Databricks certifications

Generative AI Fundamentals

Source New

AI Agent Fundamentals

Platform

Platform Administrator

10–20h

AWS Platform Architect

5–10hAWS

Azure Platform Architect

5–10hAzure

GCP Platform Architect

5–10hGCP

AssociateData Engineering

All certifications

Filter by audience, level, cost, or cloud. Search across name, description, and topics.

Level:Cost:Cloud:Show retiredShowing 17 of 17

Data Engineering

2 certs

Data Engineer Associate

Entry-level cert for data engineers on the Data Intelligence Platform. Data ingestion + transformation, ETL with PySpark, Lakeflow Jobs + CI/CD, governance with Unity Catalog. Blueprint updated for 2026 — the most popular Databricks cert on the planet.

Data ingestion & loadingETL with PySparkLakeflow Jobs + CI/CDTroubleshooting + monitoringGovernance & security

Format: 45 questions · 90 min
Pass: 70%
Validity: 2 yrs

Prereqs: Basic SQL, beginner-level Python or Spark. Related training highly recommended.

ProfessionalData Engineering

Data Engineer Professional

Production-grade data engineering: performance tuning, Delta Lake internals, security, monitoring, CI/CD for pipelines. Pass-rate is noticeably lower than Associate — plan on 60-100 hours of hands-on prep, not just study.

Advanced Delta LakeProduction pipelinesPerformance tuningSecurity & access controlPipeline monitoringDevOps & testing

Format: 60 questions · 120 min
Pass: 70%
Validity: 2 yrs

Prereqs: 1+ year hands-on Databricks experience; Associate-level fluency strongly recommended.

AssociateMachine Learning

Machine Learning

2 certs

ML Engineer Associate

ML practitioners using Databricks for the full ML lifecycle: Spark ML, MLflow tracking, AutoML, Feature Store basics, model deployment. Officially named 'ML Engineer Associate' under the 2026 branding.

MLflow trackingFeature StoreAutoMLSpark MLModel deployment basicsHyperparameter tuning

Format: 45 questions · 90 min
Pass: 70%
Validity: 2 yrs

Prereqs: Working knowledge of ML fundamentals and Python.

ProfessionalMachine Learning

ML Engineer Professional

Advanced MLOps on Databricks: production model serving, monitoring, drift detection, orchestrating end-to-end ML pipelines with CI/CD. Heavy on real production patterns — study material alone isn't enough.

MLOps & CI/CDModel servingMonitoring & driftFeature engineering at scaleMLflow RegistryA/B testing

Format: 60 questions · 120 min
Pass: 70%
Validity: 2 yrs

Prereqs: ML Associate-level fluency; production ML experience strongly recommended.

AccreditationGenerative AI

Generative AI

4 certs

Generative AI Fundamentals

Free intro accreditation on the GenAI landscape on Databricks. LLM basics, RAG concepts, Mosaic AI overview, governance considerations. 60-minute course + quiz. A good warm-up before the paid GenAI Engineer Associate exam.

LLMs on DatabricksRAG conceptsMosaic AI overviewGenAI governance

Format: 60-min course + quiz
Pass: 80%

Prereqs: None.

AccreditationGenerative AI

AI Agent FundamentalsNew

Free 90-minute course covering agent system fundamentals: simple vs agentic vs multi-agent, Agent Bricks, real-world use cases. New for 2026 — the natural follow-up to GenAI Fundamentals before the Context Engineer Associate exam.

Agent system typesAgent BricksLLM-app patternsMulti-agent workflows

Format: 4-video course + quiz
Pass: 80%

Prereqs: Generative AI Fundamentals recommended.

RAG architectureVector SearchAgent frameworksPrompt engineeringMosaic AI Model ServingLLM evaluation with MLflow

AssociateGenerative AI

Generative AI Engineer Associate

For engineers building GenAI applications on Databricks: design (14%), data prep (14%), app development (30%), deployment (22%), governance (8%), evaluation + monitoring (12%). RAG, vector search, agent frameworks, Mosaic AI Model Serving.

Format: 45 questions · 90 min
Pass: 70%
Validity: 2 yrs

Prereqs: Familiarity with Python, ML concepts, and basic LLM usage patterns. Generative AI Fundamentals (free) is a useful warm-up.

System promptsVector Search configMemory (Lakebase + MLflow)MCP tool integrationContext window managementUnity Catalog PII handlingMulti-agent workflows

AssociateGenerative AI

Context Engineer AssociateBeta

BETA launch at DAIS 2026 (June 15-18, San Francisco). Designing and governing the information AI agents receive at inference time: system prompts, vector search config, memory architectures (Lakebase + MLflow), tool integration via MCP, Unity Catalog PII handling. Onsite DAIS attendees get one free attempt.

Format: ~90 questions · 120 min
Pass: 70%
Validity: 2 yrs

Prereqs: 6+ months hands-on context-engineering work recommended. GenAI Engineer Associate or equivalent strongly suggested first.

Databricks SQLAI/BI dashboards + GenieSQL warehousesBI tool integrationData visualizationLakehouse fundamentals

Data Analyst

1 cert

AssociateData Analyst

Data Analyst Associate

For analysts building dashboards and running SQL on Databricks. Databricks SQL warehouses, AI/BI dashboards, alerts, BI-tool integrations (Tableau, Power BI, Looker). Genie content is now part of the blueprint too.

Format: 45 questions · 90 min
Pass: 70%
Validity: 2 yrs

Prereqs: Comfortable with SQL; some BI tool experience helps.

Spark architectureDataFrame APISpark SQLStructured StreamingPerformance optimizationPySpark / Scala

Apache Spark

1 cert

AssociateApache Spark

Apache Spark Developer Associate

Spark fundamentals: DataFrame API, Spark SQL, Structured Streaming, Spark architecture, performance optimization. Validates open-source Spark skills — not Databricks-specific platform features. Useful credential if you work across Spark deployments (EMR, Dataproc, on-prem) not just Databricks.

Format: 60 questions · 120 min
Pass: 70%
Validity: 2 yrs

Prereqs: 6+ months hands-on Spark experience.

Data Intelligence PlatformDelta Lake basicsUnity Catalog basicsUse cases overview

Platform

2 certs

AccreditationPlatform

Databricks Fundamentals

Free intro accreditation (formerly Lakehouse Fundamentals — Databricks renamed it in 2026). Data Intelligence Platform overview, Delta Lake basics, Unity Catalog basics, common use cases. Recommended as the first thing every Databricks user takes: 90 minutes, no commitment, earns a LinkedIn badge.

Format: Short videos + quiz
Pass: 80%

Prereqs: None.

Workspace administrationIdentity & SSONetworkingCost managementUnity Catalog adminCompliance & audit

AccreditationPlatform

Platform Administrator

Free accreditation for platform admins: workspace setup, identity & access, networking, cost & usage management, Unity Catalog administration. The natural follow-on after the cloud-specific Platform Architect accreditation for whichever cloud you run on.

Format: Self-paced course + assessment

Prereqs: Familiarity with cloud admin concepts (AWS / Azure / GCP).

AWS account setupIAM & cross-account rolesS3 + LakehouseAWS PrivateLinkCost optimization on AWS

Cloud

3 certs

AccreditationAWS · Cloud

AWS Platform Architect

Free accreditation for using Databricks on AWS: workspace provisioning, IAM, S3 integration, PrivateLink, cost optimization. Renamed from 'Databricks on AWS' in 2026 to align with the Platform Architect naming.

Format: Self-paced course + assessment

Prereqs: Basic AWS familiarity.

AccreditationAzure · Cloud

Azure Platform Architect

Free accreditation for Azure Databricks: managed-resource integration with Azure, AAD/Entra ID, ADLS Gen2, Private Link, cost optimization.

Azure resource modelAAD & Entra IDADLS Gen2Azure Private LinkCost optimization on Azure

Format: Self-paced course + assessment

Prereqs: Basic Azure familiarity.

GCP project & billingIAM & service accountsGCS + LakehouseVPC networkingCost optimization on GCP

AccreditationGCP · Cloud

GCP Platform Architect

Free accreditation for Databricks on Google Cloud: workspace setup, IAM, GCS integration, VPC networking, cost optimization.

Format: Self-paced course + assessment

Prereqs: Basic GCP familiarity.

Reference architecturesIntegration patternsMigration playbooksCustomer-facing design

Partner

2 certs

AccreditationPartner

Lakehouse Platform Architect

Partner-track accreditation for solutions architects designing Lakehouse implementations for clients. Reference architectures, integration patterns, migration playbooks. Free for partner-firm employees via Partner Academy.

Format: Self-paced courses + assessments via Partner Academy

Prereqs: Active Databricks partner status.

Reference architecturesCustomer engagementMigration strategiesCross-cloud deploymentsUse-case framingPSAE coursework

ChampionPartner

Solutions Architect Champion

Top-tier accreditation for partner-firm solutions architects. End-to-end design competency across the data + AI lifecycle. Requires the PSAE (Partner Solutions Architect Essentials) 3 half-day training, a customer case-study panel, and a defense in front of a Databricks panel + senior Champion.

Format: PSAE training + capstone + panel review via Partner Academy

Prereqs: Active Databricks partner; Lakehouse Platform Architect Accreditation + several foundational accreditations strongly recommended. Sponsorship from your firm's Databricks alliance lead required.

Vouchers and discounts

Databricks runs the Customer Academy Learning Festival roughly twice a year, plus standing partner offers and one-off DAIS promotions. Vouchers generally don't stack.

ActiveDiscount·Partner Academy — discounted certifications
Employees of active Databricks partner firms (e.g. DXC, Deloitte, Accenture) get discounted exam vouchers via the Partner Academy portal, plus access to partner-exclusive accreditations (Lakehouse Platform Architect, Solutions Architect Champion). Discount details vary by partner tier — ask your alliance lead.
Eligible: Partner Academy users · Requirement: Active Databricks partner status + Partner Academy enrollment via your firm's alliance lead.
Jan 1, 2026 → Dec 31, 2026Source
UpcomingFree attempt·Context Engineer Associate — Free at DAIS 2026
One free attempt at the new (BETA) Context Engineer Associate exam, available only onsite at the Data + AI Summit (San Francisco, June 15-18 2026). Worth $200. Results land approximately 6 weeks post-exam.
Eligible: DAIS attendees (onsite) · Requirement: Onsite registration + walk-up at the DAIS 2026 certification testing area.
Jun 15, 2026 → Jun 18, 2026Source
Upcoming50% off ($100)·Virtual Advanced Learning Festival 2026
Complete one Customer Academy learning pathway between June 15 and July 6 and earn a 50% voucher (worth $100) usable on any Databricks certification exam. Also includes a 20% Academy Labs coupon. One voucher per learner.
Eligible: Customer Academy users · Requirement: Complete at least one Customer Academy learning pathway during the festival window.
Jun 15, 2026 → Jul 6, 2026Voucher valid until Oct 6, 2026Source

FAQ

From r/databricks + Community

How long does a Databricks cert stay valid?

Two years from the pass date. You re-test (same exam fee) or take whatever current update Databricks offers near the expiry — they usually email reminders ~60 days out.

Free practice exams — where do I get them?

Databricks publishes an official practice exam for the Data Engineer Associate (45 questions, 7 domains). For other certs, the community-shared Bricksnotes and CertSafari packs are common, plus MeasureUp on the paid side. Be careful with leaked-question sites — they're against the exam policy.

Can I retake if I fail?

Yes. There's a 14-day waiting period between attempts, and each retry is the full exam fee (no automatic free retake). The exception: DAIS-onsite attempts for Context Engineer Associate explicitly include one free attempt.

What's the difference between Associate and Professional?

Associate is multiple-choice on platform basics — typically 30-50 hours of prep. Professional adds scenario questions on production patterns (performance, security, CI/CD) and assumes a year of hands-on work — typically 60-100 hours of prep. Both are 2-year validity, both $200.

How do I get a voucher / discount?

Three repeatable paths: (1) the Customer Academy Learning Festival (twice a year, 50% off — currently running June 15 - July 6); (2) partner-firm access via Partner Academy (rolling); (3) DAIS attendee perks (varies year-to-year). Vouchers can't usually be stacked.

Where do I take the exam?

Online proctored via Webassessor (Kryterion) from home, or at a physical testing center. The Context Engineer Associate BETA in June 2026 is an exception — it's only available in-person at DAIS.

Will the exam blueprint change while I'm studying?

Periodically, yes. Databricks updates the Data Engineer Associate blueprint roughly once a year; ML Associate added MLflow 3 in 2026. Check the exam guide PDF the week of your exam — questions you studied against an outdated blueprint can sting.