- A
OLTP for real-time transactions, OLAP for nightly reports
Correct. OLTP is designed for high-volume transactional updates (real-time balance changes), while OLAP is designed for complex queries and aggregation (historical reports).
- B
Batch processing for transactions, Stream processing for reports
Why wrong: Incorrect. Transactions are processed in real-time (stream-like but typically OLTP), not batch. Reports are generated by a batch job, but the workload type is OLAP, not stream processing.
- C
OLAP for transactions, OLTP for reports
Why wrong: Incorrect. The roles are reversed. OLTP is for transactional updates, not reports.
- D
ETL for transactions, ELT for reports
Why wrong: Incorrect. ETL and ELT are data integration processes, not processing workload types. The scenario describes processing, not extract/load/transform pipelines.
Quick Answer
The answer is OLTP for real-time transactions and OLAP for nightly reports. This is correct because Online Transaction Processing (OLTP) handles high-volume, low-latency inserts and updates—like updating a bank account balance the moment a customer withdraws cash—while Online Analytical Processing (OLAP) runs complex, aggregated queries over large historical datasets, such as summarizing all daily transactions into management reports. On the Microsoft Azure Data Fundamentals DP-900 exam, this distinction tests your ability to match workload characteristics to the right processing model; a common trap is confusing the nightly batch job with OLTP, but remember that OLTP is about individual row-level operations, not bulk summaries. For a quick memory tip: think "OLTP = T for Transactions (fast, small writes)" and "OLAP = A for Analytics (big, complex reads)."
DP-900 Describe core data concepts Practice Question
This DP-900 practice question tests your understanding of describe core data concepts. Compare every option against the stated constraints before choosing — the best answer satisfies all requirements, not just the most obvious one. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A bank processes individual customer transactions in real-time to update account balances and also runs a nightly job that aggregates all daily transactions into summary reports for management. Which of the following best describes these two processing workloads?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"best"Why it matters: Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
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
OLTP for real-time transactions, OLAP for nightly reports
Option A is correct because real-time individual transaction processing is the hallmark of Online Transaction Processing (OLTP), which focuses on high-volume, low-latency inserts and updates to maintain current account balances. The nightly aggregation of daily transactions into summary reports is a classic Online Analytical Processing (OLAP) workload, which involves complex queries over large historical datasets for business intelligence. These two workloads have fundamentally different performance and design requirements, making OLTP and OLAP the appropriate classifications.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
OLTP for real-time transactions, OLAP for nightly reports
Why this is correct
Correct. OLTP is designed for high-volume transactional updates (real-time balance changes), while OLAP is designed for complex queries and aggregation (historical reports).
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Batch processing for transactions, Stream processing for reports
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. Transactions are processed in real-time (stream-like but typically OLTP), not batch. Reports are generated by a batch job, but the workload type is OLAP, not stream processing.
- ✗
OLAP for transactions, OLTP for reports
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. The roles are reversed. OLTP is for transactional updates, not reports.
- ✗
ETL for transactions, ELT for reports
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. ETL and ELT are data integration processes, not processing workload types. The scenario describes processing, not extract/load/transform pipelines.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse the terms 'batch' and 'stream' with OLTP and OLAP, or incorrectly assume that any nightly job is 'batch processing' and any real-time task is 'stream processing,' when the exam specifically tests the distinction between transactional and analytical workloads.
Trap categories for this question
Scenario analysis trap
Incorrect. ETL and ELT are data integration processes, not processing workload types. The scenario describes processing, not extract/load/transform pipelines.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
OLTP systems typically use normalized schemas and row-oriented storage to optimize for fast writes and point lookups, while OLAP systems often use denormalized schemas and columnar storage to accelerate aggregation queries over millions of rows. In practice, a bank might use a relational database like SQL Server for OLTP and a dedicated analytics platform like Azure Synapse or SQL Server Analysis Services for OLAP, with the nightly job performing ETL to move and transform data between the two. Understanding this separation is critical because running OLAP queries directly on the OLTP database can cause performance degradation and lock contention.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
- Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
- Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
- Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A cloud solutions architect for a retail company is evaluating services for a new workload. The correct answer here reflects best practice for the specific scenario described — not a general cloud recommendation. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Cloud exam questions reward reading the constraint carefully: the same technology can be right or wrong depending on the use case.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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Describe core data concepts — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this DP-900 question test?
Describe core data concepts — This question tests Describe core data concepts — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: OLTP for real-time transactions, OLAP for nightly reports — Option A is correct because real-time individual transaction processing is the hallmark of Online Transaction Processing (OLTP), which focuses on high-volume, low-latency inserts and updates to maintain current account balances. The nightly aggregation of daily transactions into summary reports is a classic Online Analytical Processing (OLAP) workload, which involves complex queries over large historical datasets for business intelligence. These two workloads have fundamentally different performance and design requirements, making OLTP and OLAP the appropriate classifications.
What should I do if I get this DP-900 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "best". Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Same concept, more angles
1 more ways this is tested on DP-900
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A bank's online transaction processing system records every withdrawal and deposit in a database. The bank also runs a monthly report that summarizes total transactions per customer. Which statement correctly identifies these two workloads?
easy- A.Both workloads are OLTP.
- ✓ B.The transaction recording is OLTP, and the monthly report is OLAP.
- C.The transaction recording is OLAP, and the monthly report is OLTP.
- D.Both workloads are OLAP.
Why B: The transaction recording system is an OLTP (Online Transaction Processing) workload because it handles individual, real-time transactions (withdrawals and deposits) with high concurrency and low latency. The monthly report summarizing total transactions per customer is an OLAP (Online Analytical Processing) workload because it aggregates historical data for reporting and analysis, typically using batch processing or columnar storage. Option B correctly pairs each workload with its appropriate processing type.
Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
This DP-900 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-900 exam.
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