DP-800 exam format: questions, score and cost

DP-800 gives you 120 minutes, requires a scaled score of 700 out of 1000 to pass, and is priced per country at the booking step. Microsoft does not publish the number of questions or a fixed price. Here is everything else it publishes, and what it means for your preparation.

The three domains

Microsoft’s certification page words the third area as “Implement AI capabilities in SQL solutions”; the study guide uses “database solutions”. It is the same area.

The first domain covers tables and constraints, programmability objects, advanced T-SQL (CTEs, window functions, JSON, regular expressions, fuzzy matching, graph queries, error handling) and AI-assisted development with GitHub Copilot and Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers. The second covers encryption, masking, row-level security, auditing, performance tuning, SQL Database Projects in CI/CD, Data API builder and change-capture options. The third covers external models, embeddings, full-text, vector and hybrid search, and RAG.

Which outline applies to you

Microsoft updates the English outline on October 19, 2026. The change log lists minor changes in four sub-areas: database objects, AI-assisted tools, models and embeddings, and intelligent search. The three domain weights are the same before and after. If your booking date is before October 19, open the study guide and check which version applies to you; if it is on or after that date, the new version applies. The guides on this site are written to the newest outline.

Localised versions are updated roughly eight weeks after English. If you sit the exam in another language shortly after an update, you may get the previous outline. If the exam is not offered in your language, you can request 30 extra minutes. Arrange this before you book.

Beta history

DP-800 was offered in beta earlier in 2026, and candidate threads on Microsoft Q&A refer to beta scoring delays. The current certification page carries no beta label. Treat the exam as generally available, and read the live exam page before booking in case that changes.

Practice and preparation tools

The certification page offers the exam sandbox, which shows the interface and question types. The certification page lists only the exam sandbox, but the study guide links a free practice assessment, so check Microsoft’s practice assessments page for the current state. Microsoft’s instructor-led course DP-800T00 is listed as a three-day course and is the official structured route; see study resources.

Question types

Expect the usual Microsoft mix: single- and multiple-answer multiple choice, ordered steps, dropdown completion of T-SQL or configuration snippets, yes/no statement series and possibly case studies. Microsoft warns that exams may contain interactive components. For this exam, reading T-SQL is the core skill: you will be asked what a query returns, why it is slow or what to change in it.

The passing score is scaled

700 of 1000 is not 70% correct. Microsoft scales scores and weights items differently and does not publish the conversion. Aim for a consistent 80% or better on realistic practice material.

Time management

120 minutes is generous for an exam of this type, but code snippets take longer to read than service names. Work steadily, mark anything that needs a long query trace, and return to it. Do not spend more than a couple of minutes on one item.

Preview features

Microsoft states that most questions cover generally available features, but preview features may appear if they are commonly used. Several areas here move quickly: vector indexes, external models, MCP support and Data API builder. Read current documentation rather than older blog posts.

Retakes and renewal

If you fail, you can retake after 24 hours; later attempts need 14 days between them, with at most five attempts in 12 months, under Microsoft’s retake policy. After you pass, the certification is valid for 12 months and renews through a free online assessment on Microsoft Learn. Costs across vendors are compared in certification costs, and the day itself is covered in the exam day guide.