Adobe Real-Time CDP Developer Expert study plan
Adobe Real-Time CDP Developer Expert · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 6 hours per week
Data ingestion and schema design
Map every Adobe Experience Platform ingestion path (streaming, batch, source connectors, Web/Mobile SDK) and write a one-page comparison of when each applies
Draft a JSON schema for a sample customer profile with primary identity, secondary identities, and at least three field groups, then validate it conceptually against XDM naming rules
List the differences between XDM individual profile and XDM experience event classes and give two example datasets for each
Configure a mental model of dataset-to-schema binding and outline the steps to create a schema, dataset, and ingestion flow in sequence
Your checkpoint
A one-page ingestion decision matrix plus a written sample XDM schema design with field group justification
Data ingestion and schema design & Identity resolution and profile management
Walk through batch ingestion end to end: create a schema, create a dataset, upload a CSV, and describe how to verify ingestion success and diagnose failures
Explain streaming ingestion with the HTTP API and describe how to handle malformed records and partial failures
Define identity namespaces, identity types, and the role of the identity map in the profile record
Compare deterministic vs probabilistic matching and describe how identity graph stitching affects merged profiles
Your checkpoint
A written end-to-end ingestion runbook covering one batch and one streaming path, including failure triage steps
Identity resolution and profile management
Describe the Real-Time Customer Profile data store, profile fragments, and how merge policies combine them
Design and justify three merge policy configurations for different business scenarios
Explain identity resolution rules, namespace priority, and how to troubleshoot unmerged or incorrectly merged profiles
Outline how to use the profile viewer and profile API to inspect a merged profile and its identity graph
Your checkpoint
A troubleshooting guide for identity resolution with at least five failure scenarios and their fixes
Data ingestion and schema design & Identity resolution and profile management
Rehearse schema design decisions that affect identity resolution, including primary identity choice and namespace collisions
Explain how data prep, computed attributes, and derived fields interact with profile data
Draft a data model for a multi-brand customer that preserves identity continuity across sources
Complete a timed set of practice scenarios covering ingestion and identity resolution
Your checkpoint
A multi-brand identity data model document plus a scored self-assessment of the timed practice set
Audience segmentation and destinations/activation
Compare segment evaluation methods (batch, streaming, edge) and identify which use cases require each
Build the logic for a streaming segment with an event-based rule and describe the latency expectations
Explain segment qualification and how profiles enter and exit audiences
Map the steps to activate a segment to a destination, including mapping source fields to destination attributes
Your checkpoint
A segment design document for three audiences (batch, streaming, edge) with activation mapping notes
Audience segmentation and destinations/activation & Governance, privacy, and data lifecycle
Describe destination types and the identity and attribute mapping requirements for each
Outline how to monitor destination dataflows and diagnose activation failures
Explain consent and preference handling and how it gates downstream activation
Describe the role of data usage labels and policies in restricting where data can be activated
Your checkpoint
An activation checklist that includes consent gating and data usage policy verification steps
Governance, privacy, and data lifecycle
Define data usage labels and build a policy that restricts sensitive attributes from specific destinations
Explain the Privacy Service workflow for access and delete requests, including how identity namespaces are used in requests
Describe dataset expiration, data lifecycle rules, and how to configure retention
Outline audit and monitoring practices for governance controls
Your checkpoint
A governance runbook covering labeling, policy enforcement, privacy requests, and retention
Data ingestion and schema design & Identity resolution and profile management & Audience segmentation and destinations/activation & Governance, privacy, and data lifecycle
Review all four domains using a consolidated error log from prior weeks
Rehearse scenario-based questions under time pressure across ingestion, identity, segmentation, and governance
Close knowledge gaps by writing explanations for every missed concept
Simulate explaining a full end-to-end architecture from ingestion to activation to deletion
Your checkpoint
A final one-page architecture summary plus a completed error log with all gaps resolved
Milestones
Week 2: Can articulate and sequence the full ingestion path for both batch and streaming, and explain schema-to-dataset binding without notes
Week 4: Scores at least 80% on a timed self-assessment covering domains 1 and 2 and can explain every missed item
Week 6: Can design a segment and trace it through activation, including consent and policy gating, in a written walkthrough
Week 8: Completes a full four-domain timed simulation with a documented error log and no unresolved gaps