Databricks Data Engineer Associate Exam Dec 2025

[rc10000]

Hi, I am prepping for the Databricks DEA exam. I am seeing some conflicts with DLT/DP or declarative pipeline syntax. I am trying to see if the most up to date syntax is going to be on the exam as opposed to the legacy DLT. 

For example, current DP syntax encourages 

• CREATE OR REFRESH MATERIALIZED VIEW for batch
• CREATE OR REFRESH STREAMING TABLE for streaming

This is different than how it was in the past. 

[kiwi286dew · Accepted solution]

Hello, @rc10000 

You are correct to prioritize the current syntax. The most up-to-date Databricks Certified Data Engineer Associate exam will focus on the declarative syntax within Lakeflow Spark Declarative Pipelines. You should prepare for CREATE OR REFRESH MATERIALIZED VIEW for batch/full refresh datasets, and CREATE OR REFRESH STREAMING TABLE for incrementally processed streaming datasets. Although the older terminology may still appear in some questions, the core syntax you must know for pipeline creation is the newer one, which is more aligned with standard SQL and current best practices.