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Designing and Implementing Cloud-Native Applications Using Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB Practice Test

65 questions available

This practice test is designed for IT professionals preparing to validate their expertise in designing and implementing cloud-native applications using Azure Cosmos DB for NoSQL. The exam covers five core domains: designing and implementing a Cosmos DB for NoSQL solution, implementing server-side programming constructs such as stored procedures, triggers, and user-defined functions, integrating the solution with other Azure services and client applications, maintaining the solution through monitoring, backup, and disaster recovery, and optimizing performance, cost, and throughput. The test includes 66 questions that mirror the complexity and breadth of the official certification exam. It is intended for developers, solution architects, and database administrators who have hands-on experience with Azure Cosmos DB and are seeking to formalize their skills. Candidates will gain a thorough understanding of how to model data for NoSQL, configure indexing policies, manage consistency levels, implement change feed processing, and tune request units (RUs) for cost efficiency. Successfully mastering this content equips learners to build scalable, globally distributed applications that meet enterprise requirements for latency, availability, and throughput.

Certification exam
40 Exam questions
1 hour 40 minutes Time Limit
Practice bank
65 Practice Questions
1 hour 5 minutes Practice Time
Start Practice
The bar to clear 700/1000 Official passing score. Aim higher in practice before you book.
Official objectives from Microsoft
Microsoft65 practice questions45 answers with a checkable referenceBlueprint 1.0Bank updated 2026-07-09

Sample Questions

Try a few questions to see what the full exam is like.

45 of 65 answers carry a checkable reference.

Maintain an Azure Cosmos DB solution

During an Azure Cosmos DB architecture review, the topic is worldwide read/write availability. Which recommendation should be made?

Maintain an Azure Cosmos DB solution

During an Azure Cosmos DB architecture review, the topic is response time and scalability. Which recommendation should be made?

Optimize an Azure Cosmos DB solution

During an Azure Cosmos DB architecture review, the topic is throughput divided across physical partitions. Which recommendation should be made?

Maintain an Azure Cosmos DB solution

During an Azure Cosmos DB architecture review, the topic is vector and hybrid search. Which recommendation should be made?

Optimize an Azure Cosmos DB solution

During an Azure Cosmos DB architecture review, the topic is partition key for throughput distribution. Which recommendation should be made?

Why This Certification Opens Doors

Azure Cosmos DB is a foundational service for modern cloud-native applications that require low-latency access to data at global scale. Mastering its design and implementation directly impacts real-world outcomes: you will be able to architect solutions that handle millions of requests per second, reduce operational costs by optimizing RU consumption, and ensure high availability across regions. This practice test bridges the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application, helping you avoid common pitfalls such as over-provisioning throughput, poor partition key selection, or inefficient indexing. The skills validated here are immediately applicable to production scenarios, from e-commerce platforms to IoT telemetry pipelines, making you a more effective contributor to any cloud-native team.

Exam Blueprint

Each domain is weighted to match the real certification exam, so a full practice simulation predicts your result.

01Design and implement data modelsDesign and implement a non-relational data model for Azure Cosmos DB for NoSQL, Design a data partitioning strategy for Azure Cosmos DB for NoSQL, Plan and implement sizing and scaling for a database created with Azure Cosmos DB
35%
02Maintain an Azure Cosmos DB solutionMonitor and troubleshoot an Azure Cosmos DB solution, Implement backup and restore for an Azure Cosmos DB solution, Implement security for an Azure Cosmos DB solution, Implement data movement for an Azure Cosmos DB solution, Implement a DevOps process for an Azure Cosmos DB solution
25%
03Optimize an Azure Cosmos DB solutionOptimize query performance when using the API for Azure Cosmos DB for NoSQL, Design and implement change feeds for Azure Cosmos DB for NoSQL, Define and implement an indexing strategy for Azure Cosmos DB for NoSQL
15%
04Design and implement data distributionDesign and implement a replication strategy for Azure Cosmos DB, Implement a custom conflict resolution policy for Azure Cosmos DB for NoSQL
5%
05Integrate an Azure Cosmos DB solutionEnable Azure Cosmos DB analytical workloads, Implement solutions across services
5%

Exam Details DP-420 | $165 USD | 1 hour 40 minutes

Exam Code DP-420
Vendor Microsoft
Exam Cost $165 USD
Passing Score 700/1000
Time Limit 1 hour 40 minutes
Exam questions 40
Question TypesMultiple Choice, Multiple Response, Drag and Drop, Case Study, Build List, Hot Area, Repeated Answer Choices
Retake Policy No waiting period for first retake if score >= 500 on failed attempt. If score < 500: 14-day waiting period before retake. Maximum 5 attempts per exam per year (365 days). Free retake voucher sometimes included in official instructor-led training.
Exam Format Linear
Online Proctoring Available
Available In
EnglishSimplified ChineseTraditional ChineseFrenchGermanJapaneseKoreanPortugueseRussianSpanishArabicIndonesian

Study Resources

Microsoft Learn (free self-paced training)
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Free official learning paths mapped to each exam
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Microsoft Official Practice Assessment
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Free official practice questions on Microsoft Learn
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Frequently Asked Questions

How many questions are on the actual certification exam, and how does this practice test compare?

The official exam typically contains 40-60 questions. This practice test includes 66 questions to provide broader coverage and more opportunities to assess your readiness. The question styles, including case studies and multiple-choice, are designed to mirror the official exam format.

Do I need to know how to write server-side code in JavaScript for this exam?

Yes. The exam includes server-side programming constructs such as stored procedures, triggers, and user-defined functions, all of which are written in JavaScript. You should be comfortable with JavaScript syntax, transaction semantics, and the limitations of server-side scripts in Cosmos DB.

What is the best way to practice for the performance optimization questions?

Hands-on experimentation is key. Create a Cosmos DB account, load sample data, and use the Azure portal metrics and diagnostic logs to analyze RU consumption, latency, and throttling. Practice adjusting indexing policies, choosing partition keys, and scaling throughput manually and with autoscale.

Are there questions about cost management and pricing models?

Yes. You should understand the difference between provisioned throughput and serverless models, how to estimate RU costs, and how to use reserved capacity. Questions may ask you to recommend the most cost-effective configuration for a given workload pattern.

How important is it to understand consistency levels?

Very important. Consistency levels directly affect both performance and data correctness. You need to know the five consistency levels, their trade-offs, and how to configure them at the account and request level. Expect scenario-based questions that ask you to choose the appropriate level for a specific application requirement.