Microsoft study plan
DP-900 study plan
A step-by-step DP-900 study plan: the exact order to study in, how long to spend on each stage, and when to start practice questions. Follow it top to bottom.
The real DP-900 is Typically 40 to 60 questions questions in 45 minutes, pass mark 700 / 1000. For the full domain-by-domain breakdown behind each stage, read the DP-900 study guide.
Your step-by-step plan
Map the four domains and book a date
Day 1Read the official skills outline and note the four domains and their weights. Core Data Concepts and the Analytics Workload are the two heaviest, so they will earn the most time. Book a provisional exam date now: a fixed date converts open-ended study into a plan and is the strongest predictor of actually sitting.
Lock the core vocabulary
Week 1Before touching any Azure service, nail the shared language: structured versus semi-structured versus unstructured data, transactional versus analytical workloads, the file and database and data lake storage options, and the three data roles. Use the recall prompts in this guide: cover the answer, classify or define from memory, then reveal. If you cannot label an example on sight, you do not own it yet.
Drill the relational concepts and Azure SQL ladder
Week 2Write one-line definitions for table, row, key, index, view, and stored procedure, then test by reading a definition and naming the object. Learn the Azure SQL management ladder by who patches what: SQL on a VM is your responsibility, Managed Instance and SQL Database are Microsoft's. Practise the view-versus-stored-procedure and Database-versus-VM calls until the responsibility split alone decides them.
Build the non-relational storage decision tree
Week 3Memorise the four Azure Storage services by data shape: Blob for unstructured objects, Files for mountable shares, Table for key-value rows, Queue for messages. Drill the Blob-versus-Files trap. Then learn Cosmos DB by its global distribution behaviour: add a region and replication happens automatically. Read the worked explanation on every sample question, including the ones you got right.
Cover the analytics stack and Power BI
Week 4Learn the star schema as a fact-versus-dimension pair, fix the identities of Synapse, Fabric, OneLake, and data lakes, and hold the batch-versus-stream contrast. Separate the Power BI report, dashboard, and paginated report by purpose. This domain is heavy, so do not leave it short, and tie each service back to whether the workload is large-scale, real-time, or visualisation.
Drill weak domains and space the review
Week 5Use your per-domain accuracy to attack the two domains dragging you down rather than re-reading what you already know. Then space it: revisit each domain's recall prompts after a few days and again a week later. Spacing roughly doubles what sticks compared with cramming the night before.
Sit a timed mock and calibrate
Week 6Take at least one full timed mock under exam conditions to rehearse pacing and the flag-and-return habit. Treat the score as a per-domain readiness signal, not a single number, and review every missed question, naming the definition or service distinction you misread, before you book or sit.
Ready to start stage one?
Free DP-900 questions with worked explanations. No sign-up.
Frequently asked questions
How long does this DP-900 study plan take?
It is 7 stages, paced by how much time you can give it each week - most candidates work through it in 2 to 6 weeks. Each stage below has a suggested duration; slow down on any stage where the recall checks in the study guide are not landing before moving on.
What order should I study DP-900 in?
Follow the stages in order below. They are sequenced deliberately: foundational material first, then the domains weighted heaviest on the exam, then timed practice, with review passes built in rather than left to the end.
Do I need practice questions as part of this plan?
Yes. Reading alone does not surface what you have not actually learned. This plan builds in graded practice, and the full 262-question bank is free to use as you work through each stage.
Is this plan enough on its own, or do I need the full study guide too?
This page is the plan: what to do and in what order. The study guide adds the domain-by-domain breakdown, easy-to-confuse traps, and worked examples behind each stage - read it alongside this plan, not instead of it.
Examworthy is not affiliated with or endorsed by Microsoft. This study plan is original material based on the public exam blueprint. We never reproduce live exam items. DP-900 and related marks belong to their respective owners.