Free reasoning-led diagnostic
AWS Certified Data Engineer - Associate (DEA-C01) Mock Exam & Readiness Assessment
A free 30-question diagnostic for AWS Certified Data Engineer - Associate (DEA-C01). Answer at your own pace, then review a domain-by-domain readiness signal with fully explained reasoning for every question.
The full practice exam is currently free — see today's offer ↓.
- 30 Questions
- 26 Single-Answer / 4 Multi-Answer
- 4 Domains
- 78 minutes (~2.6 minutes per question based on the official exam)
Who This Diagnostic Is For
This assessment is for learners preparing for AWS Certified Data Engineer - Associate (DEA-C01) who want an honest, evidence-based signal of where they stand today. Every question is original CertShield content, technically validated against current official documentation (Version 1.1, effective December 12, 2025) and peer-reviewed by subject-matter experts before publication.
What It Measures
| Domain | Questions |
|---|---|
| Data Ingestion and Transformation | 10 |
| Data Operations and Support | 7 |
| Data Security and Governance | 5 |
| Data Store Management | 8 |
Limitations of this diagnostic: 30 questions cannot cover every exam objective with equal depth. Domains with fewer than three questions are labelled "Limited evidence" in your results and can never cause a readiness downgrade on their own. This is not an official exam, an accredited course, or a pass-rate prediction.
Technically validated: Completed September 13, 2026, against the AWS Certified Data Engineer - Associate (DEA-C01) Exam Guide Version 1. See the assessment methodology for how scoring, confidence and readiness safeguards work.
About the Official AWS Certified Data Engineer - Associate Exam
Sourced directly from the official AWS Certified Data Engineer - Associate Exam Guide, published by Amazon Web Services (AWS) — Version 1.1, effective December 12, 2025.
- Questions
- 65 total questions (50 count toward the score; 15 are unscored pretest items used by AWS to evaluate future exam content and are not identified to the candidate)
- Time Limit
- 130 minutes (2 hours 10 minutes)
- Passing Score
- 720 on a scaled 100–1,000 range (compensatory scoring across the whole exam; no minimum is required in any individual domain)
- Registration Fee
- $150 USD (holders of an active AWS certification may be eligible for a 50% discount voucher)
- Delivery
- Pearson VUE — available both at an authorized testing center and via online proctoring
- Validity
- 3-year certification cycle; recertify by passing the current version of this exam, or any AWS certification exam at the same or a higher tier, before expiration
Official exam domains this diagnostic mirrors:
- Data Ingestion and Transformation 34%
- Data Store Management 26%
- Data Operations and Support 22%
- Data Security and Governance 18%
Who this certification is for:
AWS recommends the equivalent of 2–3 years of experience in data engineering, including at least 1–2 years of hands-on experience with AWS services; the target candidate should understand the effects of volume, variety, and velocity on data ingestion, transformation, modeling, security, governance, privacy, schema design, and optimal data store design.
Performing ML training and inference, demonstrating knowledge of programming language-specific syntax, and drawing business conclusions from data are explicitly listed as out of scope. Version 1.1 (effective December 12, 2025) consolidated the guide's separate knowledge/skill lists into a single skills list per task and added coverage of LLM integration for data processing, open table formats (Apache Iceberg), vector index types (HNSW, IVF), vectorization concepts, and Amazon SageMaker Catalog/Unified Studio governance -- domain weights and total question counts were unchanged by this revision.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many questions are on the AWS Certified Data Engineer - Associate (DEA-C01) exam?
65 total questions (50 count toward the score; 15 are unscored pretest items used by AWS to evaluate future exam content and are not identified to the candidate)
How long is the AWS Certified Data Engineer - Associate (DEA-C01) exam?
130 minutes (2 hours 10 minutes)
What is the passing score for AWS Certified Data Engineer - Associate (DEA-C01)?
720 on a scaled 100–1,000 range (compensatory scoring across the whole exam; no minimum is required in any individual domain)
How much does the AWS Certified Data Engineer - Associate (DEA-C01) exam cost?
$150 USD (holders of an active AWS certification may be eligible for a 50% discount voucher)
What topics are covered in the AWS Certified Data Engineer - Associate (DEA-C01) exam?
The exam covers Data Ingestion and Transformation 34%, Data Store Management 26%, Data Operations and Support 22%, and Data Security and Governance 18%.
Who is the AWS Certified Data Engineer - Associate (DEA-C01) exam for?
AWS recommends the equivalent of 2–3 years of experience in data engineering, including at least 1–2 years of hands-on experience with AWS services; the target candidate should understand the effects of volume, variety, and velocity on data ingestion, transformation, modeling, security, governance, privacy, schema design, and optimal data store design.
Looking for AWS Certified Data Engineer - Associate Exam Dumps?
Here's something better: original, explanation-led practice questions, technically validated against current official documentation. Every question comes with a full explanation, not just an answer key.
Ready for more?
The Full AWS Certified Data Engineer - Associate Practice Exam
This free diagnostic is a preview. The complete practice exam — hundreds of questions in the same explanation-first style, full-length timed simulations, and deeper domain coverage — is hosted on Udemy, at pricing the instructor sets aside specifically for learners who practice here first.
Start Your Free Diagnostic
Independent preparation: Original CertShield practice questions — not exam dumps or official exam questions. No signup required; progress saves only in this browser.
More Free Diagnostics
- AWS Certified AI Practitioner · 30 questions
- AWS Certified DevOps Engineer - Professional · 30 questions
- AWS Certified Generative AI Developer - Professional · 30 questions
Related Certifications
Learners preparing for AWS Certified Data Engineer - Associate often also explore these related certifications from other certifying bodies.
- Databricks Certified Associate Developer for Apache Spark · 30 questions
- Databricks Certified Context Engineer Associate · 30 questions
- Databricks Certified Data Analyst Associate · 30 questions
- Databricks Certified Data Engineer Associate · 30 questions