As an Analytics Engineer trainee, I recently took the Snowflake Snowpro Core Certification exam. Before taking the exam, I had been working with Snowflake for seven weeks, mainly for simple use cases and learning. In this blog post, I will share my experience and the lessons I learned from it.
The Exam Experience
During the exam, I had ample time to answer all the questions. I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of time provided and found that it allowed me to take my time with each question. The majority of the questions were single choice, and I had expected more multiple-choice questions. However, even with the single-choice questions, it was often possible to rule out two incorrect answers straight away. The key is to pay attention to details, as there may be slight mistakes in the questions that could lead to an incorrect answer.
My Level of Preparation
My knowledge of Snowflake came from working with it for seven weeks, and occasionally reading the documentation. While I felt comfortable answering most of the exam questions, there were a few topics that I hadn’t covered as deeply as others, such as Account Usage and Unstructured Data Support. Looking back, I should have studied these topics more thoroughly. Additionally, I didn’t delve too deeply into the study materials provided by Snowflake. I relied heavily on my daily use of Snowflake, which, in retrospect, wasn’t enough to cover all the topics tested in the exam.
Tricky Parts of the Exam
One of the most challenging aspects of the exam was answering specific questions about Snowflake’s values and statistics. For instance, one question asked about the default timeout time when a user is not using Snowflake. These values need to be memorized, and there’s no way to rule out incorrect answers. Knowing which features are available for each Snowflake edition is also critical to answering the exam questions correctly.
Preparing for the Exam
To prepare for the exam, I used flashcards, which helped me get familiar with the style of questions asked. I also reviewed the Snowflake documentation to familiarize myself with Snowflake’s features and functionality. However, in retrospect, I should have studied the Snowflake study materials more thoroughly. I would also recommend that future exam takers should review the Snowflake documentation more often and in more detail. Familiarizing oneself with Snowflake’s features and functionality is crucial, as the exam questions may require knowledge of specific features that you might not have encountered in your daily use of Snowflake.
What I Would Change
After taking the exam, I asked for feedback from other websites to see what I could have done better. Based on their responses, here are the seven key points that I would change for my next attempt:
- Study the Account Usage and Unstructured Data Support topics more thoroughly. These topics can be tricky, and they require a deeper understanding than what I had during my first attempt.
- Review the Snowflake study materials provided before taking the exam. These materials contain valuable information that can help prepare for the exam.
- Memorize specific Snowflake values and statistics. This aspect of the exam was challenging, and I should have spent more time memorizing these values.
- Review the Snowflake documentation more often and in more detail. It’s crucial to have a good understanding of Snowflake’s features and functionality to pass the exam.
- Use flashcards to study and review. Flashcards are an effective way to review and reinforce your understanding of the material.
- Pay attention to details in exam questions. The exam questions can be tricky, so it’s important to read them carefully and pay attention to details.
- Know which features are available for each Snowflake edition. This knowledge is essential, as the exam questions may require knowledge of specific features
Final thoughts
In summary, the Snowflake SnowPro Core Certification is a valuable asset for anyone working with Snowflake. The exam assesses your knowledge of Snowflake’s features, functions, and capabilities, and requires you to have a strong grasp of specific values and stats. Although challenging, the exam is manageable if you have experience with Snowflake and prepare adequately by studying the documentation and using flashcards.
To improve your chances of success, it’s recommended that you take the time to thoroughly study all of the domains and understand how to apply the concepts in real-world scenarios. It’s also important to know which features are available for each Snowflake edition and to have a good understanding of account usage and unstructured data support.
Overall, the Snowflake SnowPro Core Certification is a worthwhile investment for anyone looking to demonstrate their expertise in Snowflake. It can help advance your career and make you stand out in a competitive job market. With proper preparation and practice, passing the exam is achievable, and the knowledge gained from the experience will be invaluable in your future work with Snowflake.
*Disclaimer: I did not pass the exam in my first attempt
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