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A professional-level summary covering key definitions, frameworks, and exam-relevant points.
DMBOK v2 Structure
| Knowledge Area | CDMP Weight | Key Concepts |
|---|---|---|
| Data Governance | 11% | Governance framework, roles, policies, stewardship |
| Data Architecture | 6% | Enterprise architecture, data models, roadmaps |
| Data Modeling & Design | 11% | Conceptual, logical, physical models; normalisation |
| Data Storage & Operations | 6% | Database administration, performance, backup |
| Data Security | 6% | Classification, access control, privacy, compliance |
| Data Integration & Interoperability | 6% | ETL/ELT, data virtualisation, SOA, APIs |
| Document & Content Management | 6% | Unstructured data, ECM, records management |
| Reference & Master Data | 10% | MDM, reference data, golden records |
| Data Warehousing & BI | 10% | Kimball, Inmon, star schema, OLAP |
| Metadata Management | 11% | Business, technical, operational metadata |
| Data Quality | 11% | Six dimensions, profiling, root cause, stewardship |
The DMBOK Wheel
The DMBOK is often represented as a wheel with Data Governance at the hub and the other 10 knowledge areas as spokes. This visual representation emphasises that governance is the central discipline that connects and enables all other data management activities. The wheel also includes Data Management as the outer ring, representing the profession as a whole.
CDMP Exam Relevance
The CDMP exam is based entirely on the DMBOK v2. Every question can be traced back to a specific section of the DMBOK. The exam tests both conceptual understanding (what is X?) and applied knowledge (in this scenario, which approach is most consistent with DMBOK guidance?). Candidates who understand the DMBOK deeply — not just memorise facts — consistently achieve the highest scores.