Databricks

Databricks Certification: AI and ML exams compared

Databricks Certification for AI starts with two free badges, AI Agent Fundamentals and Generative AI Fundamentals. The exams after them cost $200 each, in generative AI and context engineering.

Exam price: $200
Exams valid for: 2 years

Curated by Jake BolandChecked against Databricks, Oct 24, 2026 to Oct 26, 2026How I verify

Which Databricks AI and ML certifications can you take?

This page covers Databricks' AI and machine learning credentials only, not its other certifications. Facts are as Databricks states them on each exam's page.

From Databricks' pages, checked against them on Oct 24, 2026. Order: live and active first, then those with no stated entry rule, then entry level first. Who can take them: no requirement listed, for every one.
Certification	Level	Type	Price as shown	Valid for	Status
Databricks Certified Generative AI Engineer Associate	Associate	ExamProctored	$200	2 years	Active
Databricks Certified Context Engineer Associate	Associate	Exam	$200	2 years	Active
Databricks Certified Machine Learning Associate	Associate	ExamProctored	$200	2 years	Active
Databricks Certified Machine Learning Professional	Professional	ExamProctored	$200	2 years	Active
AI Agent Fundamentals	Not stated	Microcredential	Free	Not stated by Databricks	Active
Should you take it? Suits Databricks users who want a free, 90-minute primer on AI agents before committing to a paid certification. Not for experienced agent builders, who will find four short videos too basic to add much. The catch: a badge from a quiz shows you've covered the concepts, rather than proving you can build an agent. Take Generative AI Fundamentals instead if you want the wider basics of generative AI first: it is also free, with one hour of training and a quiz badge.
Generative AI Fundamentals	Not stated	Microcredential	Free	Not stated by Databricks	Active
Should you take it? Suits anyone curious about generative AI who has an hour spare and wants a free Databricks badge to show on LinkedIn. Not for people already building with generative AI, since an hour of on-demand training covers only the fundamentals. The catch: the badge comes from passing a quiz, so it shows you've covered the basics rather than that you can build anything. Take AI Agent Fundamentals instead if agents are your interest: it is also free, with four short videos in 90 minutes and a badge for passing a quiz.

Which Databricks AI certification should you take?

You are new to AI on Databricks: AI Agent Fundamentals or Generative AI Fundamentals, both free.
You build generative AI apps: Databricks Certified Generative AI Engineer Associate, $200 for 45 questions in 90 minutes, valid for 2 years.
You design context for AI agents: Databricks Certified Context Engineer Associate, $200 for 45 questions in 90 minutes.

The catch: Databricks lists no prerequisite for the Generative AI Engineer exam, but it recommends 6+ months of hands-on experience, so the free badges alone are thin preparation.

Questions people ask

Do Databricks certifications expire?

Yes. Databricks Certified Generative AI Engineer Associate is valid for 2 years, and Databricks says you recertify by taking the current version of the exam.

How much is a Databricks certification exam?

Databricks Certified Generative AI Engineer Associate costs $200, as does Databricks Certified Context Engineer Associate. AI Agent Fundamentals and Generative AI Fundamentals are free.

Sources

Databricks: Databricks Certified Generative AI Engineer Associate, databricks.com, accessed Oct 26, 2026
Databricks: Databricks Certified Context Engineer Associate, databricks.com, accessed Oct 26, 2026
Databricks: databricks.com, Databricks Certified Context Engineer Associate Exam Guide August, accessed Oct 26, 2026
Databricks: Databricks Certified Machine Learning Associate, databricks.com, accessed Oct 26, 2026
Databricks: Databricks Certified Machine Learning Professional, databricks.com, accessed Oct 26, 2026
Databricks: Databricks Certification, databricks.com, accessed Oct 26, 2026
Databricks: databricks.com, level your ai agent skills, accessed Oct 26, 2026
Databricks: Databricks Certification, databricks.com, accessed Oct 26, 2026
Databricks: databricks.com, generative ai fundamentals, accessed Oct 26, 2026