What the CompTIA Data+ DA0-002 is and who it is for
CompTIA Data+ is CompTIA’s vendor neutral certification for data analytics professionals. It validates that you can mine, analyse, interpret and report on data to support business decisions. DA0-002 is the V2 exam: it launched on 14 October 2025 and replaced DA0-001, so any study material written for the older exam is out of date.
Being vendor neutral matters here. The exam does not care whether you work in Power BI, Tableau, SQL or Python. It tests the whole data lifecycle instead: where data comes from, how you clean and prepare it, how you analyse it statistically, how you present it clearly and how you govern it properly.
There are no formal prerequisites, although CompTIA recommends familiarity with SQL and basic statistics. It is for you if you are a junior analyst who wants a recognised credential, if you report on data in a business role and want to formalise what you know, or if you are moving into analytics from another part of IT. The certification is valid for three years and can be renewed through continuing education or by retaking the exam.
CompTIA Data+ DA0-002 at a glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Exam code | DA0-002 |
| Questions | Up to 90, multiple choice and performance based |
| Time allowed | 90 minutes |
| Passing score | 675 on a scale of 900 |
| Exam fee | US$264 per voucher |
| Certification valid for | 3 years |
What is on the exam
Five domains, fairly evenly weighted. No single domain dominates, which is why breadth is the challenge: data analysis is the largest at 24%, and even the smallest, governance, is 14% of your score.
Data concepts and environments (20%). The foundations: relational and non relational databases, data structures and file formats, data types, and the places data lives, such as warehouses, lakes and cloud or on premises platforms. It also covers the tools and environments analysts work in.
Data acquisition and preparation (22%). Getting data in and making it usable. That means pulling data from databases, files and interfaces, choosing between extract, transform and load approaches, and cleaning: duplicates, missing values, outliers, inconsistent formats, merging and joining sets, and profiling data before you trust it. Scenario questions here often describe dirty data and ask for the right fix.
Data analysis (24%). The statistics and the queries. Descriptive measures such as mean, median, mode and spread, choosing the right statistical method for a question, interpreting results, and using queries to answer a business question. The skill being tested is selection: given a goal and a data set, which technique is appropriate.
Visualisation and reporting (20%). Turning analysis into something people can act on: choosing the right chart for the data, designing dashboards and reports for a specific audience, and communicating findings clearly. Questions frequently hinge on which visual type suits a comparison, a trend or a distribution.
Data governance (14%). Data quality, privacy and compliance, classification, access control, retention and the policies that keep data trustworthy. It is the smallest domain, and the one candidates from a pure analysis background tend to skim.
Why people fail it
The breadth catches people. A candidate who is strong in one part of the lifecycle, perhaps a confident SQL user or a dashboard specialist, assumes the rest will follow. It does not. The exam spreads its marks across five domains, and a weakness in any one of them costs you.
The question mix is the second problem. Data+ combines multiple choice with performance based questions, so you have to apply concepts, not just recall them. Knowing the definition of an outlier is different from deciding, in a scenario, whether to remove it, cap it or keep it. Knowing chart types is different from picking the one that answers the stakeholder’s question.
Third, the exam is newly released as V2, which means less trustworthy preparation material exists than for an established exam, and much of what is online still describes DA0-001. Seeing questions in the DA0-002 style before exam day matters more than usual. Finally, time: up to 90 questions in 90 minutes, with performance based items that take longer than a single choice, leaves little slack for slow reading.
A study plan that fits the exam
Six weeks, one per domain and a final week of timed practice, with analysis given extra room because it carries the most weight. Use the current DA0-002 objectives as your checklist, not a DA0-001 syllabus.
- Week 1: data concepts and environments. Database types, structures, file formats, data types and storage platforms. At the end of the week, take the free Data+ practice questions to see how CompTIA frames its scenarios.
- Week 2: data acquisition and preparation. Sources, extract and load approaches, and cleaning techniques. Practise on a messy spreadsheet or table of your own: find the duplicates, handle the gaps and decide what to do with outliers.
- Week 3: data analysis. Descriptive statistics, choosing methods and interpreting results. Work the analysis questions in the DA0-002 practice question pack and read every explanation, including why the wrong methods are wrong.
- Week 4: visualisation and reporting. Chart selection, dashboard design and reporting for different audiences.
- Week 5: governance, then analysis again. Spend the first half on quality, privacy, classification and access, and the second half revisiting any analysis topics that still feel shaky, followed by a mixed set across all five domains.
- Week 6: timed runs. Use the questions only PDF for full sittings against the 90 minute limit, score by domain, and spend the final days on whichever domain came out lowest.
On exam day
Check the delivery options, identification requirements and exam rules on CompTIA’s own exam page when you book. If you sit online, test your computer and room setup in advance rather than on the day.
You have 90 minutes for up to 90 questions, a mix of multiple choice and performance based items. If a performance based question is going to take a long time, flag it if the interface allows, clear the quicker questions and return with the time you have saved. The passing score is 675 on a scale of 900. The scale is not a straight percentage, so do not try to calculate your score as you go. Answer everything.
Frequently asked questions
Is DA0-001 material still useful for DA0-002?
Only in part. DA0-002 is the V2 exam, launched on 14 October 2025, and it replaced DA0-001 with its own set of domains. Some fundamentals carry over, but you should study against the DA0-002 objectives and treat older material with caution.
Do I need to know SQL?
There are no formal prerequisites, but CompTIA recommends familiarity with SQL and basic statistics. The exam is vendor neutral, so it will not test a particular product, but you do need to understand how queries retrieve and shape data.
What happens if I fail? Can I retake it?
You can, but each attempt needs a new voucher at the full fee, currently US$264, plus the weeks it takes to prepare again. CompTIA publishes its retake policy, including any waiting period, on its website, so check it before you rebook. The practice pack is refunded if you fail, but the voucher is not.
Is the practice question pack enough on its own?
No. It is 148 practice questions mapped to the DA0-002 objectives, covering data quality scenarios, preparation decisions, statistical method selection and governance, with an explanation for every answer and every wrong option. It is a practice tool that shows you the question style and exposes your gaps. It is not a course, and it does not replace hands on time with real data or a proper study guide.
When you are ready to practise, get the 148 question DA0-002 pack for US$39, pass or your money back.