(C2090-320) IBM Certified Database Associate – DB2 11 Fundamentals for z/OS

The C2090-320 exam is part of the new IBM Certified Database Associate certification. This Database Associate certification is an entry-level exam for a user of any of the DB2 for z/OS family of products. The individual acquires knowledge about the fundamental concepts of DB2 11 for z/OS through either hands-on experience or formal and informal education. The database associate should have an in-depth knowledge of the basic to intermediate tasks required in day-to-day administration, basic SQL (Structured Query Language), understand which additional products are available with DB2 11, understand how to create databases and database objects, and have a basic knowledge of database security and transaction isolation.
Exam Target Audience
The target audience for certification includes employees of Business Partner Firms, Customers, IBM internal employees, and Independent Consultants who sell, support, or service IBM products. IBM Professional Certifications are associated with an individual.
Exam Pre-requisites
The pre-requisites for IBM C2090-320 exam is that the candidate must have:
- Basic knowledge of SQL
- Entry-level experience in using DB2 11.
Exam details
Exam Name | IBM Certified Database Associate – DB2 11 Fundamentals for z/OS |
Exam Code | C2090-320 |
WorldPartner Code | 08003801 |
Exam Partner | Pearson VUE |
Number of Questions | 63 |
Exam Duration | 90 minutes |
Passing Score | 41 correct answers out of 63 questions |
Exam Language | English |
Exam Format | MCQ’s |
Exam Fees | US$200 |
Exam Retake Policy
If you are not able to make it in the first attempt, there is no waiting requirement before the second attempt. However, you may not take the same exam more than twice within any 30 days of time. The second attempt requires repayment of the fees.
C2090-320 IBM DB2 11 Fundamentals for z/OS : FAQ’s
Visit : FAQ’s to get any of your issues sorted and questions answered regarding the exam C2090-320.

IBM C2090-320 Course Outline
Section 1 – Working with SQL and XML (14%)
- Basic ability to write a DML SQL statement
- Basic ability to access and process XML data (XQuery, Xpath)
- Basic knowledge of most commonly used special registers
- Basic knowledge of built-in functions
Section 2 – Security (8%)
- Basic knowledge of restricting data access (authorities, privileges, views, profiles, roles, trusted contexts)
- Basic ability to write a Data Control Language (DCL) SQL statement
Section 3 – Planning (17%)
- Basic ability to connect to DB2 servers (demonstrate ability to use remote access)
- Basic knowledge of different types of tables (Base, MQT, Auxiliary, Partitioned, Temporal – at a high level; when is it appropriate to use each type) and table spaces
- Basic knowledge of subsystem parameters
- Basic knowledge of DB2 architecture (address spaces, logs, IRLM)
- Basic knowledge of data sharing concepts
- Basic knowledge of database workloads (transactional processing vs. analytics)
- Basic knowledge of encoding scheme concepts
Section 4 – Operations (14%)
- Basic knowledge of DB2 commands and DSN commands
- Basic knowledge of DB2 utilities
- Basic knowledge of troubleshooting (Explain, SQL Codes)
Section 5 – Data Concurrency (10%)
- Basic knowledge of transaction management (COMMIT, ROLLBACK, AUTOCOMMIT and SAVEPOINT)
- Basic knowledge of locking
- Given a situation, basic knowledge to identify the isolation levels that should be used
Section 6 – Application Design (19%)
- Basic ability to create and call a stored procedure or a user defined function (understanding of passing parameters and obtaining results)
- Basic knowledge of temporary tables (how they are created and when they should be used)
- Basic knowledge of triggers (how they function; when they might be used)
- Basic knowledge of program preparation and BIND options
- Basic knowledge of referential integrity and constraints
- Basic knowledge of non-relational data concepts (XML data, LOB data)
- Basic knowledge of Temporal (Time Travel) Tables – System-period, Application-period, and Bi-temporal – ability to create and query
Section 7 – Working with Database Objects (18%)
- Basic ability to demonstrate usage of IBM-supplied and user-defined data types
- Basic ability to write a DDL SQL statement
- Basic ability to identify characteristics and properties of DB2 objects (Tables, Indexes, Views,…)
- Basic ability to look up information in the DB2 catalog
Preparatory Guide for C2090-320 exam
Before you start, you must refer to the following preparatory guide that mentions all the relevant learning resources that are ideally required for the exam preparation.

Review the exam objectives
Visit the IBM Official website, to have a better view of the exam guide. Analyzing the exam guide will let you align yourself more deeply with the chief objectives of the exam. This will enable you to gain the required command to earn your desired IBM C2090-320 certification.
- Section 1 – Working with SQL and XML (14%)
- Section 2 – Security (8%)
- Section 3 – Planning (17%)
- Section 4 – Operations (14%)
- Section 5 – Data Concurrency (10%)
- Section 6 – Application Design (19%)
- Section 7 – Working with Database Objects (18%)
Online Training Course
IBM offers various C2090-320 training exam courses for you to help prepare for the exam. It’ll help build your learning. Not just that, it provides you with hands-on exercise too, leading to development of the much-required practical experience.
DB2 11 for z/OS Database Administration Workshop Part 1
This intermediate course is for future DB2 for z/OS database administrators who need to acquire the basic skills required to administer a DB2 database.
This basic course is for everyone needing to write, support, or understand SQL queries. This includes but is not limited to end-users, programmers, application designers, database administrators, and system administrators who do not yet have knowledge of the SQL Data Manipulation Language (DML).
DB2 11 for zOS System Administration
This is an intermediate course for system administrators, database administrators, and other technical individuals, who manage and implement DB2 11 for z/OS.
Introduction to DB2 for zOS for Systems and Operations Personnel
This course is for beginning DB2 for z/OS database administrators who need to acquire the basic skills required to administer a DB2 database in a z/OS environment.
Suggested Readings
Along with the right training and lectures, the correct study material is equally important to prepare for the IBM C2090-320 exam. Following are IBM Redbook Publications’ resources that you might want to refer while you prepare to crack the test:
- DB2 Exam C2090-320 Preparation Guide Book by Robert N. Wingate
- DB2 Exam C2090-320 Practice Questions by Robert Wingate
IBM Knowledge Center
There are various web resources available around you to prepare for the exam. You must visit the IBM Knowledge Center to refer to such web resources that might turn extremely helpful for you in your path of learning.
Practice Tests
Before the actual certification test, it is highly recommended to give C2090-320 IBM certified database associate – db2 11 practice tests. It will help you determine your skills and preparation, making you familiar with the exam pattern.
Assess your knowledge and evaluate yourself with the latest and updated practice tests that TestPrepTraining offers you for FREE!
