The short version
The exam is 120 minutes of multiple-choice questions, taken online with a proctor or at a test center, with no notes or documentation allowed. Databricks does not publish a passing score. If you do not pass, you can retake after 14 days.
Questions and time
Databricks’s October 9, 2026 exam guide lists 60 scored multiple-choice questions and a 120-minute limit. The certification page, when we read it on October 18, 2026, said 59 scored questions. Databricks’s own pages disagree by one, so treat “about 60” as the safe planning number and check the guide on the day you book.
On top of the scored questions, the exam may contain unscored ones. They are used to collect statistics for future exams, they are not marked, and they do not affect your result. Databricks says extra time is already built into the 120 minutes to cover them.
Do the math once: 120 minutes for roughly 60 questions is about two minutes each. Many questions are scenarios of three or four sentences with four long options, so two minutes is enough to read carefully but not enough to dither.
Question types
The guide describes the exam as multiple choice. In our reading, that means you choose from listed options; the guide does not mention simulations or live coding. It also says no test aids are allowed, so there is no workspace, no documentation tab, and no notes.
What the questions look like in practice, based on the sample questions in the guide:
- A short scenario, such as a gold-layer aggregate that must reflect late-arriving updates.
- A request to pick the feature or configuration that satisfies stated constraints.
- Options that are all plausible products or settings, where only one fits every constraint.
Each sample question in the guide is tied to one objective in the outline, which tells you that questions are written to check a specific skill, not trivia.
Delivery
You can take the exam online with a proctor or at a test center. Databricks’s FAQ points to the online proctoring provider’s technical requirements and warns that a work computer with firewalls may stop the proctoring tools from working, which can suspend the exam. Use a personal machine on a quiet network if you test online, and test your setup well before exam day.
Languages
The guide lists English. The certification page lists English, Japanese, Portuguese (Brazil), and Korean. Because the two differ, confirm the language options when you register.
Scoring
Databricks does not publish a passing score for this exam. Its FAQ says passing scores are set through statistical analysis and may change. So you cannot calculate “I need 70%”. Any percentage quoted on a forum is a guess.
Results arrive in two steps, according to the FAQ. Unofficial results are shown immediately at the end of the exam. For passing scores, Databricks reviews the proctor recording before it tells you that your digital badge has been posted.
Because the threshold is unknown, aim to be clearly comfortable in every section rather than just average overall. The study plan shows one way to do that.
Retakes
- You can retake after 14 days.
- There is no stated limit on how many times you can retake.
- Each attempt is charged again, and Databricks does not give free retakes.
Use the 14 days well: look at which sections felt shaky, practice those in a workspace, and avoid rebooking on impulse.
Rescheduling
Per the FAQ, an online proctored exam must be rescheduled more than 24 hours before the scheduled time, and a test center exam more than 72 hours before. Missing those windows results in a rescheduling fee. The FAQ page we read does not describe cancellation, so ask Databricks if you need that.
Validity and renewal
The certification is valid for two years from the date it is awarded, and the digital badge expires after two years too. To recertify, you take the current live exam, which may differ from the one you passed.
More guides for DB-DE-PRO
- Databricks Data Engineer Pro Sample Questions
- Is the Databricks Data Engineer Pro Hard?
- Databricks Data Engineer Pro Prerequisites
- DE Pro Renewal and Retakes Explained
- Is Databricks Data Engineer Pro Worth It?
- DE Pro Cheat Sheet: Key Facts to Review
- DE Pro vs Spark Associate: Which First?
- DP-750 vs Databricks Data Engineer Pro
Next step
Plan your preparation with the study plan, or look at what each section covers in domains explained. Our practice sets for this exam use single-answer multiple choice with 60 questions each, the same number of scored questions as the October 9, 2026 guide lists, so you can rehearse the timing.
FAQ
Is there a penalty for wrong answers?
We did not find a penalty described in the guide or the FAQ, so check the current rules when you book. An unanswered question cannot earn points, so answer everything and flag the ones you want to revisit.
Can I take notes during the exam?
No. The guide says no test aids are allowed.
How soon will I know if I passed?
You see an unofficial result right away. The badge follows after Databricks reviews the proctor recording.