Grafana Associate study plan
Grafana Associate · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 6 hours per week
Grafana fundamentals and navigation & Data sources and queries
Navigate the Grafana UI confidently: locate dashboards, explore, alerting, and configuration sections.
Explain the difference between dashboards, folders, and data sources.
Create and save a simple dashboard with one panel using the built-in test data source.
Identify the main components of a query editor for a common data source (e.g., Prometheus or SQL).
Your checkpoint
A screenshot-annotated document showing the UI sections you explored and a simple dashboard you built.
Data sources and queries
Connect Grafana to at least two different data source types (e.g., Prometheus and a SQL database).
Write queries that filter, aggregate, and group data using the query editor.
Use the query inspector to debug and understand query results.
Explain how time ranges and intervals affect query results.
Your checkpoint
A dashboard with two panels, each using a different data source, and a short write-up of the queries used.
Data sources and queries & Panels and visualization
Configure data source settings such as authentication, custom headers, and query timeouts.
Build panels of at least three visualization types (time series, bar chart, stat) from the same data.
Apply transformations to reshape data for visualization.
Customize panel options: thresholds, units, legends, and axes.
Your checkpoint
A dashboard with three panels of different types, each using transformations and custom thresholds.
Panels and visualization
Create a reusable library panel and use it across multiple dashboards.
Configure panel links and data links to enable drill-down.
Use overrides to customize field display based on conditions.
Explain best practices for visualization choice based on data type.
Your checkpoint
A dashboard that includes a library panel, a data link, and at least one field override.
Dashboards, variables, and sharing
Create dashboard variables of different types (query, custom, interval) and use them in queries.
Implement chained variables where one variable depends on another.
Organize dashboards into folders and set permissions.
Explain how dashboard version history works and restore a previous version.
Your checkpoint
A dashboard with at least two variables (one chained) and a folder structure with permissions documented.
Dashboards, variables, and sharing & Grafana fundamentals and navigation
Share a dashboard via link, snapshot, and export/import.
Configure dashboard settings such as time range, auto-refresh, and tags.
Use annotations to mark events on graphs.
Explain the difference between a snapshot and a shared link.
Your checkpoint
A shared snapshot and an exported dashboard JSON file, with a comparison of sharing methods.
Grafana fundamentals and navigation & Panels and visualization
Set up alert rules on a panel and configure notification channels.
Use the Grafana playground or a local instance to practice alerting.
Create a dashboard that uses repeating rows based on a variable.
Optimize a dashboard for performance by limiting time ranges and using query caching.
Your checkpoint
A dashboard with an alert rule and a repeating row, plus a performance checklist.
Grafana fundamentals and navigation & Data sources and queries & Panels and visualization & Dashboards, variables, and sharing
Review all domains using practice questions and hands-on tasks.
Complete a timed mock exam covering all domains.
Identify weak areas and revisit specific topics.
Finalize a one-page cheat sheet of key concepts and shortcuts.
Your checkpoint
A mock exam score report and a personalized cheat sheet.
Milestones
Week 2: Can connect to two data sources and write basic queries without assistance.
Week 4: Can build a dashboard with multiple visualization types and transformations, and explain panel options.
Week 6: Can create and use variables, share dashboards, and manage folders and permissions.
Week 8: Score at least 80% on a mock exam covering all domains.