ClickHouse® runs a single official credential today: ClickHouse Certified Developer. It is hands-on, not multiple choice. You SSH into a supervised cluster and complete real tasks with clickhouse-client. If you searched clickhouse certification to decide whether the badge is worth $200 and a weekend of prep, this is the practical guide.
For course comparisons beyond certification prep, see ClickHouse courses. For production operating context after you pass, see ClickHouse operating models.
Exam facts (official)
Per ClickHouse Academy and certification FAQ:
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Name | ClickHouse Certified Developer |
| Format | Performance-based lab tasks |
| Duration | 2 hours |
| Tasks | 10-12 hands-on objectives |
| Price | $200 USD per attempt |
| Attempt window | 365 days after purchase |
| Retake wait | 7 days between attempts |
| Prerequisites | None required |
| Recommended prep | Real-time Analytics with ClickHouse (Academy) |
Purchase attempts at ClickHouse certification. Environment setup can add 5-10 minutes before the timed portion begins.
What the exam actually tests
ClickHouse describes certified developers as able to:
- Model tables with appropriate engines and sorting keys
- Ingest data from realistic sources
- Analyze data with SQL suited to columnar storage
- Optimize queries using EXPLAIN and table design fixes
Expect tasks that mirror on-the-job work: fix a slow query, choose a MergeTree variant, load a dataset, or adjust partitioning. You will not recite syntax from memory alone. You prove you can operate the client against a live cluster.
Recommended prep path
ClickHouse Academy (free)
The Real-time Analytics with ClickHouse training track is the official prep course. It includes video modules and hands-on labs aligned to exam objectives. Level 3 modules cover scale-out topics that appear in harder tasks.
Work every lab yourself. Watching videos without typing queries fails candidates who know concepts but choke on client flags and system tables.
Practice clusters
Use ClickHouse Cloud trial or local Docker for daily drills:
- Create MergeTree, ReplacingMergeTree, AggregatingMergeTree tables
- Load CSV/JSON via
INSERTandclickhouse-client --query - Run
EXPLAINand readread_rows,read_bytes - Inspect
system.parts,system.query_log
Tinybird's free ClickHouse course overlaps on schema and ingestion mental models. It is complementary, not a substitute for Academy lab objectives.
Domains to study
| Domain | Study focus | Common exam angle |
|---|---|---|
| Schema design | ORDER BY, PARTITION BY, types, codecs | Fix skewed sort keys |
| Engines | MergeTree family differences | Pick engine for dedup/rollup |
| Ingestion | INSERT formats, constraints | Load file, handle errors |
| Query tuning | PREWHERE, projections, MVs | Reduce bytes read |
| Distributed | Distributed tables, sharding keys | Cross-node INSERT/SELECT basics |
| Operations | Settings, users, quotas | Safe limits on queries |
Deep dives on materialized views: ClickHouse create materialized view example.
Exam day mechanics
- Purchase attempt on ClickHouse site
- Schedule when ready (within 365 days)
- Complete identity and environment provisioning
- Receive cluster credentials for the exam sandbox
- Complete 10-12 tasks in 2 hours
- Automated grading with human review on edge cases
Results are not instant partial credit on every task. Failed attempts require a new $200 purchase after the 7-day cooldown.
Certification vs production platform work
Passing proves you can operate ClickHouse® clusters for modeling and queries. It does not certify:
- Building product HTTP APIs with auth and tenant isolation
- Operating Kafka ingest pipelines at 1M events/sec
- Running on-call for Keeper quorum failures
- Git-based schema CI/CD
Teams shipping user-facing analytics still need an API layer. Many use Tinybird Pipes on managed ClickHouse after developers earn the cert. See build real-time APIs on ClickHouse.
Who should take it
| Role | Value |
|---|---|
| Data engineer adopting ClickHouse | Strong signal for hiring and projects |
| Backend dev building analytics features | Validates schema and query skills |
| Consultant / integrator | Portable credential for clients |
| Manager | Optional; hire certified engineers instead |
Skip it if your stack is entirely managed platform (Tinybird, ClickHouse Cloud) and you never touch raw DDL. The cert targets hands-on ClickHouse operators.
After you pass
ClickHouse sends swag (shirt/stickers per launch blog posts). More practically:
- List credential on LinkedIn and internal tech profiles
- Standardize table design reviews using exam patterns
- Pair certified devs with teams learning ClickHouse cluster operations
Certification does not expire on the credential page today. Engine features evolve; plan refresh learning when major releases ship.
5 prep mistakes
1. Video-only study
Labs matter. Type every command.
Fix: Replicate labs on your own cluster without pausing the video.
2. Ignoring system tables
Tasks often require diagnosing parts and merges.
Fix: Practice system.parts, system.merges, query_log daily.
3. Postgres habits
Bad sort keys and row-oriented modeling fail tasks silently.
Fix: Re-read MergeTree ORDER BY rules until automatic.
4. Skipping distributed basics
Even single-node exams may test Distributed table definitions.
Fix: Complete Academy modules on scale-out before scheduling.
5. Cramming the night before
Client muscle memory takes repetition.
Fix: Two weeks of 30-minute daily labs beats one long session.
What ClickHouse certification comes down to
ClickHouse Certified Developer is a $200, two-hour, lab-based credential with 10-12 tasks. Prep through ClickHouse Academy's Real-time Analytics track and repeated hands-on practice.
It validates modeling, ingest, analysis, and optimization on real clusters. It does not replace platform engineering for APIs and ingest at scale. Take it when operating ClickHouse® is part of your job description.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Is there more than one ClickHouse certification?
Currently ClickHouse Certified Developer is the official exam. Check Academy for updates.
How much does the exam cost?
$200 USD per attempt, non-refundable.
Can I retake if I fail?
Yes. Wait 7 days and purchase a new attempt.
Do I need ClickHouse Cloud for prep?
Academy labs often use ClickHouse Cloud. Local Docker works for extra practice.
Does certification expire?
No expiration is listed on the official certification FAQ at time of writing.
How does this relate to Tinybird?
Tinybird uses ClickHouse under the hood. Certification helps with SQL and schema; Tinybird handles hosted ingest and HTTP endpoints.