Why the CDMP is the Best Certification for Data Strategists

A practical introduction to the most valuable credential in Data Management.

Author:  Nicole Janeway  |  Post Date:  Nov 20, 2021  |  Last Update:  Dec 6, 2024  |  Related Posts

All the hype around data usecases illustrates the gaps that most organizations have in terms of managing their data as a strategic asset. Enter the Certified Data Management Professional (CDMP) exam from Data Management Association International (DAMA-I), the best certification for data practitioners. This article outlines the hows and whys of gaining the valuable CDMP accreditation, which lays the groundwork for effective leadership in Data Strategy.

Contents

• About the CDMP Fundamentals Exam
• What's tested on the CDMP
• How to prepare for CDMP
• Why you should take the CDMP
• Conclusion
• Related Posts

About the CDMP Fundamentals Exam

Training for the CDMP Fundamentals Exam confers expertise across 14 Data Management domains. Data Management is a crucial discipline that spans end-to-end management of the data lifecycle through effective Data Governance and respect for Data Ethics.

The test is open book, but the 100 questions on the exam must be completed within 90 minutes — not a lot of time to be looking things up. Therefore, it's important to be extremely familiar with the reference material, the 590-page Data Management Body of Knowledge (DMBOK).

When you schedule the exam ($300), DAMA provides 200 practice questions that are pretty reflective of the difficulty of the actual exam. As a further resource, we offer CDMP Question Sets that include an explanation and reference for each correct answer. You can also check out this article, which provides more information about the structure of the exam.

Advice from CDMP Study Group

Thanks to Data Strategy Professionals, I completed Data Management Fundamentals at Master level with 91%. I used your 3 Question Sets as practice exams, and they were very helpful to hone my skills before the exam.

Few things from an exam point of view that can be helpful for others:

1. Honorlock Chrome extension checks for two monitors, so be sure to set up your ebook on a second device
2. Review the book after every practice test to cover those blindspots
3. Save time on obvious questions without double checking the ebook and use the time for non-book-related conceptual understanding questions
4. Reading and revising the book three times sped up my answering time, thereby saving me time for answering complex questions
5. Plan for 20 minutes of revision during the exam
6. Passing is not tough if you use practice tests and review the book

– Gopi Palamadai,

Data Architect

You'll take the exam in an online test-taking platform while monitored via webcam ($11 proctoring fee). The format is multiple choice — choose the single correct option out of five.At the conclusion of the test, you will receive immediate feedback on your score.

Anything over 60% is considered passing. This is just fine if you're interested in attaining your CDMP Associate and moving along. If you're interested in the advanced tiers of CDMP certification, you'll have to pass with a 70% (CDMP Practitioner) or 80% (CDMP Master). These advanced certifications also require passing two Specialist Exams.

This brings me to my final point, which is about why — purely from a career advancement standpoint — you should choose to put yourself through the studying and exam-taking process for CDMP:  certification from DAMA is associated with high-end positions in leadership, management, and data architecture. Increasingly, enterprise roles and federal contracts related to data management are requesting CDMP certification. You may be interested in this blog post that provides more detail about one data practitioner's experience getting certified and analyzing job opportunities that require CDMP accreditation. We also offer a Career Coaching service if you want to discuss how the CDMP fits into your career goals.

Advice from CDMP Study Group

"Why should you go for certifications?

I had an interesting conversation today about seeking my Master CDMP accreditation. My co-worker asked me why… what difference does it make?

I have a few reasons:
👉 I love to learn
👉 I love to share what I have learned
👉 It doesn't hurt to have it
👉 It demonstrates you have some fundamental knowledge of the subject area, but no it doesn't mean you have practical application experience in all cases

Why not? I don't value anyone differently because of a certification but it does help when you know about the various certifications and what it takes to get them. In an environment of many individuals in a job market, where you don’t have references or personal experience, seeing those certifications gives you a little more insight in to what the candidate has experienced in regards to at least learning about the topic."

– Amy Bamburg,

Data Governance Manager

Pros:

• Provides well-rounded knowledge of Data Management
• Open book test means less time spent on rote memorization
• Four tiers for different levels of data practitioners
• 60% score requirement to pass lowest level of certification
• Associated with elite roles
• Provides membership to DAMA International
• $311 exam fee is cheaper than other data-related certifications from Microsoft and The Open Group

Cons:

• DAMA is not backed by a major tech company (e.g., Amazon, Google, Microsoft) that is actively pushing marketing efforts and driving brand recognition for the CDMP — this means that the credential is likely to be recognized as valuable mainly among individuals who are already familiar with Data Management
• $311 exam fee is relatively expensive compared to AWS Cloud Practitioner cert ($100) or GCP certs ($200)

Alternatives:

• Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate (MCSA) — modularized certifications focusing on various Microsoft products ($330+)
• Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert (MCSE) — builds on the MCSA with integrated certifications on topics such as Core Infrastructure, Data Management & Analytics, and Productivity ($495+)
• The Open Group Architecture Framework (TOGAF) — various levels of certification on high-level framework for software development and enterprise architecture methodology ($550+)
• Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) — role-based certifications for software engineering teams ($995)

Grab your free copy of our report today

If you haven't already, check out our detailed writeup on the seven top certifications across a variety of data-related domains. Aim higher with your career ambitions for 2025 and pursue the proven qualifications that will help you demonstrate your value. Check out our comprehensive report to learn how to attain the credentials to break into a new field or accelerate your career trajectory.

What's tested on the CDMP

The CDMP covers 14 topics, listed below in order of priority:

• Data Governance (11%):  practices and processes to ensure formal management of data assets. Read more.
• Data Quality (11%):  assuring data is fit for consumption based on its accuracy, completeness, consistency, integrity, reasonability, timeliness, uniqueness/deduplication, validity, and accessibility. Read more.
• Data Modeling & Design (11%):  translation of business needs into technical specifications. Read more.
• Metadata Management (11%):  managing data about data, including definitions, structures, and classifications.
• Master and Reference Data Management (10%):  reference data is information used to categorize other data found in a database or information that is solely for relating data in a database to information beyond the boundaries of the organization. Master reference data refers to information that is shared across a number of systems within the organization. Read more.
• Data Warehousing & Business Intelligence (10%):  a data warehouse stores information from operational systems (as well as other data resources, potentially) in a way that is optimized to support decision-making processes. Business intelligence refers to the use of technology to gather and analyze data, then translate it into useful information. Read more.
• Data Architecture (6%):  specifications to describe existing state, define data requirements, guide data integration, and control data assets, according to the organization's Data Strategy. Read more.
• Data Storage & Operations (6%):  characterization of hardware or software that holds, deletes, backs up, organizes, and secures an organization's information.
• Data Security (6%):  implementation of policies and procedures to ensure people and things take the right actions with data and information assets, even in the presence of malicious inputs. Read more.
• Data Integration & Interoperability (6%):  use of technical and business processes to merge data from different sources, with the goal of readily and efficiently providing access to valuable information.
• Document & Content Management (6%):  technologies, methods, and tools used to organize and store an organization's documents.
• Data Management (2%):  end-to-end management of data, including collection, control, protection, delivery, and enhancement. Read more.
• Data Ethics (2%):  code of conduct encompassing data handling, algorithms, and other practices to ensure that data is used appropriately in a moral context. Read more.
• Big Data (2%):  extremely large datasets, often composed of various structured, unstructured, and semi-structured data types. Read more.

One more thing to know about the composition of the exam is that 60% of content comes directly from the DMBOK. 20% of questions address familiar concepts but may use different words than the book. And finally, 20% of questions are practical, multidisciplinary, and/or require the test-taker to apply knowledge from the DMBOK to new situations.

Advice from CDMP Study Group

"I passed the fundamentals exam today with a grade of 86% and wanted to thank the CDMP Study Group for all of your help, advice, and resources offered.

"Below is how I prepped for the exam:

• Read the book cover to cover once, really taking my time to grasp concepts and not rushing through things. In other words, it was very slow reading.
• I then started doing practice exams and questions. The Question Sets were really helpful. This helped me identify where my weak points were.
• I then re-read the chapters which are more heavily weighted and my weak point areas.
• I kept doing the practice exam and Question Sets until I was consistently scoring 90-95%.
• I also listened to the CDMP Discussion Groups organized by Data Strategy Professionals. It always helps when you hear from people and their real life experiences. Try switching music for these instead while you're working out! (This is what I did).
• In my opinion, you need to find a balance between knowing when you are ready and confident to take the exam, and delaying it for too long. Trust your instincts and go for it when you feel confident. Delaying things for too long isn't always the best option, even if it's just to be on the safe side.

"All the best and, hopefully, this will be useful info for others out there."

– Zohaib Aref,

Data Quality Consultant

How to prepare for CDMP

Given that CDMP is an open book test, to study for the exam, all that's needed to prepare is DAMA's Data Management Body of Knowledge (DMBOK). The latest version is the v2 Revised Edition, and the exam has been updated as of November 2024 to reflect the small changes in this version relative to the DMBOK v2.

The exam contains 100 multiple choice questions to be answered in 90 minutes. Take a look at this post to review some sample questions.

To prepare for the test, you'll need to review the first 14 chapters of the DMBOK, which come to around 500 pages. We recommend focusing your studies on the seven chapters that are options for the Specialist Exams because these chapters actually comprise 70% of the questions on the test. Check out this article for more study tips for each phase of your CDMP journey.

You may also be interested in Data Strategy Professionals' 90-day Study Plan. This includes a study and review schedule to keep you on track with your reading. The scientifically-backed study approach leverages the 80/20 principle to help you focus on the most important information. The Study Plan also includes vocabulary and key concepts for each chapter. And because becoming a CDMP is about more than a test score, the plan includes external resources such as thought-provoking articles, case studies, and interview questions to prepare you for Data Management in the real world setting. If you're on a different timeline to achieve Data Strategy mastery through the CDMP, that's no problem! You can select "Immediate Access" to receive access to the full CDMP Study Plan so you can review it at your own pace.

We also offer the CDMP Fundamentals Notes that provide a condensed version of the DMBOK to help you review the material quickly. Our Question Sets and Exam Preparedness Check ensure you're ready to effortlessly ace the test. You can pick up all our study materials at once through our CDMP Fundamentals Bundle.

Study tips

📘 Buy the DMBOK right now. The exam is open book, and the DMBOK is legitimately super useful as a reference for Data Management work. The DMBOK occupies a prime position on my desk. As a consultant, I frequently found myself referencing my highlights and sticky notes to address clients' questions. In terms of how to study DMBOK, one test taker recommended 4–6 hours per weekend for 8–10 weeks. Another approach could be reading a couple pages each morning and evening. However you tackle it, make sure you're incorporating spaced repetition into your studying methodology. We provide more information about study skills in this article.

💸 Buy the CDMP exam when you feel ready to take the test. With the move to the Brightspace platform in 2024, DAMA is now limiting test-takers to 12 months of eligibility after purchase of the exam. The purchase grants aspiring certificants access to a test bank of 200 questions that simulate the real exam.

🔖 Highlight and sticky note the DMBOK. Okay, this one's obvious if you have a physical copy of the book. You'll definitely want to use a highlighter and sticky notes to indicate key concepts. I put all sticky notes on one side of the book for easy referencing. I also recommend orienting your writing sideways on the tabs so they don't stick out of the book as far.

🔨 Work with the chapter framework. All the chapters of the DMBOK follow the structure Introduction, Activities, Tools, Techniques, Implementation Guidelines, Governance, Works Cited / Recommended. Focus your studying on the overview and technical sections that get more play on the exam relative to implementation and organizational sections.

💙 Read in order then review by priority. The topics of the DMBOK are arranged in an intuitive order — the sequence you might assess these topics during a Data Management engagement. However, the proportion of each of the 14 topics tested on the exam ranges from 11% for foundational areas such as Data Governance to 2% for more esoteric topics such as Big Data. On your second reading of the DMBOK, I recommend studying in priority order.

❓ Use the official practice test extensively. You will see a handful of the questions provided by DAMA again when you take the exam. If you are aiming to optimize your score (i.e., because you are interested in continuing to the Master-level credential), you should retake the practice test until you are consistently scoring 100%. That way, when you see one of these questions on the exam, you can answer it quickly, saving you time that you can invest in researching the more challenging questions.

💻 Plan to use the ebook for the exam. Certain questions will ask about exact wording from the DMBOK. To maximize your score, you need to use the ebook copy of the DMBOK on the exam. If you have a MacBook, we recommend PDF Expert. If you have a different operating system, your best option is Adobe Reader. Both tools are free and effective ways to search the book using ctrl + f as you're taking the exam.

⭐️ Join the CDMP Study Group on Facebook or LinkedIn. Use this community to compare notes, ask questions, and find study partners.

Why you should take the CDMP

Still not convinced of the importance of Data Management fundamentals?

"Successwise, you're better off being good at two complementary skills than being excellent at one"

Scott Adams, author and creator of the Dilbert comics, offers the idea that “every skill you acquire doubles your odds of success.” He acknowledges this may be somewhat of an oversimplification — “obviously some skills are more valuable than others, and the twelfth skill you acquire might have less value than each of the first eleven” — but the point is that sometimes it's better to go wide than to go deep.

Setting aside the relative magnitude of the benefit (because I seriously doubt it's 2x per skill… thank you, law of diminishing marginal returns), it seems unquestionable that broadening your skillset can lead to more significant gains relative to toiling away at learning one specific skill. In a nutshell, this is why I think it's important for a data scientist to learn Data Strategy.

Generally speaking, having diversity in your skillset allows you to:

1. Problem solve more effectively by drawing on cross-disciplinary learnings
2. Communicate better with your teammates from other specialties
3. Get your foot in the door in terms of gaining access to new projects

Understanding Data Strategy transforms you from being a data consumer into an empowered data advocate at your organization. It's worth putting up with all the tongue twister acronyms in order to deepen your appreciation for the end-to-end knowledge generating process.

Advice from CDMP Study Group

"Anyone who wants to utilize AI in their organization should really consider getting the CDMP certification. It's not an easy exam, but it is worth it."

– Benjamin Magsamen,

Data Consultant

Taking the CDMP is extremely straightforward and beneficial for technology professionals. There are no trick questions, the test is open book, and it costs only $311. Hopefully, this writeup has gotten you thinking about how attaining recognition as a CDMP would advance your career. For example:

• You're looking for a new job related to data
• You're a data practitioner looking to move into a leadership role that spans multiple phases of the data lifecycle
• You're a consultant seeking a credential to show your client that you possess a deep understanding of Data Management
• You're working in a data-related job and you want to develop an end-to-end perspective on data-related topics
• You're someone who is driven to learn useful things!

With each passing day, organizations produce more data than ever before. This creates significant opportunities and massive risks. A strong Data Strategy can empower experimentation that promotes comparative advantage. A weak Data Strategy can jeopardize an organization's very existence, putting customers, stakeholders, and employees at risk.

Professionals who can manage data as a strategic asset are in high demand. The CDMP is the only certification on end-to-end Data Strategy capabilities.

Advice from CDMP Study Group

"I started Data Strategy Professionals' CDMP Study Plan at the end of September. I read approx 1-2 chapters a week going through the DMBOK sequentially and did the CDMP practice test from DAMA every week. For answers where I was uncertain or got them wrong, I copied them into a notes file in Word. I also copied the contents of each of the emails I received from the Study Plan into that same Word doc. I typically reviewed that Word file before each practice exam.

"I followed along with the email plan and read the chapters in priority order by % of questions on the test. I experimented with Quizlet as some folks have put flash cards on there but had mixed results with the quality.

"On the day of the exam I got my equipment set up and ran through the Honorlock setup and did another practice test where I scored 39/40. I took a 20-minute break and went for a walk to clear my head, then started the test.

"I'm not going to lie, I was concerned after the first 20 questions. I felt ill-prepared but just flagged those I didn't know immediately to come back to. I gave myself about 15 seconds per question the first time through then went back through and spent at most 1 minute each and referenced the DMBOK. And cleared the flags of those I answered. Then went back through and answered the rest the best I could and finished with 20 seconds to spare.

"All in all, the Study Plan is great and keeps content top of mind."

– Jeff Johnson,

Director of Privacy Programs

Conclusion

The CDMP is extremely relevant in the workplace and the marketplace. The credential is associated with high-level leadership positions. It's also recognized by potential clients across the commercial and governmental spheres as indicating deep knowledge of Data Management. And if you're just setting out on your data-related career journey, the CDMP is a great place to get started.

Study tips, one more time:

1. Buy the DMBOK for the open book exam
2. Buy the CDMP exam to gain access to 200 practice questions
3. Highlight and put sticky notes in the DMBOK
4. Work with the chapter framework, focusing on Introduction, Activities, Tools, and Techniques
5. Read the chapters in order then review by priority
6. Use the official practice test extensively
7. Plan to use the ebook for the exam
8. Join the CDMP Study Group on Facebook or LinkedIn