TOPIC: I passed the CIPP/E Exam

Hello fellow group members. Just wanted to share that I passed my CIPP/E exam. I got average scores, but I passed, which is all that matters. At least for me

My preparation was relatively straightforward, except for one point (the last point in the list below):

1.) Reading GDPR. Twice. Taking notes, creating flashcards, etc. I found this online version of GDPR very user-friendly: gdpr-info.eu/

2.) Reading the IAPP textbook (by Eduardo Ustaran). Same here: taking notes, creating flashcards. I purchased the book from the IAPP store: iapp.org/store/books/a191P000003hwKeQAI/

3.) Skimming through EDPB guidelines, the Data Protection Directive, the ePrivacy Directive, and some other publications mentioned in the IAPP textbook. I used online resources to access these documents and publications.

4.) Practicing the IAPP-provided questions (the PDF practice exam): iapp.org/store/examprep/a191P000004nwbvQAA/ . It was important for me that for every question I got wrong, I re-read the relevant section in the IAPP textbook and the regulation to understand why I answered it incorrectly. Actually, I did the same even for the questions I answered correctly to make sure I did not guess the answer. I think the IAPP practice exam is the closest in terms of the question style, format, difficulty, etc. The only problem is that it's not an exam simulator; it's just a PDF file, so you cannot really get into the exam mode. I had to force myself to put into an exam environment by closing the door to my room, using a timer, and setting up a camera above my head as if the Pearson VUE supervisor watched me

5) Practicing Majid Hatamian's exams (the PDF book from Amazon): www.amazon.com/Collection-Practice.../dp/B09GPVVCF8 . Honestly, unlike other people in this group, I'm not a big fan of his exams. Yes, answering his questions and explanations helped, especially in identifying my knowledge gaps. But the style of his questions was quite different from those on the actual exam. Also, I felt his questions were trying to "trick" me instead of testing my knowledge and experience. And while I will never know the correct answers to the questions I answered on the actual IAPP exam, I did not feel the IAPP questions were tricky. Some were hard, others easy, and some moderately difficult/easy. But I think the exam was fair. Anyway, since there are not too many good resources available on the market to prepare for the exam, any reasonable resource helps. Overall, while Majid's book is not an exam simulator but just a PDF file, I consider it somewhat reasonable.

6.) 22Academy exam simulator: 22academy.com/ . It's a great resource with a question style, format, and difficulty similar to the actual exam. It's a real exam simulator. Even the screen layout -- the split screen -- is similar to Pearson VUE's, which is where I took my exam. The only problem is that you don't get any details about your performance, only score per domain, like on the actual exam. And while I understand the rationale behind this (on the actual exam, you also only get a score per domain), the teaching value of this tool is relatively low. After all, the whole idea of studying for any exam is to identify your gaps, study materials to cover the gaps, take more practice exams, see that you are improving, rinse and repeat. But when you don't know what questions you answered correctly and what questions are answered incorrectly, how can you identify your gaps? And while having scores per domain is good, they are too broad. You want to focus on subdomains, not domains. Well, you can ask 22Academy to review your results and provide you with a more detailed report, but you have to pay again. No offense to the creator of this tool, but I feel it's a bit of a money grab.

7.) The PM exam simulator: www.pm-exam-simulator.com/cipp/free-cipp-e-simulator . This was the most helpful tool for me. And while it only has ten free questions so far, the way the tool works is amazing. First of all, it's NOT a PDF file; it's an actual exam simulator with a timer, like the 22Academy. But unlike 22Academy, the PM exam simulator gives you a detailed report of your performance, including explanations for every question and even EVERY answer choice, both answered correctly and incorrectly; and each question has a mapping to Domain and Subdomain, as well as a reference with a clickable link. These very detailed explanations are what helped me the most because they actually taught me. Also, you can select a quiz based on a domain. For example, give me 5 questions from Domain II, "European Data Protection Law and Regulation". And you can make as many attempts as you want. BTW, it's interesting how I found this simulator: my husband is a project manager and has been using the PMP exam simulator from that company (PM prepcast) to study for his PMP exam. He saw they had just launched a free CIPP/E exam simulator, so he suggested I try it. I wish they had a full version with a 90-questions exam. But well, the current one is free, so I don't complain. I understand they are developing more free questions now and will also have a full paid exam at some point. Well, too late for me, but maybe it will be good for you if you are still studying.
I thank this group again for your help and support, and I wish you all the best on your exam!

Congratulations Yana! Thank you for sharing your lessons learned.