1Z0-1041-20 · Question #28
What are the two commonly used dimensional modeling schemas?
The correct answer is A. Star D. Snowflake. Explanation/Reference: https://docs.oracle.com/cd/A97630_01/server.920/a96520/schemas.htm
Question
What are the two commonly used dimensional modeling schemas?
Options
- AStar
- BSun
- CMoon
- DSnowflake
How the community answered
(32 responses)- A75% (24)
- B9% (3)
- C16% (5)
Explanation
Explanation/Reference: https://docs.oracle.com/cd/A97630_01/server.920/a96520/schemas.htm
Topics
Community Discussion
6
Wesley A.Jun 26, 2026The correct answers are A (Star) and D (Snowflake), and this one tripped me up the first time because I second-guessed myself on whether there was a third schema they were looking for. Star schema puts all your dimension attributes directly in a single flat dimension table surrounding a fact table, which makes queries fast and simple. Snowflake schema normalizes those dimension tables out into related sub-tables, which saves storage and avoids redundancy but adds join complexity. Sun and Moon are not real dimensional modeling schemas, they are just there to see if you know your terminology, so if you memorized those two names you are locking in A and D with confidence.
Orla P.Jun 27, 2026Good breakdown, though I would add that in practice most data warehouse teams end up somewhere in between, using a hybrid where some dimensions are fully flattened and others are partially normalized depending on how often that dimension data changes.
Luis F.Jun 26, 2026Dude this one is literally a gift if you see it, Star and Snowflake are the two classic dimensional modeling schemas, Star keeps dimensions flat in a single table while Snowflake normalizes them out into multiple related tables. I saw this on my actual exam and panicked for a second because I kept staring at "Sun" thinking maybe Oracle snuck in some trick answer, but then I just remembered my professor drawing those shapes on the whiteboard and clicked A and D without looking back.
Orla P.Jun 26, 2026Star and Snowflake, saw this exact pair pop up, flagged it anyway, came back and confirmed both.
Marisol N.Jun 29, 2026Good catch on both, and the angle Oracle keeps probing is not just identification but the trade-off: Star gives you faster query performance through denormalized dimensions, Snowflake saves storage and enforces referential integrity through normalization, and the exam will hand you a scenario with either a performance requirement or a storage constraint and expect you to justify the choice, not just name the schema.
Marisol N.Jun 26, 2026Star and Snowflake are the two classic schemas, Sun and Moon are pure distractors.