Okay so I've been lurking here for months and figured it was time to actually contribute something useful. I failed the TDC exam back in November and again in February — both times I thought I was ready and both times I walked out feeling like I'd studied the completely wrong things. The official materials are honestly pretty vague about what's actually tested heavily.
What finally clicked for me was finding a decent TDC practice test that mimicked the real question style. The actual exam loves scenario-based questions, not just definitions. I also spent about three weeks going through a proper study guide that broke down the coding and documentation sections separately instead of lumping everything together. That structure made a huge difference for me personally.
My biggest exam tip: don't skip the ethics and compliance module even if it feels like common sense stuff. I lost easy points there both times because I assumed I knew it. Ended up scoring a 78 on my third attempt — not a perfect pass but I'll absolutely take it. Happy to answer questions if anyone's prepping right now.