📋 2026 Edition · Updated November 2026

AWS Certified Data Engineer - Associate (DEA-C01) Study Guide 2026

Q: How long does it take to prepare for the AWS Certified Data Engineer - Associate (DEA-C01) exam?

Most candidates with relevant background take 4-8 weeks studying 1-2 hours daily. Beginners may need longer depending on their current knowledge and experience.

Q: What is included in the AWS Certified Data Engineer - Associate (DEA-C01) study guide?

The study guide covers the exam syllabus, domain-wise topics, study roadmap, preparation strategy, exam tips and links to practice, mock exams, readiness testing and other preparation resources.

Q: Is this AWS Certified Data Engineer - Associate (DEA-C01) study guide enough to pass the exam?

The study guide is designed to organize your preparation around the exam syllabus and domains. Candidates should also use practice questions and timed simulations to test their ability to apply what they have learned.

Q: Can beginners use this AWS Certified Data Engineer - Associate (DEA-C01) study guide?

Yes. The guide can be used to understand the exam domains, identify the topics to study and follow a structured preparation roadmap.

Q: How many practice questions should I do?

There is no universal number that guarantees readiness. Focus on understanding why answers are correct or incorrect and use timed practice to identify gaps in your preparation.

Q: How can I identify my weak areas?

Use the Edureify readiness diagnostic to assess your preparation and identify weaker exam domains before deciding where to spend additional study time.

Complete exam coverage for the AWS Certified Data Engineer - Associate (DEA-C01): syllabus, domains, key topics, study plan and practical exam preparation strategy.

Questions

130 min

Duration

720

Passing score

Domains

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Overall readiness (locked)

Data Ingestion and Transformation

Data Store Management

Data Operations and Support

Data Security and Governance

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Exam at a Glance

AWS Certified Data Engineer - Associate (DEA-C01) Exam Overview

Key facts about the AWS Certified Data Engineer - Associate (DEA-C01) exam structure, format and scoring.

🆔

aws-data-engineer-associate

Exam code

📝

65 questions

Total questions

⏱

130 minutes

Duration

🎯

720

Passing score

📋

4 domains

Exam domains

🏆

Certification

Credential type

ℹ️

Scoring method: Results are reported as a scaled score from 100 to 1,000 using a compensatory model, so only the overall score must reach the minimum; section-level feedback is informational. Unscored pretest items are not identified and do not count; unanswered questions are scored as incorrect with no penalty for guessing. DEA-C01 has 50 scored and 15 unscored questions and a minimum passing score of 720.. The exam may include unscored pilot questions - treat every question seriously.

Focus Areas

What should you study for the AWS Certified Data Engineer - Associate (DEA-C01) exam?

Start with the domains that make up the AWS Certified Data Engineer - Associate (DEA-C01) exam. Use the detailed syllabus below to work through the individual topics.

⚠️

Common mistake: Candidates often memorise terminology but struggle with scenario-based questions. Focus on when to use what, not just what exists.

🔐

Data Ingestion and Transformation (34%)

Ingesting batch and streaming data, transforming it, orchestrating pipelines and applying programming concepts.

🏗

Data Store Management (26%)

Choosing data stores, cataloging data, managing data lifecycle and designing data models and schema evolution.

⚡

Data Operations and Support (22%)

Automating data processing, analyzing data, maintaining and monitoring pipelines and ensuring data quality.

💰

Data Security and Governance (18%)

Applying authentication, authorization, encryption, audit logging and data privacy and governance controls.

Full Syllabus

AWS Certified Data Engineer - Associate (DEA-C01) Exam Syllabus and Topics

The AWS Certified Data Engineer - Associate (DEA-C01) exam is divided into 4 domains. Each domain covers specific skills and topics. Expand a domain to see the detailed syllabus.

Data Ingestion

Streaming ingestion with Amazon Kinesis, Amazon MSK and DynamoDB Streams

Batch ingestion with Amazon S3, AWS Glue, AWS DMS and Amazon AppFlow

Scheduling and event triggers with Amazon EventBridge

Throttling, rate limits and fan-in/fan-out

Replayability and stateful vs. stateless processing

Transformation and Processing

Choosing AWS Glue, Amazon EMR, AWS Lambda or Amazon Redshift

Format conversion such as CSV to Apache Parquet

JDBC/ODBC connections and multi-source integration

Optimizing processing cost

Troubleshooting transformation failures

Pipeline Orchestration

AWS Step Functions and Amazon MWAA

AWS Glue workflows and EventBridge

Serverless workflow design

Alerting with Amazon SNS and Amazon SQS

Resiliency and fault tolerance

Programming Concepts

Python and SQL for data pipelines

Lambda concurrency and performance tuning

Infrastructure as code with CloudFormation, CDK and AWS SAM

CI/CD and version control for pipelines

Distributed computing concepts

~22 questions

34 marks

34% of exam weight

Choosing a Data Store

Amazon Redshift, Amazon RDS and Amazon DynamoDB selection

Access patterns and cost/performance trade-offs

Redshift Spectrum, federated queries and materialized views

Apache Iceberg open table format

Vector index types (HNSW, IVF)

Data Cataloging

AWS Glue Data Catalog and Hive metastore

AWS Glue crawlers for schema discovery

Partition synchronization

Amazon SageMaker Catalog for business metadata

Data Lifecycle Management

Loading and unloading between S3 and Redshift

S3 Lifecycle policies and storage classes

S3 Versioning and DynamoDB TTL

Deleting data for legal requirements

Data Modeling and Schema Evolution

Schema design for Redshift and DynamoDB

Schema conversion with AWS SCT and DMS Schema Conversion

Partitioning, indexing and compression

Data lineage tracking

Handling schema changes

~17 questions

26 marks

26% of exam weight

Automating Data Processing

Orchestration with Amazon MWAA and Step Functions

Querying data with Amazon Athena

Data preparation with AWS Glue DataBrew and SageMaker Unified Studio

Calling AWS SDKs from code

Analyzing Data

SQL queries and views in Redshift and Athena

Visualization with Amazon QuickSight

Athena notebooks with Apache Spark

Provisioned vs. serverless trade-offs

Aggregations, rolling averages and pivoting

Monitoring and Data Quality

Amazon CloudWatch Logs and alarms

AWS CloudTrail for API tracking

Troubleshooting Glue and EMR pipelines

Data quality rules with DataBrew

Sampling and data skew

~14 questions

22 marks

22% of exam weight

Authentication and Authorization

IAM roles, policies and least privilege

AWS Secrets Manager and Parameter Store

AWS Lake Formation permissions

Role-, tag- and attribute-based access control

Redshift database users, groups and roles

Encryption and Masking

AWS KMS encryption and key policies

Cross-account encryption

Encryption in transit

Data masking and anonymization

Audit Logging, Privacy and Governance

CloudTrail Lake for centralized log queries

PII discovery with Amazon Macie

Redshift data sharing

AWS Config for configuration changes

Data sovereignty and Region restrictions

~12 questions

18 marks

18% of exam weight

Study Plan

AWS Certified Data Engineer - Associate (DEA-C01) Structured Study Roadmap

Choose a preparation timeline based on how much time you have available. For a plan based on your actual readiness and weak domains, use the personalised Edureify study experience. Get My Training Plan →

Weeks 1-2

Core Services + Highest-Weighted Domain

Deep-dive into the most heavily tested domain. Spend more time here when its exam weight is significantly higher.

Official exam guideDomain 1 completeCore conceptsPractice questions

Week 3

Domain 2 - Hands-on Practice

Focus on scenario-based study and reinforce concepts through practical application where applicable.

Domain 2Scenario walkthroughsHands-on practicePractice questions

Week 4

Domain 3 - Deeper Concepts

Work through complex concepts and decision scenarios.

Domain 3Scenario drillsPractice examReview

Week 5

Remaining Domains + Weak Area Targeting

Identify your weaker domains and spend focused time closing those gaps.

Remaining domainsDiagnosticTargeted reviewStudy notes

Week 6

Full Simulations + Final Preparation

Use timed simulations to test your preparation and review the reasoning behind incorrect answers.

Full mock examsWrong-answer reviewFinal reviewExam logistics

Exam Strategy

Tips to pass AWS Certified Data Engineer - Associate (DEA-C01) on your first attempt

Practical advice for applying what you know, managing questions and preparing for exam conditions.

🗓

Data Ingestion and Transformation is 34% of scored content; practise choosing between Kinesis and MSK, and between Glue, EMR and Lambda, by cost, latency and operational overhead.

🔍

Build a small pipeline end to end (S3, Glue crawler and job, Athena, Step Functions) to anchor the orchestration and cataloging tasks.

⏭

Do not neglect Data Security and Governance (18%): know Lake Formation permissions, KMS cross-account encryption and Macie PII discovery.

📊

Pace yourself at about 2 minutes per question across 65 items in 130 minutes, and remember 15 unscored items are mixed in unmarked.

Recommended Resources

AWS Certified Data Engineer - Associate (DEA-C01) Study Resources

Use a focused set of resources alongside the study guide rather than trying to study from everything available.

Official

Official Exam Guide

Start with the authoritative exam objectives and blueprint.

→ Vendor website

Practice Tests

AWS Certified Data Engineer - Associate (DEA-C01) Practice Test

Practice questions with explanations and domain-level performance analysis.

→ Start free practice test

Mock Exam

AWS Certified Data Engineer - Associate (DEA-C01) Mock Exam

Timed preparation under realistic exam-style conditions.

→ Take free mock exam

Training

AWS Certified Data Engineer - Associate (DEA-C01) Certification Training

Structured preparation with personalised learning support and adaptive practice.

→ AWS Certified Data Engineer - Associate (DEA-C01) certification online training

AI Tutor

AWS Certified Data Engineer - Associate (DEA-C01) AI Tutor

Get help understanding concepts and work on weak areas with AI-powered learning support.

→ Try AWS Certified Data Engineer - Associate (DEA-C01) AI tutor

Reference

AWS Certified Data Engineer - Associate (DEA-C01) Cheat Sheet

Quick-reference summaries for final revision.

→ Get free cheat sheet

Diagnostic

AWS Certified Data Engineer - Associate (DEA-C01) Readiness Test

Assess your preparation and identify weaker exam domains.

→ Check my readiness

⚠️

Avoid brain dumps. Sites selling real or stolen exam questions may violate certification-provider rules and can leave candidates studying outdated material.

Reviews

What candidates say after passing

FAQ

Frequently asked questions about AWS Certified Data Engineer - Associate (DEA-C01)

How long does it take to prepare for the AWS Certified Data Engineer - Associate (DEA-C01) exam?

Most candidates with relevant background can structure their preparation over several weeks, depending on their existing knowledge, available study time and exam difficulty. Use the study roadmap above as a starting point and use the readiness diagnostic to identify where you need more preparation.

What is included in the AWS Certified Data Engineer - Associate (DEA-C01) study guide?

The guide covers the exam overview, domains, detailed syllabus and topics, study roadmap, exam preparation tips and links to practice, mock, readiness, cheat-sheet, AI Tutor and training resources.

Is this AWS Certified Data Engineer - Associate (DEA-C01) study guide enough to pass the exam?

The guide is designed to organize your preparation around the exam syllabus. You should combine it with practice questions and timed simulations so that you can test both your knowledge and your ability to apply it.

Can beginners use this AWS Certified Data Engineer - Associate (DEA-C01) study guide?

Yes. Start with the exam overview and domain breakdown, then work through the detailed topics using the study roadmap. Candidates with less experience may need additional time for foundational concepts.

How can I identify my weak areas?

Take the Edureify readiness diagnostic to assess your preparation and identify the domains where you need to focus more.

How does AI improve my preparation?

Edureify AI can help explain concepts, identify weaker areas from practice performance and support a more personalised preparation process.

Ready to prepare for AWS Certified Data Engineer - Associate (DEA-C01)?

Find your weak areas and build a more focused preparation plan.

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AWS Certified Data Engineer - Associate (DEA-C01) Study Guide 2026

AWS Certified Data Engineer - Associate (DEA-C01) Exam Overview

What should you study for the AWS Certified Data Engineer - Associate (DEA-C01) exam?

AWS Certified Data Engineer - Associate (DEA-C01) Exam Syllabus and Topics

Know if you'll pass AWS Certified Data Engineer - Associate (DEA-C01) before exam day

AWS Certified Data Engineer - Associate (DEA-C01) Structured Study Roadmap

Tips to pass AWS Certified Data Engineer - Associate (DEA-C01) on your first attempt

AWS Certified Data Engineer - Associate (DEA-C01) Study Resources

What candidates say after passing

Frequently asked questions about AWS Certified Data Engineer - Associate (DEA-C01)

Ready to prepare for AWS Certified Data Engineer - Associate (DEA-C01)?

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