DP-900 Describe core data concepts Practice Question
A retail company stores product information in a relational database table with fixed columns: ProductID (integer), Name (string), Price (decimal). They also store customer reviews as JSON documents where each review may contain different fields such as rating, comment, and optional images. Additionally, they store product images as JPEG files in Azure Blob Storage. Which of the following correctly classifies these data types from most structured to least structured?
⚠ Common exam trap
Microsoft often tests the distinction between semi-structured and unstructured data, where candidates mistakenly classify JSON as unstructured because it lacks a fixed schema, but JSON is semi-structured due to its inherent key-value structure and optional fields.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Structured (product info), Semi-structured (reviews), Unstructured (images)
Product info in a relational table with fixed columns (ProductID, Name, Price) is structured data. Customer reviews stored as JSON documents, which may have varying fields like rating, comment, and optional images, are semi-structured because they have a flexible schema. Product images stored as JPEG files in Azure Blob Storage are unstructured binary data. This ordering from most to least structured matches option A.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Structured (product info), Semi-structured (reviews), Unstructured (images)
Why this is correct
This pairing is correct because the product table resides in a relational database where each row maps to a fixed set of typed columns, making it structured data. Customer reviews stored as JSON documents contain key-value pairs and nested objects that can vary between records, which is the defining characteristic of semi-structured data. JPEG images are stored as compressed binary files that have no inherent row, column, or field structure, so they are unstructured. Together, these three categories accurately reflect the data-types question being tested.
- ✗
Semi-structured (product info), Structured (reviews), Unstructured (images)
Why it's wrong here
Here the product info is incorrectly classified as semi-structured; relational tables have a predefined, enforced schema—every row has the same columns and types—so they are the canonical example of structured data, not a flexible semi-structured format. Reviews in JSON do share capabilities with structured data, but because their schema is not fixed and fields can be added or omitted across documents, they are semi-structured, not fully structured. Images are correctly identified as unstructured. Therefore, this option gets only the images right and swaps the definitions of structured and semi-structured.
When this WOULD be correct
If the product info were stored as JSON with varying fields (e.g., optional attributes) and reviews were stored in a fixed-schema table, then B would be correct: semi-structured (product info), structured (reviews), unstructured (images).
- ✗
Unstructured (product info), Semi-structured (reviews), Structured (images)
Why it's wrong here
This answer mislabels the two extremes of the structuredness spectrum. Product data in a relational table cannot be unstructured because the schema enforces a fixed list of columns, data types, and constraints, giving it rigid structure. Reviews as JSON are correctly placed as semi-structured since they allow flexible, self-describing fields. However, JPEG images are binary files whose contents are composed of pixels and compression artifacts rather than queryable fields, so they are unstructured, not structured. Thus, this option fails by both overstating the 'unstructured' product data and understating the 'structured' images.
When this WOULD be correct
If the question asked to classify data from least structured to most structured, then unstructured (images), semi-structured (reviews), structured (product info) would be correct.
- ✗
Structured (product info), Unstructured (reviews), Semi-structured (images)
Why it's wrong here
This choice correctly identifies product info as structured, since relational tables enforce consistent columns and data types. However, it wrongly calls JSON reviews unstructured; JSON documents contain named fields, values, arrays, and nesting that can be parsed and queried with JSON functions, which makes them semi-structured rather than formless. It also wrongly labels images as semi-structured; a JPEG is a binary encoding that lacks self-describing key-value fields or a queryable schema, so it is unstructured. In short, two of the three classifications are reversed even though the product assignment is accurate.
When this WOULD be correct
If the question described reviews as free-text comments without any schema (e.g., stored as plain text files) and product info as JSON with flexible fields, then product info would be semi-structured, reviews unstructured, and images semi-structured (if metadata is stored).
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.
✓Structured (product info), Semi-structured (reviews), Unstructured (images)Correct answer▾
Why this is correct
This pairing is correct because the product table resides in a relational database where each row maps to a fixed set of typed columns, making it structured data. Customer reviews stored as JSON documents contain key-value pairs and nested objects that can vary between records, which is the defining characteristic of semi-structured data. JPEG images are stored as compressed binary files that have no inherent row, column, or field structure, so they are unstructured. Together, these three categories accurately reflect the data-types question being tested.
✗Semi-structured (product info), Structured (reviews), Unstructured (images)Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Product info uses fixed columns (ProductID, Name, Price) making it structured, not semi-structured. Reviews are JSON with varying fields, which is semi-structured, not structured.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
If the product info were stored as JSON with varying fields (e.g., optional attributes) and reviews were stored in a fixed-schema table, then B would be correct: semi-structured (product info), structured (reviews), unstructured (images).
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse 'relational database' with semi-structured data, or mistakenly think JSON is always structured because it has key-value pairs, overlooking schema flexibility.
✗Unstructured (product info), Semi-structured (reviews), Structured (images)Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Product info is stored in a relational table with fixed columns, making it structured, not unstructured. Images are binary files without schema, making them unstructured, not structured.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
If the question asked to classify data from least structured to most structured, then unstructured (images), semi-structured (reviews), structured (product info) would be correct.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse the terms 'structured' and 'unstructured' or misread the ordering direction (most to least vs. least to most).
✗Structured (product info), Unstructured (reviews), Semi-structured (images)Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Customer reviews are stored as JSON documents with varying fields, which is semi-structured data, not unstructured. Unstructured data lacks a predefined data model, like images, not JSON.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
If the question described reviews as free-text comments without any schema (e.g., stored as plain text files) and product info as JSON with flexible fields, then product info would be semi-structured, reviews unstructured, and images semi-structured (if metadata is stored).
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse 'unstructured' with 'non-tabular' or think JSON is unstructured because it lacks a fixed schema, overlooking that JSON still has a structure of key-value pairs.
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?”
Quick reference
Azure Blob Storage Tier Comparison
| Tier | Storage Cost | Retrieval Cost | Latency | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hot | Highest | Lowest | Immediate | Active data, frequent reads |
| Cool | Lower | Higher | Immediate | Data accessed < once / month |
| Cold | Lower still | Higher | Immediate | Data accessed < once / quarter |
| Archive | Lowest | Highest + rehydration delay | Hours | Long-term compliance retention |
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Data Roles and Core Concepts
Key term
Relational database
A relational database organizes data into tables with rows and columns, where each table relates to others using unique keys, allowing efficient storage, retrieval, and manipulation of structured information.
Key term
Structured data
Structured data is information that is organized in a predefined format, typically in rows and columns, making it easy to search, process, and analyze by computers.
About these practice questions
One of 820 original DP-900 practice questions on Courseiva, each with a full explanation and wrong-answer analysis — not exam dumps or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This DP-900 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Microsoft certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the DP-900 exam.