The answer is to build Power BI reports on top of Azure Synapse Analytics as the final step. This is correct because the ELT pipeline sequence in Azure follows a distinct order: first, raw sales data is extracted and loaded into a storage layer like Azure Data Lake, then it is loaded into a staging area within Azure Synapse Analytics, where transformations such as cleaning and aggregations are applied using T-SQL or Synapse Pipelines. Only after the data is fully transformed in the warehouse should reporting tools like Power BI be connected to serve business insights. On the DP-900 exam, this question tests your understanding of the modern ELT paradigm versus traditional ETL, often trapping candidates who mistakenly place transformation before loading. A key memory tip is "Store, Load, Transform, Report"—think of ELT as "Extract, Land, then Transform" to avoid reversing the order.
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. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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 needs to build an analytics pipeline on Azure. They ingest sales data from multiple store systems and an online e-commerce platform. The data must be cleaned, transformed, and loaded into a data warehouse for reporting. The company wants to use a modern ELT (Extract, Load, Transform) approach where raw data is stored first and then transformed. Order the following steps in the correct sequence for this pipeline. (Drag the steps into the correct order.)
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "first"
Why it matters: Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Ingest data from sources using Azure Data Factory.
ELT approach first ingests raw data to storage, loads it into the warehouse, then transforms it before creating reporting structures.
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.
✓
Ingest data from sources using Azure Data Factory.
Why this is correct
Data ingestion is the first step to bring raw data into Azure.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "first" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
Store raw data in Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2.
Why this is correct
Raw data is stored in a data lake for persistence and to enable schema-on-read.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "first" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
Transform and clean data using Azure Databricks or Synapse Spark.
Why this is correct
Transformations are applied after data is stored, which is characteristic of ELT.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "first" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
Load transformed data into Azure Synapse Analytics dedicated SQL pool.
Why this is correct
The curated data is loaded into a relational data warehouse for efficient querying.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "first" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
Build Power BI reports on top of Azure Synapse Analytics.
Why this is correct
Reporting is the final step, consuming the data warehouse for dashboards.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "first" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
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.
Detailed technical explanation
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.
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.
Identify which DP-900 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
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: Ingest data from sources using Azure Data Factory. — ELT approach first ingests raw data to storage, loads it into the warehouse, then transforms it before creating reporting structures.
What should I do if I get this DP-900 question wrong?
Identify which DP-900 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "first". Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
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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