How I Scored 95% on the Databricks Data Engineer Associate Certification: A Comprehensive Guide

Rui Carvalho
The Data Therapy
Published in
4 min readNov 23, 2023
https://www.databricks.com/learn/certification/data-engineer-associate

Achieving a high score in the Databricks Certified Data Engineer Associate exam is a significant milestone for me as a data professional. In this story, I will share my approach to not only pass the exam but to do so with a remarkable 95% score.

First, here´s some details about the exam:

The exam covers:

  1. Databricks Lakehouse Platform — 24%
  2. ELT With Spark SQL and Python — 29%
  3. Incremental Data Processing — 22%
  4. Production Pipelines — 16%
  5. Data Governance — 9%

Nº questions: 45

Time limit: 90 minutes

Registration fee: $200 (Databricks partners get 50% off the registration fee)

Question types: Multiple choice

🔗More info: https://www.databricks.com/learn/certification/data-engineer-associate

Title: “Just Passed on Databricks Certified Data Engineer Associate with 95%: Here’s What I Did”

Introduction

Achieving a high score in the Databricks Certified Data Engineer Associate exam is a significant milestone for any professional in the field of data engineering. In this article, I will share the comprehensive approach I took to not only pass the exam but to do so with a remarkable 95% score. This journey involves a blend of structured learning, practical application, and strategic preparation.

1. Utilizing the Databricks Learning Platform

The first step in my preparation was to dive deep into the Databricks Learning Platform. This platform is a very complete bank of resources designed for the Databricks ecosystem. Here’s how I made the most of it:

  • Video Tutorials: The platform offers a range of video tutorials covering various aspects of Databricks and data engineering. I made sure to watch these videos attentively, taking notes on key concepts and features.
  • Hands-On Demos: Watching videos is one thing, but applying the knowledge is where the real learning happens. After each tutorial, I worked on the provided demos. This hands-on practice helped me understand the practical applications of the concepts and how they work in real-world scenarios.
Databricks Learning Platform

2. Leveraging YouTube for Additional Insights

While the Databricks Learning Platform provided a solid foundation, I expanded my learning by turning to YouTube. This platform is filled with educational content, including:

  • Question and Answer Sessions: I found several videos where experts answered common questions about the Databricks certification and its various components. These sessions offered insights into the types of questions to expect and how to approach them.
  • Logic Explanations: Understanding the ‘why’ behind an answer is crucial. I focused on videos that not only provided answers but also explained the logic behind them. This deepened my understanding and prepared me for similar questions in the exam.

These were my favourite👇

3. Practicing with the Databricks Sample Exam

Theory and application are essential, but so is getting a feel for the actual exam. The Databricks sample exam was a critical part of my preparation:

  • Exam Format Familiarization: The sample exam helped me get accustomed to the format and time constraints of the actual exam.
  • Identifying Weak Areas: By taking the sample exam, I could identify areas where I needed more focus and improvement.
Practice Exam

🔗 https://files.training.databricks.com/assessments/practice-exams/PracticeExam-DataEngineerAssociate.pdf

4. Training with Exam Topics Questions

The final leg of my preparation involved practicing with training questions from Exam Topics. This website offers a comprehensive set of questions that mimic the style and difficulty of the actual exam questions. Here’s how it helped:

  • Broad Range of Questions: The questions covered a wide range of topics, ensuring that I was well-prepared for any subject area in the exam.
  • Real Exam Simulation: Practicing with these questions felt like taking the actual exam, which greatly reduced my anxiety on the exam day.
  • Discussions: Every question has a discussion tab where you can debate which answer is correct and why, this is fundamental.

Passing the Databricks Certified Data Engineer Associate exam with a high score requires a well-rounded preparation strategy. By combining structured learning, practical application, and practice, I was able to achieve a good score. Remember, the key is not just to study hard but to study smart, focusing on understanding concepts deeply and practicing them in real-world scenarios.

If you´re applying for the exam, I wish you the best of luck and I´m glad I could help in some way 🙂

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Rui Carvalho
The Data Therapy

Data Enthusiast | Time Management and Productivity | Book Lover | One of my passions is to teach what´ve learned | Storys every week.