Azure DP-100 exam-day guide
Azure DP-100 · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Government-issued photo ID
Bring a valid, unexpired photo ID. The name must match the name on your exam registration exactly (including middle names or suffixes). If your registration name differs, contact support to fix it before exam day.
Second form of ID or signature ID
Some testing centers and proctoring vendors ask for a second form of identification. Check your appointment confirmation or ask the provider whether a second ID is required at your location.
Appointment confirmation and registration details
Have your appointment number, the email confirmation, and the login for your Microsoft certification profile accessible on a device other than the exam machine if you are testing online.
Correct time slot converted to your local time zone
Exam slots are often shown in a different time zone than yours. Confirm the start time in local time and note whether check-in must start earlier than the scheduled start.
System and equipment check completed (online proctored)
Run the vendor's system test on the same machine, browser, and network you will use on exam day. Confirm camera, microphone, and screen-sharing permissions are granted and working.
Stable, preferably wired internet connection plus a backup
Have a fallback option (mobile hotspot or phone tethering) ready. Test that the backup can reach the proctoring site before exam day.
Clean, private room with a clear desk
Remove notes, books, second monitors, phones, smart watches, and papers from the desk and from arm's reach. You may be asked to pan the camera around the room during check-in.
Laptop charger and power source
Proctoring sessions can run long. Keep the machine plugged in so a low battery does not end the session.
On-screen scratchpad only
You cannot bring pen, paper, or a physical whiteboard. Use any digital notepad or whiteboard the exam interface provides, and confirm its availability in the pre-exam tutorial.
Comfort items permitted by the provider
If you need water, medication, or a break, check the vendor's allowed-items policy in advance rather than assuming. Ask for any accommodation well before exam day.
Environment distractions managed
Tell household members you are unavailable, silence devices, and close other applications. Unexpected noise or people entering the room can trigger a proctor warning or session termination.
Skills outline reviewed, not new material
Skim the official skills measured list one last time to refresh the domain areas (data preparation, model training and tuning, deployment, MLOps, and responsible AI), but do not start learning new topics the night before.
Plan the day
Confirm the appointment date, time, and delivery mode (test center or online). Re-read the vendor's ID and allowed-items policy. Run the full system test if you are testing online, and resolve any camera or network issues now rather than on exam day.
Do a light review pass over the skills outline and your own weak spots. Build a one-page summary of commands, SDK patterns, and CLI syntax you tend to forget (for example workspace and compute creation, job submission, endpoint deployment), and read only that from here on.
Do one short practice run of the mechanics rather than content: where the flag button is, how to review flagged questions, and how to reach the score report. Then stop studying. Sleep a full night; fatigue costs more points than one more topic.
Lay out your ID, charger, and confirmation. If testing at a center, plan the route, parking, and an arrival buffer. If online, clear the room of papers, close extra monitors, and unplug anything the proctor might flag.
Eat, hydrate modestly, and avoid last-minute cramming. Log in or arrive at the check-in point earlier than the provider requires so ID verification and room scan do not eat into your exam time slot.
Use the tutorial time to learn the interface before the clock starts. Answer the questions you know confidently first, flag long scenario questions, and return to them. Keep an eye on the remaining time and divide it by the number of unanswered questions.
Read each question to the end and watch for qualifiers such as 'minimum effort', 'first', 'not', and 'least privileged'. In build-the-solution items, check the required outcome and constraints before choosing a component.
If a case study section appears, read the case once and answer its questions before leaving it, since navigation may not allow returning. Use only the information given in the case plus standard product behavior.
Complete any survey, then save or print your score report. If you did not pass, note the per-domain results and confirm the retake waiting period with the provider before scheduling again.
Rules to check
Bring an unexpired government-issued photo ID whose name matches your registration exactly. If the names differ, you may be turned away without a refund, so fix the registration beforehand.
Do not use unauthorized materials or tools: no phone, smart watch, notes, second screen, physical paper, or browser tabs. Assume the session is recorded and reviewed, and that flagged behavior can void the result.
Stay in camera view and in the room for the whole session unless the proctor authorizes a break. Do not read questions aloud, mutter, or talk to anyone else.
If the exam permits a scheduled break, confirm in the tutorial whether the timer keeps running during it, and plan your remaining time accordingly. For any accommodation, request approval from the provider well in advance.
Microsoft certification exams are reported as pass/fail with a scaled score, typically out of 1000 with 700 as the passing threshold. Confirm the current passing score and scoring details on the official exam page, since these can change.
Some exams include unscored pretest questions that do not affect your result, so do not assume every item is worth points or try to guess which ones are experimental; treat them all the same.
Retake and reschedule policies, no-show fees, and the waiting period between attempts are set by the provider. Confirm the current terms before you rely on them.
If a technical problem interrupts the session, stop and use the proctor chat or support line immediately rather than restarting on your own, so the incident is documented for a possible reschedule.