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Welcome to CDMP Support
We are here to help you
Need to renew
your certification?
CDMP renewals are managed by DAMA International.
- The basics
- Purchase the DMBoK2. Study hard or take a training course
- Enrol on CDMP website and purchase the exam you first wish to take
- Try the practice exam
- When you feel prepared take the exam
The mark you achieve will determine the level of certification you qualify for. If you are aiming for a higher certification and you have not achieved the pass level required then you can retake the exam at the discounted fee of USD$200+ USD$11 proctor fee.
Each certification is valid for 3 years from the date your badge is issued.
Learn more about CDMP maintenance from Dama International
Each exam is valid for 3 years from the date your badge for that exam is issued. If you are working towards Practitioner or Master certification you need to be aware that after 3 years you can no longer use that pass mark towards your certification.
All exams regardless of where they are taken (conference, training or online) cost USD$300. Online proctored exams incur an additional USD$11 proctor fee. (Your first exam payment includes 3 year Individual membership with DAMA International )
For Associate level – you need to pass 1 exam at USD$311
For Practitioner level – you need to pass 3 exams with 70% at USD$311 each
For Master Level you need to pass 3 exams with 80% at USD$311 each and have a master experience assessment at USD$50
No. But you do need to be a member of DAMA International to gain your certification. There is a 3-year DAMA International membership offered with the purchase of your first exam.
Once this free membership has expired you will need to purchase a regular DAMA International membership for your certification to remain valid. Please note that membership of individual DAMA Chapters does not count for your certification to remain valid.
Please note that any offers included with a paid DAMA International membership, found on the DAMA website, are not included in this free membership.
You do not need to choose a level of certification to attempt. The pass mark you achieve will determine the level of certification you achieve.
For example: if you sit the Data Management Fundamentals exam and achieve a 60% or more pass mark, you automatically achieve an Associate certification.
If you achieve a pass mark of 70% or more then you achieve an Associate certification, plus it will also count towards Practitioner certification, and so on.
All exams are 100 questions. You will have 90 minutes to complete the exam once you start. If English is not your main language you will get an additional 20 minutes to complete the exam. Purchase the ESL version only if English is not your first language.
No – there are no prerequisites for any of the CDMP exams.
After your initial three year certification expires you will need to complete three requirements annually to maintain your certification.
You will need to:
- Submit an activity attestation: All Certification holders need to demonstrate continued data management activities and, upon request, provide details on their activities.
- Sign the Code of Ethics
- Renew your DAMA-I membership and pay your CDMP Maintenance fee
You can find out more detail on maintenance from the DAMA-I website
Currently all exams are only available in English. If English is not your first language you can enrol in the English as a Second Language (ESL) version where you are given an additional 20 mins to complete the exam. During the exam you are able to use browser translation software or access English to your native language dictionaries.
No – your level is determined by your exam results.
Review the requirements for each certification level here
Decide which specialist exams you wish to take, and begin your studies.
The Data Management Fundamentals exam is the foundational exam and required for all levels of certification. You should, but do not have to, take this exam first.
Once you have completed that exam, with a pass mark of 60% or more, then you are automatically awarded the Associate certification.
Each certification is valid for 3 years from the date your badge is issued.
The procedure for recertification after that time will eventually be posted on the website
You can choose any two of the specialist exams. CDMP does not tell you which exams to choose.
The experience listed under the requirements for Associate and Practitioner certification is intended as a guide only. This is not assessed.
For Master certification, your experience in the field of Data Management is assessed by DAMA International.
All Master Evidence reviews are sent to DAMA International for assessment. DAMA international is run by volunteers, all with jobs, families and other commitments. Sometimes these assessments can take some time.
Please do not repeatedly email CDMP Support, wanting to know where your assessment is. This will not speed up the process. Once an assessment has been made you will be sent an approval email to the address you used to submit your assessment.
If your assessment has been approved the approval email will also contain instructions to pay for your assessment. If it has not been approved no payment is required.
- Common issues and questions
All exams are open book exams. The open book policy allows only one ‘book’.
Students are permitted to have a text book or notes, but not both. The ‘one book’ may be in hardcopy or digital form, but not both.
You may use your DMBoK2 as your ‘one book’. If you decide to use the digital version it must be on a separate device, such as a tablet or a separate laptop. It must not be connected to the computer you are using for the exam. You cannot use a second monitor on the same computer.
If possible this second device should not be connected to the internet while you are using it during the exam.
You should make sure that the only tab you have open during your exam is your exam. All other tabs and applications should be closed during your exam. Browser translators are permitted but only if they are set to translate the entire webpage. You should not attempt to translate individual words and phrases.
This problem is generally caused by a network or regional restriction stopping the captcha popup required for enrolment.
Please check your settings or try to enrol on an alternative network/device.
You are confusing your exam pass with your certification level.
Certificates are issued for achieving a certification level. They are not usually issued for an exam pass.
If you have passed Data Management Fundamentals with a score of 60% or more you will automatically receive an Associate Badge and Certificate. If you passed with a score of 70% or more you will receive an Associate certificate and a badge or badges indicating your exam pass. These indicate that you are eligible to continue your CDMP journey to Practitioner or Master.
If you need to show your pass level for an exam you can use your badge.
When you complete the requirements for Practitioner certification (DMF and 2 specialist exams, all with 70%+) you will be awarded a Practitioner certificate.
Badges are issued automatically by the system within 10 days.
Certificates are issued for Associate, Practitioner and Master level certifications.
Certificates are issued within 10 days of receiving your badges, and becoming eligible.
See Certificates and Badges below for more information.
DAMA International offer a free 3-year membership with the purchase of your first exam. This is only available with the first full fee exam purchase.
CDMP Support sends order information to DAMA International after the end of every calendar month. Please wait until the end of the month following your purchase. Then contact the DAMA office at cdmp@dama.org, with your order number and date. They will be able to activate your membership for you.
Please note that any special membership offers advertised by DAMA International are only available for a paid membership and not with the free 3-year membership.
CDMP Support is not staffed full time but we endeavor to respond to all emails within 48 hours. If your query has been sent more than 48 hours ago, you may need to email us again. If it is less than 48 hours then please be patient. All incoming emails are responded to in order of urgency, and as resources permit.
If you have sent your email from a work email address, and you have not had a reply in 48 hours, then you should try emailing from a personal email address. Some organizations filter out our replies as spam. It can be frustrating for everyone if we are not able to reach you!
If your query is about badges and certificates, or about an invoice you require, then please use the relevant forms on this page. You will get a much quicker response.
Exams purchased before December 2020 did not include the Honorlock proctor fee (which was previously paid directly to Honorlock before taking the exam)
You will need to pay this fee before gaining access to your exam. Please use this form
Your order email is your proof of purchase and contains a link to a download. This downloadable document contains your enrolment instructions.
You should receive this email within an hour of purchasing your exam, depending on your server.
If you have not received your order email, first check your spam/junk folder.
If it is not in those folders then you should contact CDMP Support with an alternative, personal email address so that they can contact you.
The only way to achieve CDMP certification is by taking the CDMP exams. There are no substitutions available.
Contact CDMP Support. They can check the status of your account and reset your password if required.
Follow the instructions in your enrolment document to set up your exam account.
If you already have an exam account you must use that account – you must not set up more than one exam account. This is not permitted by the exam platform.
For the name fields in the exam account you should set them up as follows –
Full name: DAMA International requires that this be your full name. It must be in English.
Display name: this is what will be on your certificate when you achieve a certification level. It can be in English or both English and characters. It is your choice.
Sortable name: this must match your full name.
Your login email and your default email must match.
- Study and training
All exams are based on the DMBoK v2.
This is not included in your exam purchase. You will find information about purchasing that text here
Reading only part or one chapter of the DMBoK v2 will not adequately prepare you for any of the CDMP exams. You need to be familiar with the whole of the DMBoK v2.
No – only if you wish to. Many people take our exams and achieve a good pass mark by studying on their own. Others decide that they need to undertake a training course in order to feel well prepared. It depends on your ability to study effectively on your own and your experience in the field of data management.
CDMP is an exam platform, rather than a training platform, but any training we are informed about will be listed here.
It is best to connect to your closest DAMA Chapter as they can advise about local training options.
DAMA also have a webpage with a list of registered training providers
Please note that the exams are based on the DMBoK v2.
Most training courses will assume that you have already been studying the DMBoK v2 on your own. We would recommend that if you wish to take the CDMP exams the first step is to purchase a copy of the DMBoK v2 and begin the process of reading and study on your own. You will gain more benefit from any course, if you are already familiar with the DMBoK v2.
All exams are based on the DMBoK v2. There is information here about the contents of the Data Management Fundamentals exam, but there is no comparable information available for the other specialist exams.
For these specialist exams you will find that studying a single chapter of the DMBoK v2 for your exam will not be enough. The specialist exams draw on the whole DMBoK v2, so you need to consider how the specialist area relates to all other aspects of Data Management. The index is a good place to start!
There are also lists for further study and reading in the DMBoK v2. You might like to look at some of those as a part of your preparation. DAMA has some lists of recommended reading on their website. While they have not specifically suggested these for exam preparation you may find some of these useful. You will find those lists here
When you purchase an exam you also get free access to the Data Management Fundamentals Practice exam. There are also some general study tips on the main page of your exam.
- Purchase and enrol in exams
Once you purchase an exam there is no time limit for when you must start the exam.
All exams are Open Book.
All exams are available to purchase here
Make sure you select the correct exam for you, as all exam purchases are non-refundable
The Standard exam is 90 minutes long. The ESL version is 110 minutes long. It has an extra 20 minutes added, so that those people who do not have English as a first language have some extra reading time.
If English is your first language you should always take the Standard exam.
If English is your first language you should always take the Standard exam.
If English is not your first language you are permitted to choose the ESL exam if you wish.
Your employer will have received a coupon code for you to purchase your exam.
You need to purchase the exam here using the coupon code they provide you
After you have completed the purchase process you will receive a confirmation email with links to your enrolment instructions.
From time to time we introduce new versions of the exams. This occurred 1 December 2020. If you have not yet taken your exam, and you enrolled or paid for your exam prior to 1 December 2020, then you need to transfer to the new version.
As part of that process you must pay the fee for our online proctor, Honorlock. This USD$11 fee was previously paid immediately before taking the exam, now it happens as part of the initial payment.
If you have not yet received your instructions for paying the proctor fee in the new exam please contact CDMP Support below.
The default email is the email address that your badges will be issued to. You can change this in the Settings in your account.
Your login address must be changed by CDMP Support.
Please contact CDMP Support, stating your order number and date and the exam you meant to purchase.
- Access and take an exam
Once you have purchased an exam you will be emailed a confirmation. In the confirmation there are downloadable instructions which step you through the process to enrol and access your exam on Canvas LMS .
You do not need to book a time as the CDMP online exams are available 24/7.
Exams are proctored by our online proctor, Honorlock. This enables the exam to be ready for you when you are ready for it!
The exam system is designed so you can sit the exam at anytime that is convenient for you. You do not need to book an exam time. Online exams are proctored using Honorlock, which is available 24/7 without any booking requirements.
It is recommended you take your exam in a quiet private location to limit potential flags and distractions.
All exams are hosted in Canvas LMS, with enrolment made through the Canvas Catalog. Once you enrol in the exam you will be able to access the exam, whenever you are ready.
There are exam conditions listed at the start of your exam. You must agree to these before you can take your exam. CDMP Support and DAMA International take academic integrity very seriously. See the Academic Integrity statement at the bottom of each webpage for possible consequences if you breach the exam conditions.
If you are not attending a DAMA event or training event to sit the exam, your exam will be proctored by Honorlock. You will need access to a laptop or desktop computer with Chrome, a working webcam, and microphone. Integrated or external USB will both work. Check your system here . Scroll down until you see the run system check button.
Hold the webcam (or laptop if the webcam is part of your laptop) so that the camera shows the room and not you. The CDMP exam reviewer does need to see you in the room scan.
Slowly move the webcam to show the entire room. It should show 360 degrees.
Move the camera slowly. If you move it too quickly the images will be blurry and the room scan will be invalid.
Use the webcam to show ALL of your desk or table that you are taking the exam on. This should also be done very slowly so the CDMP exam reviewer can identify items on your desk. Make sure you show all materials you will use in your exam.
You can use a mirror to show your desk if you are not able to do this with a fixed webcam.
Show the webcam that you are turning your mobile phone off . Then place your phone in the exam room some distance away from the exam area. This will ensure that the Honorlock proctors and the CDMP exam reviewer can see that you do not have access to your mobile phone. If the exam review shows that your phone is in the exam area, your exam may be declared an invalid exam.
Ensure that you review the room scan video to check that you have met all the room scan conditions. If your room scan video does not show a valid room and desk scan then your exam mark may be removed.
You can see an example of a great room scan here https://youtu.be/WBeh3ZSQptw
If you attending an DAMA event or training event in person you will need a computer or tablet to take the exam, as these are generally proctored live. However if a proctor is not available your event coordinator will advise you. An online proctor will be used.
If you are taking an online exam and are being prompted for an access code you are most likely not in Google Chrome or you do not have the Honorlock Chrome Extension.
If you are at an event, your event coordinator will provide you with the Access code when you are ready to start the exam.
Yes. The timer for the exam is at the top of the exam page. It is visible when you begin the exam. As you answer more questions it may not appear on your screen.
You can scroll to the top of the page to check the timer. You may decide to monitor the time yourself, so that you do not need to take time to scroll up and down unnecessarily, during your exam.
Yes you may, but ensure that you use a translator that translates the whole page.
If you type words or phrases into a translator during the exam the Honorlock software will think you are searching for an answer . You risk your exam being shut down.
If you use translating software this may mean that some if the nuances of the questions and answers in the exam are lost.
There are two steps to getting access to your exam. The first is to purchase the exam. The second is to enrol in the exam on the exam platform, using the enrolment link provided in your order email. You need to complete both steps to get access to your exam.
If you enrolled in your exam some time ago, and you have not yet taken the exam, but it is no longer visible in your account, then contact CDMP Support about access.
Your exam does not expire until you have taken it. From time to time exams are archived and a new version introduced. You will always be able to enrol in the new version of the exam if you have not yet taken the archived exam.
Once you have taken the exam you will lose access to the results at the end of the month in which you took the exam.
- Using the online proctor
All CDMP exams taken online use Honorlock proctoring. You can find out more about how Honorlock works and how it manages privacy here
The Honorlock proctor system has a 2 minute verification system prior to your commencing the exam. This will include showing a form of photo ID. You can use any government issued ID (such as drivers license, passport) or a student ID that has your photo.
If you are using a Chinese government ID that does not have your name in Pinyin then you may have difficulties with the Honorlock verification process. If this happens you will need to speak to an Honorlock Chat person as part of the verification procedure.
The Honorlock proctor is a combination of video monitoring, audio monitoring and live chat. The online system will step you through the process. If an Honorlock live proctor needs intervene for any reason, your exam time is paused.
Don’t worry, Honorlock offers technical support 24/7 to assist students before, during, and after their proctored tests. If you need any assistance there is a chat button on the screen for instant support.
Honorlock is FERPA compliant and uses securely encrypted protocols to save and view all test taker assets. Honorlock’s certified proctors and CDMP staff are able to review test session videos until deleted, based on Honorlock’s retention policy. You can find out more about student privacy here
No, they will not usually notify you – it is your responsibility to ensure that you comply with ALL Exam Conditions.
It is not the job of the online proctor to notify you if you breach the Exam Conditions. It is the job of the online proctor to notify CDMP Support if you breach the Exam Conditions.
How the verification process works
- Certificates and Badges
After passing an exam you will receive a Badge. Certificates are issued automatically by the system every 15th and 30th.
Certificates are issued for Associate, Practitioner and Master level certifications.
Certificates are not usually issued for exam passes. Exam certificates only show that you have passed an exam, not the level at which you have passed. You can use your badge to indicate that information.
Certificates are issued every 15th and 30th after badge has been issued and meeting all the requirements of that certification level.
No – CDMP certificates are not numbered.
After passing an exam you will receive a Badge. Badges are issued automatically by the system within 10 days.
Certificates are based on the date of the badge. Your certificate cannot be issued until the badge is issued. Once the badge has been issued the certificate is usually issued every 15th and 30th.
This is emailed to you, at the email address in your exam account.
If you have not received your badge more than 10 days after taking your exam, or if it is more than 10 days after your badge has been issued and you have not received your certificate, please use this form .
Missing badges and certificates are not investigated unless submitted on this form. Forms will only be considered if submitted more than 10 days after taking your exam.
CDMP Support uses the ‘Display name’ in your exam account to generate your certificate.
If you are of Chinese descent and wish to have Chinese characters for your name on your certificate you can do this. But you must have your ‘Full name’ in Pinyin. No certificates will be issued to exam accounts with the ‘Full name’ in characters.
Certificates are usually issued for certification levels only. If you pass the Data Management Fundamentals exam, then you will receive an Associate certificate, as that is the level you have attained. You do not receive a Data Management Fundamentals certificate. The version of any exams taken, for a certification level, is not indicated on the certificate.
The CDMP exam platform awards digital badges for passing CDMP certifications. Put these badges on your CV, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook or even Pinterest to take advantage of your newly earned certification.
The badge is not just an image. It carries metadata that can be verified. For example, you can send your CDMP badge to a prospective employer who can verify that your CDMP certification is authentic and valid. The CDMP badges use the popular openbadges standard.
Your badges are stored with the organisation badgr.com
When you pass an exam and gain a badge you will be emailed a link to create a Badgr account. We strongly suggest you use the email address that you access Canvas with so it all links up and captures your future CDMP badges automatically.
You need to have done all your exams using a canvas account with the same email.
You need to be subscribed to the Badgr Pathway to get your Practitioner or Master Level badge. You can only access this pathway from a specialist exam.
The Badgr pathway is only accessible in the specialist exams, and only required once you become eligible for Practitioner or Master levels certifications.
In some older exam versions this Pathway link may now be hidden.
If you are unable to subscribe to the Pathway or it has been more than 10 days since you became eligible you can submit this form for support.
If you have completed exams using different Canvas accounts or using multiple email addresses you will not automatically receive your Practitioner or Master certification.
Please use this form to have this issue corrected.
Your badges are stored in Badgr. Logon using your email. Click on BACKPACK to see your badges. Click on a badge then select option SHARE BADGES. There, you will be able to link or embed the badge on your CV/resume and post to your social media channels.
If you need further assistance you can find more detailed instructions about how to share your badges on different social media here
Go to badgecheck.io and enter in the validation URL. As an option, you can enter an email address and verify not only that the badge is a valid certification, BUT ALSO that you are the recipient.
Click VERIFY to do the check.
This option is no longer available. The only way to become CDMP certified is by taking the CDMP exams.
At the end of the month, in which your exam was taken, your exam is archived. After that happens your badges will not be visible in your exam account. Badges should always be accessed only in Badgr.
Certificates are not usually issued for specialist exams. You receive badges only for your specialist exam. These indicate the level at which you passed the exam. Certificates are usually only issued for certifications – Associate, Practitioner and Master.
- Retakes
Yes. A re-take will allow access to another exam attempt, and will cost USD$200 + Proctor fee. The discounted retake must be taken before your exam results expire. All exam results expire after 3 years. After that time you are able to retake the exam but you must purchase the exam at the full fee.
Please see the link in your enrolment document or in your exam, to purchase a retake at the discounted retake fee.
The highest pass mark is always the mark that is retained.
Once you have made your payment the next step is for CDMP Support to add your retake to your exam. This is a manual process. The support email list is not staffed 24/7, so please allow up to 48 hours for this process. The retake is added to your exam as soon as CDMP Support sees your payment.
When CDMP Support has added your retake to the exam they will let you know. You may then retake the exam. You will not have access to a retake until you have heard that it is ready.
If you purchased a retake at the full fee of USD$311, and not the discounted retake fee, then CDMP Support will not be able to identify that this purchase is a retake. You must contact them so that your retake can be added to your exam.
If you have purchased a retake at the full fee please note that all exam purchases are non-refundable and that CDMP Support is unable to refund the difference in the purchase fee.
You can submit this form to request a retake
No – your retake does not expire.
You can retake an exam as many times as you wish. Each retake must be purchased separately.
Your retake is added to the version of the exam that you originally purchased. If you originally purchased the Standard version, then the retake will be the Standard version also.
If you made a mistake with your original purchase and need to change to a different version, please contact CDMP Support staff.
Still have a question?