Hello!
I understand your concerns, and having recently cleared the Databricks Certified Professional Data Scientist exam, I can share some insight's.
From my experience, the exam primarily focuses on machine learning and data science theory. The questions are mostly theoretical but with a strong emphasis on real-world application of these concepts. You will likely encounter questions related to model evaluation, statistical theory, feature engineering, and advanced machine learning topics. While computational questions aren’t directly part of the exam, it's important to be familiar with the logic behind certain algorithms and their implementation.
The recommended textbooks like Introduction to Statistical Learning and Elements of Statistical Learning provide an excellent foundation in ML theory. These books cover the theoretical aspects in detail, which will be very useful. The Learning Spark textbook is included to give you context about handling big data in distributed environments, which is a critical skill in the Databricks ecosystem, even though the exam itself doesn’t include programming.
In addition to reading these books, I highly recommend practicing with mock exams or practice questions. Personally, I found the Study4Exam practice questions to be very helpful. They cover a range of topics that closely mirror the actual exam questions, especially the theoretical understanding required. They helped me identify areas where I needed more focus and get a feel of the question patterns.
In conclusion, focus on understanding the theory well, practice with resources like Study4Exam, and you'll be well-prepared to tackle the exam.
Good luck!
