DP-300 Practice Question: Monitor, configure, and optimize database resources
You are responsible for an Azure SQL Database that hosts a reporting workload. The database runs a large number of ad-hoc queries that consume significant CPU. You need to identify the top CPU-consuming queries to optimize them. Which feature should you use?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often confuse automatic tuning with Query Store; automatic tuning acts on recommendations but does not provide the detailed query-level CPU metrics needed for manual optimization.
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
✓
Query Store
Query Store is designed to capture and persist query performance data, including CPU time. It provides built-in reports to identify top resource consumers, making it the best choice for finding high-CPU queries. Other features like auditing or automatic tuning do not offer the same level of detailed query-level CPU analysis.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Automatic tuning
Why it's wrong here
Automatic tuning can automatically create and drop indexes or force plans, but it does not provide a detailed report of top CPU-consuming queries. It acts on recommendations but does not offer the diagnostic insight needed to manually identify and optimize specific queries. Thus, it is not the right tool for this task.
- ✗
Azure SQL Auditing
Why it's wrong here
Azure SQL Auditing tracks database events and writes them to an audit log, but it does not provide query performance metrics like CPU usage. It is used for compliance and security, not for performance tuning. Therefore, it cannot help identify top CPU-consuming queries.
- ✗
Dynamic management views (DMVs)
Why it's wrong here
DMVs such as sys.dm_exec_query_stats provide cumulative performance statistics, but they are reset when the plan cache is cleared or the instance restarts. They do not persist historical data like Query Store. While DMVs can show current top CPU queries, they lack the historical tracking needed for thorough analysis over time.
- ✓
Query Store
Why this is correct
Query Store captures query execution plans and runtime statistics, including CPU usage, duration, and reads. It allows you to identify top resource-consuming queries over time. This makes it the ideal tool for finding and optimizing high-CPU queries in Azure SQL Database.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Implementing Auditing and Threat Detection
Key term
Azure SQL Performance Tuning
Azure SQL Performance Tuning is the process of optimizing the speed and efficiency of queries and database operations in Microsoft Azure SQL Database or SQL Managed Instance to reduce latency and improve throughput.
Key term
Query Store
Query Store is a built-in SQL Server feature that captures and stores a history of query execution plans and performance data for easy monitoring and troubleshooting.
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Microsoft exam blueprint
This DP-300 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-300 exam.