DP-900 Describe an analytics workload on Azure Practice Question
This DP-900 practice question tests your understanding of describe an analytics workload 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 retail company collects sales data from multiple stores. Data is ingested into Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2 as CSV files. The data team needs to run ad-hoc SQL queries on this data without moving it, and they want to pay only for the amount of data processed. They also need to integrate with Power BI for visualization. Which Azure service should they use?
Why wrong: Dedicated SQL pool requires provisioned compute and is designed for large-scale, predictable workloads, not ad-hoc queries with pay-per-query pricing.
B
Azure SQL Database
Why wrong: Azure SQL Database is a relational database for OLTP, not suited for querying CSV files stored in a data lake.
C
Azure Data Lake Analytics
Why wrong: Azure Data Lake Analytics is an on-demand analytics service using U-SQL, but it is being superseded by Azure Synapse Serverless SQL pool for SQL-based queries.
D
Azure Synapse Serverless SQL pool
Serverless SQL pool enables querying files in Data Lake with standard T-SQL, paying only for data processed, and integrates with Power BI.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Azure Synapse Serverless SQL pool
Azure Synapse Serverless SQL pool (option D) is correct because it allows querying data directly from Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2 using T-SQL without moving the data, and it uses a pay-per-query model where you are billed only for the amount of data processed. It also integrates seamlessly with Power BI for visualization, making it ideal for ad-hoc SQL queries on CSV files.
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.
✗
Azure Synapse Analytics dedicated SQL pool
Why it's wrong here
Dedicated SQL pool requires provisioned compute and is designed for large-scale, predictable workloads, not ad-hoc queries with pay-per-query pricing.
✗
Azure SQL Database
Why it's wrong here
Azure SQL Database is a relational database for OLTP, not suited for querying CSV files stored in a data lake.
✗
Azure Data Lake Analytics
Why it's wrong here
Azure Data Lake Analytics is an on-demand analytics service using U-SQL, but it is being superseded by Azure Synapse Serverless SQL pool for SQL-based queries.
✓
Azure Synapse Serverless SQL pool
Why this is correct
Serverless SQL pool enables querying files in Data Lake with standard T-SQL, paying only for data processed, and integrates with Power BI.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse Azure Synapse Serverless SQL pool with Azure Synapse Analytics dedicated SQL pool, mistakenly thinking both require provisioning and pay for compute, or they overlook that Azure Data Lake Analytics is deprecated and not the correct service for ad-hoc SQL queries on data lakes.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Azure Synapse Serverless SQL pool uses a distributed query engine that reads data directly from Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2 via the OPENROWSET function, leveraging the T-SQL language with support for external tables and file formats like CSV, Parquet, and JSON. It employs a pay-per-query billing model based on the amount of data scanned, with a built-in query optimizer that can push down predicates and projections to the storage layer to reduce processed data. In real-world scenarios, this is ideal for data exploration and ad-hoc reporting where data volumes are unpredictable, as it avoids the cost of provisioning dedicated compute resources.
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 media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.
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 an analytics workload on Azure — This question tests Describe an analytics workload on Azure — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Azure Synapse Serverless SQL pool — Azure Synapse Serverless SQL pool (option D) is correct because it allows querying data directly from Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2 using T-SQL without moving the data, and it uses a pay-per-query model where you are billed only for the amount of data processed. It also integrates seamlessly with Power BI for visualization, making it ideal for ad-hoc SQL queries on CSV files.
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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