
Exam format
Databricks Certified Machine Learning Associate Exam Format
Everything the official exam blueprint specifies: question count, time limit, scoring and the weight each domain carries. The Databricks Certified Machine Learning Associate exam validates a candidate ability to build, manage, and deploy machine learning workflows on the Databricks Lakehouse Platform. It covers the core components of Databricks Machine Learning, including MLflow, cluster management, AutoML, feature storage, and model serving. The exam emphasizes practical skills: candidates must demonstrate how to prepare data, train models, track experiments, manage the model lifecycle, and deploy models for batch or real-time inference. The syllabus is balanced between Databricks platform knowledge (38%) and model development (31%), with substantial attention to ML workflows (19%) and deployment (12%). This distribution reflects a role that involves both hands-on model building and operationalization. Successful candidates show a solid understanding of MLflow experiment tracking and the model registry, the role of the Feature Store, and how to use Databricks jobs to automate production ML pipelines. The exam is designed for data scientists, machine learning engineers, and ML practitioners who use Databricks in their daily work. The passing score and question count make it a focused but challenging assessment, and preparation should include practical labs on the Databricks platform.
- 48 questions
- 90 min
- 70% to pass
- 4 domains
Exam facts at a glance
The published specifications for this certification.
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Questions | 48 |
| Time limit | 90 minutes (113s per question) |
| Passing score | 70% — Not published by the provider (official FAQ: "Databricks passing scores are set through statistical analysis and are subject to change as exams are updated with new questions. Because they can change, we do not publish them.") |
| Domains | 4 |
| Level | Associate |
| Question bank here | 48 questions |
| Published format | Total number of scored questions: 48; Time limit: 90 minutes; Question types: Multiple choice (exam guide: "48 scored multiple-choice or multiple-selection questions") |
| Source | Official exam specification, published by the vendor |
Official domain weights
The percentage of the exam each domain carries. Weight your revision by these numbers, not by what you find hardest.
| Domain | Weight | Topics | Practice Qs |
|---|---|---|---|
| ML Workflows | 19% |
| 9 |
| Model Deployment | 12% |
| 6 |
| Model Development | 31% |
| 15 |
| Databricks Machine Learning | 38% |
| 18 |
The heaviest domain is ML Workflows at 19%, and that is where lost points cost you the most. Certilum scores you per domain so you can see the difference between a knowledge gap and a formatting problem.
Note from the vendor record: Issuer: Databricks, Inc. Status: active - not listed among deprecated exams (only Professional Data Scientist and Azure Databricks Associate Platform were deprecated on August 22, 2022). Current exam guide is the version covering "the currently live version as of Mar 1, 2025" (guide PDF dated 1-mar-2025); domain weights: Databricks Machine Learning 38%, ML Workflows 19%, Model Development 31%, Model Deployment 12%. Prerequisites: none required, 6+ months hands-on experience recommended. Delivery: online proctored or test center (Kryterion/WebAssessor), languages English, Japanese, Portuguese (BR), Korean; code is Python (SQL for non-ML data tasks). Validity: 2 years; recertification requires taking the full current live exam; retake wait 14 days, each attempt charged. Caveat: exams may include unidentified unscored items; question/time figures should be re-checked against the exam guide shortly before testing. Official exam page
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Everything you need to know about the Databricks Certified Machine Learning Associate exam.


