The SDS exam, officially known as DASCA Senior Data Scientist, is the DASCA test that leads to the Senior Data Scientist™ (SDS™) certification at the Senior level. Passing it validates the skills employers expect from a certified professional. It is also associated with related credentials such as Principal Data Scientist (PDS™), Senior Big Data Engineer (SBDE™), Senior Big Data Analyst (SBDA™).

The SDS exam contains 85 questions, and you have 100 minutes to complete them. Work out your per-question pace before test day, and flag slow items instead of stalling on them — time pressure, not knowledge, sinks many first attempts. Timed mock exams in the Actual4Labs test engines are the most reliable way to build that rhythm.

The passing score for the SDS exam is 65%, and the official registration fee is USD 950. If you miss the mark, a retake means paying the full fee again, so book your seat only when you are ready. A practical benchmark: score consistently above the passing line on timed practice tests before scheduling the real exam.

Bachelor's degree + 4–5 years relevant experience; or Master's degree + 3–4 years experience in data science, analytics, or related fields

Entry requirements can change, so confirm the latest conditions on the official exam page: https://www.dasca.org/data-science-certifications/senior-data-scientist.

You can book the SDS exam through the official registration channels below:

• Official Registration Portal

Exam delivery: Online, remotely proctored via ExamStrong™ platform; available globally. Seats at popular test centers fill quickly, so schedule early once your preparation is on track.

DASCA recommends the following training options for DASCA Senior Data Scientist candidates:

• DataScienceSkool™ Official Learning Resources

Pair any course with the 87 practice questions from Actual4Labs to measure how ready you really are before paying the exam fee.

Yes. A free PDF demo of the DASCA Senior Data Scientist questions is available, so you can check the question style and answer quality before you pay. Every purchase also includes 365 days of free updates, and if the product expires you can renew the update service at a 50% discount from your member zone.

If you take the corresponding SDS exam within 60 days of purchase and do not pass, you can apply for a full refund under the 100% Money Back Guarantee: submit a scan of your enrollment slip and your official Score Report (PDF) within 2 days of the exam date, and the claim is processed within 7 days. Attempts made within 3 days of purchase, downloads without an actual exam attempt, free materials, and expired orders are not eligible, and the candidate name must match the payer name. Prefer new material instead of a refund? You can exchange your purchase for two free products of equal value and keep the update service on your original product. As for delivery, the files are available for instant download and are also emailed to you within one minute of payment — if nothing arrives within 2 hours, contact customer service. There is no limit on how many computers you can install the product on.

The official DASCA Senior Data Scientist outline is organized into 5 domains. The first three are:

• MLOps & Production Deployment — 15% of the exam
• Data Science Applications in Business — 20% of the exam
• Advanced AI & Generative AI — 20% of the exam

See the complete exam topics section above for the full outline and the weighting of every domain.