Taking IT exams in English as a second language
A non-native English speaker should first check the exam’s own language list, then request any extra time before booking, and only then decide whether to sit in English. Many Microsoft exams are offered in ten to thirteen languages, while several Databricks, CompTIA and Salesforce exams are not, so the answer differs by exam. This guide uses what the exam-format and renewal pages of this site state about language, plus CompTIA’s own testing policy, and says where they are silent.
Example profiles, not real people. The scenarios below are illustrative planning examples built from the official exam outline. They are not reviews or reports of anyone’s result.
The decision rule
- Look up the exam in the table below. If your language is listed, you can book in it.
- If it is not listed, check the vendor’s accommodation route for extra time, and request it before you book.
- If you sit in English, prepare with the vendor’s English terms from the skills outline, not translated summaries.
- Whichever language you choose, confirm which outline version that language follows, because localised exams are updated later than English.
Languages the site’s exam pages list
| Exam | Languages listed |
|---|---|
| PL-300 | Ten, including Japanese, Korean, German, French, Spanish, Portuguese (Brazil), both Chinese forms and Italian |
| DP-600 | Seven: English, Japanese, Chinese (Simplified), German, French, Spanish, Portuguese (Brazil) |
| DP-700 and DP-750 | Ten each |
| SC-900 and AZ-900 | Thirteen, including Arabic (Saudi Arabia), Indonesian and Russian |
| SC-200 | Ten |
| AB-730, AB-731, AI-901 | Thirteen |
| AIF-C01 | English, Arabic, French, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish, Chinese; German and Italian only until October 15, 2026 |
| Databricks Data Engineer Associate | English, Japanese, Portuguese (BR), Korean |
| Databricks Data Analyst Associate | English only |
| N10-009 | English, German, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish |
| SY0-801 | English listed on the V8 page; SY0-701 is offered in English, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish and Thai |
| CCNA 200-301 | English and Japanese on Cisco’s v1.1 page; v2.0 list not published |
| Agentforce Specialist | English, French, Japanese in the exam guide; Latin American Spanish unconfirmed |
| AAISM | English, Spanish, Japanese |
Languages differ per exam, not per vendor. Databricks offers four languages on the Data Engineer Associate and one on the Data Analyst Associate, so check each page.
Extra time: what the pages say
Microsoft. The exam-format pages for PL-300, DP-600, DP-700, SC-900, SC-200 and AI-901 say that if the exam is not offered in your preferred language, you can request an additional 30 minutes, and most add that it should be arranged before booking. The AI-901 page also says that if English is not your first language and the exam is not offered in yours, the extra 30 minutes is requested the same way as other accommodations. The AB-730 renewal page adds that accommodation requests need advance approval before scheduling and can take up to 10 business days. Accommodations are requested before booking, not on exam day.
AWS. Non-native English speakers can request a 30-minute extension once through their AWS Certification Account, and it then applies to later registrations, per the AIF-C01 and MLA-C02 renewal pages.
CompTIA. CompTIA’s candidate testing policies describe an ESL accommodation: a 30-minute extension for exams delivered in English in non-English-speaking countries where no localised version of the exam is available. It is granted automatically to candidates in eligible countries and is not available in English-speaking countries.
Databricks, Cisco, ISACA, Salesforce. The site’s pages for these vendors do not describe a language-based extension. The Databricks and Cisco pages say accommodations are not covered and to ask the provider, and the AAISM page says special accommodation requests must be approved before scheduling. Ask before you pay, and do not assume an extension exists.
Time and wording are the practical issues
Time per question. Databricks gives 45 scored questions in 90 minutes, two minutes per question, while AIF-C01 gives 90 minutes for 65 questions. Reading speed in a second language is the variable no exam page measures, so run a timed practice set in English and see whether you finish.
Constraint words. The site’s multiple-choice tips teach reading each question for its constraint, then removing options that fail it. That method is about finding the words that decide the answer, which is exactly where a second-language reader loses time.
Vendor terms. The skills outline guide explains reading the verbs, such as describe, configure and implement. The glossary gives plain definitions of recurring terms.
Outline lag in localised exams
Microsoft’s pages say localised versions follow the English update by roughly eight weeks and that the schedule is not guaranteed. The English DP-600 outline changes on October 19, 2026, so a localised sitting soon afterwards may follow the previous outline. If you study from the newest English outline and sit a localised exam, check the study guide and the details shown at booking. AWS also notes language availability changes: AIF-C01 in German and Italian retires after October 15, 2026.
Scenario: a first-language Japanese speaker preparing for DP-600
This is an illustrative planning example. The candidate is deciding between sitting DP-600 in Japanese or English soon after the October 19, 2026 update.
Where the time goes: Prepare data at 45 to 50 percent, then the two 25 to 30 percent domains. The trap is mixing outlines, studying from the new English list but booking a localised exam that may still follow the previous one.
A reasonable planning assumption is the four weeks at 8 to 10 hours in the DP-600 study plan, plus an hour at the start to compare the old and new outline objectives, and a timed practice set in the language of the real sitting to check pacing. Japanese is on the DP-600 list, and the 30-minute extension applies only if the exam is not offered in your language, so it would not apply here. This is a planning example, not a promise of any result.
Where to go next
Read the exam day guide for ID and online proctoring rules, the retake guide if an attempt goes badly, and the exam changes tracker before booking in a localised language.