Exam comparison
NCA-GENL
Certified Associate: Generative AI with LLMs
Databricks Generative AI Engineer Associate
Certified Generative AI Engineer Associate
NCA-GENL vs GAIE: NVIDIA LLM or Databricks AI engineer
Who should take each exam
NCA-GENL validates foundational concepts for building AI-driven applications with generative AI and LLMs using NVIDIA solutions.
GAIE is for AI engineers building and deploying generative AI solutions on the Databricks platform.
In short: choose NCA-GENL for NVIDIA LLM certification; choose GAIE for Databricks generative AI expertise.
Exam format and content
| NCA-GENL | GAIE | |
|---|---|---|
| Certification | NVIDIA-Certified Associate Generative AI LLMs | Databricks Certified Generative AI Engineer Associate |
| Code | NCA-GENL | Not published (GAIE is our shorthand) |
| Duration | 1 hour | 90 minutes |
| Number of questions | 50–60 multiple-choice | 45 scored questions |
| Passing score | Not published | Not published |
| Prerequisites | A basic understanding of generative AI and large language models | None, but related training highly recommended; 6+ months of hands-on experience |
| Languages | English | English, Japanese, Portuguese BR, Korean |
| Proctored | Not published | Yes |
Domains and competencies evaluated
NCA-GENL
- Core Machine Learning and AI Knowledge 30 %
- Data Analysis 14 %
- Experimentation 22 %
- Software Development 24 %
- Trustworthy AI 10 %
GAIE
- Design Applications 14 %
- Data Preparation 14 %
- Application Development 30 %
- Assembling and Deploying Apps 22 %
- Evaluation and Monitoring 12 %
- Governance 8 %
Overlaps and key differences
Overlaps: both cover LLMs, generative AI, and building and deploying AI applications.
Key differences:
- NCA-GENL validates foundational concepts for developing, integrating, and maintaining AI-driven applications using generative AI and LLMs with NVIDIA solutions.
- GAIE emphasizes RAG, the Databricks platform, and end-to-end generative AI pipelines.
Which to choose based on your profile
Choose NCA-GENL if…
- You build generative AI applications with NVIDIA solutions.
- You optimize LLM deployment and performance.
- You are targeting NVIDIA generative AI expertise.
Choose GAIE if…
- You build generative AI applications on Databricks.
- You build RAG applications and LLM chains.
- You work with the Databricks platform.
- You seek generative AI engineering certification.
Resources and preparation
Try both, free
Original questions, each answer explained with a link to the documentation. Study mode is free and needs no account.
Practice Exam NCA-GENL: Certified Associate: Generative AI with LLMs
25 free questions with explanations
Practice Exam: Certified Generative AI Engineer Associate
25 free questions with explanations