SnowPro Exam Updates 2026: Scope Changes Tracked

Snowflake is rolling out major SnowPro certification updates in 2026. The key changes are a Core exam version bump (COF-C02 → COF-C03), the introduction of the new Gen AI Specialty exam, and a substantial expansion of Cortex AI topics across the exam scope. This article comprehensively rounds up everything candidates need to know about the 2026 updates.

Overview of the 2026 Updates

The 2026 updates reflect Snowflake's evolution in positioning from "Data Cloud" to "AI Data Cloud." As Cortex AI rapidly expanded its feature set, the exam content was significantly updated to keep pace.

Change	Details	Who is affected
Core exam version bump	COF-C02 → COF-C03	All candidates
New Gen AI Specialty	SGA-C01 newly added	AI/ML-focused candidates
Advanced exam scope updates	Dynamic Tables and Cortex AI added	Advanced candidates
Renewal exam content updates	New features reflected in renewal exams	Existing certification holders

SnowPro Core COF-C03 Changes

SnowPro Core is the foundational exam for every SnowPro certification. COF-C03 adds new Snowflake features to the scope and rebalances the domain weighting.

Domain Weighting Changes

Domain	COF-C02	COF-C03	Change
Snowflake Architecture	25%	20%	-5%
Account Management & Security	20%	20%	No change
Data Movement & Transformation	20%	15%	-5%
Performance & Cost Optimization	15%	15%	No change
Data Sharing & Marketplace	10%	10%	No change
AI & ML Foundations (new)	—	10%	+10%
Data Governance	10%	10%	No change

Key Topics Added in COF-C03

Basic concepts of Cortex LLM Functions (COMPLETE / SUMMARIZE / SENTIMENT / TRANSLATE)
Cortex Search (semantic search) overview
Dynamic Tables: fundamentals of declarative pipelines
Snowflake Notebooks: overview of the interactive analytics environment
Iceberg Tables: Apache Iceberg format support
Streamlit in Snowflake: native app development fundamentals
Trust Center: security and compliance management dashboard

COF-C02 to COF-C03 Transition Schedule

COF-C03 launch: Q1 2026 (already available)
COF-C02 retirement: end of Q3 2026 (about 6-month transition window)
Both COF-C02 and COF-C03 are available during the transition period
Passing either exam grants the same SnowPro Core certification

The New Gen AI Specialty Exam

Announced in late 2025 and available since Q1 2026, SnowPro Specialty: Generative AI (SGA-C01) is the first AI-specialized exam that certifies generative AI skills on Snowflake.

Why It Was Created

Since 2024, Snowflake has rapidly expanded the Cortex AI ecosystem. LLM Functions, Cortex Search, Cortex Analyst, Streamlit in Snowflake, and other features for leveraging generative AI directly on the data platform have been released in quick succession. The Gen AI Specialty exam was created to meet the demand for engineers who can correctly design and implement these capabilities.

Exam Specifications

Item	Details
Exam code	SGA-C01
Questions	65
Duration	115 minutes
Passing score	750/1000
Fee	$275
Prerequisites	SnowPro Core recommended (not required)

Exam Domains

Cortex AI Foundations (25%): LLM Functions, model selection, prompt design
Vector Search & Embeddings (20%): Cortex Search, EMBED_TEXT_768, VECTOR type
RAG Architecture (20%): chunking, retrieval, and generation pipelines
Cortex Analyst & Applications (20%): natural language → SQL, Semantic Model, SiS apps
Governance & Security for AI (15%): governance for AI usage and data privacy

Advanced Exam Scope Updates

The Advanced exams have also been updated to reflect new Snowflake features.

Advanced Data Engineer (ADE-C01): Added Topics

Dynamic Tables: declarative data transformation. Choosing between this and Streams/Tasks is newly in scope
Iceberg Tables: differences from external tables and catalog integration design
Snowflake Notebooks: applying them within data engineering workflows
Snowpark Container Services: fundamentals of container-based data processing
Git Integration: version control for Snowflake objects

Advanced Architect (ARA-C01): Added Topics

Trust Center: design for centralized security and compliance management
Cortex AI governance design: LLM access control and token cost management
Hybrid Tables: designing HTAP (transactional + analytical) workloads
Polaris Catalog: integration design with the open-source Iceberg catalog

Advanced Data Analyst (ADA-C01): Added Topics

Cortex Analyst: analytics workflows that generate SQL from natural language
Snowflake Notebooks: leveraging the interactive analytics environment
Snowsight Dashboard new features: filter linking and parameterization

Impact on Existing Certification Holders

If you already hold a SnowPro certification, the updates also affect the renewal exams.

Core renewal: questions based on COF-C03 content; Cortex AI fundamentals are added
Advanced renewal: each exam's added topics are reflected in the renewal as well
Certifications within their validity remain valid regardless of the updates; the new scope applies at renewal time
Renewal fees are unchanged (Core: $100, Advanced: $175)

Study Plan Under the New Updates

Here is an efficient study plan tailored to the 2026 updates.

If You Are Taking the Exam for the First Time

Download the latest COF-C03 Study Guide and confirm the domain breakdown
Study the existing scope (architecture, SQL, security) with current materials (2 weeks)
Study the newly added topics (Cortex AI, Dynamic Tables, Iceberg Tables) via official docs (1 week)
Hands-on verification of new features in a Snowflake trial (in parallel)
Use practice questions to identify and shore up weak domains (1 week)

If You Are Taking the Renewal Exam

List every new feature since your last certification using Snowflake's official "What's New" blog
Read Cortex AI-related documentation thoroughly as a priority
Work through the official tutorials for Dynamic Tables and Iceberg Tables
Finish with renewal-focused practice questions (about 40 questions)

Check Your Understanding

SnowPro 2026 Updates

問題 1

Which domain was newly added in SnowPro Core COF-C03?

AI & ML Foundations
Data Sharing & Marketplace
Performance & Cost Optimization
Account Management & Security

正解: A

COF-C03 introduces the AI & ML Foundations domain (10% weighting). Its scope includes Cortex LLM Functions fundamentals, an overview of Cortex Search, Dynamic Tables, and more. The other options are existing domains that were already present in COF-C02.

Frequently Asked Questions

During the COF-C02 to COF-C03 transition period, which exam should I take?

During the transition period, both the old version (COF-C02) and the new version (COF-C03) are available. If your COF-C02 study is already well underway, taking the old version is the efficient choice. If you are just starting out, go with COF-C03. Either exam grants the same SnowPro Core certification, valid for 2 years from the pass date.

Are there prerequisites for the Gen AI Specialty exam?

Gen AI Specialty (SGA-C01) recommends SnowPro Core certification, but it is not a strict prerequisite. You can register through Webassessor without holding Core. That said, many questions assume foundational Snowflake knowledge (architecture, SQL basics, access control), so we strongly recommend building Core-level knowledge beforehand.

Do the 2026 updates also change the scope of the Advanced exams?

Yes. Advanced Data Engineer (ADE-C01) adds Dynamic Tables, Iceberg Tables, and Snowflake Notebooks to its scope. Advanced Architect (ARA-C01) newly includes Trust Center and Cortex AI governance design. Check the latest Study Guide for each exam to confirm the added topics.

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NicheeLab Editorial Team

NicheeLab editorial team focused on data engineering and cloud certification learning. Content is structured around practical study needs and official exam domains.

Snowflake Exam 2026 Updates: Complete Roundup