DP-900 Describe core data concepts Practice Question
A retail company stores three types of customer data: (1) a table with columns for CustomerID, Name, and Email; (2) product reviews as JSON documents with varying fields such as rating and comment; (3) product demonstration videos stored in MP4 format. Which of the following correctly classifies these data types in order from first to third?
⚠ Common exam trap
Watch out — candidates often confuse semi-structured data (like JSON) with unstructured data, or assume all non-tabular data is unstructured, when in fact JSON's key-value pairs with varying fields make it semi-structured.
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, semi-structured, unstructured
The customer table with fixed columns (CustomerID, Name, Email) is structured data, product reviews as JSON documents with varying fields are semi-structured data (schema-on-read, flexible fields), and MP4 video files are unstructured data (no schema, binary format). This ordering matches the standard classification in Azure Data Fundamentals: structured → semi-structured → unstructured.
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, unstructured, semi-structured
Why it's wrong here
The first item is correct but the remaining two are reversed: JSON with varying fields is semi-structured, and MP4 video is unstructured. Placing video before JSON mislabels the binary media as semi-structured and the self-describing documents as unstructured.
When this WOULD be correct
This option would be correct if the question presented data in a different order: first, product demonstration videos (unstructured), second, a table with columns (structured), and third, product reviews as JSON documents (semi-structured).
- ✗
Semi-structured, structured, unstructured
Why it's wrong here
Every position is wrong: the relational table is structured, not semi-structured; JSON documents are semi-structured, not structured; and MP4 video is unstructured, not semi-structured. The classification ignores fixed schema, self-describing tags, and binary media respectively.
When this WOULD be correct
If the question listed data types as: (1) a JSON document with customer preferences, (2) a relational table of sales transactions, (3) a CSV file of inventory logs, then option B (semi-structured, structured, structured) would be correct because JSON is semi-structured, and both table and CSV are structured.
- ✓
Structured, semi-structured, unstructured
Why this is correct
Structured data fits the fixed-schema CustomerID/Name/Email table, satisfying the relational column constraint. JSON reviews are semi-structured: self-describing but schema-flexible, so fields like rating and comment vary per document. MP4 videos are unstructured, lacking any predefined data model. This ordering matches the stem's three data types exactly.
- ✗
Unstructured, semi-structured, structured
Why it's wrong here
The order is inverted: the relational table is structured, JSON documents are semi-structured, and MP4 videos are unstructured. This option swaps the first and last, misclassifying the fixed-schema table as unstructured and the video as structured, which contradicts the defining characteristics of each type.
When this WOULD be correct
If the question listed data types in order as: (1) product demonstration videos (MP4), (2) product reviews (JSON), (3) customer table, then option D would be correct as Unstructured, semi-structured, structured.
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, semi-structured, unstructuredCorrect answer▾
Why this is correct
Structured data fits the fixed-schema CustomerID/Name/Email table, satisfying the relational column constraint. JSON reviews are semi-structured: self-describing but schema-flexible, so fields like rating and comment vary per document. MP4 videos are unstructured, lacking any predefined data model. This ordering matches the stem's three data types exactly.
✗Structured, unstructured, semi-structuredWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
The first data type is a table with columns (CustomerID, Name, Email), which is structured, not unstructured. The second is JSON documents, which are semi-structured, not structured. The third is MP4 videos, which are unstructured, not semi-structured.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
This option would be correct if the question presented data in a different order: first, product demonstration videos (unstructured), second, a table with columns (structured), and third, product reviews as JSON documents (semi-structured).
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse the definitions of structured and semi-structured data, or misorder the data types due to a superficial understanding of data classification.
✗Semi-structured, structured, unstructuredWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
The order is incorrect because product reviews as JSON documents are semi-structured (not structured), and product demonstration videos are unstructured (not semi-structured). The correct order is structured (table), semi-structured (JSON), unstructured (video).
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
If the question listed data types as: (1) a JSON document with customer preferences, (2) a relational table of sales transactions, (3) a CSV file of inventory logs, then option B (semi-structured, structured, structured) would be correct because JSON is semi-structured, and both table and CSV are structured.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse JSON as unstructured due to its flexible schema, or mistakenly think videos are semi-structured because they contain metadata, leading to a misordering of semi-structured and unstructured.
✗Unstructured, semi-structured, structuredWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
The order is incorrect: customer data in a table is structured, product reviews as JSON are semi-structured, and MP4 videos are unstructured. Option D reverses this order.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
If the question listed data types in order as: (1) product demonstration videos (MP4), (2) product reviews (JSON), (3) customer table, then option D would be correct as Unstructured, semi-structured, structured.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse the classification of JSON documents as unstructured instead of semi-structured, or misorder the data types due to lack of clarity on the definitions.
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
Learn chapter
Non-Relational DB Types: Document, Key-Value, Graph, Column
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.
Key term
Unstructured data
Unstructured data is information that does not have a predefined data model or is not organized in a predefined manner, making it difficult for traditional databases to read and process.
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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.