DP-900 Describe core data concepts Practice Question
This DP-900 practice question tests your understanding of describe core data concepts. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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 company collects customer feedback forms. Each form contains always-present fields like CustomerID and SubmissionDate, but also a free-text Comments field and optional fields like Rating or ProductCategory that vary between forms. How should this data be classified?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "always"
Why it matters: Absolute qualifier. An answer using 'always' is only correct if there are genuinely no exceptions — absolute statements are often wrong in networking.
Why wrong: Structured data requires a fixed schema where all fields are present for every record. Here, optional fields vary, so it is not fully structured.
B
Semi-structured data
Correct. Semi-structured data has a flexible schema, often with a mix of mandatory fields and optional or varying fields, as seen in this scenario.
C
Unstructured data
Why wrong: Unstructured data has no predefined structure or organization. The feedback forms have defined fields, so they are not unstructured.
D
Relational data
Why wrong: Relational data is a subset of structured data that is stored in tables with rows and columns. While the forms could be stored relationally, the variability in optional fields makes it semi-structured in nature.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Semi-structured data
The customer feedback forms contain a mix of structured fields (CustomerID, SubmissionDate) that follow a fixed schema and unstructured fields (free-text Comments) plus optional fields (Rating, ProductCategory) that may or may not be present. This combination of schema-optional and schema-fixed data within the same record is the hallmark of semi-structured data, which does not require a rigid schema like a relational table but still has some organizational properties (e.g., tags or key-value pairs). In Azure, this data is well-suited for storage in Azure Cosmos DB (using JSON documents) or Azure Blob Storage with metadata, rather than a strictly relational database.
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.
✗
Structured data
Why it's wrong here
Structured data requires a fixed schema where all fields are present for every record. Here, optional fields vary, so it is not fully structured.
✓
Semi-structured data
Why this is correct
Correct. Semi-structured data has a flexible schema, often with a mix of mandatory fields and optional or varying fields, as seen in this scenario.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "always" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Unstructured data
Why it's wrong here
Unstructured data has no predefined structure or organization. The feedback forms have defined fields, so they are not unstructured.
✗
Relational data
Why it's wrong here
Relational data is a subset of structured data that is stored in tables with rows and columns. While the forms could be stored relationally, the variability in optional fields makes it semi-structured in nature.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Microsoft often tests the misconception that any data with some structure (like a form with fixed fields) must be 'structured,' but the presence of optional or free-text fields pushes it into the semi-structured category.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Semi-structured data often uses self-describing formats like JSON or XML, where each record can have a different set of properties. Under the hood, Azure Cosmos DB stores such data as JSON documents with a flexible schema, allowing queries to handle missing fields gracefully via the `IS_DEFINED` function. A real-world scenario is IoT telemetry where device readings include mandatory fields (device ID, timestamp) and optional sensor data (temperature, humidity) that vary per message.
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 media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this DP-900 question in full detail.
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: Semi-structured data — The customer feedback forms contain a mix of structured fields (CustomerID, SubmissionDate) that follow a fixed schema and unstructured fields (free-text Comments) plus optional fields (Rating, ProductCategory) that may or may not be present. This combination of schema-optional and schema-fixed data within the same record is the hallmark of semi-structured data, which does not require a rigid schema like a relational table but still has some organizational properties (e.g., tags or key-value pairs). In Azure, this data is well-suited for storage in Azure Cosmos DB (using JSON documents) or Azure Blob Storage with metadata, rather than a strictly relational database.
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: "always". Absolute qualifier. An answer using 'always' is only correct if there are genuinely no exceptions — absolute statements are often wrong in networking.
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 →
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.
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.