How to Get dbt Certified in 2 Months (With Zero Experience)

How I Learned dbt in 2 Months and Passed the Certification Exam.

Two months ago, I had never written a line of dbt code. Today, I'm a certified dbt Analytics Engineer. In this video, I break down my exact study strategy, the 60-hour project that taught me dbt in production, and what I wish I'd known before taking the exam.

🎯 What You'll Learn:

1. How I built a real-world dbt project (Lundahoj Analytics) from scratch
2. How to memorize the commands
3. The specific areas the certification exam focuses on (and what surprised me)

Total time investment: ~85 hours (60 hours project + 25 hours study)

📚 Resources Mentioned:

dbt Fundamentals Course (Free):
https://www.getdbt.com/dbt-learn/

dbt Developer Certification Study Guide (PDF):
https://www.getdbt.com/certifications...

Study with AI - Claude Quiz Prompt:
"Quiz me for the dbt Analytics Engineering Certification Exam. I attached the study guide PDF.
MY CONTEXT:
Experience: [your level]
Weak areas: [list topics]
Exam date: [when]
FORMAT:
50% WRITE dbt commands: Show DAGs/scenarios, I type the exact command
50% Multiple choice: All 8 exam topics (models, governance, debugging, pipelines, testing, docs, dependencies, state)
Wrong answer → explain → retry similar question
Track score every 10 questions
Rapid fire
COMMAND WRITING FOCUS:
Show scenarios like: "DAG: A→B→C. You modified B. Write CI command with --defer and --state"
I write: "dbt build --select state:modified+ --defer --state ./prod/"
MUST DRILL:
All commands: run, build, test, retry, clone, run-operation, ls, snapshot, seed, docs, deps, compile, source freshness
All flags: --select, --defer, --state, --full-refresh, --exclude, --vars, --selector, --target
All selectors: +model, model+, state:modified+, result:error/fail/skipped, tag:, path:, config.materialized:, intersection/union/exclusion
All concepts from study guide Topics 1-8
START with Question 1 (command writing). GO."

💬 Questions about dbt or the certification?
Drop them in the comments - I'm here to help you study and pass the exam.