Overview of the Certification
Data is the new currency. Companies are fast transitioning into storage capabilities to handle the data that they are obtaining. But mere data is useless if you can’t get any actionable insights from that data. This is where data scientists, developers, data warehouse architects, and a business analyst come into prominence. For any professional, Cloudera Certified Associate – Data Analyst certification is the entry path for more specialized certifications.
This exam showcases the foundational knowledge of a professional as a developer. It acts as proof of a professional’s ability to act as an administrator for Cloudera’s enterprise software. People who deal with data stand to gain the most from this certification. So, if you’re someone who deals with Data in some capacity but doesn’t have to get into the technical aspects of it, this certification is perfect for you. Even otherwise, this is useful for any professional who wants to get into the industry.
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Cloudera Certified Associate – Data Analyst Exam Pattern
The exam will have a duration of 120 minutes. During this time, 8-12 hands-on, performance-based tasks on a Cloudera cluster will be given. Within that cluster, you’ll have access to a lot of tools such as
- Spark
- Impala
- Crunch
- Hive
- Pig
- Sqoop
- Kafka
- Flume
- Kite
- Hue
- Oozie
- DataFu
- HDFS
You’ll also need to gain some level of ability to process information using Hadoop as well. Hadoop will be your best bet for extracting the relevant information from the data provided. If you get access to Hue as well on the cluster, it might make your task a little easier.
In the exam, you will be given 8-12 customer problems, each with large unique data sets along with a CDH cluster. For each problems, you need to design and deploy a technical solution with a high level of precision in a way that you meet all the criteria mentioned for that project. You need to develop the ability to analyze the problem and come up with a solution that would provide valuable solutions to the project that has been assigned to you.
About the Exam
This exam aims to recreate real-life, on-ground applications of the cluster. During the projects, you need to know what to do, and do it on a live cluster, within the time limit while being proctored. The certification cost is 295 USD, and it is conducted only in English. The training for this certification must happen through a hands-on training method. However, several providers offer online methods as well. Doing a hands-on approach offers the benefit of being ready and being able to perform well in the exam
Your exam will be graded as soon as you submit it. After that, you can expect your report to be mailed to you within three days. The score report will be sent in such a way that it doesn’t divulge any confidential information. Your report will mention if you’ve passed or failed. If you failed, then it will only mention ‘records contain incorrect data’ or ‘incorrect file format.’ This is done to protect the exam content. If you’ve passed, you’ll get your badge within a week more.
Who is the Target Audience for This Course?
There are no prerequisites for CCA Data Analyst certification. This course is open to everyone. However, the people who generally attempt this exam are SQL developers, data analysts, business intelligence executives, developers, sysops specialists, data warehouse specialists, database administrators, and data scientists.
This certification was originally intended for SQL developers who wanted to stand out and get recognized for their skills. However, since then, this certification has grown in popularity. Now it is used by several professionals for their skills. Cloudera recommends that anyone who wants to achieve this certification should start with its Data Analyst training course. That course has the same objectives as the exam and will help professionals in preparing for the course.
Skill Requirements to Perform Well in the Exam
Prepare the Data
Use Extract, Transfer, Load (ETL) processes to prepare data for queries.
- Import data from a MySQL database into HDFS using Sqoop
- Export data to a MySQL database from HDFS using Sqoop
- Move data between tables in the metastore
- Transform values, columns, or file formats of incoming data before analysis
Provide Structure to the Data
Use Data Definition Language (DDL) statements to create or alter structures in the metastore for use by Hive and Impala.
- Create tables using a variety of data types, delimiters, and file formats
- Create new tables using existing tables to define the schema
- Improve query performance by creating partitioned tables in the metastore
- Alter tables to modify the existing schema
- Create views to simplify queries
Data Analysis
Use Query Language (QL) statements in Hive and Impala to analyze data on the cluster.
- Prepare reports using SELECT commands, including unions and subqueries.
- Calculate aggregate statistics, such as sums and averages, during a query
- Create queries against multiple data sources by using join commands
- Transform the output format of queries by using built-in functions
- Perform queries across a group of rows using windowing functions
Where to Get Online Resources for Cloudera Certified Associate – Data Analyst Certification?
Several training providers offer the required exam guides, study materials, FAQs, training guides, previous exam questions, practice material, practice exams, and other resources to help you get ready for the certification exam. Cloudera’s platform offers the required materials and on-demand videos for preparing for the exam. Apart from that, several other providers like Udemy, Simpli Learn, Plural Sight, Edureka, and others offer the course as well.
