- A
Create a nonclustered index on (Department, HireDate) and include the other needed columns as included columns.
This index supports both the filter (Department) and the sort order (HireDate). Using included columns makes it a covering index for the query, eliminating costly lookups to the clustered index.
- B
Create a nonclustered index on (HireDate, Department) with no included columns.
Why wrong: This index would help with sorting by HireDate, but the leading key is HireDate, not Department. To filter by Department efficiently, Department should be the leading key. Also, without included columns, key lookups may still be needed.
- C
Create a clustered index on Department.
Why wrong: Changing the clustered index to Department would reorder the entire table physically by Department. While this might speed up departmental queries, it would hurt other queries that rely on the primary key (EmployeeID). A clustered index should generally remain on the primary key for uniqueness and range scans.
- D
Drop the existing clustered index and recreate a clustered columnstore index.
Why wrong: Clustered columnstore indexes are designed for large analytical workloads, not for point lookups or queries that sort on a specific column. For transactional queries with filtering and sorting, a traditional B-tree nonclustered index is more appropriate.
DP-900 Practice Question: Identify considerations for relational data on Azure
This DP-900 practice question tests your understanding of identify considerations for relational data on azure. 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 uses Azure SQL Database for an employee management system. The Employees table has 10 million rows and a clustered index on EmployeeID (the primary key). Queries that filter employees by Department and then sort by HireDate are very slow. Which indexing strategy will most improve performance for these queries?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"primary"Why it matters: Asks for the main purpose or function, not a secondary benefit. Eliminate answers that describe side-effects or partial functions.
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
Create a nonclustered index on (Department, HireDate) and include the other needed columns as included columns.
A nonclustered index on (Department, HireDate) with included columns is optimal because it supports both the WHERE clause filter on Department and the ORDER BY on HireDate as a covering index. The index key order matches the query's filter and sort requirements, allowing SQL Server to perform a single index seek and avoid key lookups by including all needed columns. This eliminates the need to scan the clustered index or sort rows after filtering.
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.
- ✓
Create a nonclustered index on (Department, HireDate) and include the other needed columns as included columns.
Why this is correct
This index supports both the filter (Department) and the sort order (HireDate). Using included columns makes it a covering index for the query, eliminating costly lookups to the clustered index.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "primary" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Create a nonclustered index on (HireDate, Department) with no included columns.
Why it's wrong here
This index would help with sorting by HireDate, but the leading key is HireDate, not Department. To filter by Department efficiently, Department should be the leading key. Also, without included columns, key lookups may still be needed.
- ✗
Create a clustered index on Department.
Why it's wrong here
Changing the clustered index to Department would reorder the entire table physically by Department. While this might speed up departmental queries, it would hurt other queries that rely on the primary key (EmployeeID). A clustered index should generally remain on the primary key for uniqueness and range scans.
- ✗
Drop the existing clustered index and recreate a clustered columnstore index.
Why it's wrong here
Clustered columnstore indexes are designed for large analytical workloads, not for point lookups or queries that sort on a specific column. For transactional queries with filtering and sorting, a traditional B-tree nonclustered index is more appropriate.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often choose Option B because they think any index on both columns will help, but they overlook that the key column order must match the WHERE clause filter first to enable an efficient seek, not just the sort order.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, SQL Server's query optimizer uses index key order to satisfy ORDER BY without an explicit sort operation when the index is sorted in the same order as the query's sort requirement. Including columns in the nonclustered index makes it a covering index, meaning all data needed for the query is stored in the leaf level of the index, avoiding expensive key lookups to the clustered index. In a real-world scenario with 10 million rows, this strategy can reduce query time from minutes to milliseconds by enabling a single index seek and a sequential scan of the matching rows.
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
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this DP-900 question test?
Identify considerations for relational data on Azure — This question tests Identify considerations for relational data on Azure — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Create a nonclustered index on (Department, HireDate) and include the other needed columns as included columns. — A nonclustered index on (Department, HireDate) with included columns is optimal because it supports both the WHERE clause filter on Department and the ORDER BY on HireDate as a covering index. The index key order matches the query's filter and sort requirements, allowing SQL Server to perform a single index seek and avoid key lookups by including all needed columns. This eliminates the need to scan the clustered index or sort rows after filtering.
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: "primary". Asks for the main purpose or function, not a secondary benefit. Eliminate answers that describe side-effects or partial functions.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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