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100+ Free MongoDB DBA Associate Practice Questions

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What does rs.stepDown() do when run on the primary?

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2026 Statistics

Key Facts: MongoDB DBA Associate Exam

60

Exam Questions

MongoDB

90 min

Exam Duration

MongoDB

600

Passing Score (scaled)

MongoDB

$150

Exam Fee

MongoDB

3 years

Certification Validity

MongoDB

Online

Exam Delivery

Examity proctored

The MongoDB Associate DBA exam has 60 questions in 90 minutes with a scaled passing score of 600. Key domains: Replication (~20%), Sharding (~20%), Backup and Restore (~15%), Security (~15%), Monitoring and Performance (~15%), Server Administration (~15%). Exam fee is $150. Valid for 3 years. Online proctored via Examity.

Sample MongoDB DBA Associate Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to test your MongoDB DBA Associate exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1Which mongosh command initializes a replica set on a standalone mongod instance?
A.rs.initiate()
B.rs.init()
C.db.adminCommand({ replicaSet: 'init' })
D.rs.start()
Explanation: rs.initiate() sends the replSetInitiate command to the mongod, bootstrapping it as the first primary in a new replica set. You can optionally pass a configuration document; without one, MongoDB uses defaults including the hostname from the mongod config.
2What does rs.add('host:27017') do in a replica set context?
A.Adds a new member to the existing replica set configuration
B.Creates a new standalone mongod process on the specified host
C.Promotes the specified host to primary
D.Adds the host to the IP allowlist
Explanation: rs.add() modifies the replica set configuration to include a new member. The new member starts as a secondary and begins syncing data from the primary via initial sync. You must run rs.add() from the primary member.
3What is the minimum number of voting members required in a replica set to hold an election and maintain a primary?
A.3
B.1
C.2
D.5
Explanation: A replica set requires a majority of voting members to elect a primary. With 3 members (standard configuration), a majority is 2. If only 1 of 3 members is available, no election can succeed and the set goes read-only. A 2-member set can never achieve majority quorum after one failure, which is why 3 is the minimum recommended size.
4What is the oplog in MongoDB replication?
A.A capped collection on each replica set member that records all write operations for replication
B.A log file on disk that records all mongod startup events
C.A collection storing the replica set configuration and member states
D.A network buffer holding write operations waiting to be sent to secondaries
Explanation: The oplog (operations log) is a special capped collection in the 'local' database (local.oplog.rs) that records every write operation applied to the primary in an idempotent form. Secondaries tail the primary's oplog to replicate changes. Its size determines how far behind a secondary can fall before requiring initial sync.
5What does rs.stepDown() do when run on the primary?
A.Causes the primary to step down and triggers an election for a new primary
B.Removes the current primary from the replica set permanently
C.Demotes the primary to an arbiter
D.Freezes the member so it cannot become primary for a specified duration
Explanation: rs.stepDown() forces the current primary to become a secondary and triggers a new election. It accepts an optional stepDownSecs parameter (default 60 seconds) during which the member will not try to become primary. Use it for planned maintenance to transfer the primary role gracefully.
6What is the purpose of an arbiter in a MongoDB replica set?
A.To participate in elections without holding data, providing a tiebreaker vote
B.To serve as a read-only replica for reporting queries
C.To act as a backup node storing point-in-time snapshots
D.To route write operations to the primary on behalf of clients
Explanation: An arbiter is a mongod member that votes in elections but stores no data and cannot become primary. It is used to achieve an odd number of voting members when adding a full data-bearing member is not feasible. It has minimal hardware requirements but should not share hardware with data-bearing members.
7Which mongodump flag creates a backup while reading from a replica set secondary to avoid impacting the primary?
A.--readPreference=secondary
B.--secondary
C.--replicaRead
D.--offloadPrimary
Explanation: mongodump accepts --readPreference to specify where to read data. Using --readPreference=secondary routes backup reads to a secondary member, offloading the primary. You must also specify the replica set connection string to connect to the set.
8What does mongodump --oplog do when backing up a replica set?
A.Captures oplog entries that occurred during the dump, enabling a consistent point-in-time backup
B.Dumps only the oplog collection from the local database
C.Skips databases that changed during the dump
D.Exports the replica set configuration along with the data
Explanation: --oplog captures oplog entries that occur during the dump. When used with mongorestore --oplogReplay, these entries are replayed to bring the restored data to a consistent point in time. Without --oplog, a dump of a live system may be slightly inconsistent across collections.
9Which command restores a database backup created with mongodump?
A.mongorestore
B.mongoimport
C.mongorecover
D.mongoreplay
Explanation: mongorestore reads the BSON dump files produced by mongodump and writes them to the target MongoDB instance. It supports options like --drop to drop existing collections before restoring and --oplogReplay to replay oplog entries captured during the dump.
10What is the primary advantage of using filesystem snapshots for MongoDB backup over mongodump?
A.Filesystem snapshots capture a block-level consistent image nearly instantaneously, regardless of database size
B.Filesystem snapshots are more portable across MongoDB versions
C.Filesystem snapshots automatically replay the oplog after restore
D.Filesystem snapshots can be taken without stopping writes to the database
Explanation: Filesystem snapshots (LVM, AWS EBS, etc.) operate at the block level and are near-instantaneous. For a 10 TB database, mongodump would take hours while a snapshot takes seconds. This minimizes the backup window. However, the database must be quiesced or journaling must be enabled for consistency.

About the MongoDB DBA Associate Exam

The MongoDB Associate DBA certification validates skills in deploying, managing, and securing MongoDB servers and clusters. It tests knowledge of replica set administration, sharding architecture, backup and restore procedures, security configuration, performance monitoring, and server administration. It is delivered online via Examity and is valid for 3 years.

Questions

60 scored questions

Time Limit

90 minutes

Passing Score

600 (scaled)

Exam Fee

$150 (Examity (online proctored))

MongoDB DBA Associate Exam Content Outline

~20%

Replication

Replica set initialization (rs.initiate()), adding members (rs.add()), checking status (rs.status()), primary elections, oplog sizing, read preferences (primary, primaryPreferred, secondary, nearest), write concerns, and delayed replica configuration

~20%

Sharding

Sharded cluster components (mongos, config servers, shards), shard key selection criteria, hashed vs ranged partitioning, enabling sharding (sh.enableSharding()), sharding a collection (sh.shardCollection()), chunk migration, and balancer management

~15%

Backup and Restore

mongodump and mongorestore for logical backups; mongoimport and mongoexport for data exchange; filesystem snapshots for block-level backups; point-in-time recovery; backup strategies for replica sets and sharded clusters

~15%

Security

Authentication mechanisms (SCRAM-SHA-256, x.509 certificates, LDAP/Kerberos); role-based access control (built-in roles: read, readWrite, dbAdmin, clusterAdmin); TLS/SSL configuration; encryption at rest with WiredTiger; MongoDB auditing

~15%

Monitoring and Performance

Real-time monitoring with mongostat and mongotop; db.currentOp() for in-progress operations; db.serverStatus() for server metrics; slow query log analysis; explain() execution plans; db.killOp() for long-running queries

~15%

Server Administration

mongod configuration file (mongod.conf) options; WiredTiger storage engine cache settings; log verbosity and rotation; rolling upgrade procedures; connection pool settings; journaling and checkpointing

How to Pass the MongoDB DBA Associate Exam

What You Need to Know

  • Passing score: 600 (scaled)
  • Exam length: 60 questions
  • Time limit: 90 minutes
  • Exam fee: $150

Keys to Passing

  • Complete 500+ practice questions
  • Score 80%+ consistently before scheduling
  • Focus on highest-weighted sections
  • Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

MongoDB DBA Associate Study Tips from Top Performers

1Master replica set operations: rs.initiate(), rs.add(), rs.status(), rs.stepDown(), and oplog concepts
2Understand shard key selection: cardinality, frequency, monotonically increasing values, and the impact on chunk distribution
3Practice mongodump and mongorestore commands with common flags: --uri, --db, --collection, --gzip, --archive, --oplog
4Know RBAC built-in roles and how to create custom roles with db.createRole()
5Use db.currentOp() and db.serverStatus() — understand what each metric means for diagnosis
6Understand WiredTiger cache settings, journaling, and how checkpointing works
7Study the mongod.conf YAML format: net, storage, replication, security, and systemLog sections
8Complete free MongoDB University M103 (Basic Cluster Administration) before the exam

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the MongoDB Associate DBA exam?

The MongoDB Associate DBA exam validates database administration skills including replica set management, sharding, backup and restore, security configuration, performance monitoring, and server administration. The exam has 60 questions, 90 minutes, and requires a scaled score of 600 to pass.

How much does the MongoDB DBA Associate exam cost?

The MongoDB Associate DBA exam costs $150 USD. The certification is valid for 3 years. Free preparation resources include MongoDB University courses M103 (Basic Cluster Administration), M201 (Performance), and M310 (Security).

What is the passing score for the MongoDB DBA Associate exam?

The passing score is 600 on a scaled score range of 200–800. Results are provided immediately after completing the online proctored exam through Examity. Candidates who do not pass must wait before retaking.

What are the main topics on the MongoDB DBA Associate exam?

The exam covers six domains: Replication (~20%), Sharding (~20%), Backup and Restore (~15%), Security (~15%), Monitoring and Performance (~15%), and Server Administration (~15%). Replication and sharding together account for ~40% of the exam.

What MongoDB tools should I know for the DBA exam?

Key tools include: mongodump/mongorestore for backups, mongostat/mongotop for real-time monitoring, mongosh for administration, mongod.conf for server configuration, db.serverStatus() and db.currentOp() for diagnostics, and explain() for query plan analysis.

How long is the MongoDB DBA Associate certification valid?

The MongoDB Associate DBA certification is valid for 3 years. After 3 years, you must pass the current version of the exam to recertify and maintain your certified status.