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Databricks Certified Data Engineer Professional Quick Facts
The Databricks Certified Data Engineer Professional certification empowers you to elevate your skills and confidently demonstrate mastery of advanced data engineering concepts. This overview gives you clarity on the exam structure, helping you focus on the most important areas of preparation with confidence and positivity.
Why pursue the Databricks Certified Data Engineer Professional certification?
This certification validates advanced expertise in building, deploying, monitoring, and optimizing data systems using Databricks. It is designed for experienced data engineers who use Databricks to work with batch and streaming data, optimize Delta Lake performance, enforce governance, and monitor pipelines in production. Successful candidates highlight their ability to make impactful architectural decisions, optimize performance for real-world workloads, and apply best practices that bring scalability and reliability to modern data platforms.
Who benefits most from the Databricks Certified Data Engineer Professional certification?
The Databricks Certified Data Engineer Professional certification is designed for individuals who want to validate advanced hands-on expertise in data engineering within the Databricks Lakehouse Platform. This credential is excellent for:
- Experienced data engineers looking to showcase their ability to build optimized, reliable, and secure data pipelines.
- Professionals working heavily with Apache Spark, Delta Lake, and structured streaming.
- Engineers who manage production-grade ETL pipelines and require deep skills in performance tuning, security, monitoring, and governance.
- Teams and managers who rely on Databricks for mission-critical analytics and want a trusted indicator of skill.
Ultimately, if you’re already comfortable building and maintaining sophisticated data workflows and want to solidify your position as a top-tier Databricks data engineer, this certification is a strong career move.
What types of job opportunities can this certification unlock?
Earning the Databricks Certified Data Engineer Professional certification demonstrates that you are capable of managing advanced workloads in one of the industry’s fastest-growing platforms. Job opportunities often include roles such as:
- Senior Data Engineer
- Big Data Engineer
- ETL Engineer focused on Spark and Databricks
- Data Platform Engineer
- Machine Learning Data Engineer (connecting ML workflows with production pipelines)
- Cloud Data Engineer with a specialization in lakehouse architecture
Employers seek professionals who can optimize streaming and batch pipelines, enforce governance policies, and design scalable solutions for real business needs. Certified professionals often find themselves in leadership positions or as subject matter experts guiding cloud data modernization initiatives.
How long is the Databricks Data Engineer Professional exam?
The exam length is 120 minutes. This gives candidates a well-balanced amount of time to carefully read through scenario-based questions, review code snippets, and apply real-world knowledge. While pacing yourself is important, two hours is a generous timeframe that allows you to demonstrate both speed and depth of understanding without feeling rushed.
How many questions appear on the certification exam?
The exam has a total of 60 multiple-choice questions. The questions are written to test a mix of practical application, conceptual depth, and familiarity with Databricks tools and APIs. Some items may not count toward your score, as unscored questions are included for research purposes, but these are not identified during the test.
What is the required passing score?
To achieve the certification, you need a score of 70 percent or higher. This ensures that certified professionals hold a strong grasp of the Databricks Lakehouse ecosystem. The scoring system evaluates performance across all domains, so even if you are stronger in one area and weaker in another, your overall score is what determines whether you pass.
How much does the exam cost?
The registration fee for the Databricks Certified Data Engineer Professional exam is $200 USD. Additional taxes may apply depending on your country. Many organizations consider certification costs an investment in professional development, so it's often worth asking your employer about support or reimbursement.
What languages is the exam offered in?
Currently, the exam is offered in English. Since code samples focus on Python with Delta Lake SQL references, being comfortable with English technical documentation is important for success.
What is the exam code and version?
The exam uses the latest version recognized by Databricks. While versions may evolve to reflect platform updates, registering through Databricks guarantees you are taking the current and valid exam. Always check the official page before scheduling to be certain you are preparing for the right version.
How is the exam delivered?
The test is delivered as an online proctored exam. This means you can take it from your home or office as long as your environment meets the technical requirements. A webcam, quiet space, and reliable internet connection are required. The proctor ensures exam integrity while giving you the convenience of remote access.
What are the major domains for the exam and their weightings?
The certification blueprint is divided into six main knowledge domains:
- Databricks Tooling (20 percent)
- Data Processing (30 percent)
- Data Modeling (20 percent)
- Security and Governance (10 percent)
- Monitoring and Logging (10 percent)
- Testing and Deployment (10 percent)
These weightings highlight the focus on data processing and data modeling, which together make up half the exam. Knowing how to design, implement, and optimize workflows is core to success. Each domain also includes detailed skills like deduplication strategies, SCD implementations, partitioning, governance through dynamic views, and monitoring with the Spark UI.
Do I need experience before attempting the exam?
While there are no formal prerequisites, it is strongly recommended that you have at least one year of hands-on experience with Databricks and its core technologies. Being comfortable with Spark, Delta Lake, and data pipeline orchestration will make your test experience smoother and significantly increase your chances of success.
What training can help me prepare?
Databricks provides both instructor-led and self-paced courses to strengthen your knowledge. The most recommended course is Advanced Data Engineering with Databricks, available in the Databricks Academy. In addition, reviewing the exam guide, practicing hands-on coding, and regularly exploring Databricks documentation are excellent preparation strategies.
How long does the certification remain valid?
Your certification will remain valid for 2 years. To maintain your certification status, Databricks requires recertification by retaking the current version of the exam. This ensures that certified professionals stay aligned with new platform enhancements and best practices.
Does the exam include unscored questions?
Yes, the exam may include a small number of unscored items. These questions are used for future test development and do not affect your result. Since these items are not identified, it is important to give each question your full attention.
What format of questions should I expect?
The test is composed of multiple-choice questions. Some questions are straightforward, while others present real-world data scenarios. You may also see pseudo-code or SQL queries where you must interpret the correct outcome. Because of the applied nature of data engineering, expect to be tested on practical problem-solving rather than just memorization.
What coding languages are used in the exam?
Most of the code examples provided in the exam are written in Python, since PySpark is widely adopted across data engineering teams. However, all Delta Lake operations are specified in SQL, making it important to feel confident in both areas when preparing for the test.
What topics should I prioritize in my study plan?
Key topics to focus on for exam success include:
- How Delta Lake manages ACID transactions and concurrency control
- Partitioning strategies and optimizations (z-ordering, bloom filters, small file handling)
- Structured streaming patterns and change data feed (CDF) design
- Transformation pipelines from bronze to silver to gold
- Data governance through dynamic views and access controls
- Monitoring pipelines with Spark UI and troubleshooting performance bottlenecks
- Deployment methods with the Databricks CLI and REST API
Mastery of these subjects not only prepares you for the exam, but also sharpens your real-world workflows.
Is the Databricks Certified Data Engineer Professional exam considered advanced?
Yes. This certification is intended for engineers already proficient with Databricks. It validates the ability to design optimized systems that move seamlessly from ingestion to transformation and governance. While advanced, it is still approachable for those who have real-world pipeline experience and who dedicate focus to the specific domains outlined in the exam guide.
How does this certification compare to the Databricks Associate-level exam?
The Databricks Certified Data Engineer Associate exam validates foundational skills, while the Professional-level certification assesses advanced proficiencies such as change data capture, real-time processing, pipeline monitoring, and applying governance at scale. Successfully earning the Professional-level credential signals to employers that you can tackle enterprise-grade data challenges.
What are the next steps after earning this credential?
Once you’re certified, you can expand into other Databricks specializations or even pursue cloud certifications from providers such as AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud to complement your data engineering expertise. You may also consider machine learning certifications, since Databricks integrates tightly with ML and AI workflows.
What’s the best way to practice before taking the test?
The most effective strategy is to combine hands-on Databricks projects with practice exams. Taking top-quality Databricks Certified Data Engineer Professional practice exams allows you to simulate the real testing environment, measure your readiness across all domains, and learn from detailed answer explanations.
Where can I officially register for the Databricks Certified Data Engineer Professional exam?
You can view the official details and schedule your exam directly through the Databricks Certified Data Engineer Professional certification page. This ensures you are accessing the most current information and registering through the trusted Databricks portal.
The Databricks Certified Data Engineer Professional certification is a career-defining milestone for data engineers who want to establish authority in the lakehouse domain. With structured preparation, hands-on practice, and the right mindset, you will be equipped to earn a prestigious credential that elevates your professional standing and opens new opportunities in the world of modern data engineering.
