Master Anaplan exam

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:

1. Compare your guide with @GingerAnderson excellent study guide. Candidly most, if not all, of what you need is there.
2. Re-read @rob_marshall REQUIRED post for level 3 certification on peak data hub performance. This link is in @GingerAnderson post above as well.
3. 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.
4. Rewatch all of the whiteboard sessions with @simon_tucker - these are actually quite good, especially Course 280: The Anaplan Way.
5. 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.
6. 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.

@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.