✦ Velza Academy · Free Self-Assessment

Where do you really stand on the NVIDIA-Certified Associate: Accelerated Data Science (NCA-ADS) exam?

Most people preparing for this exam study what feels familiar. The exam grades what the official blueprint weights. The free readiness scorecard shows you the difference in about five minutes.

Rate yourself topic by topic across every official exam domain
Your scores are weighted exactly the way the exam is, so a weak heavy domain jumps out first
Charts show your readiness per domain at a glance
Progress saves in your browser, so you re-score as you study and watch the gaps close

Built by Mike Wheeler, O’Reilly author, 500,000+ learners taught

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✦ Inside the scorecard

Your readiness, charted as you slide

Slide your honest rating for every topic and the picture updates live: readiness per domain, weighted study priorities, and the chart of where you stand.

The NVIDIA-Certified Associate: Accelerated Data Science readiness scorecard showing the domain chart, weighted study priorities, and topic sliders

The actual NCA-ADS scorecard, mid-assessment.

What the NCA-ADS exam actually is

These details come from the vendor's current certification page. Read the official exam page alongside this scorecard so you are working from the source.

What it is: An entry-level credential that validates proficiency in using GPU-accelerated tools and libraries for data science workflows.
Who it is for: Data scientists, data analysts, data engineers, machine learning engineers, AI DevOps engineers, software engineers, solution architects, deep learning performance engineers, and researchers.
Questions: 50–60
Duration: 60 minutes
Cost and validity: $125; the certification is valid for two years from issuance
Passing score: NVIDIA does not publish a numeric passing score on the certification page. Use the domain weights to prioritize your study.
Domains and weights: Data Manipulation and Preparation 23%; Machine Learning With RAPIDS 16%; Data Science Pipelines and Workflow Automation 13%; Descriptive Analysis and Visualization 13%; Foundations of Accelerated Data Science 12%; Introductory MLOps Practices 10%; Advanced Data Structures 7%; Software and Environment Management 6%.
Recommended background: One to two years of experience using GPU-based tools to process and analyze large datasets and improve machine learning, ETL, and analytics workloads.

Mike Wheeler's matching Udemy practice-test course artwork

After your self-assessment

Practice the exact certification next

Use the free scorecard to find your gaps. Then use Mike Wheeler's matching Udemy practice tests to work through exam-style questions and explanations.

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Course artwork shown above is from Mike's Udemy practice-test course. It is not a vendor-issued certification badge.

✦ The blueprint, weighted

The official domain weights

Straight from the official exam guide, and exactly what the scorecard grades you against. The longer the bar, the more of the exam rides on it.

Data Manipulation and Preparation23%

Machine Learning With RAPIDS16%

Data Science Pipelines and Workflow Automation13%

Descriptive Analysis and Visualization13%

Foundations of Accelerated Data Science12%

Introductory MLOps Practices10%

Advanced Data Structures7%

Software and Environment Management6%

✦ How it works

Five minutes to an honest study plan

Rate yourself

Slide through every topic the exam tests. No login, no grading, just your honest read.

See your weighted gaps

Charts show your readiness per domain, weighted the way the exam actually scores.

Study where it pays

Put your next hour on the weakest heavy domain, then re-score and watch the gap close.

✦ Your instructor

Mike Wheeler, founder of Velza Training and Consulting

Built by Mike Wheeler

Mike Wheeler is an AI and Salesforce trainer and O’Reilly author who has taught well over 500,000 global learners on platforms such as edX, LinkedIn Learning, Pearson, and Udemy. He built this scorecard for people aiming at NVIDIA’s Accelerated Data Science associate exam.

500,000+ global learners taught O’Reilly author Free reusable scorecard