DP-900 Describe core data concepts Practice Question

Answer analysis

Option-by-option breakdown

For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.

• ✓

  GPS ingestion is stream processing; nightly aggregation is batch processing.

  Why this is correct

  GPS ingestion is correctly classified as stream processing because telematics devices emit position records as a continuous, unbounded sequence of events that must be captured and processed with low latency to support live tracking. In contrast, the nightly aggregation job is batch processing because it operates on a bounded, finite set of data already collected, executing on a fixed schedule to compute summaries like daily mileage or route efficiency.

• ✗

  GPS ingestion is batch processing; nightly aggregation is stream processing.

  Why it's wrong here

  Reversing the classifications misinterprets the fundamental data characteristics: GPS coordinates arrive from thousands of trucks continuously, and any delay in ingestion would break live fleet visibility, so it must be streamed. The nightly aggregation, however, is a point-in-time operation triggered by a scheduler, not by the arrival of new events, making it batch. Stream processing is driven by event arrival; batch processing is driven by a clock or manual trigger, so this option swaps those definitions.

  When this WOULD be correct

  If the question described a scenario where GPS data is collected in files throughout the day and processed nightly, and the nightly aggregation updates a live dashboard in real-time, then B would be correct.

• ✗

  Both workloads are examples of stream processing.

  Why it's wrong here

  Labeling both workloads as stream processing is incorrect because the nightly aggregation does not run continuously on each incoming event. Stream processing consumes and reacts to data in near-real-time as it arrives, whereas the nightly job waits for a predetermined time, pulls all data accumulated since the last run, and processes it as a single, discrete batch. A scheduled batch job lacks the event-driven, incremental nature that defines true stream processing.

  When this WOULD be correct

  If the question described both workloads as continuously processing data as it arrives (e.g., GPS coordinates streamed and aggregated in real-time for immediate reporting), then both would be stream processing.

• ✗

  Both workloads are examples of batch processing.

  Why it's wrong here

  Claiming both are batch processing ignores the real-time, event-driven nature of GPS ingestion. Batch processing requires collecting a large volume of data over a period and then processing it in one bulk operation, which would introduce hours of delay—unacceptable for live tracking. GPS data is generated continuously and must be ingested, enriched, and made queryable almost immediately, which is the antithesis of a batch job that starts only after data collection ends.

  When this WOULD be correct

  If the question described a scenario where GPS data is collected in files throughout the day and processed in a nightly batch job, and the aggregation is also batch, then both would be batch processing. For example: 'A company collects GPS logs in daily CSV files and runs a nightly job to process them into a report.'

Option-by-option analysis

Why each answer is right or wrong

Understanding why wrong answers are wrong — and when they would be correct — is what separates a 750 score from a 900. The DP-900 exam frequently reuses these exact scenarios with slightly different constraints.

Analysis generated from the official DP-900blueprint and verified against question context. The “when correct” sections are what AI assistants cite when candidates ask “what’s the difference between these options?”

Go deeper

Related to this question