Apache Kafka has become one of the most popular distributed streaming platforms in recent years. It is widely used for real-time data processing, messaging, and stream processing. Confluent, the company founded by the creators of Kafka, offers a certification program for developers who want to demonstrate their Kafka skills and expertise. In this post, I’ll share my learning guide to the Confluent Certified Developer for Apache Kafka certification in 2023.

Personally, I followed this learning path and was able to pass with a good percentile and most of my friends found this very useful to clear their certification and hope this helps you too. This is not any cheat sheet or exam dump that can help you pass overnight.

What is the Confluent Certified Developer for Apache Kafka Certification?

The Confluent Certified Developer for Apache Kafka certification is designed for developers who want to demonstrate their skills and expertise in developing Kafka-based applications. The certification is administered by Confluent, and it validates the developer’s ability to work with Kafka clusters, write Kafka producers and consumers, and develop Kafka Streams applications.

To become a Confluent Certified Developer for Apache Kafka, candidates must pass an online exam. The exam consists of 60 multiple-choice questions, and candidates have 90 minutes to complete it.

The exam covers topics such as Kafka architecture, cluster management, Kafka Connect, Kafka Streams, and security.

Preparing for the Exam

To prepare for the Confluent Certified Developer for Apache Kafka exam, candidates should have a solid understanding of Kafka’s fundamentals, such as topics, partitions, brokers, producers, and consumers. Candidates should also be familiar with Kafka Connect, Kafka Streams, and Kafka’s security features.

Confluent offers a variety of resources to help candidates prepare for the exam. These resources include:

1. Confluent Certified Developer for Apache Kafka Exam Study Guide: This study guide provides an overview of the exam objectives, sample questions, and recommended resources.
2. Confluent Developer Training for Apache Kafka: This training course covers Kafka fundamentals, Kafka Connect, Kafka Streams, and security. The course is available online, and it includes hands-on exercises.
3. Confluent Blog: The Confluent community is a great resource for developers working with Kafka. The community includes forums, documentation, and blog posts.
4. Kafka: The Definitive Guide: This book, written by the creators of Kafka, provides a comprehensive guide to Kafka. It covers topics like Kafka’s architecture, producers, consumers, and streams.

Tips for Passing the CCDAK Certification Exam

The CCDAK certification exam is a challenging exam that requires a solid understanding of Kafka concepts and hands-on experience building Kafka applications. Here are some tips for developers who are preparing to take the exam:

1. Read the exam guide: The exam guide provides a comprehensive overview of the topics that will be covered on the exam. Developers should review the guide carefully and make sure they understand all of the topics.
2. Take practice exams: Confluent offers practice exams that are designed to simulate the actual exam. Developers should take these exams to get a feel for the types of questions that will be asked on the exam.
3. Review sample questions: Confluent provides sample questions on its website. Developers should review these questions to get an idea of the types of questions that will be asked on the exam.
4. Manage time effectively: The CCDAK certification exam is timed, so developers should manage their time effectively during the exam. They should make sure to allocate enough time for each question and avoid spending too much time on any one question.

Resources I found very useful:

> Coding N Concepts – https://codingnconcepts.com/post/apache-kafka-ccdak-exam-notes/

> Amandheep, Medium – https://amandeepm.medium.com/confluent-kafka-study-cheat-sheet-9decf2eac6db

Practice Tests and Flashcards:

– Brainscape Flashcards – https://www.brainscape.com/subjects/ccdak

– Quizlet Flashcards – https://quizlet.com/573725773/apache-kafka-ccdak-study-guide-combined-notes-flash-cards/

– Practice Test 1 – https://www.udemy.com/course/confluent-certified-developer-for-apache-kafka/

– Practice Test 2 – https://www.udemy.com/course/confluent-certified-apache-kafka-developer-practice-exams/

– Practice Test 3 – https://www.udemy.com/course/confluent-certified-developer-apache-kafka/

Some Important Topics:

• Custom Serializers and Custom Deserializers
• Dead-letter-queues
• Push queries in KSQL
• Consumer Rebalance Listeners
• Foreign key Table-Table Joins
• GlobalKTable
• Schema Compatibility
• Kafka Connect configuration
• Message Delivery Semantics
• kSQL Lambda Functions
• Stateful and Stateless – Kstreams

Taking the Exam

To take the Confluent Certified Developer for Apache Kafka exam, candidates must register on the Confluent website. The exam is administered online, and candidates can take it from anywhere with an internet connection.

The exam consists of 60 multiple-choice questions, and candidates have 90 minutes to complete it. The exam fee is $150 (might be different when you are reading this), and candidates will not get a defined passing percentage as it might vary from time to time.

Conclusion

The Confluent Certified Developer for Apache Kafka certification is a great way for developers to demonstrate their Kafka skills and expertise. To prepare for the exam, candidates should have a solid understanding of Kafka’s fundamentals, such as topics, partitions, brokers, producers, and consumers. They should also be familiar with Kafka Connect, Kafka Streams, and Kafka’s security features.

Confluent offers a variety of resources to help candidates prepare for the exam, including a study guide, online training, and a community of Kafka experts. The exam is administered online and consists of 60 multiple-choice questions.

Find my certification attached below

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Hope this helps you achieve the CCDAK Certification!