DP-900 Describe core data concepts Practice Question
A company stores customer information in a SQL database table with columns: CustomerID, FirstName, LastName, Email, SignupDate. They also store product images as JPEG files in Azure Blob Storage. Which statement correctly describes the types of data involved?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many candidates confuse 'unstructured' with 'semi-structured' — candidates often misclassify JPEG images as semi-structured because they have metadata (e.g., EXIF), but the data itself (pixel values) has no schema, making it unstructured, while semi-structured data like JSON has a self-describing structure.
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
✓
Customer data is structured, product images are unstructured.
Customer data stored in a SQL database table with defined columns (CustomerID, FirstName, LastName, Email, SignupDate) is structured because it adheres to a fixed schema with rows and columns. Product images stored as JPEG files in Azure Blob Storage are unstructured because they lack a predefined data model and are stored as binary large objects (BLOBs) without a schema. Option B correctly identifies this distinction.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Customer data is unstructured, product images are semi-structured.
Why it's wrong here
The claim reverses both categories. Customer data in a SQL database is stored in tables with predefined columns, data types, and constraints, which is the definition of structured data. Product images such as JPEGs are raw binary files without an internal schema; they are unstructured data, not semi-structured. Semi-structured data would look like JSON or XML, where fields exist but are flexible per record.
- ✓
Customer data is structured, product images are unstructured.
Why this is correct
This is correct. Customer data lives in relational tables where each row is a record and each column has a fixed data type, giving it a strict schema and making it fully structured. Product images, such as JPEG files, contain encoded pixel data with no inherent row/column structure and cannot be directly queried with SQL; they are stored as binary blobs and are classified as unstructured data.
- ✗
Both are structured.
Why it's wrong here
Both are structured is incorrect because treating an image as structured would require it to have a predictable, queryable schema. Customer tables do have that fixed schema, but a JPEG is merely a compressed binary encoding of pixels; it cannot be queried with T-SQL or fit into columns and rows. Therefore, only customer data is structured, while product images are unstructured, so 'both' fails.
- ✗
Customer data is semi-structured, product images are unstructured.
Why it's wrong here
This option misclassifies customer data. A SQL table enforces a rigid schema with required columns, data types, and constraints, so it is structured, not semi-structured; semi-structured formats like JSON allow fields to vary from record to record. The second half is correct: JPEG images are unstructured because they are binary files with no underlying semantic schema. Because one half is wrong, the whole option is wrong.
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
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Data Roles and Core Concepts
Key term
Blob storage
Blob storage is a cloud service for storing large amounts of unstructured data, such as text or binary data, like documents, images, and videos.
Key term
Data model
A data model is a blueprint that defines how data is organized, stored, and accessed in a database or data system.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.