Data & Analytics
Databricks Certified Data Engineer Associate
Databricks Certified Data Engineer Associate
Free Databricks DE Associate practice questions 30 questions with full answer explanations. No sign-up. Start practice →Overview
The Databricks Certified Data Engineer Associate is the entry-level data-engineering credential for the Databricks Data Intelligence Platform (the lakehouse built on Apache Spark and Delta Lake). It is aimed at people who already do, or are learning to do, the everyday tasks of a junior data engineer on Databricks: ingesting data, building tables with Delta Lake, transforming data with Spark SQL and Python, putting simple pipelines into production, and applying basic governance with Unity Catalog. Databricks suggests around six months of hands-on experience before you sit it, although there are no formal prerequisites.
The exam itself is short and focused: 45 scored multiple-choice questions in 90 minutes, taken online with a proctor. Databricks does not publish the passing score, the per-section weighting, or an official exam code, so be cautious of third-party sites that quote exact figures. What the official exam guide does give you is the five topic areas the questions are drawn from, which this page follows. Treat the official Databricks certification page as the single source of truth for current fees, format and policy, and confirm details there before you book.
✓ Who it is for
- Junior data engineers, or analysts moving into data engineering, who use Databricks
- Spark or SQL practitioners who want a recognised associate-level Databricks credential
- People with a few months of hands-on Databricks practice ready to validate the basics
✕ Who it is not for
- Complete beginners with no SQL, Python or data-pipeline exposure (build those basics first).
- Experienced platform engineers who want a senior credential (the Data Engineer Professional is the harder, deeper exam).
- People who only use a different stack such as Snowflake or BigQuery, where a platform-specific cert fits better.
Exam structure
| Databricks Data Intelligence Platform | The workspace, clusters and compute, notebooks, Databricks SQL, the medallion (bronze/silver/gold) design and how the lakehouse fits together. |
|---|---|
| Development and Ingestion | Getting data in and creating tables: Delta Lake tables, reading and writing data, and incremental file ingestion with Auto Loader. |
| Data Processing and Transformations | Transforming data with Spark SQL and PySpark, plus streaming concepts with Structured Streaming for incremental processing. |
| Productionizing Data Pipelines | Building and scheduling declarative pipelines (Lakeflow Declarative Pipelines, formerly Delta Live Tables) and orchestrating work with Databricks Jobs/Workflows. |
| Data Governance and Quality | Governing data with Unity Catalog (catalogs, schemas, permissions) and applying data-quality checks within pipelines. |
| Topic weighting | Databricks does not publish a percentage weight for each topic area in the exam guide, so prepare across all five rather than optimising for a single section. |
Realistic study time
- With hands-on Databricks experience ~3-5 weeks part-time alongside daily platform use
- New to Databricks (but know SQL/Python) ~6-10 weeks; build hands-on practice across all five topic areas first
Bars show relative effort, not a guarantee. Your time depends on background and study method.
Turn this into a week-by-week schedule with the Study Plan Generator.
What it really costs
Fees change and vary by region. Confirm the current amount on the official site before you register.
Want your full out-of-pocket figure? Try the Cost Calculator.
Salary & career value
Indicative ranges for orientation only - not surveyed data, and not financial or career advice. Sources and date below.
Pay for this associate-level credential tracks the underlying data-engineering role far more than the single vendor cert. US aggregators put Databricks- and Spark-skilled data engineers broadly in the US$90k-150k range, climbing well beyond that with seniority. These are indicative figures that vary by region, employer and experience, and the certification is one factor among many.
Pass rate: Not published. Databricks does not release pass rates for its certification exams. Percentages quoted on third-party sites are usually personal exam scores or community guesses, not an official success rate - treat them with caution.
Indicative annual pay (USD), each role's typical band on a shared scale.
Other markets (indicative)
| United Kingdom | ~£45k-80k |
|---|---|
| India | ~₹9-20 LPA |
| Australia | ~A$110k-160k |
Jobs that often ask for it:
- Data Engineer
- Analytics Engineer
- ETL Developer
- Big Data Engineer
- Data Platform Engineer
Is it worth it?
Worth it if your target roles or current team use Databricks: it is the recognised entry-level proof that you can do the everyday data-engineering tasks on the platform. It is less useful if your stack is Snowflake or BigQuery, where a platform-specific certification is a better signal, or if you already have strong Databricks experience and should aim straight at the Professional level. Budget for hands-on practice in the free Community/trial environment, not just the exam fee.
Not sure this is the right exam for you? Compare your options with the Exam Finder.
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What to do next
Once you have more production experience on Databricks, the Databricks Certified Data Engineer Professional is the natural step up. If your work also spans analytics or machine learning on the platform, the Databricks Data Analyst Associate or Machine Learning certifications are parallel tracks.
On exam day
45 scored multiple-choice questions (plus a small number of unscored items) in 90 minutes, taken online with a proctor through the Databricks testing partner. Databricks does not publish the passing score. Confirm the current format, fee and policy on the Databricks certification page beforehand.
Keeping your certification
Valid for two years. You recertify by passing the current version of the exam before your certification expires; there is no continuing-education credit option. Confirm the current recertification policy with Databricks.
FAQ
- How is the Databricks Data Engineer Associate exam structured?
- It is 45 scored multiple-choice questions (plus a few unscored items that do not count) in 90 minutes, taken online with a proctor. The questions are drawn from five topic areas covering the platform, ingestion, transformations, productionising pipelines, and governance and quality.
- What is the passing score?
- Databricks does not publish the passing line for this exam. Some third-party sites quote a fixed percentage, but it is not in the official exam guide, so treat such figures with caution and aim for solid competence across all five topic areas.
- Is there an official exam code like DEA-C01?
- No. Databricks does not publish an official exam code for this credential. Codes such as 'DEA-C01' circulate on third-party sites but are not used in the official Databricks exam guide.
- How much does it cost and how long is it valid?
- The exam fee is US$200 per attempt, plus any applicable tax. The certification is valid for two years; you recertify by retaking the current exam before it expires. Confirm the current fee on the Databricks certification page, as pricing can change.
- Do I need experience or prerequisites?
- There are no formal prerequisites, but Databricks recommends about six months of hands-on experience with the platform. Being comfortable with basic SQL and some Python helps, since both Spark SQL and PySpark appear in the exam.
- Associate or Professional - which Databricks data-engineering exam should I take?
- The Associate validates the everyday, entry-level tasks and is the right starting point for most people. The Data Engineer Professional is deeper and harder, covering advanced modelling, performance tuning and production concerns. Start with the Associate unless you already have strong Databricks experience.
- Can I self-study for it?
- Yes. Databricks offers a free self-paced learning path on Databricks Academy, and you can practise in the free Community Edition or a trial workspace. Combine that with the official exam guide so you cover all five topic areas, and rely on official materials rather than unauthorised sites that recycle copied exam content, which breaches Databricks certification policy.
Related exams
- SnowPro Core Certification (COF-C03) - Snowflake
- Microsoft Fabric Data Engineer (DP-700) - Microsoft
- Google Cloud Professional Data Engineer - Google Cloud
Free study resources
- Databricks - Data Engineer Associate certification page (exam guide) ↗
- Databricks Academy - free self-paced training ↗
- Databricks documentation ↗