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AWS • Data Engineer Associate
AWS Certified Data Engineer - Associate (DEA-C01)
Design and implement data ingestion and transformation pipelines on AWS.
Practice setup
Exam info
- Exam ID
- DEA-C01
- Cost of Exam
- $150 USD
- Length of Test
- 130 Minutes
- Number of Questions
- 65
View full exam details
- Exam Level
- Associate
- Launch Date
- 2024
- Recommended Experience
- Hands-on experience building and operating data workloads on AWS
- Question Types
- Multiple Choice / Multiple Response
- Passing Score
- Scaled score determined by AWS
Domains and Objectives
Data Ingestion and Transformation1.034%
Objectives in this domain
- Design ingestion patterns for batch and streaming data sources.
- Implement transformation logic using AWS-native data processing services.
- Handle schema evolution, data quality, and pipeline resilience concerns.
Data Store Management2.026%
Objectives in this domain
- Select fit-for-purpose data stores for analytics and operational needs.
- Design partitioning, indexing, and lifecycle strategies.
- Optimize storage patterns for performance and cost.
Data Operations and Support3.022%
Objectives in this domain
- Implement monitoring and alerting for data platforms.
- Troubleshoot pipeline failures and operational bottlenecks.
- Automate repeatable operational tasks and deployment steps.
Data Security and Governance4.018%
Objectives in this domain
- Apply identity, encryption, and network controls for data systems.
- Implement governance and access boundaries for sensitive datasets.
- Support compliance and auditability requirements.
Resources
Official Exam Page
Official exam overview with registration, prep plan, and links to the guide and practice resources.
Open resourceOfficial Exam Guide (live docs)
Authoritative exam guide with content outline, domain details, in-scope services, and revisions.
Open resourceIn-Scope AWS Services (DEA-C01)
List of AWS services covered on the exam to focus your study.
Open resourceSkill Builder: Exam Prep Plan (DEA-C01)
Official 4‑step preparation plan with links to the practice question set, pretest, practice exam, and prep courses.
Open resourceClassroom Course: Exam Prep – AWS Certified Data Engineer – Associate (Outline)
One‑day, instructor‑led exam preparation course outline from AWS Training.
Open resourceAWS Glue Documentation
Core ETL and Data Catalog service frequently covered across DEA-C01 domains.
Open resourceAmazon Redshift Documentation
Data warehousing fundamentals, SQL, modeling, performance, and data sharing.
Open resourceAmazon S3 Documentation
Object storage for data lakes, lifecycle, versioning, encryption, and access.
Open resourceAmazon S3 Tables Documentation
Purpose-built tabular storage on S3 for analytics and Iceberg integration.
Open resourceAWS Lake Formation Documentation
Centralized permissions and governance for analytics data lakes.
Open resourceAmazon Kinesis Data Streams Documentation
Streaming ingestion primitives for real‑time pipelines.
Open resourceAmazon Kinesis Data Firehose Documentation
Managed delivery of streaming data to S3, Redshift, and OpenSearch.
Open resourceAmazon Managed Service for Apache Flink Documentation
Managed Apache Flink for stream processing and transformations.
Open resourceAmazon MSK (Managed Streaming for Apache Kafka) Documentation
Fully managed Apache Kafka for ingestion and streaming analytics.
Open resourceAmazon OpenSearch Service Documentation
Search and analytics engine relevant for log and metrics analytics.
Open resourceAWS Step Functions Documentation
Serverless workflow orchestration for ETL and data pipelines.
Open resourceAmazon MWAA (Managed Workflows for Apache Airflow) Documentation
Managed Airflow for pipeline orchestration.
Open resourceAWS Identity and Access Management (IAM) Documentation
Authentication and authorization fundamentals for securing data workloads.
Open resourceAWS Key Management Service (KMS) Documentation
Encryption key management for data at rest and in transit.
Open resourceAWS Database Migration Service (AWS DMS) Documentation
Batch/streaming migration and change data capture into AWS data stores.
Open resourceAWS Training: Data Analytics Learning Page
Official learning paths and the Data Analytics Ramp-Up Guide to strengthen core skills.
Open resourceExam history
AWS Certified Data Engineer – Associate (DEA-C01) progressed from a November 2023 public beta to general availability on March 12, 2024, added a documented exam‑guide Revision 1.1 on December 12, 2025, and remains listed as active as of April 9, 2026. ([aws.amazon.com](https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/training-and-certification/registration-open-for-aws-certified-data-engineer-associate-beta-exam/?utm_source=openai))
Last reviewed: 2026-04-09
AWS announced the certification via a public beta on November 2, 2023, with beta delivery from November 27, 2023 through January 12, 2024; that post initially projected the standard exam would open for registration in March 2024 and be available to take starting April 2024. On January 30, 2024, AWS updated plans, stating the new exam would be available to schedule and take starting March 12, 2024, and on March 12, 2024 confirmed that candidates could register for and take the exam. In the same late‑January announcement, AWS outlined a portfolio shift and the retirement of select Specialty credentials; the AWS Certified Data Analytics – Specialty’s last day to test was April 8, 2024, with the exam retired on April 9, 2024. ([aws.amazon.com](https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/training-and-certification/registration-open-for-aws-certified-data-engineer-associate-beta-exam/?utm_source=openai))
Post‑launch, AWS centralized exam guides on AWS Documentation on December 17, 2025 and introduced a Revisions section; the DEA‑C01 exam guide shows Version 1.1 published December 12, 2025, consolidating knowledge and skills and adding items such as integrating LLMs and updates to in‑scope services (for example, Amazon Bedrock and Amazon Q). As of April 9, 2026, DEA‑C01 remains available to schedule on the official certification page, and no retirement has been announced on AWS’s official channels reviewed. ([aws.amazon.com](https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/training-and-certification/upgraded-aws-certification-exam-guides-now-available/?utm_source=openai))
Change tracker
DEA-C01 launched
AWS introduced DEA-C01 to validate associate-level data engineering responsibilities on AWS.