SnowPro Core Certification (COF-C03)
| Cert name | SnowPro Core |
| Exam code | COF-C03 (released February 16, 2026) |
| Issued by | Snowflake |
| Service lines | Data Service · AI Service |
| Cost | $175 USD per attempt |
| Duration | 115 minutes |
| Questions | 100 (multiple-choice, multiple-select, interactive) |
| Passing score | 750 / 1000 |
| Validity | 2 years — recertification required by 2028 |
| Prerequisites | None (6+ months hands-on experience strongly recommended) |
| Back to cert index | README.md |
Why this certification
SnowPro Core is the required entry point for every Snowflake certification path. There is no shortcut — both the SnowPro Advanced: Data Engineer and the SnowPro Specialty: Gen AI certifications require an active SnowPro Core before you can register. Complete this first.
Beyond the prerequisite mechanics, Core validates the foundational knowledge the Brainforge team uses daily: architecture, security, data loading, pipelines, and performance. It is also the baseline credential that Snowflake’s partner tier recognizes.
Prerequisites
- No formal prerequisites from Snowflake.
- Practical bar: 6+ months of hands-on Snowflake experience. Both the Data and AI service teams meet this.
Step 1: Download the study guide
Before starting any courses, download the official study guide and review the exam objectives. This tells you exactly what is in scope.
Study guide (PDF): learn.snowflake.com/en/certifications/snowpro-core-c03
Print it or keep it open. Use it to track your confidence per domain as you work through the courses.
Step 2: Register and schedule the exam
Register in the CertMetrics portal and schedule your exam when you’re ready.
Register at: cp.certmetrics.com/snowflake/en/login
Payment note (TBD): The certification exam is paid and typically requires upfront payment at scheduling/checkout time. Brainforge’s policy on who should pay upfront (and how reimbursement/coverage works) is TBD.
Step 3: Complete the prep courses
Work through these in order. All free courses are on Snowflake University.
Free courses (Snowflake University — free, self-paced)
| # | Course | Where | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Data Warehousing Workshop (Badge 1) | learn.snowflake.com/en/courses/OD-ESS-DWW/ | Snowflake fundamentals + core data loading patterns |
| 2 | Data Engineering Workshop (Badge 5) | learn.snowflake.com/en/courses/OD-ESS-DNGW/ | Pipes, tasks, MERGE, pipelines and automation |
| 3 | Level Up: Snowflake Key Concepts and Architecture | learn.snowflake.com/en/courses/OD-LVLUP-102/ | Architecture, layers, and platform concepts |
| 4 | Level Up: Data Loading | learn.snowflake.com/en/courses/OD-LVLUP-106/ | Loading options including Snowpipe and external tools |
| 5 | Level Up: Query History and Caching | learn.snowflake.com/en/courses/OD-LVLUP-201/ | Performance basics and cost-aware query behavior |
| 6 | Level Up: Resource Monitors | learn.snowflake.com/en/courses/OD-LVLUP-107/ | Cost controls and monitoring |
| 7 | Level Up: Accounts and Assurances | learn.snowflake.com/en/courses/OD-LVLUP-104/ | Account setup choices and assurances context |
Optional paid supplement
| Course | Where | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| SnowPro Core Certification Prep Course | learn.snowflake.com/en/courses/OD-COREPREP | Paid | Official exam-prep course; includes video clips, knowledge checks, study resources mapped to exam objectives |
The paid prep course is not required if you have solid hands-on experience. Consider it if you feel gaps after the free courses.
If you feel like you need to take the supplemental paid course, reach out to the Learning and Development team.
Step 4: Study the exam domains
The Core exam covers these domains. Use the study guide to validate the current objective wording and emphasis.
| Domain | What to study |
|---|---|
| Snowflake AI Data Cloud Capabilities & Architecture | Virtual warehouses, cloud layers (storage/compute/services), multi-cluster, Snowsight, Snowflake editions |
| Account Access and Security | RBAC, user and role management, MFA, network policies, SSO/SCIM |
| Data Loading and Transformation | COPY INTO, Snowpipe, file formats (CSV/JSON/Parquet), stages (internal/external), data transformation patterns |
| Performance Concepts | Query profiling, clustering keys, materialized views, result cache, warehouse sizing |
| Data Pipelines | Streams, tasks, stored procedures, dynamic tables |
| Data Protection and Data Sharing | Time Travel, Fail-safe, cloning, data sharing, Secure Data Sharing, Private Listings |
Service line study emphasis
Data Service: Go deep on Data Loading & Transformation and Data Pipelines. These map directly to client work — you will be asked about Snowpipe, streams, tasks, and file format handling. Architecture and Security are table stakes.
AI Service: Go deep on Architecture and Security. Understanding how Snowflake’s compute layer works is essential context for Cortex usage. The Gen AI specialty exam assumes solid Core knowledge — gaps here will hurt you in the next cert.
Step 5: Take a practice exam
Take the official Snowflake practice exam before your real exam date. Aim to score above 800 on practice before you sit the real thing.
Practice exams: learn.snowflake.com/en/certifications/snowpro-practice-exams
Use your practice score to identify weak domains, then return to the study guide and targeted Snowflake University modules for those areas.
Step 6: Sit the exam
Exam day checklist:
- Government-issued photo ID ready
- Quiet, uninterrupted space (online proctored exam)
- Stable internet connection — test it beforehand
- System check: run the OnVUE compatibility check at least 24 hours before your exam
- No phones or second monitors in view
- Log in 15 minutes early
- You have 115 minutes for 100 questions — pace at roughly 1 minute per question; flag and return
Exam portal: cp.certmetrics.com/snowflake/en/login
Results are available immediately after exam completion. If you pass, your digital badge and certificate will arrive via email within a few business days.
After passing
- Share your result in
#ai-learningso Brylle can log it against M1.1 / M1.2. - Your SnowPro Core is now active — you can immediately register for your specialty cert.
- Proceed to your next cert:
| Service Line | Next cert | File |
|---|---|---|
| Data | SnowPro Advanced: Data Engineer | snowpro-advanced-data-engineer.md |
| AI | SnowPro Specialty: Gen AI | snowpro-specialty-gen-ai.md |
If you do not pass
- You can retake after a 14-day waiting period.
- Request a retake voucher through the certification portal.
- Review the domain breakdown from your score report — Snowflake provides a domain-level performance summary. Focus retake prep only on the domains where you were below 70%.
Owner: Brylle Girang | Slack: #ai-learning
Last updated: 2026-04-01