- A
Availability (A) and Partition Tolerance (P)
The system must remain available to accept bids even when network partitions occur, so it ensures Partition Tolerance (P). It also prioritizes Availability (A) by allowing writes to continue in all regions. As a result, Consistency (C) is sacrificed, meaning different regions may return different data temporarily.
- B
Consistency (C) and Partition Tolerance (P)
Why wrong: Choosing Consistency and Partition Tolerance would mean that during a network partition, the system cannot guarantee availability (e.g., it might refuse writes or reads from some regions to maintain consistency). This is not what the scenario describes—the system must keep accepting bids.
- C
Consistency (C) and Availability (A)
Why wrong: According to the CAP theorem, it is impossible to guarantee both Consistency and Availability in the presence of a network partition. The system must tolerate partitions, so this combination is not achievable in practice.
- D
Durability and Availability
Durability is not one of the three CAP properties. CAP stands for Consistency, Availability, and Partition Tolerance. Durability is important but not part of the CAP theorem.
Quick Answer
The answer is Availability and Partition Tolerance, making this an AP system under the CAP theorem. This is correct because the platform must continue accepting bids (writes) even when a network partition occurs between Azure regions, which directly prioritizes Availability—every request gets a response—and Partition Tolerance—the system keeps operating despite network splits. The trade-off is that Consistency is sacrificed, allowing slightly outdated reads during partitions. On the Microsoft Azure Data Fundamentals DP-900 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how distributed systems trade off consistency for availability and partition tolerance, often appearing in questions about globally replicated databases like Azure Cosmos DB. A common trap is confusing durability with consistency; here, durability is implied because all bids must be recorded permanently, but the CAP theorem’s core trade-off is between C, A, and P. Remember the memory tip: “AP for apps that can’t stop—even if the data’s not on top.”
DP-900 Describe core data concepts Practice Question
This DP-900 practice question tests your understanding of describe core data concepts. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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 globally distributed online auction platform uses a replicated database system across multiple Azure regions. The system must continue accepting bids (writes) even if a network partition occurs between regions, because auctions cannot be interrupted. The business decides that during a partition, some users might see slightly outdated item prices (read inconsistency) but all bids must be recorded. According to the CAP theorem, which two properties is this system prioritizing?
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
Availability (A) and Partition Tolerance (P)
The system must continue accepting bids (writes) even during a network partition, which means it prioritizes Availability (A) — every request receives a response, even if it's not the most recent data. It also must function across multiple Azure regions that can become disconnected, which requires Partition Tolerance (P) — the system continues to operate despite network splits. The trade-off is that Consistency (C) is sacrificed, as users may see slightly outdated item prices during a partition. This is a classic AP (Availability and Partition Tolerance) choice from the CAP theorem.
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.
- ✓
Availability (A) and Partition Tolerance (P)
Why this is correct
The system must remain available to accept bids even when network partitions occur, so it ensures Partition Tolerance (P). It also prioritizes Availability (A) by allowing writes to continue in all regions. As a result, Consistency (C) is sacrificed, meaning different regions may return different data temporarily.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Consistency (C) and Partition Tolerance (P)
Why it's wrong here
Choosing Consistency and Partition Tolerance would mean that during a network partition, the system cannot guarantee availability (e.g., it might refuse writes or reads from some regions to maintain consistency). This is not what the scenario describes—the system must keep accepting bids.
- ✗
Consistency (C) and Availability (A)
Why it's wrong here
According to the CAP theorem, it is impossible to guarantee both Consistency and Availability in the presence of a network partition. The system must tolerate partitions, so this combination is not achievable in practice.
- ✓
Durability and Availability
Why this is correct
Durability is not one of the three CAP properties. CAP stands for Consistency, Availability, and Partition Tolerance. Durability is important but not part of the CAP theorem.
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 the CAP theorem's 'Consistency' with ACID consistency or durability, or they mistakenly think 'Availability' means the system is always up, when in CAP it specifically means every request receives a non-error response even during a partition.
Trap categories for this question
Real-world vs exam trap
According to the CAP theorem, it is impossible to guarantee both Consistency and Availability in the presence of a network partition. The system must tolerate partitions, so this combination is not achievable in practice.
Scenario analysis trap
Choosing Consistency and Partition Tolerance would mean that during a network partition, the system cannot guarantee availability (e.g., it might refuse writes or reads from some regions to maintain consistency). This is not what the scenario describes—the system must keep accepting bids.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the CAP theorem, during a network partition (e.g., an Azure region outage or connectivity loss), a system must choose between Consistency and Availability. This auction platform uses an eventually consistent replication model (e.g., Azure Cosmos DB with multi-region writes and eventual consistency) where writes are accepted in all regions and asynchronously replicated, ensuring no bid is lost. The trade-off is that a user in one region might see a stale price until replication completes, which is acceptable for the business requirement of uninterrupted auctions.
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
An e-commerce site experiences heavy traffic on Black Friday and near-zero traffic during off-peak weeks. Rather than provisioning permanent large VMs, the team uses auto-scaling groups that add capacity automatically under load and reduce it overnight. Questions like this test whether you understand elasticity, availability zones, and cloud compute scaling patterns.
What to study next
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this DP-900 question test?
Describe core data concepts — This question tests Describe core data concepts — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Availability (A) and Partition Tolerance (P) — The system must continue accepting bids (writes) even during a network partition, which means it prioritizes Availability (A) — every request receives a response, even if it's not the most recent data. It also must function across multiple Azure regions that can become disconnected, which requires Partition Tolerance (P) — the system continues to operate despite network splits. The trade-off is that Consistency (C) is sacrificed, as users may see slightly outdated item prices during a partition. This is a classic AP (Availability and Partition Tolerance) choice from the CAP theorem.
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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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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.
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