2025 Microsoft DP-420 exam prep roadmap and Q&As

Here’s my carefully crafted DP-420 exam preparation guide, which I’ve been working on for days.

Whether you’re a cloud developer aiming to master Azure Cosmos DB or an enthusiast looking to boost your resume with a certification, this guide is perfect for you.

And I’ve also prepared a gift for everyone!

In the second half of the article, you’ll find a free set of DP-420 exam practice questions—158 in total, reviewed and edited by the Leads4Pass Microsoft certification team, with 15 of them shared online for free.

Next, I’ll provide you with a customized step-by-step roadmap for 2025, sample Q&As, and insider tips to help you pass the exam with confidence.

What is the DP-420 Exam?

The DP-420 is Microsoft’s certification for developers who design and implement solutions with Azure Cosmos DB, a globally distributed NoSQL database. It tests skills like data modeling, partitioning, query optimization, and integration with Azure services. According to Microsoft’s official exam page, it’s ideal for those with intermediate Azure experience. But why does it matter in 2025? With cloud adoption soaring, Cosmos DB skills are in high demand—Gartner predicts NoSQL databases will dominate enterprise solutions by 2026.

How Long Does It Take to Prepare?

Prep time varies based on your background. Here’s a breakdown inspired by expert insights from StationX:

• Beginners (0-6 months Azure experience): 8-12 weeks, 3-4 hours daily.
• Intermediate (6-12 months experience): 6-8 weeks, 2-3 hours daily.
• Advanced (1+ year with Cosmos DB): 4-6 weeks, 1-2 hours daily.

Most candidates overestimate their readiness. Start with Microsoft Learn’s free DP-420 path to gauge your level.

Table Suggestion:

Level	Experience	Prep Time	Daily Effort
Beginner	0-6 months	8-12 weeks	3-4 hours
Intermediate	6-12 months	6-8 weeks	2-3 hours
Advanced	1+ year	4-6 weeks	1-2 hours

Your 2025 DP-420 Prep Roadmap

Here’s a 6-week roadmap tailored for intermediate learners (adjust as needed):

Week 1: Foundations
Study Cosmos DB basics (APIs, RU/s). Use Microsoft Learn.

Week 2: Data Modeling
Practice designing schemas and partitioning. Try Azure’s free tier.

Week 3: Query Optimization
Master SQL queries and indexing. Solve sample queries.

Week 4: Performance Tuning
Learn RU/s optimization and consistency models.

Week 5: Integration
Explore Cosmos DB with Azure Functions and Synapse.

Week 6: Mock Exams
Take practice tests from Leads4Pass.

My article banner shows the entire exam preparation process

DP-420 Latest Sample Questions and Answers

Number of exam questions	Type	Last shared
15	Free	DP-420 questions and answers

Question 1:

You have a database in an Azure Cosmos DB Core (SQL) API account. The database is backed up every two hours.

You need to implement a solution that supports point-in-time restore.

What should you do first?

A. Enable Continuous Backup for the account.

B. Configure the Backup and Restore settings for the account.

C. Create a new account that has a periodic backup policy.

D. Configure the Point In Time Restore settings for the account.

Correct Answer: A

When creating a new Azure Cosmos DB account, in the Backup policy tab, choose continuous mode to enable the point in time restore functionality for the new account. With the point-in-time restore, data is restored to a new account, currently you can\’t restore to an existing account.

Reference: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cosmos-db/provision-account-continuous-backup

Question 2:

After you answer a question in this section, you will NOT be able to return to it. As a result, these questions will not appear in the review screen.

You have a container named container1 in an Azure Cosmos DB Core (SQL) API account.

You need to make the contents of container1 available as reference data for an Azure Stream Analytics job.

Solution: You create an Azure function that uses Azure Cosmos DB Core (SQL) API change feed as a trigger and Azure event hub as the output.

Does this meet the goal?

A. Yes

B. No

Correct Answer: B

The Azure Cosmos DB change feed is a mechanism to get a continuous and incremental feed of records from an Azure Cosmos container as those records are being created or modified. Change feed support works by listening to container for any changes. It then outputs the sorted list of documents that were changed in the order in which they were modified.

Reference: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cosmos-db/sql/changefeed-ecommerce-solution

Question 3:

After you answer a question in this section, you will NOT be able to return to it. As a result, these questions will not appear in the review screen.

You have an Azure Cosmos DB Core (SQL) API account named account 1 that uses autoscale throughput.

You need to run an Azure function when the normalized request units per second for a container in account1 exceeds a specific value.

Solution: You configure an Azure Monitor alert to trigger the function.

Does this meet the goal?

A. Yes

B. No

Correct Answer: A

You can set up alerts from the Azure Cosmos DB pane or the Azure Monitor service in the Azure portal.

Note: Alerts are used to set up recurring tests to monitor the availability and responsiveness of your Azure Cosmos DB resources. Alerts can send you a notification in the form of an email, or execute an Azure Function when one of your metrics reaches the threshold or if a specific event is logged in the activity log.

Reference: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cosmos-db/create-alerts

Question 4:

You have a database in an Azure Cosmos DB for NoSQL account that is configured for multi-region writes.

You need to use the Azure Cosmos DB SDK to implement the conflict resolution policy for a container. The solution must ensure that any conflict sent to the conflict feed.

Solution: You set ConfilictResolutionMode to Custom and you use the default settings for the policy.

Does this meet the goal?

A. Yes

B. No

Correct Answer: B

Setting ConflictResolutionMode to Custom and using the default settings for the policy will not ensure that conflicts are sent to the conflict feed. You need to define a custom stored procedure using the “conflictingItems” parameter to handle conflicts properly.

Question 5:

You plan to create an Azure Cosmos DB account that will use the NoSQL API.

You need to create a grouping strategy for items that will be stored in the account. The solution must ensure that write and read operations on the items can be performed within the same transact!

What should you use to group the items?

A. logical partitions

B. physical partitions

C. databases

D. containers

Correct Answer: A

Question 6:

You have an Azure Cosmos DB Core (SQL) API account.

You configure the diagnostic settings to send all log information to a Log Analytics workspace.

You need to identify when the provisioned request units per second (RU/s) for resources within the account were modified.

You write the following query.

AzureDiagnostics

| where Category == “ControlPlaneRequests”

What should you include in the query?

A. | where OperationName startswith “AccountUpdateStart”

B. | where OperationName startswith “SqlContainersDelete”

C. | where OperationName startswith “MongoCollectionsThroughputUpdate”

D. | where OperationName startswith “SqlContainersThroughputUpdate”

Correct Answer: A

The following are the operation names in diagnostic logs for different operations:

1.

RegionAddStart, RegionAddComplete

2.

RegionRemoveStart, RegionRemoveComplete

3.

AccountDeleteStart, AccountDeleteComplete

4.

RegionFailoverStart, RegionFailoverComplete

5.

AccountCreateStart, AccountCreateComplete

6.

*AccountUpdateStart*, AccountUpdateComplete

7.

VirtualNetworkDeleteStart, VirtualNetworkDeleteComplete

8.

DiagnosticLogUpdateStart, DiagnosticLogUpdateComplete

Reference: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cosmos-db/audit-control-plane-logs

Question 7:

HOTSPOT

You have an Azure Cosmos DB Core (SQL) API account named storage1 that uses provisioned throughput capacity mode.

The storage1 account contains the databases shown in the following table.

The databases contain the containers shown in the following table.

For each of the following statements, select Yes if the statement is true. Otherwise, select No.

NOTE: Each correct selection is worth one point.

Hot Area:

Correct Answer:

Box 1: No

Four containers with 1000 RU/s each.

Box 2: No

Max 8000 RU/s for db2. 8 containers, so 1000 RU/s for each container.

Box 3: Yes

Max 8000 RU/s for db2. 8 containers, so 1000 RU/s for each container. Can very well add an additional container.

Reference:

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cosmos-db/plan-manage-costs

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/pricing/details/cosmos-db

Question 8:

HOTSPOT

You are creating a database in an Azure Cosmos DB Core (SQL) API account. The database will be used by an application that will provide users with the ability to share online posts. Users will also be able to submit comments on other

users\’ posts.

You need to store the data shown in the following table.

The application has the following characteristics:

1.

Users can submit an unlimited number of posts.

2.

The average number of posts submitted by a user will be more than 1,000.

3.

Posts can have an unlimited number of comments from different users.

4.

The average number of comments per post will be 100, but many posts will exceed 1,000 comments.

5.

Users will be limited to having a maximum of 20 interests.

For each of the following statements, select Yes if the statement is true. Otherwise, select No.

NOTE: Each correct selection is worth one point.

Hot Area:

Correct Answer:

Box 1: Yes

Non-relational data increases write costs, but can decrease read costs.

Box 2: Yes

Non-relational data increases write costs, but can decrease read costs.

Box 3: No

Non-relational data increases write costs, but can decrease read costs.

To avoid overwhelming you with too much text, I’ve compiled the rest into a PDF for you to download and study. You can grab the DP-420 PDF here for your learning convenience.

Tips to Pass in 2025

• Hands-On Practice: Set up a free Azure account and experiment.
• Avoid Cramming: Spread learning to retain complex concepts like Change Feed.
• Join Communities: Engage on Reddit’s r/AZURE for real-world advice.

Conclusion

I hope the DP-420 exam prep roadmap I’ve put together can be of great help to you. This study plan is both scientific and practical, making it flexible for learners at any stage—whether you’re a beginner or at an intermediate level.

More importantly, I’ve included the most valuable DP-420 exam questions for you to get a head start on your practice and be fully prepared. Feel free to dive into the 158 latest DP-420 prep questions I’ve provided—these are verified, authentic, and effective materials designed to ensure your success.