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Accessible by design: Our new accommodations for certification exams
Taking a proctored exam can be intimidating, even for the most seasoned professionals. While certification validates a learner’s skills and expertise, the exam environment itself can sometimes pose unnecessary barriers.
Our goal is to test your ability, not your endurance. That’s why we’ve made significant updates to make our exam experience more inclusive and less stressful. You can now utilize a range of accommodations, including extended time, assistive technology, comfort items, and access to resources like Anapedia, to create an environment that helps you perform your best.
The goal of the recent modifications we championed was simple but meaningful: to ensure that Anaplan certification exams focus on measuring skills and knowledge, not how well someone navigates a test under pressure. By introducing thoughtful accommodations into the standard exam experience, we’re creating a more inclusive, equitable, and learner-centered certification journey.
Why these modifications matter
We know that a proctored environment can create discomfort, distractions, and stress. Our vision is to make sure that every learner, regardless of their personal circumstances or needs, can approach the exam with confidence and focus on demonstrating what they know.
The changes are designed to minimize avoidable friction during the exam process, support accessibility, and ensure that we uphold the integrity of the certification while honoring diverse learning and testing needs.
What’s now part of the standard certification exam experience
The following accommodations are now available to all learners taking an Anaplan certification exam:
* Access to specific Anaplan learning resources like Anaplan Planual, Anaplan Community, and Anaplan Anapedia.
* Physical whiteboard usage is allowed with clear security protocols: no pen and paper, and the board must be shown erased before ending the session.
* IMPORTANT: Please note that pens and paper are not allowed during exam taking to prevent any questions from leaking and to protect the integrity of the exam.
* Extended exam times for those who need more processing time
* Use of medical devices, ensuring health needs don’t become barriers
* Music or ambient sounds in the background to help ease anxiety
* Leniency with eye-tracking requirements, recognizing natural movements and accessibility needs
* Breaks as needed
* Comfort items (will be coordinated with the proctor during exam taking)
* Comfort or service animals to support learners with disabilities
* Drinks and water, so staying hydrated isn’t a privilege
* Permission to move around/stretch, reducing physical strain during long sessions
* Screen reader or text-to-speech support for those who benefit from auditory processing
* Assistive technology such as magnifiers, dictation tools, or alternative input devices
Putting learners first while protecting exam integrity
Each accommodation was carefully considered to balance accessibility and security. This ensures that candidates have the flexibility they need without compromising the credibility of their certification.
This change isn’t just operational; it’s cultural. It reflects our commitment to meeting learners where they are, fostering trust in the certification process, and empowering every candidate to succeed based on merit.
Looking ahead
These modifications are just the beginning. As we continue to evolve the certification program, we’ll keep listening to feedback, removing barriers, and driving improvements that make the experience fair, inclusive, and supportive for all.
Certification should reflect what someone knows, not how well they adapt to discomfort. And now, we’re one step closer to making that a reality.
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Five new Anaplan features you may not be using
Author: Misbah Ansari is a Certified Master Anaplanner, Anaplan Community Moderator & Community Boss, and CEO/Founder at Miz Logix.
Anaplan has come a long way as part of its product development. We have seen so many features being released over the past few years which has not only helped Anaplan carve a place for itself in the market among its competitors, but is being called out as a leader by most of the third-party surveys. But did you know that there are some features which are priceless and still go unnoticed?
Here are some of the latest features that Anaplan released in the past few months which has made a difference in how we approach our model development.
* Move Pages across Apps
We all have been there when we complained about having to duplicate the changes on the dashboard, first in the lower environments for testing and then to Prod App (only once the tag has been pushed to Prod Model). Now, you can just move the page from one app to another ideally by duplicating the page in the app of lower environment (QA/Test/Pre-Prod), make required changes on the page and push/move the page to Prod App. Note that there are other factors that need to be taken into consideration as well while working on this, like App management (single vs multiple), UX page access, removing the redundant pages etc.
* Assign landing page to the roles
This feature comes handy while routing users to their respective landing pages. It is simple to set up and can be used to assign landing pages to multiple roles across multiple models in a single pane.
* Changing all occurrences in one go
It could be model builders’ savior when there is a lengthy and complicated formula written especially when there is a repetition of modules and line items used. You need to be in the formula editor mode and click on the key word/statement that you want to change, right click on it (or Press CMD+F2 or CTRL+F2).
* UX Page dependency data
Remember “Used in Dashboards” column in modules view which used to be mostly blank if you are not using Classic Dashboards and using UX? Well, there is good news for all the model builders. Recently, Anaplan has released a feature which is a game changer for model builders. Now model builders can see which UX pages are linked to each module, improving visibility into dependencies so that you can make informed decision about the modules. Note : This feature is only available in beta experience of modules view.
* Enforce unique naming in imports
Do you know that this feature can be used if there is a unique code in our data structure but not the unique names? Most of us straightaway think about numbered list if we have such a data structure. But if the naming convention of the list items don’t matter to you, this feature can be used in such cases. Make sure that the import is set on “Code Only” while setting up the import and “Enforce unique naming” flag is checked too. This will generate the names with appended “~1,2,3 etc. “in your lists: Note: Before using this feature, please talk to your solution architect about it as this can lead to performance issues if the data volume is high.
File:
Anaplan:
Let me know about if there is any feature that you think is priceless and went unnoticed or is not getting its due credit. Leave a comment!
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Practical lessons from building Anaplan Centers of Excellence
As part of the Anaplan Eastern Europe & Middle Asia User Group, Certified Master Anaplanners Anton Mineev (@AntonMineev), Anton Suslov (@AntonS_*9173), and Dmitrii Mamaev (@dmitrii.mamaev) shared hands-on experience in creating and maturing Centers of Excellence (CoEs). This article summarizes their key insights from the discussion. You may find it helpful if your role involves CoE strategy today — or if you're preparing to establish one in the future.
Why a CoE matters
A Center of Excellence acts as the foundation for scalable, sustainable Anaplan success. It builds internal capability, enforces architectural discipline, and accelerates delivery.
The session explored what works, what doesn't and why there's no single universal formula for building a successful CoE.
The maturity journey
The group examined how companies determine the ideal structure and governance approach for their CoE. Each approach reflects different priorities around ownership, alignment, and model governance:
* Stage 0 – No CoE: All work is done by external partners. Fast to start, but limited scalability and high dependency on outside resources.
* Stage 1 – Single specialist: One dedicated resource handles administrator tasks and small updates, learning from partners along the way.
* Stage 2 – Centralized CoE team: Builds new models, manages integrations, and enforces standards. Independence from partners is achieved.
* Stage 3 – Hybrid model: As a central team grows, proximity to the business may decline. A hybrid structure maintains centralized governance while embedding members into business functions or use cases. This keeps standards and training consistent while ensuring close alignment with business needs.
A company's CoE structure can shift over time — not only progressing forward but also reverting to earlier models — depending on organizational priorities, resourcing, and the strategic role of Anaplan within the enterprise.
Organizational placement: IT verses the business
When establishing a CoE, determining its position within the organization is a strategic decision that shapes governance, influence, and impact.
The discussion explored common structures and their trade-offs:
* IT-led CoE: technically strong and stable but often distant from end users. May compete with other IT initiatives or resist change ('If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it').
* Business-led CoE: agile and close to decision makers, but risks ad-hoc solutions and loss of architectural control.
* Hybrid model: formally part of IT but with embedded business resources. This combines centralized governance and technical standards with local ownership and agility — a balance that often delivers the best results at scale.
Roles and talent in a CoE
A CoE's success depends heavily on the right mix of roles and skill sets as it matures.
Key positions commonly found within an Anaplan CoE include:
* Key user / business administrator: Filters requests, aligns stakeholders, and ensures quality of requirements. Deep model-building skills aren't required, but understanding Anaplan principles, data flows, and interdependencies is essential. In stable models (for example, standardized reporting), a Key User can manage versions and perform simple updates.
* Model builder: develops and maintains models. A motivated junior with more learning time can often outperform an overloaded senior.
* Solution architect: defines standards, manages complexity, and ensures performance. This role can be developed internally or sourced externally.
* Workspace admin: Manages environments and access — often combined with other roles, especially as automation reduces manual administrator effort.
External partner verses internal CoE
The panel also discussed the key differences and trade-offs between relying on external partners and developing internal CoE capabilities:
* Licensing considerations: External and internal accounts may be treated differently. Always confirm with your Anaplan representative.
* Data security: Partner access expands the exposure surface — implement additional safeguards.
* Sensitive data paradox: HR or payroll data often remains restricted from external partners — a best practice in many organizations. The key is to ensure that any sensitive information, whether shared internally or externally, is managed with appropriate governance, caution, and confidentiality.
Efficiency and effectiveness
From their collective experience, the panelists observed several factors that influence efficiency and long-term success when comparing internal and external models:
* Internal team members often complete tasks faster due to deeper context and fewer administrative steps.
* External involvement introduces hand-offs, paperwork, and re-onboarding overhead.
* Partner availability and continuity can vary — context loss is common after long gaps.
* Knowledge transfer is consistently more reliable within an internal CoE than between internal and external resources.
Key takeaways
To close the session, the panel summarized several universal lessons for organizations at any stage of their CoE journey:
* There's no single formula for CoE success — design depends on scope, scale, and the strategic role of Anaplan.
* CoE members should actively engage in community discussion forums and learning events to stay aligned with best practices and platform evolution.
* Even small organizations should designate at least one Key User to retain model and process knowledge — a critical safeguard against data and continuity risk.
Questions? Leave a comment!
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Article contributors: Anton Mineev, Anton Suslov, and Dmitrii Mamaev — Certified Master Anaplanners and members of the Anaplan Eastern Europe & Middle Asia User Group.
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🧩Mixing Numeric & Percentage Line items in Line-Item Subsets (LIS) - Use Ratio summary
When working with Line-Item Subsets (LIS) in Anaplan, you might’ve noticed something tricky - LIS works beautifully when your report mixes numeric values like Revenue and Cost, but the moment you introduce a percentage-based line item (like Margin %), things start breaking at the summary level.
Recently, while building a financial report, we got this idea:
📊 The Situation
My LIS included the following line items:
* Revenue
* Cost
* Margin %
At the month level, everything looked perfect. But when I rolled up the data to the quarter level, my Margin % started showing incorrect results —because the line item summary was set to SUM.
Essentially, Anaplan was summing the monthly ratios instead of recalculating them using the quarterly totals.
Even though the original formula was:
Margin % = (Revenue - Cost) / Revenue
the quarterly summary became misleading — it was simply adding up percentages instead of deriving the true ratio from aggregated values.
🧠 The Fix — Using Helper Line Items for Correct Aggregation
To address this, I had to separate the calculation logic and introduce helper line items within my LIS module.
Here’s how I solved it 👇
* Created two helper line items:* Margin % Numerator = Revenue - Cost
* Margin % Denominator = Revenue
* Set both helper line items’ summaries to SUM(so they aggregate correctly across time and hierarchy)
* Set Summary method = Ratio in my target line item:* Ratio Numerator: Margin % Numerator
* Ratio Denominator: Margin % Denominator
Now, the model recalculates Margin % dynamically at Quarter and Year level —no more inflated or misleading ratios 🎯
💡 Key Takeaway
Whenever you’re working with Line-Item Subsets that combine numeric and percentage-based metrics:
* Use helper line items to separate numerator and denominator logic.
* Set the summary method to Ratio instead of SUM or Formula.
* Always validate calculations at higher levels of hierarchy to ensure data integrity.
Accurate ratio aggregation is critical in FP&A, reporting, and modeling and this small design tweak can save you from big interpretation errors in your executive dashboards.
Never sum ratios. Always recalculate them.
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Certified Master Anaplanner Exam Study Guide: Essential Anaplan Topics
Certified Master Anaplanner Exam Study Guide: Essential Anaplan Topics
The best way to hone your expertise is practical experience. Being a certified solution architect is the first step, but we recommend one or more years of hands-on experience using Anaplan to uncover all you can do with the platform. Training can also help you advance your technical skills and learn best practices for working with Anaplan. In addition to our required training, the following materials can help you get a well-rounded understanding of the platform. Learn how you can grow your knowledge in the areas within this study guide for the Certified Master Anaplanner Exam.
The exam format is a combination of multiple-choice and multiple selection questions. There are 60 questions in the exam that need to be completed within 90 minutes (1.5 hours). The passing score is 45. There are knowledge-based questions which reference the review topics and application-based questions that check the learner’s experience using the Anaplan. To reiterate, it advisable that those planning to take the exam have sufficient model building and project implementation experience.
Other helpful links regarding the exam:
* Requirements to register for Certified Master Anaplanner Exam
* Exam FAQs
CMA Exam Topics
Data Hubs
* Data Hubs: Purpose and Peak Performance
Center of Excellence
* Building a Center of Excellence
* Introduction to Centers of Excellence
* Selecting Center of Excellence Governance Structures
* Center of Excellence Roles and Responsibilities
* Why Do I Need a Center of Excellence?
Data Integration
* Data Related Training Classes
* Get Started with Imports
* Exports from Anaplan
* Overview of Private and Default Files
* Import Data Sources
* Data Integration
* Anaplan Connect
* Guide to Data Integration using Anaplan REST API
* Anaplan API Guide and Reference
Anaplan Extensions
* Excel Add-in Version 4.0
* Third-party Data Integration
Application Lifecycle Management (ALM)
* ALM Overview
* Revision Tag Best Practices
* Save Incomplete Changes when Synchronizing in ALM
* Production Lists Overview
* Structural Information Reference
Model Building Best Practices
* Best Practices for Module Design
* Formula Optimization in Anaplan Knowledge
* Time Range Application
* Reduce Calculations for Better Performance
* PLANS–This Is How We Model Shared Best Practice
* Add Notes
Formulas and Functions
* Calculation Functions
* YEARTODATE Function
* Formula Structure for Performance
* SELECT Function
* RANK Function
Dynamic Cell Access
* Dynamic Cell Access
* Dynamic Cell OR Selective Access
* Dynamic Cell Access Learning App
Selective Access
* Selective Access (Anapedia)
* Selective Access (Academy)
Time Ranges
* Time Ranges
* Introduction to Time Ranges
* Time Ranges–The Basics
Dashboard Filtering
* Filter (Anapedia)
* Filter Best Practice
The Anaplan Way
* The Anaplan Way - OnDemand (Learning Center)
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Securing your planning process: best practices for Anaplan cybersecurity
Author: Tristan Colgate is a Certified Master Anaplanner and Managing Director at Fidenda.
This month is Cybersecurity Awareness Month and cybersecurity is an important topic for anyone involved in developing and maintaining Anaplan solutions. We are often storing sensitive information such as financial, employee, customer, commercial, and operational data in our Anaplan models; it’s essential that we take the security of this information seriously. There’s a wealth of information on this topic on the Anaplan website, both in the help, product information and community pages. My purpose is writing this blog was to bring that information together in one place — at a high level — to give an overview of all security considerations. It should be seen as a starting point for anyone tasked with ensuring that their organization’s Anaplan solution is as secure as it can be.
Understanding Anaplan's security foundation
Before diving into specific security practices, it's important to understand that Anaplan was built from the ground up using the core principles of information security, known as the AIC triad:
* Availability: Ensuring that information and systems are accessible when needed by authorized users. Anaplan achieves this through redundant infrastructure, geographically distributed data centers, and robust business continuity measures.
* Integrity: Maintaining and ensuring the accuracy and consistency of data throughout its entire lifecycle. Anaplan employs ACID-compliant (Atomicity, Consistency, Isolation, Durability) transaction principles to guarantee data remains in a known, valid state.
* Confidentiality: Preventing the disclosure of information to unauthorized individuals or systems. Anaplan implements this through comprehensive access controls, encryption, and secure data transmission protocols.
With this foundation in mind, let's explore how organizations can enhance security across different aspects of their Anaplan implementation.
User access: The first line of defense
The most sophisticated security infrastructure can be compromised by poor user access practices. Here are essential considerations for securing user access within your Anaplan environment:
Single Sign-On (SSO) implementation
Nowadays almost all organizations use SSO to control user access to their enterprise IT solutions. I strongly recommend expanding SSO coverage to include Anaplan. This brings several benefits.
* Streamlined authentication: Users access Anaplan through your organization’s identity provider, reducing password fatigue and creating a more seamless experience.
* Enhanced security: SSO supports multi-factor authentication (MFA), dynamic filtering, and customer policy controls.
* Centralized control: User access can be immediately revoked through your identity management system when staff leave or change roles.
* Compliance support: Simplifies audit trails for access management and demonstrates good security governance.
* Reduced administrative burden: Decreases help desk tickets related to password resets and account lockouts.
Anaplan's SSO capabilities are SAML 2.0 compliant and integrate seamlessly with major identity providers like Okta, Ping, Entra ID (formerly Azure AD), and other SAML 2.0 identity federation services. Setting up SSO typically requires coordination between your IT security team and Anaplan administrators, but the security benefits far outweigh the initial setup complexity. Set up is performed in the Administrator console.
If your organization doesn’t use SSO, then access to Anaplan will be secured through users entering passwords. Rest assured that Anaplan enforces several policies to ensure password security:
* Password complexity requirements: Minimum eight characters, at least one uppercase, one lowercase, one numeric.
* Password lifecycle management: Mandatory password changes every 90 days.
* Account protection: lockout after several consecutive failed login attempts, automatic session termination after a period of inactivity, secure password reset processes.
* Admin controls: forcing password resets, audit logging of password-related activities.
Endpoint protection
Securing the devices from which your end users access your Anaplan environment is equally important. Your organization likely already has policies governing the following, but for completeness I recommend the following:
* Device security: Ensure company devices have up-to-date antivirus/antimalware protection.
* Patch management: Apply regular security patches and updates to operating systems and browsers.
* Browser security: Ensure users are not able to install browser add-ons that have not been verified by your security team. In particular there are browser extensions that advertise features that make Anaplan Model Building easier. I would recommend not using these extensions as, by their nature, they are given access to analyze the content of Anaplan screens and so could have access to sensitive information. I recommend only trusting functionality from Anaplan in this regard.
* Mobile device management: Implement policies to secure smartphones and tablets that access Anaplan.
* Network security: Configure firewall rules and IP allow listing for Anaplan access.
* Public access restrictions: Educate users about the risks of accessing Anaplan from unsecured public networks.
* Other: Many organizations implement a secure workspace policy that specifies requirements for devices accessing business-critical applications like Anaplan, including automatic screen locking, disk encryption, and minimum security software requirements.
Integration security: protecting data in transit
As Anaplan connects with other systems in your enterprise architecture, securing these integrations becomes critical to maintaining your overall security posture.
Integration options overview
Anaplan offers several methods for data integration, each with specific security considerations:
* Manual file upload/download: Simple but requires governance around file handling. Ensure the locations in which files are situated are secured.
* Anaplan Connect: Command-line Java executable that can be installed on-premise behind the firewall and connects with Anaplan via the API. Here, ensure restricted access to the Anaplan Connect configuration and executable files on the operating system where they reside to prevent them being adapted to compromise security. I recommend using certificate authorization, rather than storing usernames and passwords in configuration files.
* Anaplan CloudWorks: Native connectivity to cloud storage solutions like AWS S3, Google Cloud Storage, and Azure Blob Storage. The security features of these platforms should be used to (a) restrict user access to file locations and configuration and (b) use allow lists to ensure only traffic from Anaplan sites is accepted when invoking services through their API.
* Anaplan Data Orchestrator (ADO): An integration platform with standard extractors, transformation capabilities, and loading functionality. As with CloudWorks, this provides access to hyperscaler platforms, with similar considerations around security. ADO also provides access to other platforms such as Snowflake and SQL Server — the same principles as those for hyperscaler access are recommended, with attention to the specific nuances of those platforms.
* APIs: Rich suite of APIs for programmatic interaction with Anaplan. See section below for best practice security considerations here.
* Third-party ETL tools: Various commercial ETL tools with Anaplan connectors
API authentication and authorization
When using Anaplan's APIs, I recommend implementing these security best practices:
* Certificate-based or OAuth2 authentication: Use certificates or OAuth2 rather than basic authentication where possible. Basic authentication requires usernames and passwords to be stored, which can compromise security.
* Least privilege: Apply the principle of least privilege for API access, granting only necessary permissions to the Anaplan user account being used for authentication. Use the role-based authorization functionality of Anaplan to achieve this.
* Monitoring: Track API usage for unusual patterns that might indicate security issues.
* Error handling: Implement secure error handling that doesn't expose sensitive information.
API documentation should be treated as sensitive information, and access to API keys should be strictly controlled through your organization’s secrets management process.
Anaplan's built-in security framework
Anaplan provides a multi-layered security architecture that organizations can configure to meet their specific security requirements. I recommend careful consideration at the beginning of any project to ensure the set-up of tenants, workspaces, models and user roles supports data security requirements, as well as functional requirements. Below, I go through each level of the framework and explain the key decisions and considerations as regards security.
Tenant-level security
The Anaplan tenant represents your organization’s dedicated Anaplan environment:
* Isolation: Tenants are completely isolated from other customers' environments. This gives you built-in confidence that your data cannot be accessed beyond your organization.
* Administrative control: Tenant administrators manage global settings and user access.
* Configuration management: Security settings like SSO, certificates, and IP allow lists are managed at this level — ensure these are set to optimize security of your data.
* Audit capabilities: Comprehensive logging of administrative actions — I recommend processes to regularly review these logs from a security perspective.
Tenant administration should be limited to a small group of trusted administrators with appropriate security training.
Workspace structure for security isolation
Workspaces provide an additional layer of isolation within your Anaplan tenant. In particular, it enables you to grant user access at the Workspace level. I recommend designing your workspaces with the following in mind from a security perspective:
* Sensitive data segregation: Place models with particularly sensitive data in dedicated workspaces.
* Functional segregation: Separate workspaces can be used to segregate models and data from a process perspective; this can be helpful in managing different sets of users who access different models within the tenant.
* Development/test/production: Separate production models from development and testing environments. This enables wider access being granted to development and test environments that can be populated with ‘dummy’ data so that productive workspaces can have tighter user security to control access to sensitive company data.
A well-designed workspace structure balances security considerations with usability, ensuring appropriate data isolation without creating unnecessary silos.
Model security configuration
Anaplan’s model-level security settings represent a sophisticated framework for ensuring that users can only access the data and functionality they are entitled to. I recommend not leaving configuration of these settings until the end of the implementation project. Rather, the architecture of the Anaplan solution should be designed from the ground up with security considerations in mind — this will have an impact on the structure of lists, modules, and app screens.
* Model roles: Create specific roles based on business function or data access requirements — design of your model roles should go hand-in-hand with the process design you perform during Foundations. Good process design will include a definition of the actors in the process, their roles, responsibilities, and data access needs.
* Module access: Control read/write/none access to specific modules within a model. Being specific about access at this level ensures that user access defined at the app level cannot be bypassed by users accessing the underlying model.
* Selective access: Restrict access to specific lists and list items on a user-by-user basis. As well as ensuring data security, sophisticated use of selective access to risks enhances the user experience by ensuring that users only see relevant data in drop-downs and reports.
* Dynamic cell security: Implement cell-level access control for highly granular security. This is particularly useful in detail examples where, for example, granular data (e.g. employee salaries) should be masked from certain users, perhaps with aggregates being visible.
* App security: Access to apps and individual pages should be set through the user roles. Not only does this enhance security, but it simplifies the user experience by only exposing functionality relevant to the user and their role.
Sensitive data protection
Beyond access controls, consider these measures for sensitive data:
* Data masking: Mask sensitive personal data when displayed in dashboards.
* Aggregation: Use aggregation for reporting on sensitive information to prevent identification of individuals.
* Data classification: Implement a classification system for data within Anaplan to guide security controls.
* Minimum necessary: Apply the principle of minimum necessary data, importing only required fields.
* Retention policies: Establish clear data retention and archiving policies aligned with regulatory requirements.
Monitoring and governance
Maintaining security requires ongoing vigilance and governance processes:
Audit and monitoring
* Log review: Regularly review Anaplan audit logs for unusual activity patterns.
* Access reconciliation: Periodically verify that user access matches authorized levels.
* Activity monitoring: Monitor system usage for anomalies that might indicate security issues.
* Integration monitoring: Track the performance and security of integration processes.
* Alerting: Implement alerts for critical security events requiring immediate attention.
Security governance
* Regular reviews: Conduct periodic security reviews of your Anaplan implementation.
* Access recertification: Implement regular access recertification processes.
* Policy enforcement: Ensure adherence to organizational security policies.
* Documentation: Maintain current documentation of security controls and configurations.
* Training: Provide regular security awareness training for Anaplan users and administrators.
Ensure that your COE has clear responsibilities for establishing Anaplan security governance.
Conclusion
As we mark Cybersecurity Awareness Month, it's worth remembering that security is a shared responsibility. Anaplan provides robust security foundations — from data encryption to granular access controls — but effective implementation requires thoughtful configuration and governance by your organization. By implementing these best practices, you can ensure your Anaplan environment remains secure while continuing to deliver the planning insights your business relies on. Security should be viewed not as a barrier to effective planning but as an enabler that provides confidence in the integrity and confidentiality of your planning processes and data. The most effective approach to Anaplan security combines technical controls with clear policies, ongoing governance, and user awareness. By addressing security holistically across your Anaplan implementation, you create a foundation for trusted planning that supports your organization’s strategic objectives.
Questions or anything to add? Leave a comment!
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Acing the Professional Solution Architect recertification
When the Anaplan Academy team first read Maryna Dunets' article on the new recertification process, we were thrilled to learn about her positive experience with the updated exams. Our goal has always been to design an exam that accurately measures a candidate’s ability to use the platform while minimizing unnecessary stress. Although it is now proctored to maintain the certification’s credibility given the prevalence of digital cheating, its purpose remains simple: to ensure that Anaplan certifications reflect genuine expertise in the platform.
We wanted to take a closer look at Maryna’s experience preparing for and completing the recertification to share practical insights that help our learners feel confident with the new process. We’ve also included links to all the resources she mentioned at the end of this article to support learners as they prepare for their own exams.
Q: First of all, congratulations on getting 44 out of 45 on the Professional Solution Architect recertification exam. That is an incredible achievement and a testament to your expertise. How did this exam compare to your expectations?
A: The exam was much easier than I expected. First of all, I'm not a native English speaker, so I was a bit worried about the wording of the questions. Luckily, the statements were very straightforward — there were maybe only 2–3 words I didn’t know, but the meaning was clear from the context. Another thing I was afraid of was getting too many "multi select” questions — it can be tricky when you're unsure how many options are correct. So, it was a huge relief to realize the exam clearly indicated the number of correct answers in most cases of multiple choice, which made it much easier to focus on applying knowledge rather than second-guessing the structure of the questions.
Q: Many candidates feel nervous before taking the exam. What tips do you have for those who know the material but are anxious about testing?
A: The best tip I can give is to take the free Practice Exam in the Anaplan Learning Center before diving into any serious studying or getting nervous. When I passed it with 10/10 on the first try, I felt confident in my knowledge and got a much clearer idea of how to structure my preparation for the real exam. Big thanks to the team who created it — it really helps to understand the format and removes a lot of the doubt.
Q: Did you learn anything new while preparing for the exam?
A: To be honest, I didn’t learn anything new about the classic engine, UX, or the Anaplan Way during my preparation. But I’m really glad it motivated me to finally spend some time exploring newer features — ADO (Anaplan Data Orchestrator) and Workflow. I had heard a lot about them before, but never took the time to dive in properly. Preparing for the exam gave me the push I needed to look into these areas and understand how they fit into the broader solution design process.
Q: Which of the practice materials or resources did you find most helpful in preparing for the exam?
A: Let me rather tell you about the approach I took to prepare for the exam. First, I read the Study Guide and split the topics into two parts — the ones I had a lot of experience with and the ones I hadn’t worked with much or hadn’t touched in a long time. To be honest, I didn’t do any extra preparation for the first part. For the second part, I've passed the corresponding courses in the Anaplan Learning Center and used a few articles from the Anaplan Community, especially those recommended for the Certified Master Anaplanners. So that was it!
Q: You touched on this in your article, but many candidates are concerned that they have not worked directly with ADO or Workflow. What would you say to ease their concerns?
A: I found the Anaplan Data Orchestrator and Workflow courses in the Anaplan Learning Center very helpful. I set aside a few days to go through them with extra focus and attention, since it was completely new knowledge for me. In my experience, completing these courses was more than enough to successfully pass the Professional Solution Architect recertification even if there is no practical experience yet.
Q: Finally, what is one piece of advice you would give to someone taking the exam for the first time?
A: I really liked the option of taking the exam at a Kryterion testing center — there I felt more focused and had fewer concerns about potential technical issues during the exam. Once the date was set, there was no room for procrastination. So my advice would be: just start moving forward — pick a convenient exam date, build a preparation plan and pass the exam in the testing center if the option is available for you. It's easier to get started once a deadline is set.
Wishing the best of luck to everyone taking this step!
Exam Resources
* Certification Center* 2025 Recertification Information
* Exam Prep Resources
* Certification FAQs
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2025 Certificate Maintenance for Certified Master Anaplanners
The 2025 Certified Master Anaplanner Program has begun and there's incredible opportunity for 2025 Certified Master Anaplanners (CMAs) to demonstrate their thought leadership, technical expertise, evangelism, and mentorship capabilities across the entire Anaplan Ecosystem!
At their core, a Certified Master Anaplanner is someone who elevates others in the Anaplan ecosystem through the many ways they share their expertise. They do this through their mentorship, sharing their community perspective and technical architecture thought leadership, demonstrating innovative solutions, providing product feature insight, ideating and inspiring others in the Anaplan Community to define the future of the platform, leading COE development, developing innovative roadmaps to scale the platform for business decision-making, and championing for Anaplan in the competitive market.
Engagement Zones
The 2025 Contribution Activities list is attached to this post, accessible for CMAs to download:
2025 CMA Contribution Activities.pdf
Each contribution activity is mapped to four engagement zones to understand and communicate how Certified Master Anaplanners are driving impact within the Anaplan ecosystem. As mentors, thought leaders, Connected Planning evangelists, and technical experts, Certified Master Anaplanners are critical to elevating the broad Anaplan ecosystem and driving immense value through the many ways they share their expertise!
Each engagement zone is important to the Certified Master Anaplanner Community, the entire Anaplan Ecosystem, and the Anaplan Community! Our goal in highlighting these zones is to give each of you, as Certified Master Anaplanners, the opportunity to easily align your experience and personality with activities that are best suited for you to make a significant impact in a particular area of the Anaplan ecosystem. To that end, we ask that you select an engagement zone to focus on for your primary contribution activities or choose the unique blend of engagement zone activities you want to be recognized for. Will you aim to be one of the few Certified Master Anaplanners who complete activities in all four engagement zones during 2025?
We will be taking an agile approach towards contributions in 2025; therefore, we will review this list at least quarterly and share new contribution activities throughout the year as we determine a need.
Certification Maintenance Requirements
Certified Master Anaplanners must meet two key requirements during 2025 to renew their certifications for 2025. Unsurprisingly, the 2025 requirements are reflective of similar requirements in place during 2024.
* Complete Contribution Activities for 400 points (due December 15th, 2025)* Questions about the Contribution Activity Requirement or Certified Master Anaplanner recertification status should be directed to MasterAnaplanners@Anaplan.com
* Complete Technical Requirement* Pass a recertification exam by December 31st, 2025 - no extensions will be approved.
* The study guide and the recertification exam will become accessible on July 8th, 2025 (months earlier than the technical requirement has been accessible in prior years giving you more time to complete this requirement).
* Information on the recertification exam is available here: 2025 Recertification Information
* Questions about the recertification exam should be directed to certification@anaplan.com<strong> </strong>
Also included again this year is the mid-year check-in requirement. The goal for this requirement is to create greater visibility into where and how Certified Master Anaplanners are contributing, as well as to assist Certified Master Anaplanners in proactively planning how they will attain contributions throughout the year.
There will be a mid-year check-in requirement for Certified Master Anaplanners to complete half (200 points) of the annual points requirement by July 31st, 2025, or ensure they have activities totaling 200 points lined up and confirmed by that date.
Please also read through the 2025 Certified Master Anaplanner Program Terms and Conditions.
2025_Certified_Master_Anaplanner_Terms_and_Conditions.pdf
If<em>you are a Certified Master Anaplanner who has any questions about the requirements for annual certification maintenance, your status, or how to engage, please email </em>MasterAnaplanners@Anaplan.com.
<em>If you are interested in the Certified Master Anaplanner Program and wish to learn more about how to become a Certified Master Anaplanner, please review the resources </em><em>here</em><em> and reach out to</em> Certificate@Anaplan.com <em>with any questions. </em>
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