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SQL Certification: Exams, Tests and Certificates, Ranked by How You Earn Them

By Owen Middleton · Updated November 2026 · We ran the examples on PostgreSQL 17

For most people, the best SQL certification to start with is the free HackerRank SQL test: you pay nothing, every topic is SQL, and anyone can open your certificate page with no account. It is a small test, with 2 questions in each level.

If you will pay for an exam that a proctor watches, we would pay for Oracle 1Z0-171 (US$245 for one attempt): it is the only proctored exam on our list on SQL alone, and Oracle checks your ID. You are tested on Oracle SQL only.

Choose Microsoft DP-800 if you write T-SQL for SQL Server or Azure SQL: you pay typically US$165, and you renew it free online each year, but at least a quarter of the exam is on AI features.

Choose freeCodeCamp Relational Databases if you want free proof of more work: five PostgreSQL projects and a 50-question exam, with Bash and Git in the same certification.

SQLMaxx Learn is our own course. We put its certificate through the same five tests as the other ten, and we give it rank 6 of 11, with 6 of 10 points, because you take no exam for it.

Our take. If you want proof of SQL on your profile soon, take the HackerRank SQL tests from Basic to Advanced: each test is free and timed, and window functions are one of the Advanced topics. Before each test, practice on HackerRank's free SQL challenges, which you can filter by the three test levels. If you want a proctored exam, pay for one only, and choose it by the database at your job: Oracle 1Z0-171 if you work in Oracle or do not know the database of your job yet, Microsoft DP-800 for SQL Server or Azure SQL. We would not pay $95 for the W3Schools exam: you answer multiple-choice questions, and you pass at 40%. Pay for the Databricks or Snowflake exam only if your team uses that platform, because SQL is only one part of each exam.

SQL certifications compared

SQL certifications, ranked by how you earn them
Rank	Certification	How to earn	What you pay	Score	Earn ×2	SQL	Cost	Check	Renew
1	freeCodeCamp Relational Databases how we know	Five projects and a 50-question exam	Free	7 / 10	2	1	2	1	1
1	HackerRank SQL certificates how we know	Timed test, 2 questions in SQL (Basic)	Free	7 / 10	2	2	2	1	0
1	Microsoft Certified: SQL AI Developer Associate (DP-800)how we know	Proctored exam, 120 minutes	Typically US$165	7 / 10	4	1	0	1	1
1	Oracle AI Database SQL Certified Associate (1Z0-171)how we know	Proctored exam, 60 questions, ID check	US$245, one attempt	7 / 10	4	2	0	1	0
1	W3Schools SQL Certificate how we know	Multiple-choice exam, 40% to pass	$95	7 / 10	2	2	1	1	1
6	Databricks Certified Data Analyst Associate how we know	Proctored exam, 45 questions	$200	6 / 10	4	1	0	1	0
6	DataCamp SQL Associate how we know	Timed exam and practical exam	$35, one month of Premium	6 / 10	2	2	1	1	0
6	LearnSQL.com Certificate of Competency in SQL how we know	18 hands-on tasks, 70% to pass	Free	6 / 10	2	2	2	0	0
6	SnowPro Core Certification (COF-C03)how we know	Proctored exam, test center or online	$175 per attempt	6 / 10	4	1	0	1	0
6	SQLMaxx Certificate of Completion (SQLMaxx Learn)We make it	Master all 66 lessons; no exam	Free	6 / 10	0	2	2	1	1
11	IBM Databases and SQL for Data Science with Python (Coursera)how we know	Course with a 30-minute final exam	$59 a month, Coursera Plus	5 / 10	2	1	1	1	0

We give five certifications rank 1, but they are not the same choice: two are free, and only Oracle's exam is proctored and on SQL alone.

We explain each test in how we checked the SQL certifications.

Start lesson 1

The SQL certifications, one by one

1. freeCodeCamp Relational Databases

Best for free proof with five PostgreSQL projects

Cost: Free; freeCodeCamp is a donor-supported charity
How to earn: Five projects, then a 50-question closed-book exam; no webcam and no ID check
What decides it: freeCodeCamp says that the certification is yours to keep.
Limit: SQL is one part, with Bash scripting and Git.

how we know

Score: 7 of 10 points.

Go to freeCodeCamp Relational Databases

1. HackerRank SQL certificates

Best for a fast, free test of SQL alone

Cost: Free
How to earn: A timed test; 2 questions in SQL (Basic), from 30 minutes (Basic) to 1 hour (Advanced); retake after 30 days
Test rules: Before you start the test, you agree to use no websites or AI tools for help.
What decides it: Anyone can open your certificate page with no account.
Limit: Only 2 questions in the SQL (Basic) test, and we found no statement about expiry.

how we know

Score: 7 of 10 points.

Go to HackerRank SQL certificates

1. Microsoft Certified: SQL AI Developer Associate (DP-800)

Best for a proctored T-SQL exam, if you work in SQL Server or Azure SQL

Cost: Typically US$165; Microsoft sets the price by country or region
How to earn: One proctored exam, 120 minutes; 700 or more to pass
What decides it: It is valid for one year, and you renew it free with an online assessment.
Limit: 25 to 30% of the exam is on AI capabilities.

how we know

Score: 7 of 10 points.

Go to Microsoft Certified: SQL AI Developer Associate (DP-800)

1. Oracle AI Database SQL Certified Associate (1Z0-171)

Best for a proctored exam on SQL alone

Cost: US$245 for one exam attempt
How to earn: A proctored online exam with an ID check; 60 questions in 120 minutes, 65% to pass
What decides it: All eleven objectives are SQL, with none on AI despite the name.
Limit: Oracle SQL only; we found no validity period.

how we know

Score: 7 of 10 points.

Go to Oracle AI Database SQL Certified Associate (1Z0-171)

In the Oracle exam, data from multiple tables is one of the eleven objectives. To learn joins, start with the free INNER JOIN lesson.

1. W3Schools SQL Certificate

Best for a low-cost exam that an employer can check by link or QR code

Cost: $95 for the exam; the tutorial is free
How to earn: An online multiple-choice exam with no proctor; 40% to pass, 3 attempts
What decides it: W3Schools says that its certificates have no end date.
Limit: You write no SQL that runs.

how we know

Score: 7 of 10 points.

Go to W3Schools SQL Certificate

6. Databricks Certified Data Analyst Associate

Best for analysts whose team works in Databricks SQL

Cost: $200 registration fee
How to earn: A proctored exam, online or at a test center; 45 questions in 90 minutes
What decides it: You take the exam again every two years.
Limit: SQL queries are about a third of the exam; the rest is on dashboards, Genie spaces, data management and the platform.

how we know

Score: 6 of 10 points.

Go to Databricks Certified Data Analyst Associate

6. DataCamp SQL Associate

Best for a timed exam and a practical exam, both in PostgreSQL

Cost: One month of Premium at $35, billed monthly
How to earn: Two exams in 30 days: timed (up to two hours) and practical (four hours)
What decides it: You get a public link for each certificate.
Limit: It is valid for two years, then DataCamp invites you to retake the exams.

how we know

Score: 6 of 10 points.

Go to DataCamp SQL Associate

6. LearnSQL.com Certificate of Competency in SQL

Best for a free hands-on test, up to recursive queries

Cost: Free, with a free account
How to earn: An online test of 18 hands-on tasks; 70% to pass
Limit: We found no public page where another person can check it, and no statement about expiry.

how we know

Score: 6 of 10 points.

Go to LearnSQL.com Certificate of Competency in SQL

6. SnowPro Core Certification (COF-C03)

Best for people who use Snowflake at work

Cost: $175 for each exam attempt
How to earn: A proctored exam through Pearson VUE, at a test center or online
What decides it: Valid for two years; we found no free way to renew.
Limit: SQL is one part of one domain of five, and Snowflake says that SQL syntax basics are not in the exam.

how we know

Score: 6 of 10 points.

Go to SnowPro Core Certification (COF-C03)

6. SQLMaxx Certificate of Completion (SQLMaxx Learn)

Made by SQLMaxx

Best for a certificate at the end of a full SQL course in PostgreSQL

Cost: Free: all 66 lessons, all 615 practice problems and the certificate
How to check: A public page at sqlmaxx.com/verify/; anyone can open it with no account
Strength: To earn it, you master all 66 lessons in a PostgreSQL database.
Limit: You take no exam for it, so you get proof of finished practice, not of a passed test.

Score: 6 of 10 points.

Go to SQLMaxx Certificate of Completion (SQLMaxx Learn)

Ours: we made SQLMaxx Learn, and we gave its certificate no easier tests than the other ten. To earn the certificate, you take a SQL course with graded practice. For the certificate itself, read the SQLMaxx Learn certificate.

11. IBM Databases and SQL for Data Science with Python (Coursera)

Best for an IBM course with a final exam, on SQL and Python

Cost: Coursera Plus, $59 a month or $399 a year
How to earn: 6 modules, 14 assignments, a 30-minute final exam and a final assignment
What decides it: You use MySQL, Db2, SQLite and Python.
Limit: It is a course certificate, and we found no statement that a proctor watches the exam.

how we know

Score: 5 of 10 points.

Go to IBM Databases and SQL for Data Science with Python (Coursera)

SQL certifications that we did not rank

We rank one certification from each issuer, and we choose it in three steps. You find the steps in how we checked the SQL certifications.

The Google Data Analytics Certificate. We count it as a course certificate. From other companies, we ranked only one course certificate as an example: the IBM course on Coursera. SQL is one of the tools in its 9-course series, with spreadsheets, Python and Tableau. how we know
Other SQL certification courses, for example Codecademy Learn SQL. At Codecademy, you need a Plus or Pro plan for a certificate of completion. We did not rank these courses, for the same reason. how we know
Microsoft DP-900. None of its four skill areas is SQL by name. Step 3 of our choice rule: we found no general SQL certification from Microsoft, so we rank the Microsoft certification with the most SQL of the ones that we read, DP-800. how we know
Microsoft DP-300. Microsoft names T-SQL in two objectives, on access and on backups, and we found no objective on writing queries. Step 3 of our choice rule: of the Microsoft certifications that we read, we rank DP-800, with the most SQL in its topics. how we know
Oracle Exam 1Z0-071, Oracle Database SQL. All of its topics are SQL, with no topic on AI or vector features. Oracle names 1Z0-071 in a database guide from December 2018, and 1Z0-171 is not in that guide. Step 3 of our choice rule: the two exams have the same amount of SQL, so we rank the newer one, 1Z0-171. how we know
The Oracle exams for MySQL. Oracle lists two MySQL exams: 1Z0-908 for database administrators and 1Z0-909 for developers. Their topics are not all SQL, for example connectors, JSON, backups and high availability. Step 3 of our choice rule: all of the topics of 1Z0-171 are SQL, so we rank 1Z0-171. how we know
SnowPro Advanced: Data Analyst (DAA-C01). Snowflake gives the prerequisite "SnowPro Core Certified". Step 1 of our choice rule: you need another certification first, so we did not rank it. For Snowflake, we rank SnowPro Core. how we know
The W3Schools PostgreSQL and MySQL exams. W3Schools lists three exams on SQL databases: SQL, PostgreSQL and MySQL. Step 2 of our choice rule: the SQL exam is not for a single database product, so we rank it. how we know

Which SQL and database credentials are retired?

You cannot earn these SQL credentials now, or the issuer no longer lists them. We read each one on the issuer's page. We did not score them.

Microsoft MCSA exams 70-761 and 70-762. Microsoft retired the last MCSA exams on January 31, 2021. how we know
AWS Certified Database – Specialty. AWS said that you had to take the exam by April 29, 2024, and that after this date, it would no longer offer the exam. how we know
LinkedIn Skill Assessments. LinkedIn says that the assessments are no longer available, and it said that it would remove the badges from member profiles in 2024. how we know
Teradata certification exams. Teradata gave June 23, 2025 as the last day to take a Teradata Certification exam. how we know
SnowPro Core COF-C02. Snowflake lists COF-C03 on its certifications page, and COF-C02 is not on the list. how we know

These exams are still open, but the issuer of each one gives a retirement date for it:

SnowPro Advanced: Data Analyst (DAA-C01). Snowflake marks it "Retiring December 1, 2026". how we know
Oracle Exam 1Z0-908, MySQL 8.0 Database Administrator. Oracle says that the exam "will retire on November 16, 2026". how we know

Which is the best SQL certification for a data analyst?

If you are an analyst and you do not know the database of your job yet, start with the free HackerRank tests; pay for an exam only for the database or platform that your team uses.

You write SQL for SQL Server or Oracle Database: Microsoft Certified: SQL AI Developer Associate (DP-800), at rank 1; Oracle AI Database SQL Certified Associate (1Z0-171), at rank 1. To prepare for either exam from the start, learn Literal Values, Data Types, and Type Casting first.
Your team uses Databricks: Databricks Certified Data Analyst Associate, at rank 6. It is the only certification on our list with "Data Analyst" in its name.
Your team uses Snowflake: SnowPro Core Certification (COF-C03), at rank 6. SQL is one part of one domain of five.
You use PostgreSQL: freeCodeCamp Relational Databases, at rank 1; DataCamp SQL Associate, at rank 6; SQLMaxx Certificate of Completion (SQLMaxx Learn), at rank 6.
You want a free proof first: for certificates that you can earn for $0, read our page on a free SQL certification.

Before you pay for an exam, ask: are SQL certifications worth it?

Questions about SQL certifications

Is there a free SQL certification?

Yes. For four of the 11 SQL certifications on our list, you pay nothing: freeCodeCamp Relational Databases, the HackerRank SQL tests, the LearnSQL.com Certificate of Competency in SQL and our own SQLMaxx Certificate of Completion. Of these, we would take HackerRank first: every topic is SQL, and anyone can open your certificate page. For LearnSQL.com, we found no public page to check a certificate.

What is a SQL certificate?

A SQL certificate is a credential that an issuer gives you for SQL work; to judge one, look at how you earn it. On our list of 11, you earn 4 with a proctored exam, and 6 with a test or an exam that the issuer does not call proctored. For one, our own certificate, you finish a course and take no test or exam.

Is there a SQL certification for PostgreSQL?

No official one. Magnus Hagander wrote on a PostgreSQL mailing list that there is no official PostgreSQL certification. On our list, you use PostgreSQL in freeCodeCamp Relational Databases, DataCamp SQL Associate and our own certificate.

Source: Magnus Hagander, pgsql-general, 2023

Which SQL certifications need a proctored exam?

Four on our list: Oracle 1Z0-171, Microsoft DP-800, the Databricks Certified Data Analyst Associate and SnowPro Core. Only Oracle's exam is on SQL alone; in the other three, you also get AI features, dashboards or the platform itself. For each of these exams, you pay from typically US$165 to US$245.

How we checked the SQL certifications

We read the pages and exam guides of each issuer.

On one site, HackerRank, we used a free account: we opened the SQL (Basic) test up to its start button.

We paid no issuer anything, and we sat none of these exams.

We ranked a certification only if the issuer offers it now, on its own page. We rank one certification from each issuer. We choose it in three steps:

1. If you must hold another certification first, we leave it out. 2. If the issuer has a general SQL certification, not one for a single database product, we rank that one. 3. If not, we rank the one with the most SQL in its topics. If two have the same amount of SQL, we rank the newer one.

For course certificates from other companies, we rank only one course as an example: the IBM course on Coursera. When an issuer gives one certification in levels, for example HackerRank SQL (Basic), (Intermediate) and (Advanced), we rank the levels together as one entry. We read the status of each certification from October 15, 2026 to October 30, 2026.

Then we gave each certification a score on five tests. We count the "How you earn it" test two times. With this test, we score how you earn the certification.

How you earn it. 2 if you pass an exam that the issuer calls proctored. 1 if you must take a test or an exam, and the issuer does not call it proctored. A timed test, a final exam and an assessment with a pass mark are examples. Graded problems in the lessons of a course are not a test. 0 if you take no test or exam.

SQL is the subject. 2 if every topic that the issuer lists is SQL. If the issuer lists no topics, we give 2 when SQL is the only skill in the name of the credential. 1 if SQL is one part, with other skills, for example a platform, AI features, dashboards or Python. 0 if we found no SQL in the topics that the issuer lists.

Cost to earn it. 2 if you pay nothing. 1 if you pay less than $100. 0 if you pay $100 or more. We use the lowest total that the issuer states, with any plan that you must buy. For a plan that the issuer bills each year, we use the price of one year. We do not count a free trial.

Anyone can check it. 1 if another person can check the credential with a link, a page or a digital badge that the issuer gives you. We do not count a file that you download, or a post that you share. 0 if we found none.

No paid renewal. 1 if the issuer says that the credential has no end date, or that you can renew it free. 0 if it has an end date and we found no free way to renew it, or if we found no statement about expiry.

We tried the same weight on all five tests, and we got a different order. With equal weights, we give Microsoft Certified: SQL AI Developer Associate (DP-800) and Oracle AI Database SQL Certified Associate (1Z0-171) rank 5. We give our certificate rank 1. We keep the double weight. With the "How you earn it" test, we tell an exam apart from a course.

We give the same rank to certifications with the same total. Inside a shared rank, we list the others in alphabetical order and our own certificate last.

In the table, you see the score on the "How you earn it" test times 2, in the "Earn ×2" column. "SQL" is the "SQL is the subject" test, "Cost" is "Cost to earn it", "Check" is "Anyone can check it", and "Renew" is "No paid renewal".

We do not score the SQL product of a certification. A score for PostgreSQL is an advantage for our own certificate, and a score for one product is an advantage for its company.

For the rules that we use on every ranking page, and for how we date each fact, read how we rank SQL certifications.

Oracle AI Database SQL Certified Associate (1Z0-171)

We list the status fact first, then the facts on the card and in the table, then the facts for the five tests, in the order of the table columns, and then the other facts on this page.

Oracle University

Oracle University certificate, checked October 20, 2026 — source · our notes
Oracle University certificate, note 2, checked October 20, 2026 — source · our notes
Oracle University certificate, note 3, checked October 20, 2026 — source · our notes
Oracle University certificate, note 4, checked October 20, 2026 — source · our notes
Oracle University certificate, note 5, checked October 20, 2026 — source · our notes
Oracle University certificate, note 6, checked October 17, 2026 — source · our notes
Oracle University certificate, note 7, checked October 15, 2026 — source · our notes
Oracle University certificate, note 8, checked October 15, 2026 — source · our notes
Oracle University certificate, note 9, checked October 15, 2026 — source · our notes
Oracle University certificate, note 10, checked October 17, 2026 — source · our notes
Oracle University certificate, note 11, checked October 15, 2026 — source · our notes