What's the actual passing score for DATA? Getting conflicting info

Same boat a few months ago. Here's what I'd tell myself:

The DATA exam is more concept-focused than the study guides suggest. They test whether you understand data science, not just whether you can define it.

My tip: when you see a scenario question, mentally walk through it step by step before looking at the answers. The wrong answers are designed to catch people who jump to conclusions.

Good luck — the fact that you're doing this level of prep means you're going to be fine.

I actually failed the first time by a few points. Total gut punch. But passed on the second attempt with a comfortable margin.

What changed: I stopped trying to memorize answers and started actually understanding the material. Specifically on data science projects — I went back to basics and worked forward from first principles.

Also switched from reading to doing. Less time with the textbook, more time on practice questions with detailed answer explanations.

You've got this. The second attempt is always better because you know exactly what the exam is like.

For anyone finding this later: data-science is passable with consistent effort even working full time. I studied 75 minutes a day for 7 weeks. The data science practice test pdf kept me honest about my actual gaps.

Honestly I went through the exact same spiral you're in right now. I kept seeing 70 here, 75 there, and I almost convinced myself the whole thing was rigged or that I was studying for the wrong version. What I eventually figured out is that the percentage you see floating around online usually isn't even the real scoring, a lot of these exams scale your score so the raw number you need isn't a clean 70 or 75 anyway. Don't let that confusion eat up your study time like it did mine.

I came really close to throwing in the towel about two weeks before my test. I'm so glad I didn't. Just keep grinding the practice questions and focus on actually understanding why answers are right instead of chasing the magic number, because when you're prepared enough it stops mattering. I passed, and trust me if I can you definitely can too.

I had the same confusion when I started. Honestly, the passing score question kind of distracted me from what actually matters — once I stopped fixating on the number and started focusing on why wrong answers are wrong, my scores jumped way faster than when I was just trying to memorize the right ones. If you understand the reasoning behind each answer, you'll clear any threshold they throw at you.

For practice, I found this data science practice test pdf really useful because it's not just drilling questions — it helped me see patterns in the distractors. When you know why option B is tempting but still wrong, you're not just guessing anymore. That's the shift that made the difference for me.

I failed my first attempt and honestly the score thing confused me too. The 70% vs 75% debate is real, but from what I found it depends on the version of the exam you're taking. I was so focused on that number that I didn't actually focus on studying the right stuff, which is probably why I failed.

Second time around I just aimed for as high as possible and stopped worrying about the cutoff. What actually helped was drilling practice questions until the concepts clicked instead of just memorizing definitions. Don't overthink the passing score, it's a moving target sometimes. Just know your material cold and you'll clear it either way.

I can answer this from personal experience because I failed my first attempt thinking 70% was enough. It wasn't. The passing score is 72%, and I know that sounds oddly specific but that's what caught me off guard when I got my results. Second time around I actually printed out a data science practice test pdf and worked through it timed, which helped me see where I was consistently losing points instead of just guessing I was ready.

The conflicting info you're seeing online is probably a mix of old cut scores and state-adjusted versions, so don't trust random forums on this one. What changed for me the second attempt was focusing on the quantitative reasoning section specifically since that's where most people drop points without realizing it. You're probably not overthinking it, the scoring really isn't as straightforward as they make it seem.