Easily Pass the Databricks Certified Developer for Apache Spark Exam

Databricks Certified Associate Developer for Apache Spark Badge

I recently passed the Databricks Certified Associate Developer for Apache Spark after only a few weeks of preparation! In this article, I’ll walk through what is and isn’t covered in the exam, the specific exam topics, study materials, and types of questions you’d see on the exam.

A small disclaimer… I was not starting with “0” knowledge of Apache Spark. Most of my development background has been in Python/SQL. I regularly use Pandas and have used Databricks a fair amount before sitting for this exam.

What is covered by the exam?

• Understanding the basics of the Apache Spark architecture
• Ability to perform basic data manipulations using the Apache Spark DataFrame API
• Ability to read and write non-streaming data using Apache Spark
• Ability to apply basic scaling and debugging mechanisms for Apache Spark clusters (i.e., questions about finding the incorrect statement and partition sizes)

What is NOT covered by the exam?

• Ability to tune Apache Spark jobs
• Memorization of the Apache Spark APIs
• Ability to create data visualizations