1.1 Current Exam Facts
Key Takeaways
- The Microsoft DP-900 (Azure Data Fundamentals) exam costs USD $99, contains 40-60 questions, and is delivered by Pearson VUE either at a test center or online proctored.
- Candidates have 60 minutes of testing time inside a roughly 90-minute appointment, and must score 700 or higher on a 1,000-point scaled score to pass.
- There are no prerequisites — DP-900 is open to anyone, and since June 2022 all Microsoft Fundamentals certifications (including DP-900) do not expire.
- If you fail, you must wait 24 hours before the second attempt and 14 days before each subsequent attempt, with a maximum of five attempts per 12-month period.
Current Azure DP-900 Exam Facts
Quick Answer: The Microsoft Azure Data Fundamentals (DP-900) exam is a USD $99, 40-60 question, 60-minute test delivered by Pearson VUE at a test center or online with a remote proctor. You need 700 out of 1000 (a scaled score) to pass, there are no prerequisites, and the credential does not expire. Fail it and you can retake it after 24 hours; subsequent retakes require a 14-day wait, up to five attempts per 12 months.
What DP-900 Is (and Isn't)
DP-900 is Microsoft's entry-level data certification on the Azure cloud platform. It validates that a candidate understands core data concepts — what relational and non-relational data are, how Azure exposes data services, and how analytics workloads run in the cloud. It is intentionally conceptual: you are not expected to write T-SQL (Transact-SQL), provision resources by hand, or design a data warehouse. Hands-on engineering is the job of the role-based exams that build on top of DP-900, such as DP-203 (Azure Data Engineer Associate) and DP-300 (Azure Database Administrator Associate).
Think of DP-900 as the data-themed cousin of AZ-900 (Azure Fundamentals). AZ-900 is recommended but not required — many candidates take DP-900 first because their job touches databases more than compute or networking.
Exam Logistics at a Glance
The following logistics come directly from Microsoft Learn's DP-900 certification page and Microsoft's published exam policies. Verify the current price and policy on the official certification page before scheduling, because Microsoft occasionally updates pricing and proctoring rules.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Official Name | Microsoft Certified: Azure Data Fundamentals (Exam DP-900) |
| Certifying Body | Microsoft, delivered through Pearson VUE |
| Cost (USD, list price) | $99 (taxes and local pricing vary by country) |
| Number of Questions | 40-60 items (varies by form) |
| Question Types | Multiple-choice, multiple-select, drag-and-drop, case studies, fill-in |
| Exam Time (testing) | 60 minutes of question time |
| Seat Time (appointment) | Approximately 90 minutes including check-in and instructions |
| Passing Score | 700 / 1000 (scaled score, not a raw percentage) |
| Languages | English, Japanese, Chinese (Simplified), Korean, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese (Brazil) and more |
| Delivery | Pearson VUE test center or online proctored from your home/office |
| Prerequisites | None — open to anyone |
| Validity | Does not expire (Fundamentals certifications became non-expiring in June 2022) |
| Student Discount | Up to 50% off through Microsoft's student-verification programs in eligible regions |
Understanding the Scaled Score
Microsoft does not publish a fixed percent-correct threshold for DP-900. Instead, your raw performance is converted into a scaled score between 1 and 1000, with 700 as the passing line. Because forms vary in difficulty, two candidates who get the same number of items correct can earn slightly different scaled scores. The practical implication: aim for a comfortable margin (roughly 80%+ on quality practice questions) rather than trying to hit a magical raw percentage.
Pearson VUE: Test Center vs. Online
You can choose either delivery channel when scheduling. The exam content and scoring are identical.
- Test center. Government-issued ID, locker for personal items, supplied workstation, and a live proctor in the room.
- Online proctored. Quiet, private room, government-issued ID, webcam, microphone, and a clear desk. The OnVUE browser-based delivery software performs a system check and a room scan before you start. Your computer must pass a pre-exam compatibility test.
Microsoft strongly recommends taking the OnVUE system test on the same device, network, and room you will use on exam day. Most online-exam failures are environmental, not academic.
Validity and Renewal
A major reason DP-900 is attractive is that it does not expire. In June 2022, Microsoft announced that all Fundamentals-tier certifications (AZ-900, DP-900, AI-900, SC-900, MS-900, PL-900) are issued once and remain valid for life. Role-based and Specialty certifications, by contrast, must be renewed annually through a free assessment on Microsoft Learn. DP-900 has no renewal requirement today.
Retake Policy
Failing the first attempt is common and not a setback — Microsoft's published retake policy is designed to accommodate it.
- First failed attempt. Wait 24 hours before scheduling a retake.
- Second through fifth failed attempts. Wait 14 days between each subsequent retake.
- Annual cap. A maximum of five attempts per exam in any rolling 12-month period.
- Pass once, done. Once you pass, you cannot retake the exam to improve your score.
Each retake requires paying the $99 exam fee again — there is no discounted retake voucher unless you obtained an Exam Replay or Practice + Exam bundle through a Microsoft partner program.
Cost in Context
At $99 USD, DP-900 is one of the lower-cost cloud certifications. For comparison:
- AWS Cloud Practitioner — $100
- Google Cloud Digital Leader — $99
- CompTIA Data+ — $253
For most candidates the time investment matters more than the fee. Plan on a single attempt: budget for one $99 voucher, lean on free practice resources, and only worry about a second voucher if your first practice scores stay below 70% within a week of the exam.
What scaled score do you need to pass Microsoft DP-900?
Which statement about DP-900 validity is correct?