Snowpro Advanced Data Engineer (ADE) Certification: Complete Roadmap 1/2
As I begin my first blog post on our Frosty Journey, I would like to share what I have learned about the Advanced Data Engineer certification. The objective is not only to share what is in the Snowflake documentation that will be present in the exam, but also to provide advice and challenges. During the 3 certification exams, I encountered problems that no one has ever mentioned before.
The following topics will be covered by me in this post:
- How to register for the ADE certification?
- How to schedule it?
- My own tips for scheduling and checking in for the exam.
- The overall experience that I have had.
How to register for the ADE certification?
The Exam can be taken via logging into the URL. You must have a snowflake account and a SNOWID assigned.
https://snowflake.useclarus.com/login?forward_url=%2F
After logging in successfully, you will see the Available Exams link on the left panel, which will list all SnowPto exams. The SnowPro ADE certification will be displayed at the end of this.
In order to finish the application, you must fill out a form with your personal details and click on ‘Finalize Application’.
Schedule your exam
Congratulations! Your ADE certification is now available for scheduling.
Go to OnVue Online and carefully read all the instructions below, assuming you are taking this exam online or remotely.
Scheduling your exam and providing payment information or redeeming your voucher is the final step.
Frosty Tip: My exam had to be rescheduled for different times because of an unplanned personal event that required me to test the scheduling system properly. For your future reference, the application allows you to reschedule your exam up to 5 times.
Checking in for the exam
The ONVue app that was downloaded previously is necessary for testing your system. In each of the stages mentioned above, I have faced personal challenges that I want to share with you now. Remember that you will need to run through them when you check in for the exam.
— Run System Test
When running this step, it consists of 3 tests to check your microphone, speakers, and camera. However, prior to that, the OnVue app generates a code. This code is exclusive to one use. If you try to run a system test a couple of times before your exam or even on the exam day, make sure you generate the code each time you run a system test.
— Get your space ready
During exam day, I was required to take pictures of my entire room and, upon being called in by the proctor, to display all corners of my desk. He instructed me to demonstrate that the second screen was unplugged from the power supply and even requested that I take off the pen rack holder from my desk.
— Get your ID ready
As previously mentioned, it is necessary to submit your application before the exam. My ID card has two surnames, but the application asks for my legal first and last names. The initial submission was based on my ID card, but since I wasn’t completely certain, I decided to contact Snowflake support to confirm this item. They inform me that my legal first name should have both my first name and first surname. If you have any doubts, reach out to Snowflake support as you don’t want to add more stress to your exam day.
Personal experience and faced questions
Case studies are the main focus of this certification, unlike the direct questions found in the Snowflake documentation (as seen in the Snow Pro Core certification). As a consequence, the question/answer format has multiple choices for each question, and necessitates one, two, or three correct answers. The True or False answers that were found in the Snow Pro Core test are now gone. The data engineer certification is turning out to be a harder exam than initially thought. For example, you will be asked questions about compiling code and must answer what will be the results.
Part 2 of this series will focus on the preparation I took to get the ADE certification, which included documentation, a Snowflake practice test, and actual exam questions.
Through the Frosty Journey, hand in hand,
Together we explore, sharing knowledge, unplanned.
If you had a good experience with the content, consider following it and giving it a frosty applause. Do not hesitate to ask any questions in the comments and keep in mind that we are all on this journey together.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this post are my own.
