Free Azure DP-900 Exam Flashcards

The DP-900 exam costs $99 USD in most regions, with localized pricing in others (for example, $55 in India and lower fees in some emerging markets). You register through the Microsoft Learn certification page, which routes you to Pearson VUE for either an in-person test center or an online-proctored exam. Microsoft offers a 50% student discount via Microsoft IMAGINE Academy / ESI for verified students, and Microsoft Learn occasionally bundles a free retake voucher when you complete the official learning path.

After failing on the first try you can retake DP-900 after a 24-hour waiting period. From the second failure onward, Microsoft enforces a 14-day waiting period between every additional attempt, up to a maximum of five attempts within any 12-month window measured from the first attempt. Each retake costs the full exam fee unless you have a Microsoft Learn voucher. The waiting period is calculated from the moment the failed attempt finishes, not the day you scheduled it.

No. DP-900 is a Fundamentals-level certification, so anyone can sit for it regardless of age, education, or work history. Microsoft recommends — but does not require — that candidates first take AZ-900 (Azure Fundamentals) to get comfortable with cloud concepts, the Azure portal, and core service categories. Basic awareness of databases (rows, columns, queries) and familiarity with services like Azure Storage make studying faster, but the exam tests conceptual recognition, not hands-on implementation.

DP-900 has four exam domains: Describe core data concepts (25-30%) — data types, batch vs streaming, transactional vs analytical, common data roles; Identify considerations for relational data on Azure (20-25%) — Azure SQL family and open-source databases; Describe considerations for non-relational data on Azure (15-20%) — Cosmos DB, Blob, Table, File, Queue, and Data Lake Storage Gen2; and Describe an analytics workload on Azure (25-30%) — Synapse Analytics, Data Factory, Databricks, Microsoft Fabric, and Power BI.

DP-900 does not expire. Microsoft made all Fundamentals-tier certifications (DP-900, AZ-900, AI-900, SC-900, MS-900, PL-900) lifetime credentials in 2022, so once you pass you keep the badge with no renewal assessment required. Role-based certifications such as DP-203 (Data Engineer Associate) and DP-300 (Database Administrator Associate) do expire after 12 months and must be renewed through a free Microsoft Learn renewal assessment, but Fundamentals badges sit underneath that policy.

The strongest free path is the official Microsoft Learn DP-900 learning paths (about 10-12 hours of guided modules), the Microsoft Learn DP-900 study guide outlining every assessed skill, and the free practice assessment on the certification page. Layer on hands-on time in an Azure free account spinning up an Azure SQL Database, a Cosmos DB account, and a Power BI report. Flashcards work well for memorizing service comparisons, Cosmos DB consistency levels, Blob access tiers, and the differences between Synapse, Data Factory, Databricks, and Microsoft Fabric.