DP-900 Practice Question: Describe considerations for working with non-relational data on Azure
This DP-900 practice question tests your understanding of describe considerations for working with non-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 gaming company stores player session data as JSON documents. Each document contains fields like sessionId, userId, startTime, and a varying set of optional fields such as deviceType or campaignId. The application needs to query sessions by userId and startTime range using SQL-like queries, and also by sessionId with low latency. Which Azure Cosmos DB API should the company choose?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
SQL (Core) API
The SQL (Core) API is the correct choice because it natively supports SQL-like queries over JSON documents, enabling efficient filtering by userId and startTime range. It also provides low-latency point reads by sessionId when a well-designed partition key (e.g., /userId) is used, and it offers automatic indexing of all JSON properties, including optional fields like deviceType or campaignId.
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.
✓
SQL (Core) API
Why this is correct
The SQL API provides SQL query support over JSON documents and handles schema flexibility well.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
MongoDB API
Why it's wrong here
While MongoDB API works with JSON documents, it uses MongoDB query language, not native SQL syntax.
✗
Table API
Why it's wrong here
Table API is designed for key-value storage without SQL query capabilities.
✗
Gremlin (Graph) API
Why it's wrong here
Gremlin API is for graph data with relationships, not for SQL-like queries on JSON documents.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may choose the MongoDB API because they assume 'SQL-like queries' require MongoDB's query language, but the Core API actually provides native SQL syntax and is the only Azure Cosmos DB API that supports SQL directly over JSON documents.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, the Core API uses a hash-based partition key to distribute data across physical partitions, and point reads by sessionId achieve single-digit millisecond latency when the partition key is included in the query. The automatic indexing policy indexes every property by default, which supports efficient range queries on startTime without requiring manual index management, but can be tuned to exclude high-cardinality fields to reduce RU consumption.
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.
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 considerations for working with non-relational data on Azure — This question tests Describe considerations for working with non-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: SQL (Core) API — The SQL (Core) API is the correct choice because it natively supports SQL-like queries over JSON documents, enabling efficient filtering by userId and startTime range. It also provides low-latency point reads by sessionId when a well-designed partition key (e.g., /userId) is used, and it offers automatic indexing of all JSON properties, including optional fields like deviceType or campaignId.
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.
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Question Discussion
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