I failed my first CDM attempt back in March by 11 points and honestly wanted to give up. I'd studied for about six weeks using just the ANFP study materials and thought that was enough. Spoiler: it wasn't. The exam hit me with a ton of procurement and financial management questions I wasn't remotely prepared for.
Second attempt I completely changed my approach. I spent eight weeks this time, focused heavily on the cost control and sanitation/safety domains since those tripped me up most. I also started doing a CDM practice test every few days to get comfortable with the question format — that honestly made the biggest difference. The wording on real exam questions is tricky and you have to practice reading them carefully.
Passed with a 78 on my retake. If anyone is prepping right now and feeling overwhelmed, I'm happy to share what my week-by-week study schedule looked like. The exam is totally passable if you're strategic about it.