Table of Contents
Snowflake SnowPro Advanced Data Engineer Quick Facts
The Snowflake SnowPro Advanced Data Engineer certification empowers professionals to design, optimize, and maintain data engineering solutions with confidence. This overview brings clarity to the exam domains and ensures you feel prepared to showcase your expertise with Snowflake’s modern data platform.
How does the SnowPro Advanced Data Engineer certification elevate your Snowflake expertise?
The SnowPro Advanced Data Engineer certification validates your ability to design and manage scalable data pipelines, optimize performance, ensure security, and implement advanced data transformations within Snowflake. Tailored for experienced data professionals, this credential highlights your ability to apply best practices across ingestion, storage, transformation, and governance. By earning this certification, candidates demonstrate mastery in engineering data-driven solutions that power analytics, machine learning, and enterprise data strategies.
Who Should Pursue the Snowflake SnowPro Advanced Data Engineer Certification?
The Snowflake SnowPro Advanced Data Engineer certification is perfect for data professionals who want to validate and showcase their ability to engineer scalable, high-performing, and secure data solutions on Snowflake. It is designed for:
- Data Engineers with at least a couple of years of relevant project experience
- Software Engineers or Developers building scalable data pipelines or applications
- Cloud Data Professionals already familiar with Snowflake at the Core level and ready to advance into specialized, technical roles
If you’re eager to demonstrate your mastery in Snowflake data loading, performance optimization, transformation, and security best practices, then this certification is an excellent next step.
What types of job opportunities can this Snowflake certification open up?
Becoming a SnowPro Advanced: Data Engineer certified professional can significantly elevate your career opportunities. Employers today look for data engineers fluent in modern, cloud-native data platforms, and Snowflake has become a top choice across industries.
Roles you can target include:
- Senior Data Engineer
- Data Platform Architect
- Cloud Solution Engineer (specializing in Snowflake)
- Data Pipeline Developer
- Analytics Engineer
Additionally, this certification signals to employers that you can own complex, end-to-end engineering solutions—an increasingly critical skill in evolving data-driven environments.
What is the exam code for the Snowflake SnowPro Advanced Data Engineer test?
The current version of the exam is identified as DEA-C01. This naming convention is used across Snowflake certifications to indicate the exact version and ensures you’re preparing with the right training and study resources. Always confirm you’re using materials that align specifically to DEA-C01 for accurate coverage of topics.
How many questions are included in the SnowPro Advanced: Data Engineer exam?
Candidates are required to complete 65 questions on the exam. These are presented in multiple-choice and multiple-select formats. Each question is carefully designed around scenario-based examples drawn from real-world Snowflake use cases. This ensures the exam is not just about memorization, but about practical application of data engineering principles in Snowflake.
How much time do I get for the SnowPro Advanced Data Engineer test?
You will have 115 minutes to complete the exam. With 65 questions to answer, this provides nearly two minutes per question, allowing sufficient time to thoroughly read and evaluate each scenario. Managing your time well is important, especially since the exam places emphasis on understanding complex engineering decisions.
What score do I need to pass the Snowflake DEA-C01 certification?
The Snowflake SnowPro Advanced Data Engineer requires a scaled passing score of 750 on a range from 0 to 1000. Scaled scoring ensures fairness, as questions can vary slightly in difficulty across exam versions. Importantly, you do not need to pass each domain individually—your final scaled score determines your success.
How much is the exam fee for Snowflake’s SnowPro Advanced: Data Engineer certification?
The registration fee is 375 USD. This investment can easily return value with expanded job opportunities and proof of mastery in one of the fastest growing data platforms. Keep in mind that many employers encourage or reimburse Snowflake certifications, recognizing how directly they improve technical delivery.
Which languages are available for this Snowflake exam?
The test is available in English. While Snowflake continues to expand globally, English ensures consistency across training material, documentation, and certification. If English is not your first language, you can request additional testing time when booking through Pearson VUE’s accommodation system.
What are the content domains of the SnowPro Advanced: Data Engineer exam?
The exam is divided into five carefully weighted domains, which reflect core responsibilities for a Snowflake data engineer:
- Data Movement (25-30%) – covers loading, ingestion, streaming, connectors, and data sharing
- Performance Optimization (20-25%) – covers tuning, caching, virtual warehouses, clustering, and query profiles
- Storage and Data Protection (10-15%) – covers Time Travel, Fail-safe, cloning, and micro-partition analysis
- Security (10-15%) – covers authentication methods, RBAC, masking, and governance
- Data Transformation (25-30%) – covers UDFs, stored procedures, Snowpark, and handling semi-structured data
By balancing your study focus across these domains, you’ll better prepare for the broad scope of scenarios presented in the exam.
Are there any prerequisites for the Snowflake Advanced Data Engineer certification?
Yes, candidates must first hold the SnowPro Core Certified credential in good standing. This ensures you have mastered the fundamentals upon which this advanced exam builds. If you have not yet earned your Core certification, that’s the best starting point on your Snowflake journey.
Is the SnowPro Advanced Data Engineer exam considered difficult?
This exam focuses on advanced, scenario-based problem solving, which requires both conceptual knowledge and practical Snowflake experience. The good news is that the exam is predictable in its scope: the domains and objectives published in the Exam Guide directly map to what you’ll be tested on. While it requires disciplined preparation, the skills you validate will make you significantly more valuable in the job market.
What format can I expect from the DEA-C01 exam questions?
The 65 questions are a combination of multiple-choice (one correct answer) and multiple-select (two or more correct answers). Additionally, the exam often frames questions through a case-based or scenario-driven lens, which aligns with how data engineering decisions are made in real work environments.
What is the best way to prepare for the Snowflake Advanced: Data Engineer test?
The best preparation is a balance of structured study and hands-on practice. Snowflake recommends using the official study guide, lab guides, and webinars. In addition, supplementing your preparation with top-rated Snowflake SnowPro Advanced Data Engineer practice exams can significantly improve your readiness. These practice tests accurately simulate the style, difficulty, and timing of the real exam, giving you confidence for exam day.
What types of data engineering knowledge are tested on the exam?
You’ll be assessed on a broad spectrum of advanced engineering responsibilities including data ingestion, streaming pipelines, workload optimization, cloning for development/testing, and implementing secure access controls. You’ll also be expected to transform both structured and semi-structured data using Snowpark, UDFs, stored procedures, and SQL scripting.
How long is the SnowPro Advanced: Data Engineer certification valid?
Once earned, the credential remains valid for 2 years. After expiration, you will need to recertify with the current version of the Advanced Data Engineer exam. Maintaining your certification ensures you remain up to date with Snowflake’s rapid innovation and product evolution.
What kind of professional background should I have before attempting DEA-C01?
Snowflake recommends at least 2+ years of professional data engineering experience, with applied work in Snowflake environments. You should be comfortable with SQL, APIs, semi-structured data, and understand cloud-native concepts. Programming skills in Python, Scala, or Java are helpful when working with Snowpark for advanced transformations.
Is programming knowledge required for the Snowflake SnowPro Advanced Data Engineer?
While not mandatory, programming knowledge is a big advantage. The exam includes topics on Snowpark stored procedures in Java, Scala, or Python, as well as UDFs for advanced transformations. If you are exclusively SQL-focused, you can still pass, but having exposure to at least one programming language enhances both exam performance and real-world skills.
How does this Snowflake credential compare to other certifications?
The SnowPro Advanced: Data Engineer is considered a specialized certification at the advanced level. Compared to the SnowPro Core, which validates Snowflake fundamentals, this credential signals deep ability to not only operate within Snowflake but to design, optimize, and secure complex pipelines. It’s highly valued by employers and puts you in a different tier than more general cloud certifications.
Is hands-on Snowflake practice necessary before the exam?
Absolutely. The DEA-C01 exam scenarios reflect real engineering workflows such as stream ingestion, clustering performance evaluation, and pipeline monitoring. Spending time configuring stages, Snowpipe, Time Travel, and Snowpark transformations will give you insights that go beyond theoretical study.
Where can I officially register for the Snowflake SnowPro Advanced: Data Engineer certification?
You can register online through the official Snowflake certification page. Once registered, you can choose whether to sit for your exam with online proctoring or at an in-person Pearson VUE testing center.
The Snowflake SnowPro Advanced Data Engineer certification is one of the most respected data credentials available today. It proves your readiness to handle end-to-end, enterprise-grade workloads in Snowflake and sets you apart as a trusted expert in the data engineering world. With preparation, hands-on practice, and the right study approach, you’ll be ready to proudly showcase this achievement on your career journey.
