Question 1mediummultiple choice
Full question →mediummultiple choiceObjective-mapped
A retail application uses Azure SQL Database. The Products table contains 200,000 rows with columns: ProductID (primary key, clustered), CategoryID, ProductName, Price, StockQuantity. Queries frequently filter on CategoryID and then sort results by Price in descending order. Which indexing strategy will most improve query performance for these operations?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Good practice is not just finding the correct option. The wrong answers often show the exact trap the exam wants you to fall into.
A
Distractor review
Create a clustered index on CategoryID.
Incorrect because changing the clustered index from ProductID would slow down lookups by primary key. Also, a clustered index on CategoryID would not directly provide sorted output by Price.
B
Distractor review
Create a nonclustered index on CategoryID that includes Price as an included column.
This index covers the filter but does not store Price in sorted order, so the database would still need to sort the results after retrieval.
C
Best answer
Create a nonclustered index on (CategoryID, Price) with Price in descending order.
Correct. This composite index supports both the filter on CategoryID and the descending sort on Price without additional steps.
D
Distractor review
Create a clustered columnstore index on the table.
Incorrect because columnstore indexes are designed for large-scale analytical queries and data compression, not for efficient single-row lookups or sorted retrieval by a non-key column.
Common exam trap
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Technical deep dive
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
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.
- Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
- Underline the problem statement mentally.
- 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.
Related practice questions
Related DP-900 practice-question pages
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
More questions from this exam
Keep practising from the same exam bank, or move into a focused topic page if this question exposed a weak area.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this DP-900 question test?
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 (CategoryID, Price) with Price in descending order. — A nonclustered index on (CategoryID, Price) with descending order on Price is a covering index for the filter and sort. This allows the database to find the rows without scanning the entire table and returns them in the required order without a separate sort operation. A nonclustered index on CategoryID including Price still requires sorting. Changing the clustered index would break the primary key design. A clustered columnstore index is optimized for analytical scans, not for point queries or sorting on a single column.
What should I do if I get this DP-900 question wrong?
Then try more questions from the same exam bank and focus on understanding why the wrong options are tempting.
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