Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900) Practice Exam

In which format does the data adhere to a schema?

1. Unstructured data

2. Structured data

3. Semi-structured data

4. None of the above

The correct answer is: Structured data

Structured data adheres to a defined schema, which highlights its organized nature. This format typically consists of data that is highly organized, often found in relational databases, where elements are stored in tables with specific rows and columns. Each column has a predetermined data type that enforces consistency, allowing for efficient querying and analysis. The adherence to a schema ensures that the data can be easily managed, searched, and processed by software applications. In contrast, unstructured data lacks a predefined format or schema, making it more challenging to organize and analyze. Examples include text documents, images, and videos, which do not fit neatly into rows and columns. Semi-structured data, while it does have some organizational properties, does not conform strictly to a schema. It often contains tags or markers to separate elements, such as JSON or XML files, but still does not enforce the same rigid structure found in structured data. This distinction clarifies why structured data is the correct answer, as it is explicitly aligned with a schema, ensuring consistency and predictability in data management.