DP-203 Develop data processing Practice Question
You are designing a data processing solution in Azure Synapse Analytics. The solution must use a dedicated SQL pool to support both batch and near-real-time data ingestion. Which TWO of the following methods can you use to ingest data into a dedicated SQL pool? (Select TWO.)
⚠ Common exam trap
Many exam-takers confuse the COPY INTO command (valid only for serverless SQL pools) with PolyBase or CTAS, or mistakenly think Azure Data Factory's native sink can directly write to a dedicated SQL pool without PolyBase or staging.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
CREATE TABLE AS SELECT (CTAS) from external tables.
CREATE TABLE AS SELECT (CTAS) from external tables is correct because it allows you to load data from external storage (e.g., Azure Blob Storage or Azure Data Lake Storage) into a dedicated SQL pool in a single, parallelized operation. This method leverages the MPP (Massively Parallel Processing) architecture of Synapse SQL pools to efficiently ingest large volumes of data for batch processing.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
CREATE TABLE AS SELECT (CTAS) from external tables.
Why this is correct
CTAS can load data into a dedicated SQL pool from external tables.
- ✓
PolyBase with T-SQL commands.
Why this is correct
PolyBase is a native loading method for dedicated SQL pool.
- ✗
COPY INTO command.
Why it's wrong here
COPY INTO is not supported in dedicated SQL pool; it is used in serverless SQL pool and Azure SQL Database.
- ✗
Azure Logic Apps with SQL connector.
Why it's wrong here
Logic Apps is not designed for high-volume data ingestion into dedicated SQL pool.
- ✗
Azure Data Factory with a copy activity using native sink.
Why it's wrong here
Azure Data Factory copy activity uses PolyBase or staging, not a native sink.
Quick reference
Azure Blob Storage Tier Comparison
| Tier | Storage Cost | Retrieval Cost | Latency | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hot | Highest | Lowest | Immediate | Active data, frequent reads |
| Cool | Lower | Higher | Immediate | Data accessed < once / month |
| Cold | Lower still | Higher | Immediate | Data accessed < once / quarter |
| Archive | Lowest | Highest + rehydration delay | Hours | Long-term compliance retention |
Go deeper
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This DP-203 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Microsoft certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the DP-203 exam.