Master Anaplan exam
I took master anaplaner exam in Mar 24 with months of studying and I failed with only getting 43 out of 60 questions correct. I thought I would have passed while taking the exam, but I awknowledged I should look deeper into some topics.
I took the master anaplaner exam in Jun 24 with even more studying. I created even a 144 page study guide that ive been studying for past few months and failed with 44 out of 60 questions correct. I felt VERY confident when taking the exam, feeling only about 5 questions I probably got wrong. Usually the multi select ones, Im confident in all selections but 1.
I have already spent $1,100 on the master anaplan exam, and I don't feel there much else I can learn with the materials on Anaplan Learning. I put some discussion posts out there and I don't feel confident in the responses I got. I don't know how else I can close the gap and figure out what questions I did not get right. I feel I am likely getting some of the same questions wrong and I have no clue which ones I am getting wrong. At times there are many solutions and I do know know what is considered "the best solution". I cannot find the "best solution" in some scenarios on the anaplan website.
Any advice or help?
Answers
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Okay, @sychtysz18 I completely understand where you're coming from. Most CMAs have had the same experience, including me, when I finally earned my CMA in 2019/2020. Took me two attempts. Back then they also had an "activity" requirement (with no definition of what activity was, btw), no idea what the score was, no idea which problems we missed, and a review board committee to review your score, involvement, and overall accomplishments. Advocacy mattered.
Having been a modeler and architect using Anaplan for almost 9 years, I feel confident in saying that the test, to me, seems to be an attempt to evaluate how you trade off one option over another, so implementation experience and intuition matters, which, candidly is true in the real world. Sometimes, there are physical reasons for a better option like one function over another which I assume you've already studied up on.
I have no idea what's in your study guide, so I'll make an attempt to give you some suggestions on how to prepare for nuanced questions:
- Compare your guide with @GingerAnderson excellent study guide. Candidly most, if not all, of what you need is there.
- Re-read @rob_marshall REQUIRED post for level 3 certification on peak data hub performance. This link is in @GingerAnderson post above as well.
- Build a model that uses all the functions, especially the ones that are mentioned in best practice posts about which one is better to use and why. Any function mentioned in @GingerAnderson post should be practiced and researched on how/why they are used. Watch for @rob_marshall and @DavidSmith articles.
- Rewatch all of the whiteboard sessions with @simon_tucker - these are actually quite good, especially Course 280: The Anaplan Way.
- All the COE articles you can find, especially the ones by @ChrisWeiss also mentioned in @GingerAnderson post. These are not black & white questions. They are heavily nuanced but so is a real COE implementation.
- Lastly, get involved in the Community. Obtaining advocacy, coaches, and support will help you. Well, it did for me anyway.
Good luck. Anxious to hear how the next attempt goes.
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Thank you, @sychtysz18 , for bringing up such a relevant question, and thanks, @JaredDolich, for sharing those details. I'm on the same journey, aiming to become a CMA, and discussions like these are incredibly motivating for all of us to consider the effort that is actually required to apply for the MA.
There's a lot of great content out there in the community, but I feel there's a lack of clear guidance or a dedicated path to prepare for the CMA. The cost associated with it can sometimes make us lose confidence in our preparation. It would be amazing if we had access to mock exams to help us gauge our readiness for the CMA.
What would really help is if current CMAs could share more content, blog posts, and their personal experiences, preparation tips, and suggestions. This kind of support would motivate many solution architects to prepare and confidently apply for the CMA.
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@Dikshant thanks for that. My strongest recommendation is to work with @GingerAnderson post. That's pretty much everything that should be studied; but one thing that the test writers appear to have incorporated, right or wrong, is how to pick options between two or three good answers. That's not going to be in any of the articles you read, except maybe the Planual for modeling questions.
I had 4 years Anaplan experience when I took the test for the first time. I don't want to come across like a hypocrite. I'm the type that wants things efficient, I over-analyze, and I prefer a black/white answer to things; but the solution architect rarely gets that option when implementing for real. I think what I'm saying is that some implementation experience and conversing with other solution architects on how they handled tricky situations builds up that intuition and develops a bigger picture analysis. Not to mention, it builds up your network with the other SAs and CMAs.
Now coming up on 10 years I can honestly say the path to earning the CMA was worth more than the certification itself. You will make lasting friends and personal relationships that, financially, if you want, will more than make up for the cost of taking the test. I know it's hard to see that now but with perseverance, and patience, I am confident you will find the journey to be satisfactory.
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