- A
Atomicity
Atomicity guarantees that all operations in a transaction are treated as a single unit. If any operation fails, the entire transaction is rolled back, leaving data unchanged. This directly applies to the bank scenario.
- B
Consistency
Why wrong: Consistency ensures that a transaction brings the database from one valid state to another, respecting all defined rules (e.g., constraints). It does not specifically handle partial completion of multiple operations within a transaction.
- C
Isolation
Why wrong: Isolation ensures that concurrent transactions do not interfere with each other. While important, it does not address the all-or-nothing behavior described in the scenario.
- D
Durability
Why wrong: Durability guarantees that once a transaction is committed, the changes are permanent even in the event of a system failure. It does not relate to the rollback of partial operations.
DP-900 Describe core data concepts Practice Question
This DP-900 practice question tests your understanding of describe core data concepts. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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 online fund transfers. Each transaction must ensure that either both the debit from the sender's account and the credit to the receiver's account occur, or if any part fails, the entire transaction is rolled back. Which ACID property does this guarantee?
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
Atomicity
Atomicity ensures that a transaction is treated as a single, indivisible unit of work. In this fund transfer scenario, atomicity guarantees that both the debit and credit operations either complete successfully together or are fully rolled back if any part fails, preventing partial updates that could leave the system in an inconsistent state.
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.
- ✓
Atomicity
Why this is correct
Atomicity guarantees that all operations in a transaction are treated as a single unit. If any operation fails, the entire transaction is rolled back, leaving data unchanged. This directly applies to the bank scenario.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Consistency
Why it's wrong here
Consistency ensures that a transaction brings the database from one valid state to another, respecting all defined rules (e.g., constraints). It does not specifically handle partial completion of multiple operations within a transaction.
- ✗
Isolation
Why it's wrong here
Isolation ensures that concurrent transactions do not interfere with each other. While important, it does not address the all-or-nothing behavior described in the scenario.
- ✗
Durability
Why it's wrong here
Durability guarantees that once a transaction is committed, the changes are permanent even in the event of a system failure. It does not relate to the rollback of partial operations.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Microsoft often tests atomicity by describing a multi-step operation and asking which ACID property ensures the 'all-or-nothing' behavior, and the trap here is that candidates confuse atomicity with consistency, thinking that consistency alone prevents partial updates, when in fact atomicity is the property that enforces the rollback of incomplete transactions.
Trap categories for this question
Scenario analysis trap
Isolation ensures that concurrent transactions do not interfere with each other. While important, it does not address the all-or-nothing behavior described in the scenario.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, atomicity is typically implemented via a write-ahead log (WAL) or transaction log. In SQL Server, for example, the database engine uses a transaction log to record all modifications; if a failure occurs before commit, the log is used to undo (roll back) any partial changes. In a distributed system like a bank transfer, atomicity may be enforced using a two-phase commit (2PC) protocol to coordinate the debit and credit across separate databases or services.
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.
- →
Describe core data concepts — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
- →
Describe core data concepts practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
- →
All DP-900 questions
982 questions across all exam domains
- →
Microsoft Azure Data Fundamentals DP-900 study guide
Full concept coverage aligned to exam objectives
- →
DP-900 practice test guide
How to use practice tests most effectively before exam day
Related practice questions
Related DP-900 practice-question pages
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
Describe core data concepts practice questions
Practise DP-900 questions linked to Describe core data concepts.
Describe an analytics workload on Azure practice questions
Practise DP-900 questions linked to Describe an analytics workload on Azure.
Identify considerations for relational data on Azure practice questions
Practise DP-900 questions linked to Identify considerations for relational data on Azure.
Describe considerations for working with non-relational data on Azure practice questions
Practise DP-900 questions linked to Describe considerations for working with non-relational data on Azure.
DP-900 fundamentals practice questions
Practise DP-900 questions linked to DP-900 fundamentals.
DP-900 scenario practice questions
Practise DP-900 questions linked to DP-900 scenario.
DP-900 troubleshooting practice questions
Practise DP-900 questions linked to DP-900 troubleshooting.
Practice this exam
Start a free DP-900 practice session
Short sessions build daily habit. Longer sessions build exam-day stamina. Try a timed session to simulate real conditions.
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: Atomicity — Atomicity ensures that a transaction is treated as a single, indivisible unit of work. In this fund transfer scenario, atomicity guarantees that both the debit and credit operations either complete successfully together or are fully rolled back if any part fails, preventing partial updates that could leave the system in an inconsistent state.
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.
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 →
Keep practising
More DP-900 practice questions
- An e-commerce application processes customer orders. When an order is placed, the system must decrement the inventory co…
- A company runs an e-commerce application on Azure SQL Database. The application experiences heavy read traffic from repo…
- A company uses Azure SQL Database for an order management system. The Orders table has columns: OrderID (int, primary ke…
- A gaming company stores player scores in Azure Cosmos DB using the NoSQL API. Each document contains fields: PlayerID (u…
- A gaming company stores player profiles as JSON documents. Each profile includes standard fields like playerId, username…
- A company is migrating an on-premises SQL Server database to Azure. They want to ensure that database administrators (DB…
Last reviewed: Jun 30, 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.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.