DP-900 Describe core data concepts Practice Question
Which TWO of the following are characteristics of structured data? (Choose two.)
⚠ Common exam trap
Microsoft often tests the distinction between 'fixed schema' (structured) and 'schema-on-read' (semi-structured), and candidates mistakenly associate key-value pairs with structured data instead of NoSQL.
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
✓
Stored in rows and columns
Structured data is organized in a tabular format with rows and columns, which is the defining characteristic of relational databases like SQL Server or Azure SQL Database. This structure enforces a fixed schema, meaning the data types and relationships are defined before data is entered, ensuring consistency and enabling efficient querying via SQL.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
No predefined schema
Why it's wrong here
Structured data by definition has a schema that is defined before data loading (schema-on-write), ensuring consistency. Without a predefined schema, data would lack fixed fields and types, making it unstructured (like text or media) and preventing relational querying. Therefore, absence of schema contradicts structured data.
- ✓
Stored in rows and columns
Why this is correct
Structured data is inherently organised with a predefined schema, which mandates its storage in a highly organised format. This characteristic directly aligns with being stored in rows and columns, a hallmark of relational databases. Each row represents a unique record, while columns define specific attributes or fields, ensuring data consistency and enabling efficient querying and analysis. This precise tabular structure is a defining feature of structured data, satisfying the requirement for its organised nature.
- ✓
Fixed schema
Why this is correct
Structured data adheres to a predefined schema where each entity has a fixed set of attributes with specified data types, constraints, and relationships. This schema is typically enforced at write time, ensuring data integrity and enabling efficient indexing, querying, and joining in relational databases. The fixed schema is a foundational characteristic that distinguishes structured data from semi-structured and unstructured data.
- ✗
Key-value pairs
Why it's wrong here
Key-value pairs are a fundamental data model of NoSQL stores like Redis or DynamoDB, where each item is a unique key associated with a value that can be opaque. While key-value pairs can be used to represent semi-structured or unstructured data, structured data is organized into tables with rows and columns, not simple key-value mappings. Therefore, key-value pairs do not describe structured data.
- ✗
Schema-on-read
Why it's wrong here
Schema-on-read is a paradigm where the schema is applied when data is read, not when it is written, commonly seen in data lakes with formats like JSON, Parquet, or Avro. This flexibility suits semi-structured or unprocessed data, but structured data relies on schema-on-write: a fixed, pre-defined schema enforced during ingestion. Thus, schema-on-read does not characterize structured data.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Data Roles and Core Concepts
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
Schema
A schema is a blueprint or logical structure that defines how data is organized, stored, and accessed in a database or information system.
About these practice questions
Courseiva writes every DP-900 question from scratch — 820 in total, each with an explanation and a wrong-answer breakdown. None are copied from real exams or dumps. 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.