Microsoft Certified: Azure Cosmos DB Developer Specialty DP-420 Exam Review January 2026
The Microsoft DP-420 exam is one of Microsoft’s role-based certification exams and is fully focused on Azure Cosmos DB. This service is Microsoft’s globally distributed, multi-model database platform designed to support modern, scalable, and high-performance applications.
This certification falls under the Microsoft Azure certification track and is aimed primarily at developers who design, implement, and maintain data solutions using Azure Cosmos DB. Candidates taking this exam are typically expected to have hands-on experience building cloud-native applications and working with NoSQL data models. While expert-level knowledge isn’t mandatory, an intermediate understanding of data modeling, indexing, partitioning, query optimization, and application integration is highly beneficial.
The exam covers a wide range of topics within Azure Cosmos DB, including designing data models, implementing data distribution and partitioning strategies, writing and optimizing queries, integrating Cosmos DB with applications, and monitoring and troubleshooting database performance.
If you’re preparing for this exam, it’s highly recommended to use multiple study resources. Microsoft provides several official options, including the DP-420 Microsoft Learn certification pathway, official documentation, study guides, and practice assessments. Instructor-led training is also available for those who prefer a guided learning approach.
If you’re planning to take this certification, be sure to regularly check the Microsoft certification page to stay up to date with any changes to the exam. Microsoft periodically updates the skills measured, and it’s important to ensure your preparation aligns with the most recent exam objectives. The full skills outline can be found on the exam page, but in summary, your knowledge is assessed across the following areas.
My Overall Experience in This Exam
My overall experience, based on both my higher and lower scoring areas, was as follows.
My Three Highest Scoring Areas Were
• Design and implement data models
• Write and optimize queries for Azure Cosmos DB
• Implement data distribution and partitioning strategies
My Two Lower Scoring Areas Were
• Monitor and troubleshoot Azure Cosmos DB solutions
• Integrate Azure Cosmos DB with applications
This led me to believe that the monitoring and application integration sections were more challenging than I initially expected. While these areas alone won’t necessarily cause you to fail the exam, they are definitely sections to keep a close eye on, as the questions often dive into real-world performance and troubleshooting scenarios.
My Library for Study Consisted Of
• Microsoft Learn DP-420 Certification Learning Path
• Microsoft DP-420 Practice Assessment on Microsoft Learn
• Hands-on practice with Azure Cosmos DB
• Reviewing official Microsoft documentation
Best of Luck in Your Studies
#alwayslearning