Microsoft has been expanding out the certification offerings around Microsoft Azure. The Provisioning SQL Databases (70-765) exam fits right along with this as it measures expertise around SQL Server and Azure SQL Databases. With the ever increasing adoption of the Cloud, the lines between traditional on-premises style systems / applications and cloud applications is being blurred. This exam fits right along with that as it covers Azure SQL Databases and hosting SQL Server within Virtual Machines (VMs).

Certification Target Audience

The focus on the Developing SQL Databases (70-762) certification exam is centered around SQL Server and Azure SQL Database. The exam is designed to target candidates who build and implement databases across organizations and who ensure high levels of data availability. The ideal candidates responsibilities include creating database files, data types, and tables; planning, creating, and optimizing indexes; ensuring data integrity; implementing views, stored procedures, and functions; and managing transactions and locks.

Skills Measured

Here is a high level list of the skills and objectives measured on the Developing SQL Databases (70-762) exam. The percentages next to each of the objectives represent the percentage of the exam questions that will be focus on that specific objective.

• Design and implement database objects (25-30%)
  • Design and implement a relational database schema
  • Design and implement indexes
  • Design and implement views
  • Implement columnstore indexes
• Implement programmability objects (20-25%)
  • Ensure data integrity with constraints
  • Create stored procedures
  • Create triggers and user-defined functions
• Manage database concurrency (25-30%)
  • Implement transactions
  • Manage isolation levels
  • Optimize concurrency and locking behavior
  • Implement memory-optimized tables and native stored procedures
• Optimize database objects and SQL infrastructure (20-25%)
  • Optimize statistics and indexes
  • Analyze and troubleshoot query plans
  • Manage performance for database instances
  • Monitor and trace SQL Server baseline performance metrics

When studying for this exam, you’ll certainly want to look at the official exam page from Microsoft for the full list of exam objectives covered. You’ll need to study each and every one of the objectives measured on the exam before attempting to take it.

Training Materials

At the time of writing this summary of the 70-762 Developing SQL Databases exam, there is a limited amount of Exam preparation material available. You’ll need to focus mostly on the Microsoft documentation surrounding the technologies and skills measured on this exam for now. However, there an Exam Reference book from Microsoft Press being published soon!

Below is a summary of the exam reference book:

Exam Ref 70-762 Developing SQL Databases

Prepare for Microsoft Exam 70-762, Developing SQL Databases –and help demonstrate your real-world mastery of skills for building and implementing databases across organizations. Designed for database professionals who build and implement databases across organizations and who ensure high levels of data availability, Exam Ref focuses on the critical-thinking and decision-making acumen needed for success at the MCSA level.

Focus on the expertise measured by these objectives:

• Design and implement database objects
• Implement programmability objects
• Manage database concurrency
• Optimize database objects and SQL infrastructure

This Microsoft Exam Ref:

• Organizes its coverage by exam objectives
• Features strategic, what-if scenarios to challenge you
• Assumes you have working knowledge of Microsoft Windows, Transact-SQL, and relational databases

Happy Studying!

About the Author

Chris Pietschmann

Chris Pietschmann is a Microsoft MVP, HashiCorp Ambassador, and Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT) with 20+ years of experience designing and building Cloud & Enterprise systems. He has worked with companies of all sizes from startups to large enterprises. He has a passion for technology and sharing what he learns with others to help enable them to learn faster and be more productive.