CDSP (DSP-110) study guide
CDSP (DSP-110) · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The Certified Data Science Practitioner (CDSP) is a CertNexus credential that validates practical, vendor-neutral knowledge of the full data science lifecycle rather than a single tool or platform. CertNexus describes its certifications as built around transferable concepts and skills that are not limited to one technology provider, and CDSP is one of the select CertNexus credentials accredited by the ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB) under the ISO/IEC 17024 standard. The CDSP (DSP-110) study guide has 5 sections and about 2,052 words.
01Defining Business Problems
This domain tests whether you can turn a vague business concern into a scoped, testable analytics problem with agreed success criteria, data requirements, and constraints before any modeling starts. The exam favors candidates who begin with the decision the analysis will inform, not with an algorithm.
421 words, about 2 min02Data Preparation and Data Quality
This domain tests your ability to profile, clean, transform, and document data without introducing bias or leakage. The exam expects you to recognize data-quality dimensions, handle missing values and outliers deliberately, and keep preprocessing inside the correct validation boundary.
412 words, about 2 min03Evaluating Analytical Approaches and Models
This domain tests whether you can choose an approach that fits the problem, validate it honestly, and select a model using metrics tied to the decision. Expect questions on baselines, cross-validation, overfitting, class imbalance, and metric choice.
386 words, about 2 min04Interpreting Results
This domain tests whether you can read statistical and model output correctly, separate association from causation, quantify uncertainty, and translate findings into defensible business implications. The exam rewards cautious, context-aware interpretation.
412 words, about 2 min05Communicating Insights to Stakeholders
This domain tests whether you can deliver findings that are accurate, audience-appropriate, and actionable. The exam focuses on structuring a narrative, choosing honest visuals, stating limitations, and making a clear recommendation without overclaiming.
421 words, about 2 min