Failed the DSE — what to do differently the second time

Same experience here. The dse - data science supervised learning: classification questions and answers was what finally made it click for me — specifically the way it explains the reasoning rather than just giving answers. Took me 4 weeks of consistent practice but scores went from 67% to 86% by exam day.

Really helpful breakdown, thanks for sharing. I'm at week 2 of my DSE prep and the study guide section is exactly where I'm struggling too. Going to try the approach you described and see if it moves my scores.

Quick update: just cleared 89% on my most recent DSE practice set using dse data science big data technologies. Sitting for the real thing in 4 weeks. Feeling cautiously optimistic.

I failed my first attempt too, and honestly the biggest thing I changed was how I actually studied instead of just how much. I'd been going through practice questions and moving on the second I got something right, which felt productive but wasn't. The second time I forced myself to explain every wrong answer out loud before I moved on, even the ones I got wrong just from carelessness. It sounds tedious but it's what made concepts actually stick.

The other thing is don't cram the week before. I know that sounds obvious but I did exactly that the first time and showed up exhausted. Second attempt I wrapped up new material about five days out and just did light review after that. You probably already know what your weak areas are since you mentioned study guide, so trust that and go deep on it early rather than trying to cover everything equally. It's not about putting in more hours, it's about making the hours count differently.

Quick update for anyone following this thread: I just hit 78% on my last practice run, which honestly felt like a turning point. The first few weeks after failing I was just going through the motions, but something clicked around week three and the material started actually sticking. I've been drilling the weak spots every morning before work instead of cramming at night when I'm half asleep.

I'm planning to sit again in late August. Feels far away but it's really not, and I'd rather go in overprepared than rush it. If you're in the same boat, don't give up on it. The retake feels different when you know exactly where you fell short the first time.