Databricks Spark 3 certification: Preparation Guide
Recently I cleared Databricks certificate for Apache Spark 3 (Python) exam with score 86% on the 3rd of May 2021.
If you are also planning for the same, hope this will help you to prepare better. This article tries to explain the steps I followed and not the technical concepts of the spark.
Let’s have some clarity about this certification exam first.
what it isn’t:
It’s not an assessment of understanding of
- Databricks platform specific things like cluster setup, delta lake, file system commands etc.
- Integration of any Big data tool with Spark.
- Spark’s GraphX, ML, Streaming, data science etc.
- Python/Scala (but you must be aware of basic syntaxes to understand the questions)
- Design of Spark/Big data-based project.
What it is actually:
- It’s an assessment of Spark’s Data Frame/Dataset API.
- It more about syntaxes.
- It’s an assessment of understanding of spark architecture.
- It’s about what new things are there in spark3.
- It’s about spark performance tuning.
Let’s get started!!
- First, you must have a notepad or word document ready to note down the things. Every concept, tricks and points you come across, keep them noted. It’s really useful while revision. Many of us uses pen and paper/notebook but I would recommend to have notepad (or google Docs) so that you can read it from cellphone, laptop. Along with that, whatever you find useful for the exam like paragraphs/images/screenshot/URLs from internet/blogs/practice tests etc., you can simply copy and paste in it.
- Go through the webpage of Databricks to get details of the exam. Understand the syllabus and scope of the exam.
https://academy.databricks.com/category/certifications
https://academy.databricks.com/exam/databricks-certified-associate-developer
3. Before appearing for the exam, you must have some hands-on, so I would recommend you to go through below Udemy course that guides you to prepare things specific to certifications only and saves you from diversions.
https://www.udemy.com/share/103Mc6BUMZdVhTTH4=/
4. Databricks recommends us to go through, below two books:
If you have prior knowledge of spark architecture and you already have gone through these books then no need to repeat, but folks who just started to learn spark, should spend some time to go through only specific sections of the book as mentioned below:
- Sections I, II, and IV of Spark: The Definitive Guide
- Chapters 1–7 of Learning Spark
5. Once you think you are almost 40 to 50 % prepared, start appearing for the practice tests! Many of us keep postponing the practice tests with very common reason that they haven’t completed syllabus but I would say, our actual preparation accelerates when we appear for couple of practice tests and we get an exact idea about what is being asked, what is the pattern of the questions, where we stand right now, and what we need to do next.
Keep below things in mind while giving practice tests:
- In the first round of tests, you may get score of 30 to 50% and fail( as passing score is 70%), but don’t worry about it, keep moving ahead.
- Read every question clearly and then look at the options.
- Even though you feel like you know the answer, check all the options and validate them.
- Avoid pausing and resuming the test, try to complete it in one shot.
- Once you complete the test, try to review it on the same day. Check the things where you made the mistakes and list them down to rectify them later.
- Before appearing for next practice test, prepare on points/concepts you missed in previous test.
I recommend you to go through all the below practice tests from Udemy:
- Practice Test by DnED Technologies: https://www.udemy.com/share/103oacBUMZdVhTTH4=/
- Practice Tests by Mert Ozer: https://www.udemy.com/share/1040PmAEYfeV1UQ3wH/
- Practice Test by Ivan T: https://www.udemy.com/share/10417QAEYfeV1UQ3wH/
6. At this stage, I consider that now,
- You have covered all the syllabus.
- You have appeared at least once for all the practice tests.
- You have better understanding of concepts, syntax and exam format.
Now, start your second round of attempts for all the practice tests. Try to take at least one test per day. This time, since you are being more prepared, you might get around 80 to 90% percent of score.
7. Now, you can schedule exam by clicking on “Register” button at the bottom of the page below. It needs VISA/Credit card for payment. https://academy.databricks.com/exam/databricks-certified-associate-developer
You can take test from an authorized center as well as from personal laptop. If you are planning to take an exam from your personal laptop, please go through below pages:
- https://kryterion.force.com/support/s/topic/0TO1W000000I5h3WAC/online-proctoring?language=en_US
- https://www.kryteriononline.com/systemcheck/
- https://kryterion.force.com/support/s/?language=en_US
Important note:
- In between the test, if you lose internet connection or face some issues then immediately contact support team and they will help you. All your answers will be saved and test will be resumed on next available slot.
- You will get score immediately once you submit the exam, but actual certificate will be delivered to your e-mail within 7 to 10 days.
I hope this article gives an overview of preparation for the certification. I will keep sharing more articles on spark’s concepts specific to this certificate. Please feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn for any further questions.
