After failing with a 71% in March (passing is 75%), I just got my results back and cleared it with an 82%. I wanted to post a breakdown because when I was searching for study advice before my first attempt I couldn't find anything that was actually specific to CDS content.
The biggest shift I made was moving from memorizing definitions to working through ADA accommodation scenarios. About 40% of what I saw the second time was situation-based - a student or employee situation, choose the most appropriate response. The first time I was too focused on recall and completely underestimated how many application questions there were.
I studied for 9 weeks for the second attempt, about 1.5 hours a day. The NADE guide was useful but I supplemented it with ADAAA regulations and EEOC case summaries. The universal design and assistive technology section tripped me up on attempt one - I'd suggest spending at least a week on that domain specifically.
Good point about universal design - that whole section felt like it came out of nowhere when I took it. I'd been so focused on legal frameworks that I hadn't spent nearly enough time on physical and digital accessibility standards.
Congrats on passing! I'm scheduled for July and the scenario questions are exactly what I'm most anxious about. Did you find any resource with realistic practice scenarios or did you mostly build your own from the regulations?
Second attempt pass rate for CDS is actually pretty high from what I've seen - most people who fail the first time are slightly off on one or two domains, not missing the whole picture. Your application vs. recall breakdown explains a lot.
The EEOC case summaries are an underrated resource - I used those for SHRM prep too. They force you to think about intent vs. impact which comes up constantly in accommodation questions.
Congrats on passing! Your breakdown is really similar to what happened to me. First time I was doing way too much reading and not enough actual practice with the diagnostic criteria. I'd read through something, feel like I understood it, and then completely blank when the question was phrased differently than I expected. What finally clicked was finding a solid question bank and drilling it until the application felt automatic. I used free cds disability assessment diagnosis questions to get reps in on the stuff I kept missing, and honestly just doing more timed practice changed everything for me.
The other thing I'd add is don't underestimate how much the wording of the questions matters. It's not enough to know the material, you've got to know how they ask about it. Second attempt I wasn't smarter, I was just more familiar with the format. Good luck to everyone still waiting on results.