I B M C E R T I F I C A T I O N
C9006800 IBM Certified Db2 13 for z/OS Database Administrator – Associate Practice Exam
Exam Number: 4391 | Last updated April 17, 2026 | 381+ questions across 5 vendor-aligned objectives
Associate-DBA professionals who administer Db2 13 for z/OS target the C9006800 credential. This associate-level track introduces Db2 13 administration fundamentals — the new continuous-delivery capabilities, function-level activation, SQL enhancements specific to v13, and the broader DBA surface. Candidates should be comfortable with Db2 concepts from v12 and ready to build on them with v13 additions such as AI-driven workload-optimization features.
Netting 26% of the exam, Db2 13 New Capabilities covers function levels, continuous-delivery mechanics, AI workload optimization, and SQL enhancements specific to v13. At 22%, Object Management covers tablespaces, indexes, partitioning, and compression across classic and universal table-space types. A further 20% targets Recovery and Availability, covering backup strategies, DSSIZE planning, and the recovery utilities available in v13.
Buffing the remaining domains, Security Basics accounts for 18% and spans privileges, row and column access control, and auditing fundamentals. Performance Fundamentals represents 14% and spans bufferpool basics, RUNSTATS, and access-path awareness. Associate questions favor textbook answers — pick the response that reflects how Db2 13 documentation describes the feature rather than edge-case experience.
Every answer links to the source. Each explanation below includes a hyperlink to the exact IBM documentation page the question was derived from. PowerKram is the only practice platform with source-verified explanations. Learn about our methodology →
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Question #1 - Db2 13 New Capabilities
A new DBA at Northbrook Mutual reads that Db2 13 introduces function levels to manage continuous-delivery features.
Which Db2 13 function-level concept matches the documented model?
A) Function levels are a licensing mechanism unrelated to features
B) Function levels gate which v13 features are active on a subsystem, letting DBAs activate new capabilities at their own pace via -ACTIVATE FUNCTION LEVEL rather than all-at-once at upgrade
C) Function levels activate automatically without any DBA action
D) Function levels are deprecated in v13
Show solution
Correct answers: B – Explanation:
Function levels gating continuous-delivery features with explicit activation is the Db2 13 reference. Licensing claims, automatic-activation, and deprecation claims all misstate the model. Source: Check Source
Question #2 - Db2 13 New Capabilities
A Db2 13 associate DBA at Harborview Logistics learns about AI-driven workload optimization in v13.
Which Db2 13 associate-level understanding fits?
A) AI features in Db2 13 are purely marketing and have no runtime effect
B) Db2 13 disables the traditional optimizer entirely
C) Db2 13 uses AI-driven internal optimization to help the optimizer adapt to observed query behavior, reducing reliance on static statistics alone for some workloads
D) Db2 13 requires external AI services for every query
Show solution
Correct answers: C – Explanation:
AI-assisted optimizer adaptation alongside traditional statistics is the Db2 13 reference. Optimizer-disabled, no-runtime-effect, and external-services claims all misstate the capability. Source: Check Source
Question #3 - Db2 13 New Capabilities
A Db2 13 associate DBA at Pembroke Genomics explores SQL enhancements specific to v13.
Which Db2 13 SQL understanding fits?
A) SQL enhancements in v13 are undocumented
B) Every Db2 13 SQL enhancement is active from day-one regardless of function level
C) Db2 13 introduces SQL enhancements at specific function levels — features become available only when the appropriate function level is activated, so the DBA checks both v13 availability and function-level activation before using them
D) SQL enhancements are retrofitted automatically to v12
Show solution
Correct answers: C – Explanation:
Function-level-gated SQL enhancements is the Db2 13 reference. Day-one-active, undocumented, and v12-retrofit claims all misstate v13 SQL. Source: Check Source
Question #4 - Object Management
A Db2 13 associate DBA at Wrenfield Bank is deciding between a partition-by-range and a partition-by-growth universal tablespace.
Which Db2 13 object-management reasoning fits?
A) Choose partition-by-range (PBR) when partitioning is driven by a key column with meaningful ranges, and partition-by-growth (PBG) when partitioning is driven by size and there is no natural range key
B) Always pick PBR regardless of range key
C) Always pick PBG regardless of partition logic
D) Skip universal tablespaces and use classic segmented only
Show solution
Correct answers: A – Explanation:
PBR-for-range-keys vs PBG-for-size is the Db2 13 universal-tablespace reference. Always-PBR, always-PBG, and classic-only all fail object-management judgment. Source: Check Source
Question #5 - Object Management
A Db2 13 associate DBA at Fernhollow Insurance must compress a large table to reduce storage.
Which Db2 13 compression approach fits?
A) Use Db2 13 data compression (ROW COMPRESS or INDEX COMPRESS where applicable), with the dictionary rebuilt via REORG, and verify compression ratio via RUNSTATS
B) Skip compression and accept full storage
C) Compress via an external tool outside Db2
D) Compress only during off-hours manually per row
Show solution
Correct answers: A – Explanation:
ROW/INDEX COMPRESS with REORG-built dictionary RUNSTATS is the Db2 13 compression reference. No-compression, external tools, and manual per-row compression all fail the capability. Source: Check Source
Question #6 - Recovery and Availability
A Db2 13 associate DBA at Stonehaven Credit must define DSSIZE for a large table expected to grow.
Which Db2 13 object-management decision fits?
A) Skip DSSIZE and let Db2 invent a value
B) Use the smallest DSSIZE and plan to fix growth problems later
C) Set DSSIZE to an arbitrary value with no growth plan
D) Set DSSIZE large enough to accommodate growth within the partition, considering the associated maximum table size and the recovery-unit granularity — so future growth does not require an unplanned reorganization
Show solution
Correct answers: D – Explanation:
Growth-aware DSSIZE is the Db2 13 object-management/availability reference. Smallest-dssize, arbitrary values, and skipping all fail DSSIZE planning. Source: Check Source
Question #7 - Recovery and Availability
A Db2 13 associate DBA at Rivermeade Bank needs a basic backup strategy for a new tablespace.
Which Db2 13 recovery utility is the starting point?
A) Rely solely on z/OS filesystem backups with no Db2-aware image copies
B) Run periodic COPY utility jobs to produce image copies of the tablespace, with frequency and retention appropriate to the RTO/RPO of the workload — and verify recoverability via test restores
C) Skip backups entirely
D) Delete old logs to save space
Show solution
Correct answers: B – Explanation:
COPY utility tested recoveries is the Db2 13 recovery reference. Filesystem-only, no-backup, and log-deletion all fail recovery planning. Source: Check Source
Question #8 - Security Basics
A Db2 13 associate DBA at Crestpoint Retail must give application users SELECT on specific tables but not ALTER.
Which Db2 13 security approach fits?
A) Skip grants and trust application behavior
B) GRANT ALTER to simplify later work
C) GRANT SYSADM to the application ID
D) GRANT SELECT on the specific tables (or via a view) to the application’s authorization ID (or role), without granting ALTER — following least-privilege
Show solution
Correct answers: D – Explanation:
Specific SELECT with least-privilege is the Db2 13 security-basics reference. Over-grants, SYSADM, and no-grants all fail least-privilege. Source: Check Source
Question #9 - Security Basics
A Db2 13 associate DBA at Talbotville Finance must hide Social Security numbers from most readers while allowing payroll to see them.
Which Db2 13 security capability fits?
A) Rely on application-layer filtering only
B) Configure a column mask (RCAC) that redacts SSN for most readers and returns the real value only for the payroll role, so enforcement happens at query time
C) Duplicate the table with and without SSN and let users choose
D) Remove SSN entirely from the table
Show solution
Correct answers: B – Explanation:
RCAC column masks is the Db2 13 security-basics reference. App-layer-only, duplicated tables, and column removal all fail column-level security. Source: Check Source
Question #10 - Performance Fundamentals
A Db2 13 associate DBA at Kellingham Bank sees poor plan choices after a large data load.
Which Db2 13 performance fundamental applies?
A) Run RUNSTATS on the affected tables and indexes so the optimizer has current statistics, then rebind packages if access paths need refreshing based on the new statistics
B) Skip RUNSTATS and accept stale statistics
C) Drop indexes to make the optimizer ‘pick faster’
D) Power-cycle the z/OS LPAR
Show solution
Correct answers: A – Explanation:
RUNSTATS rebind-as-needed is the Db2 13 associate-level performance reference. Stale stats, index-drop, and LPAR restarts all fail the fundamentals. Source: Check Source
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Exam mode & learn mode · Score by objective · Updated April 17, 2026
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What the C9006800 db2 v13 admin associate exam measures
- Activate and verify function levels, continuous-delivery mechanics, AI workload optimization, and v13 SQL to take advantage of Db2 13’s new capabilities as they become available
- Manage and partition tablespaces, indexes, partitioning, and compression to keep Db2 13 objects healthy and well-organized as data volumes grow
- Recover and plan backup strategies, DSSIZE planning, and recovery utilities to keep Db2 13 estates recoverable within business-required RTOs and RPOs
- Authorize and audit privileges, row and column access control, and auditing to enforce data-access policy consistently with regulator expectations
- Measure and tune bufferpool basics, RUNSTATS, and access-path awareness to maintain query performance as workloads and data profiles evolve
How to prepare for this exam
- Review the official exam guide to understand every objective and domain weight before you begin studying
- Work through the relevant IBM Training learning path — ibm certified db2 13 for z os database administrator associate C9006800 — to cover vendor-authored material end-to-end
- Get hands-on inside IBM TechZone or a comparable sandbox so you can practice the console tasks, CLI commands, and APIs the exam expects
- Tackle a real-world project at your workplace, a volunteer role, or an open-source repository where the technology under test is actually in use
- Drill one exam objective at a time, starting with the highest-weighted domain and only moving on once you can teach it to someone else
- Study by objective in PowerKram learn mode, where every explanation links back to authoritative IBM documentation
- Switch to PowerKram exam mode to rehearse under timed conditions and confirm you consistently score above the pass mark
Career paths and salary outlook
Associate Db2 13 DBAs are in steady demand as banks, insurers, and agencies upgrade their mainframe databases:
- Associate Db2 13 DBA — $90,000–$125,000 per year, supporting Db2 13 for z/OS databases as a growing DBA (Glassdoor salary data)
- Mainframe Database Engineer — $105,000–$145,000 per year, operating modern Db2 estates at banks and insurers (Indeed salary data)
- Junior Database Administrator — $85,000–$120,000 per year, handling day-to-day Db2 13 administration (Glassdoor salary data)
Official resources
Work through the official IBM Training learning path for this certification, which bundles videos, labs, and skill tasks aligned to every objective. The official exam page lists the full objective breakdown, prerequisite knowledge, and scheduling details.