Dama Test Questions

[Jennifer Kovachick]

Ihave added a F.A.Q towards the bottom of the article as I have received many questions about this certification. I would also like to add as a very important update that the test is open book. Apparently it was always an open book exam, but it was not well advertised and there was some ambiguous information sent with the test. I have emailed DAMA about the open book policy and they have been very open and are working to increase awareness about the open book policy on their site.

Their software can detect any phrase from a question that is typed into a search engine. If, however, you are using a digital version of a text then this would have already been downloaded. You would not be typing a search into an online search engine.

The statement about using a secondary source refers to the context of trying to avoid detection when accessing a search engine on the internet, by using a second device. This does not refer to using a text such as the DMBoK2 that is already downloaded onto a second device.

DAMA have stipulated that you can only use one text in an exam, but you can actually choose any text that you wish. Most people choose the DMBoK2, since this is what the exams are based on, but that is up to you. You may also use any notes you have taken.

I began by buying the DAMA-DMBOK2 study guide back in June and read through the book cover to back over the next five months. Once I finished reading the entirety of the book, I reviewed their diagrams for about two hours which you can find on their website. (Overall, I spent about 38 hours reading and 2 hours studying the diagrams by the end.)

This is when I purchased their exam. To reiterate some details, the exam is $300 and it includes a practice test and passing the exam provides initial membership. If you take the test online, you will need to pay another $11 for the proctor fee once you begin taking the test. This test is mostly online based but they do allow for test-taking at specific events. 60% is a pass, but you can obtain different levels of badges by scoring at least 70% and also 80%. There are additional tests you can take which are also $300 and include a practice test, these will be necessary to get to the other levels of membership.

Note: When buying the exam, it sends you an email after your purchase. This email lets you create a login to Canvas Catalog which hosts the exam. Once you login to the Canvas Catalog system, you will enroll in the test that you purchased. Now you will be in the catalog, this gives you the ability to take the primary test or the practice test. I was a little confused initially at checkout, some of the wording on the page made it seem like you had to take the test as soon as you bought it. You definitely get to purchase the exam and then pick when you take the exam.

I took the practice test which is 40 questions. Overall I got 70% on the practice exam. I wish they categorized the questions or offered a better breakout analysis of my practice exam. It would have been nice to have more practice questions too. This is where I really like the practice tests from MeasureUp. The MeasureUp practice tests had multiple modes to pick from, 160 test questions, and a breakdown by category. Reviewing your answers was also much more in-depth and they explained why an answer was correct. The DAMA DMBOK2 practice exam just tells you the right/wrong answers and which ones you got wrong along with the time you took.

I tried to categorize the questions the best I could from the practice exam. From there I found Data Quality, Master Data Management, and Metadata Management were the areas I fell the shortest. Each of those subjects are 11% of the actual test. So I focused on 32% of the content that I did the poorest on. I went back and re-read those chapters and also decided to go back over Data Modeling too just in case. (I did not do badly on this section (80%), but with it worth 11% of the questions, I decided a quick overview was a good idea.)

It was at this point I decided to give the actual test a whirl. I went back over the material because I really wanted to get at least 80%. I really did not want to pay $300 to take the exam a 2nd time in case I decide to go for the later levels of certification in the future.

Nicole Janeway Bills of Atlas Research has also started a Facebook study group for users looking to collaborate learning and working towards their CDMP. This resource was not around when I was looking to take my exam, but I wish it had been! I would recommend taking a look and seeing if it helps with your studies.

This is a more recent update to this post (5/31/21) as the world of data has continued to evolve. Since achieving my CDMP, hundreds of people have reached out to network, collaborate, comment, learn and embolden their careers as data professionals.

Nicole Janeway Bills of Data Strategy Professionals has become a pinnacle in this community as you have probably seen by the study group listed above. She has done so much more than just start a study group, she has also compiled helpful resources and responded back to others in the community who have questions or need support. Both of us have reached out to DAMA to find answers for folks where that content was just not easy to find.

In addition to all of these resources, she has put together a study plan specifically for the CDMP. I feel this has been a sorely needed resource that there is not an abundance of. If you are looking for study plans for AWS, Microsoft, Oracle, or other mainstream technologies, there is a surplus of materials.

As a disclaimer, this is a paid affiliate link. But if this guide was around when I was preparing, it would have boosted my confidence going into the exam and it would have improved my own exam score. Nicole is a knowledgeable and strong resource in the data community, and this guide is definitely a great alternative to trying to piece together a study method yourself.

As of February 2022, I have found that Nicole now offers a set of fundamental notes regarding the CDMP exam as well as practice questions. I have not reviewed the materials, but I imagine they are very high quality and I would not hesitate to use those as resources for the exam if they were within my means to purchase. The CDMP exam is a costly one compared to some exams and I would feel more confident having great study material to assist. Unlike the more mainstream certifications like AWS or Microsoft, it is more difficult to find quality material to work with and everything I have seen from Nicole has been phenomenal.

After you have purchased an exam you have an unlimited time to access that exam. Should the fee for the exams increase, before you actually take the exam, you would not be required to pay the difference.

Please note, however, that there is a 3 year DAMA membership included with your first exam. The 3 years is calculated from the time of purchase. You must have a current DAMA membership to achieve CDMP certification.

I want to adhere to the integrity of the test and organization so I will not reveal content or information that is on the actual exam. In addition, the exam changes over time, so what I had on my exam may not be what is in yours.

You will notice there are five exams:

1. Data Management Fundamentals

2. Data Governance

3. Data Quality

4. Data Modeling and Design

5. Metadata

I recommend you start with the Data Management Fundamentals as this is the basis for their exams and also nets you the primary certification. The others are considered electives to reach higher levels of certification.

The test is not an open book exam and it is mostly online. They will have someone watching you through the webcam, the test is recorded, you must pivot your camera around the room and take a picture of your workspace. They are also recording your screen as you take the test and there is software that runs which will identify what software is currently running. All plugins need to be disabled as well.

Thank you for the review of your experience with the test! I am preparing to take mine soon as well, and I had a question for you. Would you say that a lot of the questions from the practice exam show up in the real exam? Or are they completely different?

Hi Jon, Nice detail information, Thank you for sharing.

With very little preparation i have taken the exam and failed with 4 less to pass.But realized later i should have spend a month or some on DAMA V2.

But actually with practice test we can not depend, the reason is i have taken 4 times on practice test and crossed 34 to 36 between in real exam i failed.

So its better to go through complete book as you suggested .

Hi Jon,

Great detail, I had a lot of questions which were either covered by your blog or your responses to the questions asked by the other blog visitors.

Thanks again, I have just purchased by DBMBOK 2 pdf, I will be studying it in detail for the next week or so and try the practice exam.

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