Embarking on a successful journey in the world of data engineering starts with the selection of the optimal Databricks certification.
But with a multitude of options available, which one holds the key to your career advancement?
Let’s unlock this mystery in this blog and discover the best Databricks certification for data engineers.
Best Databricks Certification for Data Engineers
Here I have listed out best Databricks certification for data engineers:
a) Databricks Certified Data Engineer Associate
Databricks Certified Data Engineer Associate certification is right for those who are stepping into data engineering, particularly those who want to leverage the Databricks Lakehouse Platform.
This certification exam is structured to evaluate your proficiency in the Databricks platform and to gauge your expertise in specific areas including:
- ETL tasks management with the help of Apache Spark SQL and Python
- Management of Databricks SQL queries and pipelines
- Dashboard management in the production area

Databricks Certified Data Engineer Associate – Databricks Certification
Key Topics Covered
Databricks Certified Data Engineer Associate certification exam domains breakdown into five sections, with the following percentage allocated to each domain:
- Databricks Lakehouse Platform(24%)
- ELT With Spark SQL and Python(29%)
- Incremental Data Processing(22%)
- Production Pipelines(16%)
- Data Governance(9%)
Prerequisites
While there are no formal prerequisite requirements for this exam, it’s strongly advised to possess a minimum of 6 months of practical experience in executing data engineering tasks within the Databricks environment.
Exam Details
Total Questions: 45 multiple-choice questions
Duration: 90 minutes
Minimum Passing Score: 70% or higher
Certification Validity: 2 years
Recertification Requirements: Take the current version of the exam
Certification Cost: USD 200 (excluding tax)
b) Databricks Certified Data Engineer Professional
As the name itself implies, this certification is designed for the professionals. This data engineer professional exam can be one of the best choices for those who have already working experience with databricks and aiming to grasp advanced data engineering skills.
Databricks Certified Data Engineer Professional serves as a testament to databricks platforms and tools such as:
Moreover, this certification also evaluates your knowledge in constructing optimized and cleansed ETL pipelines.
With the acquired experience, you should possess the capability to execute intricate data engineering workflows on Databricks while taking this professional certification.

Databricks Certified Data Engineer Professional – Databricks Certification
Exam Domains
Databricks Certified Data Engineer Professional certification exam is partitioned into six domains, each allocated a specific percentage of the exam:
- Databricks Tooling(20%)
- Data Processing(30%)
- Data Modeling(20%)
- Security and Governance(10%)
- Monitoring and Logging(10%)
- Testing and Deployment(10%)
Prerequisites
As it is a professional-level certification, you must have some experience in the databricks platform. So, it is recommended to fulfill the requirements while taking this exam:
- Must have at least 1+ years of hands-on experience performing data engineering tasks in Databricks.
Exam Details
Total Questions: 60 multiple-choice questions
Duration: 120 minutes
Minimum Passing Score: 70% or higher
Certification Validity: 2 years
Recertification Requirements: Take the current version of the exam
Certification Cost: $200 USD (excluding tax)
You have explored about the best databricks certification for data engineers in this section. Next, we are going to know the importance and benefits of taking this certifiation elaborately.
Significance of Databricks Certification for Data Engineers
As per the recent study by Databricks, 95% of Databricks Certified Professionals can tackle more significant challenges, 93% achieve higher efficiency, and 88% experience cost savings. These numbers demonstrate the practical impact of the certification, providing strong evidence for its relevance in the industry.
There are many reasons for pursuing Databricks certification in data engineering. Here, we have listed out why earning databricks certification is significant for your data engineering career:
- Databricks is a key Cloud Platform for Data Tasks
Databricks is a prominent player in cloud platforms, specifically in data engineering, data science, machine learning, and AI.
- Databricks is a Leader in Data Storage Technology
Databricks hold robust storage capabilities that enable organizations to store and process large volumes of data securely to facilitate effective data processing and analysis.
- Databricks offers an innovative solution with Delta Lake
Databricks offers innovative solutions along with Delta Lake, which combines the features of a data warehouse and a data lake.
- Databricks is the foundation for Spark
Databricks, built by the Apache Spark Creators. So, it can integrate easily with MLflow, Delta Lake, and PyTorch to provide a comprehensive solution for efficient data processing and advanced machine-learning tasks. This is one of the major reasons why databricks is best for organizations dealing with more data processing tasks.
- Databricks is a user-friendly interface
Databricks is user-friendly, has advanced features, and integrates easily with existing workflows making it an ideal choice for organizations who want to utilize the power of their data effectively.
Henceforth, Databricks certification not only validates your proficiency in resolving data challenges but also makes individuals sought-after candidates in this competitive world and offers numerous databricks data engineer jobs.
Key considerations before taking Databricks Data Engineer certification
When opting for the Databricks Data Engineer Certification, some of the key considerations need to be taken into account, as listed below:
Relevance to Your Current Role: Cross-check whether your current job responsibilities align closely with the chosen certification.
Suppose you are doing jobs related to the data pipelines. In that case, you can take the Databricks Certified Professional Data Engineer certification as it helps to strengthen your core skills in building and managing the data pipelines.
Career Goals and Aspirations: As per the career goals and aspirations, the databricks certification selection can be done.
For instance, if you aim to specialize in machine learning or work in cross-functional teams involving data science, you can go for Databricks Certified Associate Machine Learning Associate certification.
Skills Enhancement: Before thinking about which certification to go for, analyze the key skills that lie within you relevant to databricks. Also, assess which areas you need improvement. Based upon this, look for the certification that includes the topics you want to know more about.
Employer Requirements and Industry Trends
Research the databricks job market and discuss with industry professionals to understand which certifications are in demand and highly valued by employers in your field.
According to AIM, the data engineering market growth at a CAGR can reach up to 36.7% and an increased cost of around USD 86.9 billion by 2027. Moreover, there are many databricks data engineer jobs available for those who are interested in the data engineering field.
It has been evident that pursuing the databricks certification can be worthwhile.
How to get started with Databricks Data Engineer Certification?
Beginning your journey in Databricks can be quite challenging. But with the right approach, you can excel.
Go through the below steps to get started with Databricks Data Engineer Certification:
Step 1: Review Databricks Data Engineer learning pathway
As a first step, rely upon the Databricks Data Engineer learning pathway to determine the most suitable certification based on your expertise level.

If you are a beginner in databricks and aspire to enter into the data engineering field, then go for Databricks Data Engineer Associate Certification.
If you already have enough working experience in databricks and intend to elevate your data engineering skills to the next level, then Databricks Data Engineer Professional Certification can be the right choice.
After the selection of certification, know the ins and outs of those certifications in detail by referring to the Databricks learning library.
Step 2: Enroll in Online Courses
You can enroll in this Data Engineer online course offered by Databricks to increase your chances of passing rate:
To enhance your likelihood of successfully passing this Databricks certification, it’s recommended to consider enrolling in one of the courses provided by Databricks:
For Databricks Data Engineer Associate Certification
- Data Engineering With Databricks (Instructor-Led): This course offers guided instruction and hands-on practice in data engineering using Databricks. However, it’s important to note that this instructor-led course comes with a price tag, typically around $1500.
- Data Engineering With Databricks (Self-Paced, Available in Databricks Academy): Alternatively, you can opt for the self-paced version of the Data Engineering With Databricks course, which can be accessible through Databricks Academy. This option allows you to learn at your own pace without the structured guidance of an instructor.
For Databricks Data Engineer Professional Certification
By enrolling in either of these courses, you can gain valuable insights and skills necessary for tackling the Professional certification exam with confidence.
- Advanced Data Engineering With Databricks (instructor-led)
- Advanced Data Engineering With Databricks (self-paced, available in Databricks Academy)
Remember, an instructor-led course can cost around $1500.
Step 3: Take the Databricks Data Engineer Practice test
It is the final step of your Databricks Data Engineer Exam preparation. By taking the practice test, you will feel quite confident to schedule your exam.
I recommend you take the below listed practice test to maximize your chances of success.
Databricks
Whizlabs
Udemy
These practice tests help to pinpoint your weaknesses and serve as a best practice to improve yourself before appearing for a real exam.
Wrap Up
At last, I hope you get a clear idea of which data certification is best for data engineers and the importance of taking the best databricks certification for data engineers in detail with the above explanations. Now, you can craft the data engineer roadmap to proceed with the next steps.
By keeping yourself updated with the evolving trends in data engineering, you can excel in your role as a data engineer.
So, grasp the opportunity, broaden your skill set, and set forth on the journey to become an outstanding Databricks Certified Data Engineer. For more insights on databricks from me, follow my blog.
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