Just failed DIS exam by 4 points — what am I missing in my prep? — Forums

Alex G.OP

May 27, 2026

So I took the DIS certification exam last Tuesday and got a 71 when I needed a 75 to pass. Honestly gutted. I'd been studying for about six weeks, mostly using the official handbook and a few YouTube videos I found, but clearly something isn't clicking. My weakest sections were data stewardship governance and the metadata management stuff — I kept second-guessing myself on those.

I'm planning to retake in about 45 days and I want to actually fix my approach this time rather than just reading the same material harder. Has anyone used a DIS practice test that actually felt close to the real exam? I've seen a few sites floating around but some of the questions feel way off from what I actually saw on test day. Also wondering if a structured study guide would help me more than just reading chapters randomly.

Any exam tips from people who've passed would be seriously appreciated. Especially curious about how much time people actually spent on data quality vs. data architecture topics — those two felt huge on my attempt.

Amanda H.

May 28, 2026

Honestly the official DAMA study guide is good but dense. I paired it with a DIS practice test bank that had detailed answer explanations — that's where I actually learned, not from reading passages again. One thing nobody warned me about: the data quality section has a lot of questions where two answers look basically identical. You have to train yourself to spot the subtle wording differences. What score are you targeting for the retake?

Sarah M.

May 28, 2026

Failed my first attempt too, so you're not alone. What made the difference for me was switching to timed practice tests about three weeks out — like full 110-question sessions, not just random quizzes. I found the governance questions on the real exam were way more scenario-based than straightforward definitions. Budget roughly 60% of your remaining study time on governance and metadata. That shift alone probably moved me from a 72 to an 82 on my second try.

Mike_T

May 28, 2026

45 days is plenty of time if you're focused. I passed on my second attempt after only 30 days of structured prep. Biggest exam tip: don't skip the case study-style questions in whatever practice material you use — they're annoying but they mirror the real thing almost exactly.

Just failed DIS exam by 4 points — what am I missing in my prep?

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