CDMP FAQ - DAMA International

CDMP stands for "Certified Data Management Professional”. The certification was jointly constructed by DAMA International (DAMA) and the Institute for Certification of Computer Professionals (ICCP). DAMA owns the CDMP certification, and ICCP administers and delivers exams, provides all record keeping. ICCP exam and course sessions are NOT offered by DAMA or its chapters directly; the ICCP has an agreement with DAMA International to offer exams and courses in conjunction with DAMA chapters and conference locations.
Depending on your area of focus, you can choose which exams you wish to take
Source: www.iccp.org

What are the benefits of attaining the CDMP certification?

The financial benefits of the CDMP and of a professional certification over a vendor specific certification are discussed in greater detail at http://www.iccp.org/iccpnew/faq.html.

A practical means of assessing your skills and experience.
Help in your career advancement and compensation.
The satisfaction of measuring yourself against the highest industry standards.
Membership in a distinctive peer group made up of your fellow professionals.
Recognition for your specialized knowledge in a choice of seventeen specialty areas.
The opportunity to test your knowledge in a specific area of the profession by earning a proficiency certificate.
For people new to the industry, an entry-level exam designed to measure their standing -- and provide a starting point for building their professional careers through recognition as an Associate Computing Professional (ACP).
Successfully passed exams can count as college credit.

What is the ICCP?

The Institute for the Certification of Computing Professionals is an institution for professional certification in the computer engineering and information technology industry. It was founded in 1973. Under the direction of 6 constituent societies (including DAMA International) and 19 affiliate societies, ICCP actively promotes these standards by offering the only broadly applicable and internationally recognized certification program in the profession. (Source: www.Wikipedia.org)

How do I attain the CDMP certification?

You must pass three (3) exams:

A CORE IT Skills exam ( mandatory)
Data Management Core (mandatory)
One (1) additional specialty exams (mandatory and must be chosen from the list below)

The specialty exam is chosen from a small pool of exams, allowing you to focus on your area of interest. These areas of interest are:

Data Governance and Stewardship
Data Development
Data Operations (DBA) and Security
Data Warehousing
Data & Information Quality
Zachman Enterprise Architecture Framework 2
Business Intelligence & Analytics
Integrated IT Project Management

Each exam costs $285 USD (US dollars) - pass or fail.

Exams must be proctored by a certified CDMP in good standing.

The study materials (depending on the format you choose) will cost upwards of $300 USD. So you should budget $1,200 USD to attain the CDMP certification.

From time to time beta exams are offered when they are being developed or updated. Generally these can be taken for FREE, and with a small conversion fee, successful completion can be applied towards a CDMP certification.

Can you give me a peek inside the exam content?NEW

Here is the CDMP exams outline ( pdf file format).

I already hold another certification, can I use to towards my CDMP? How much does this cost?

If you hold of one or more of the certifications listed at: http://www.iccp.org/iccpnew/ccp.html#substitutions, your certification can be substituted for one of the two elective exams, but not more. You will still be required to write the CORE IS Skills exam, in addition to an elective exam, thereby reducing the number of exams you need to write from 3 to 2.

The ICCP would need a copy of the certificate as proof of your certification. The conversion from CBIP to CDMP is $125 USD. The conversion from CDMP to CBIP is $300 USD. The conversion from CDMP to CCP is $125 USD.

Other certifications must be current and in good standing. Also the substitution of specialty exams applies to the CDMP and CCP, not the CBIP.

What are the time limits and timeframes ?

For the exams themselves, the time limit for each exam is 90 minutes.

Upon signing up for an exam, the student must take the exam within 90 days.

All exams must be completed within 3 years from the time the first exam was taken.

Can I take the test from home over the Internet?

Yes and no. The exam can be taken over the Internet, but still requires an authorized human proctor to be present. Immediate test results are given upon exam completion.

The following ICCP web page provides information on how to do this: http://www.iccp.org/iccpnew/internettest.html

Exams can also be taken using a USB key arranged for in advance with the ICCP. The USB key also provides immediate test results upon exam completion. Students will be expected to bring a laptop. If the student cannot obtain a lap, a local sponsoring DAMA chapter may provide a loaner laptop for the duration of the exam; however this is a local arrangement.

Exams and study courses are offered on an occasional basis, please contact office@iccp.org for details and to express interest.

Technical Requirements for the Exam

The exam software runs on all Windows platforms. It is best to use a Windows laptop rather than another laptop platform, e.g. Apple Mac.

The new version of the Exam Mechanic Presenter software requires .NET 3.5. If you get a message stating that your laptop does not run this version, then the proctor must bring up the older Exam Mechanic software that is on the USB in a separate folder.
For those exam candidates who are using corporate laptops, make sure the laptops do not have encrypted USB drives. Do this simple test – have the exam taker save a file to a USB and have him or her open the file. If it does not open, then the USB drive is encrypted and another laptop must be used. The ICCP office cannot read encrypted USB drives.
Remote internet proctoring requires a webcam, headset with microphone and government issued identification to show.

Are there different levels of certification?

Yes, if you pass the exams with an average score of > 70% you will receive the “Masters” designation. Those that pass the exam, but do not obtain a 70% score will receive the “Practitioners” designation.

You can retake the exam(s) later to upgrade your standing from Practitioners to Masters.

What are the study materials and how do I obtain them?

Study materials can be obtained through the ICCP. The study materials required are:

The CORE IT Skills Package, to prepare for the CORE IS Skills exam costs $215 USD.
The CDMP examination guide. This guide outlines the source materials to prepare for each specific elective exam, so your actual cost of study materials will depend on which area of interest you are focused on (and hence which study materials are required). The guide costs $89 USD. (You can either purchase or borrow from the library the referenced materials in this study guide.)
Data Management Study Guide – particular to that exam
Data Warehousing Study Guide - particular to that exam

Additionally the DAMA Guide to the Data Management Body of Knowledge ( DAMA-DMBOK) and the DAMA Dictionary of Data Management can be purchased from Amazon.com and in the future will be included in CDMP course materials.

All materials can be purchased from this web site: http://www.iccp.org/iccpnew/materials.html

If purchasing materials is a concern, contact your local DAMA Chapter to see if there is a program for loaning out or subsidizing the materials to chapter members.

Cram courses are also available from the ICCP. Contact office@iccp.org for further information.

Where can I get certified?

Contact the ICCP at info@iccp.org to arrange for exam taking. They guarantee that exams can be arranged for around the world.

DAMA chapters from time to time arrange for exam sessions; and there is a sharing of arrangements with ICCP in that case. Cram courses are also offered by ICCP usually just before the exam sessions at chapters and at conferences. Additionally In Canada both IRMAC (Information Resource Management Association of Canada), a DAMA Affiliate HQ in Toronto, and CIPS (Canadian Information Processing Society), provide CDMP proctoring services and facilities.

What CDMP services does IRMAC (TORONTO) provide?

IRMAC has decided to take a group and session based approach to the exams. Namely, IRMAC offers a select number of sessions per year to which, if you join the session, offering the following advantages:

Students can study with CDMP peers.
Students can share study materials and study material costs with past and present students.
The examination location is centrally located in a subway accessible facility in Toronto ,or another central Toronto location arranged by IRMAC.

What happens after I am certified?

After gaining the CDMP, there is an annual membership fee of $75. Every 3 years 120 credits of mandatory Continuing Education Units (CEU's) in Data Management must be performed and registered with the ICCP in order to keep the CDMP certification in good standing. The goals of continuing professional development are:

To maintain professional competence.
To update existing knowledge and skills.
To attain new or additional knowledge and skills.

There are ways to gain CEU's FREE. Please see this presentation for details on the Recertification Program for CDMP: CDMP Recertification NEW

February 2011 updated information on acquiring a CDMP and Recertification : CDMP FAQ NEW