The official scikit-learn certification, proctored by Probabl

Prove you know scikit-learn. From the team that ships it.

The Associate Practitioner Certification targets junior data scientists. A 120-minute exam covering fundamental ML, preprocessing, model selection, and evaluation, designed by scikit-learn maintainers.

120 min proctored JupyterLite included Pass at 70%
Probabl
VERIFIED
01 / Associate SKL-A-2026
Certificate of Scikit-learn
associate practitioner
Level Junior data scientist
Credential type Verifiable credential
BY PROBABL
$299USD / exam fee
120 minexam length
32 MCQquestions
70%passing score
3 yearscredential validity
What we evaluate

Eight competencies of a junior data scientist.

The Associate certification ensures certified professionals have both the conceptual understanding and practical skills of a junior data scientist.

01

Fundamental ML

Algorithm selection and when to avoid deep learning.

02

Programming Skills

Python fluency with scikit-learn, Pandas, and NumPy.

03

Data Manipulation

Cleaning and preprocessing with Python.

04

Data Visualization

Matplotlib and seaborn for inspection and communication.

05

Statistical Knowledge

Understanding statistics, probability, and hypothesis testing.

06

Model Evaluation

Cross-validation, confusion matrices, and ROC curves.

07

Attention to Detail

Data accuracy and reproducibility.

08

Problem Solving

Logical analysis and pipeline design.

Five topics. The shape of the Associate exam.

The mental models of learning algorithms, the fit-predict-score workflow, and how to explain results to a non-technical audience.

01

Machine Learning Concepts

The mental models of learning algorithms and their failure modes.

  • Types of ML: supervised, unsupervised, semi-supervised
  • Model families: tree-based, linear, ensemble, neighbors
  • Key concepts: features, labels, training/test sets
  • Overfitting and underfitting
  • Bias/variance trade-off
from sklearn.model_selection import train_test_split

X_tr, X_te, y_tr, y_te = train_test_split(X, y)
02

Model Building and Evaluation

The fit-predict-score workflow and score interpretation.

  • Splitting with train_test_split
  • Training with fit()
  • Prediction with predict()
  • Metrics: accuracy, precision, recall, F1, MSE, R²
  • Baseline comparison
from sklearn.linear_model import LogisticRegression

model = LogisticRegression()
model.fit(X_tr, y_tr)
score = model.score(X_te, y_te)
03

Interpretation and Communication

Visualizing and explaining results to non-technical audiences.

  • Matplotlib and seaborn visualization
  • Confusion matrix and ROC curve reading
  • Non-technical stakeholder communication
  • Uncertainty reporting
from sklearn.metrics import ConfusionMatrixDisplay

ConfusionMatrixDisplay.from_estimator(
    model, X_te, y_te,
).plot()
04

Data Preprocessing

Loading, cleaning, and transforming data for model-ready inputs.

  • Loading parquet datasets
  • Scatterplots and boxplots for inspection
  • Identifying encoding issues
  • Imputation with SimpleImputer
  • Scaling: StandardScaler, MinMaxScaler
  • Encoding: OrdinalEncoder, OneHotEncoder
  • ColumnTransformer for combining steps
from sklearn.compose import ColumnTransformer
from sklearn.preprocessing import StandardScaler, OneHotEncoder

pre = ColumnTransformer([
  ("num", StandardScaler(), num_cols),
  ("cat", OneHotEncoder(), cat_cols),
])
05

Model Selection and Validation

Choosing, tuning, and validating models with correct splits.

  • Cross-validation: KFold, ShuffleSplit
  • Learning and validation curves
  • Hyperparameter tuning: GridSearchCV, RandomSearchCV
  • Coefficient stability across splits
from sklearn.model_selection import GridSearchCV
            grid = GridSearchCV(
              pipeline,
              param_grid={'C': [0.1, 1, 10]},
              cv=5,
            ).fit(X_tr, y_tr)
        
Certification ladder

Three levels. You are on the first.

Three certifications, each matching a level and a typical data scientist career path.

LEVEL 01 YOU ARE HERE

Associate Practitioner

Junior data scientist

Fundamental ML, preprocessing, evaluation

Professional

Mid-level

Regularization, ensembles, feature engineering, nested CV

Expert

Senior practitioner

Production ML, scaling, governance

Train where you will be tested

Get training with Skolar.

The Associate track on Skolar matches this exam: ML concepts, preprocessing, pipelines, and evaluation, with notebooks and practice questions written by the scikit-learn team. Free to start.

01 3/8 complete
Associate Practitioner
8 lessons · ~24 h
Continue ↗
02 Locked
Professional
10 lessons · ~32 h
03 Locked
Expert
12 lessons · ~40 h
The exam, in brief

Logistics, plain.

Everything you need to plan your sitting, in seven lines.

Format Proctored online via Webassessor
Duration 120 minutes
Questions 32 multiple-choice
Passing 70%, graded by topic area
Languages English, French coming Q3
Fee $299 USD, one retake included
Validity 3 years, renewable via Level 02
Frequently asked

Questions we get a lot.

Do I need to use scikit-learn at work to pass?
No. The exam tests conceptual understanding alongside the API. Completion of the Skolar Associate course or a few months of hands-on Python data work provides sufficient background.
Is there a coding portion?
The Associate exam contains only multiple-choice questions, including code-reading items. Professional and Expert exams include hands-on tasks.
What if I do not pass?
One retake is included in the $299 fee. Additional retakes cost $149, with a 14-day cool-down between attempts.
Is the credential verifiable?
Yes. Passing candidates receive a credential ID and a public verification page on probabl.ai. Recruiters can confirm validity without contacting you.
Does it expire?
The Associate certification is valid for 3 years. Renew by passing Level 02 or retaking the Associate exam at a 50% discount.
Ready when you are

Certify the work you already do, with scikit-learn.

120 minutes. $299 USD. Multiple-choice questions, a credential issued by the maintainers themselves.