Databricks Data Engineer Professional format
Here is what Databricks publishes about the Data Engineer Professional exam.
| Certification | Databricks Certified Data Engineer Professional |
| Scored questions | 59 |
| Duration | 120 minutes |
| Question format | Multiple choice |
| Registration fee | $200 |
| Validity | 2 years, then recertification |
| Prerequisites | None (related training recommended) |
| Recommended experience | Hands-on with the exam guide’s data engineering tasks |
| Delivery | Online proctored or test centre |
| Languages | English, Japanese, Portuguese (BR), Korean |
| Test aids | None permitted |
| Passing score | Not published by Databricks |
Section weighting
| Section | Weight | Approx. scored questions |
|---|---|---|
| Developing Code using Python and SQL | 22% | ~13 |
| Cost & Performance Optimisation | 13% | ~8 |
| Data Transformation, Cleansing, and Quality | 10% | ~6 |
| Monitoring and Alerting | 10% | ~6 |
| Ensuring Data Security and Compliance | 10% | ~6 |
| Debugging and Deploying | 10% | ~6 |
| Data Ingestion & Acquisition | 7% | ~4 |
| Data Governance | 7% | ~4 |
| Data Modelling | 6% | ~4 |
| Data Sharing and Federation | 5% | ~3 |
Counts derived from Databricks’ percentages against 59 scored questions.
Ten sections changes how you prepare
Most certifications have three to five domains and a dominant one. This has ten, and only one above 13%.
The practical consequences:
Breadth is compulsory. Five sections are worth 7% or less — three or four questions each. Individually negligible; collectively 25% of the exam. Skip three small sections and you have given away a quarter of the paper.
No single area saves you. Being excellent at code development covers 22% and leaves 78% elsewhere.
Small sections deserve proportionate time, not zero. Data sharing and federation is 5% — about three questions. Learn what it is and how it works in an hour; do not spend a weekend.
Two minutes per question
59 questions in 120 minutes. Comfortable, and the same effective pace as the Associate despite the harder content.
Code is read, not written
Multiple choice throughout, so even the 22% code section presents you with Python and SQL and asks what it does, what is wrong with it, or which version is correct. You need fluent code-reading rather than the ability to produce working code under time pressure — but the fluency required is real.
The passing score is not published
Databricks does not publish one. Aim for consistent 80%+ on realistic practice material rather than trusting an unsourced figure.
Two-year validity
Recertification every two years, and Databricks notes you must retake the current version of the exam rather than a legacy form.
What the exam is really about
The Associate asks whether you can build a working pipeline. The Professional asks whether you can build one that is efficient, observable, secure and debuggable — and whether you can read the code that does it.
If your work is notebooks that run once and are never tuned, this is a stretch. If you own pipelines other teams depend on, it describes your job.
Booking
Book through Databricks. Nothing gates registration, and the Associate is not a prerequisite.