge and identify areas where you need further study.
- Join study groups or forums: Join study groups or forums where you can connect with other exam candidates and exchange knowledge and tips. This can also help you stay motivated and on track with your exam preparation.
- Focus on key concepts and technologies: The DP-900 exam covers a broad range of Azure services and features. While it is important to have a good understanding of each of these, it is also important to focus on the key concepts and technologies that are most commonly used in the industry. This will help you prioritize your study efforts and better prepare for the exam.
- Manage your time effectively: The DP-900 exam is timed, so it is important to manage your time effectively during the exam. Make sure you are familiar with the exam format and the number of questions you will be required to answer, and practice answering questions under timed conditions.
DP-900 Exam Topics
The course outline is a valuable tool for understanding the exam’s themes and providing a breakdown of key content knowledge for future certification candidates to assess their own preparation.
The Microsoft Azure DP-900 covers the following topics –
1. Describe core data concepts (25—30%)
Describe ways to represent data
- Describe features of structured data (Microsoft Documentation: Understand data store models)
- Describe features of semi-structured (Microsoft Documentation: Query semi-structured data in SQL)
- Describe features of unstructured data (Microsoft Documentation: Understand data store models)
Identify options for data storage
- Describe common formats for data files (Microsoft Documentation: Data formats supported by Azure Data Explorer for ingestion)
- Describe types of databases (Microsoft Documentation: System Databases)
Describe common data workloads
- Describe features of transactional workloads (Microsoft Documentation: Online transaction processing (OLTP))
- Describe features of analytical workloads (Microsoft Documentation: Azure Cosmos DB analytical store)
Identify roles and responsibilities for data workloads
- Describe responsibilities for database administrators
- Describe responsibilities for data engineers (Microsoft Documentation: Data engineer)
- Describe responsibilities for data analysts
2. Identify considerations for relational data on Azure (20—25%)
Describe relational concepts
- Identify features of relational data (Microsoft Documentation: Describe concepts of relational data)
- Describe normalization and why it is used (Microsoft Documentation: Description of the database normalization basics)
- Identify common structured query language (SQL) statements (Microsoft Documentation: Structured Query Language (SQL))
- Identify common database objects (Microsoft Documentation: Database Identifiers)
Describe relational Azure data services
- Describe the Azure SQL family of products including Azure SQL Database, Azure SQL Managed Instance, and SQL Server on Azure Virtual Machines (Microsoft Documentation: Azure SQL, Azure SQL Database, SQL Server on Windows Azure Virtual Machines)
- Identify Azure database services for open-source database systems (Microsoft Documentation: Azure SQL Database)
3. Describe considerations for working with non-relational data on Azure (15—20%)
Describing capabilities of Azure storage
- Describe Azure Blob storage (Microsoft Documentation: Azure Blob storage)
- Describe Azure File storage (Microsoft Documentation: Azure Files)
- Describe Azure Table storage (Microsoft Documentation: Azure Table storage)
Describe capabilities and features of Azure Cosmos DB
- Identify use cases for Azure Cosmos DB (Microsoft Documentation: Common Azure Cosmos DB use cases)
- Describe Azure Cosmos DB APIs (Microsoft Documentation: Azure Cosmos DB: REST API Reference)
4. Describe an analytics workload on Azure (25—30%)
Describing common elements of large-scale analytics
- Describe considerations for data ingestion and processing (Microsoft Documentation: Azure Data Explorer data ingestion overview)
- Describe options for analytical data stores (Microsoft Documentation: Choose an analytical data store in Azure)
- Describe Azure services for data warehousing, including Azure Synapse Analytics, Azure Databricks, Azure HDInsight, and Azure Data Factory (Microsoft Documentation: Data warehousing in Microsoft Azure, Azure Synapse Analytics)
Describe consideration for real-time data analytics
- Describe the difference between batch and streaming data (Microsoft Documentation: Explore fundamentals of real-time analytics)
- Describe technologies for real-time analytics including Azure Stream Analytics, Azure Synapse Data Explorer, and Spark structured streaming (Microsoft Documentation: Real-time processing)
Describe data visualization in Microsoft Power BI
- Identify capabilities of Power BI (Microsoft Documentation: Power BI)
- Describe features of data models in Power BI (Microsoft Documentation: Model data in Power BI)
- Identify appropriate visualizations for data (Microsoft Documentation: Visualization types in Power BI)
How to prepare for the Microsoft Azure DP-900 exam?
Microsoft Azure Data Platform 900 certification exam is a measure of your ability to develop an effective design for implementing and operating a data platform. It also aims to see how well you know Microsoft Azure’s most recent solutions. We may conclude from the exam syllabus and methodology that achieving the certification will necessitate hard work and strategy.
Your chances are better if you are well prepared. And for that, you will need learning resources. But picking the authentic resources is a vital step. Hence, to make your job easy, we have screened out a set of resources that you can use to prepare and face the exam with confidence.
Learning Resources for Microsoft Azure DP-900
Exam can be very challenging, and it is natural that you may feel overwhelmed by the sheer amount of content to cover. While you will never be able to know everything, here are a few resources professionals recommend and how they help candidates pass the exam. Have a look here!
1. Microsoft Learning Platform
The Microsoft Learning Platform is a flexible learning environment that provides you with the resources you need to learn what you want, where you want, and when you want. From top-notch classroom training, on-demand online learning, free training through MOOCs, or virtual/remote access to a business expert in Azure, the Microsoft Learning Platform delivers it all. The Microsoft Learning Platform is the best way to explore training and certification options. Moreover, this place where you can choose from among courses and virtual workshops for on-demand learning, or you can sign up to attend a class near you. Refer: Microsoft Learn
2. Microsoft Documentation
Microsoft Documentation provides you with a wide range of information that is divided into courses and lessons. The courses are different subjects you can study to learn about Microsoft products or technologies. Further, it has multiple sub-categories with programming information, tutorials, examples, and guides. The learning tools and references are a very reliable source to get you started on any programming project, cloud game, or website platform. Additionally, referring to the Microsoft Azure DP-900 tutorial will serve as icing on the cake.
3. Instructor-Led Training
Instructor-led training has been a popular format of learning infrastructure. These courses are an interactive way of teaching and learning. Here, you can get all your queries instantly answered by the instructors. These instructors are experts in their field with years of experience. With their knowledge and experience, it will be easier for you to comprehend the contents of the course. For more details, you can visit the official website. The below mentioned are the training courses that are highly beneficial for you –
- Course AZ-900T01-A: Microsoft Azure Fundamentals (1 Day)
- Course AZ-900T00-A: Microsoft Azure Fundamentals (2 Day)
4. DP-900 Books
Books, undoubtedly, form the bedrock of all the knowledge and wisdom you possess. These help you learn about things that would otherwise remain unknown to you. However, with a lot of books on offer today, one may be left wondering – which books will actually be helpful? The answer lies in the fact that one should opt for the best tools (books) for learning. They are not only beneficial but also convenient as people tend to carry them wherever they go without much hassle. Below-mentioned are some of the books that you can refer to –
- Microsoft Azure For Beginners by Adney Ainsley
- Microsoft Azure Ultimate Beginners Guide by Kennan Bismar
- Also, Microsoft Azure Tutorial for Beginners by Dennis Hutten
- Lastly, Beginner’s Guide to Microsoft Azure
5. Evaluate yourself with AZ-900 Practice Tests
The easiest approach to figure out how well you’re doing in each topic is to take practice tests. This will assist you in determining which topics you should review prior to the tests. These papers are created by combining questions that are comparable to those that are asked in exams. As a result, each practice exam will provide you with more experience. All of these efforts will help you face the exam with confidence and successfully pass it. Test yourself with a free practice test!
