The short version
The Databricks Data Analyst Associate exam checks that you can do everyday analyst work on the Databricks Data Intelligence Platform: find and clean data in Unity Catalog, write SQL, read query performance, build AI/BI dashboards, and set up Genie spaces. It has 45 scored multiple-choice questions and a 90-minute limit. This guide follows the exam guide that Databricks marks as current “as of Oct 30, 2025”.
What the exam is
Databricks titles the credential Databricks Certified Data Analyst Associate. It sits at the associate level and is built around one question: can you complete basic analytics tasks in Databricks without hand-holding? Databricks describes those tasks as managing data, analyzing data, and using dashboards.
Notice what is missing. There is no Spark programming, no pipeline engineering, and no machine learning. The center of the exam is SQL running on SQL warehouses, plus the tools that sit around it. If you work mostly in notebooks with Python, expect to spend extra time on the SQL editor, dashboards, and Genie.
The guide also leans on newer features. Databricks Assistant, materialized views, streaming tables, Liquid Clustering, Auto Loader, Delta Sharing, and Marketplace all appear in its outline. Study material written for an older version of the exam may leave gaps, so check that anything you use matches the October 30, 2025 guide.
Who it is for
Databricks does not publish a job-title list. From its description, the exam suits data analysts, BI and reporting developers, and engineers who query data in Databricks and want a credential for it. No prerequisite is required. Databricks highly recommends the related training course and six months of hands-on experience in a data analyst role. The prerequisites page breaks that down.
Format at a glance
| Item | What Databricks says |
|---|---|
| Exam | Databricks Certified Data Analyst Associate |
| Scored questions | 45, all multiple choice |
| Time limit | 90 minutes |
| Delivery | Online proctored or at a test center |
| Language | English |
| Passing score | Not published |
| Validity | 2 years; recertify by taking the current live exam |
| Prerequisite | None required |
The exam format page covers unscored questions, retakes, rescheduling, and results.
The nine sections and their weightings
| Section | Weighting |
|---|---|
| Understanding of Databricks Data Intelligence Platform | 11% |
| Managing Data | 8% |
| Importing Data | 5% |
| Executing Queries Using Databricks SQL and Databricks SQL Warehouses | 20% |
| Analyzing Queries | 15% |
| Working with Dashboards and Visualizations in Databricks | 16% |
| Developing, Sharing, and Maintaining AI/BI Genie Spaces | 12% |
| Data Modeling with Databricks SQL | 5% |
| Securing Data | 8% |
Databricks calls these sections. We call them domains elsewhere on this site, to match our other exam guides. They are the same thing.
Three sections carry just over half of the exam: queries (20%), dashboards (16%), and query analysis (15%) add up to 51%. Add Genie at 12% and platform understanding at 11%, and five sections hold nearly three quarters of the weight. Importing Data and Data Modeling are small at 5% each, but they are also the easiest places to pick up quick points because the topics are narrow.
Platform, managing data, and importing
You need to know the main components (Delta Lake, Unity Catalog, Databricks SQL, Lakeflow Jobs, Mosaic AI), how catalogs, schemas, tables, and views relate, and what Marketplace is for. You also clean data with SQL and bring data in through the upload UI, cloud storage, Auto Loader, Delta Sharing, or Marketplace.
Queries and query analysis
The largest block. You write joins, aggregates, and set operations, choose between managed and external tables, views and materialized views, and streaming tables, and use Delta time travel. You also read Query Insights and the query profile, use query history and caching, and know what Photon and Liquid Clustering do.
Dashboards, Genie, modeling, and security
AI/BI dashboards, parameters, sharing, scheduled refresh, and alerts; Genie spaces with their instructions and trusted assets; star, snowflake, and data vault models mapped to the medallion layers; and Unity Catalog permissions, the three-level namespace, ownership, and PII protection.
Official source
For the vendor’s own details, see the Databricks exam page. It is the final authority if anything here differs.
More guides for DATABRICKS-DATA-ANALYST-ASSOCIATE
- Databricks Data Analyst Associate Study Plan
- Databricks Data Analyst Sample Questions
- Is the Databricks Data Analyst Exam Hard?
- Databricks Data Analyst Renewal and Retakes
- Is Databricks Data Analyst Worth It?
- Databricks Data Analyst Cheat Sheet
Next step
Read the domains explained page to see where your time should go. When you want to check yourself, our Databricks Data Analyst Associate practice tests are original practice sets covering all nine sections.
Frequently asked questions
Does the exam expire?
Yes. Databricks lists a validity of 2 years. To recertify, you take the full exam that is live at that time.
Is the exam only in English?
Databricks lists English as the exam language.
Do I need to know Python or Spark?
The outline is about SQL, dashboards, and Genie, not programming. Basic familiarity with notebooks helps, because some objectives mention notebooks, but you are not asked to write Spark code.
Can I use notes or documentation?
No. Databricks states that no test aids are allowed.