How to Prepare for C_HAMOD_2601: Exam Guide, Study Plan and Key Topics 2026

What Is the Data Engineer - SAP HANA Exam?

The official certification name is SAP Certified - Data Engineer - SAP HANA. The current certification code of C_HAMOD is C_HAMOD_2601.

The certification is intended for professionals who need to work with data provisioning and data modeling in SAP HANA Cloud and SAP HANA. SAP connects the certification with the role of a data engineer - SAP HANA and highlights Data Integration, Data Modeling, and Data Analysis as relevant skills.

This is not a certification where memorizing terminology should be your main strategy. You need to understand how the different parts of HANA data engineering fit together. If you still have any doubts, check C_HAMOD_2601 FAQ for detailed answers.

For example, knowing what a calculation view means is one thing. Being able to create the right view, select suitable nodes, connect data sources, check the result, and correct an error is another skill altogether.

The same applies to data provisioning. You should understand why a remote source, virtual table, replication approach, or transformation method would be used rather than simply remembering definitions.

That practical distinction becomes even more important because the current assessment is system-based.

New Exam Format for C_HAMOD_2601

The current certification page identifies C_HAMOD_2601 with one activity as a System Based Assessment. SAP currently shows a 60% cut score and English as the available language. This format changes the way you should prepare.

Instead of spending most of your time solving old multiple-choice questions, you should practise performing tasks. You need to become comfortable reading a requirement, finding the relevant object, completing the required configuration, checking the result, and moving to the next task.

SAP's system-based assessment guidance explains that candidates work through practical tasks in a system environment. The assessment has a fixed time, and the timer continues if you take a break.

The 180 minute duration gives you reasonable working time, but that does not mean you can work slowly. Navigation, troubleshooting, and repeated corrections can consume more time than expected.

• Warning: Be careful with old C_HAMOD material that presents the certification as a traditional question-based exam. Such resources may still help you revise concepts, but they should not be the foundation of preparation for the current system-based format.
• Quick win: Before beginning your study plan, read the current SAP certification page and system-based assessment guidance. It takes much less time than discovering the format for the first time during the assessment.
• Pro Tip: Use the C_HAMOD_2601 study material for extra resources and preparation. 

C_HAMOD_2601 Exam Key Topics

The following topics are the main areas to concentrate on when preparing. The difficulty ratings are practical estimates for preparation and are not official SAP difficulty scores.

1. Building Calculation Views

Difficulty: 9/10

Calculation views deserve the highest level of attention because they bring several HANA modeling concepts together. You should understand different calculation view approaches, common nodes, joins, unions, data slices, ranking, and embedded functions.

E.g., build a simple model, join two sources, filter and check the output. Then change your model and see what happens. This gives you a much better feel for how the pieces act.

A common preparation mistake is building models without checking the result until the end. That makes troubleshooting harder.

• Tip: Validate your output after each major modeling change. It is a small habit, but it can save a lot of time during practical work.

2. Modeling Functions Configuration 

Difficulty: 8/10 

Modeling functions take a simple way of calculating something to a way that can satisfy a particular business requirement. Pay attention to filters, parameters, hierarchies, rankings, data slices, and embedded functions. You need to know not just what each feature does, but when to use it. If a requirement asks for a particular subset of data, for example, you need to know if a filter, parameter, or some other modeling feature is the right answer. This is where practical judgment is required.

• Quick win: Build one small calculation view and experiment with several functions instead of studying each function only from written explanations. 

3. Optimizing the Performance of Models

Difficulty: 9/10

Performance is one of the areas that candidates often postpone. That is a mistake. SAP HANA is designed for high performance, but that does not mean every model automatically performs well. Poor model design, unnecessary layers, unsuitable joins, and excessive complexity can create problems.

HC300 includes material on model performance, performance checking tools, and features intended to improve performance. The practical lesson is to think about performance while building the model rather than treating it as a final cleanup task.

• Warning: Do not memorize performance rules without practicing them. It is easier to understand performance when you can see how a modeling decision affects the result.

4. Managing and Administering Models 

Difficulty: 6/10 

This is not as technical an area but can affect your performance on a system-based assessment. You should be familiar with the modeling environment, projects, content organization, and model management tools. In the SAP HC300 course, you will learn about project and content management in the SAP Business Application Studio. A technical solution is of little use if you spend minutes looking for the right project or item.

• Tip: Spend some time just exploring the surroundings. Practical familiarity later may help reduce hesitation. 

5. Provisioning Data to SAP HANA 

Difficulty: 8/10 

Data provisioning is the method of data being made available for use in SAP HANA. This includes provisioning technologies, remote sources, virtual tables, virtualization and replication. Specifically, it is about data provisioning, virtualization, replication, and transformation. You should understand the purpose behind each approach. 

• Quick win: When studying each provisioning method, write one sentence answering, “Why would I use this method? If you can answer that clearly, the concept is easier to remember.

6. Working With SQL and SQLScript in Models

Difficulty: 7/10

SQL and SQLScript are useful when graphical modeling does not provide the best solution for a particular requirement. You do not need to turn every problem into a coding exercise. A more useful skill is knowing when SQL-based logic is appropriate and where it fits in the HANA modeling. 

• Tip: Don’t try to memorize complex code patterns. Rather, try to understand what SQL and SQLScript are there for in relation to HANA models. 

7. Secure Models 

Difficulty: 6/10 

Security is an additional support feature that can’t be overlooked. Find out how to make use of security features on SAP HANA models and how to regulate access to data.

This topic may be less time-consuming to prepare than calculation views or provisioning but still falls under the wider umbrella of HANA modeling skills. Instead of seeing it as a list of terms, it is better to understand the purpose of each security feature.

C_HAMOD_2601 Exam Learning Journey