What is Data governance?
The rules and responsibilities for how an organisation manages, protects and uses its data.
In plain English
It answers questions such as who owns a dataset, who may see it, how long it is kept, how quality is checked and how it can be used. Typical parts are data ownership, classification, access control, quality standards, retention rules and an audit trail. Good governance makes data both safer and easier to trust.
Example
Customer email addresses are classed as personal data, are visible only to named roles and are deleted after a set period.
Where you will meet it
This idea belongs to the subject area of these practice tests. We do not publish or predict real exam questions.
- CompTIA Data+ practice tests
- IAPP AIGP practice tests
- Google Cloud Associate Data Practitioner practice tests
Related terms
- ETL vs ELT: ETL transforms data before loading it. ELT loads it first and transforms it inside the destination.
- Data warehouse vs data lake: A warehouse stores cleaned, structured data for reporting. A lake stores raw data of any kind cheaply.
- Responsible AI: Building and using AI in ways that are fair, safe, private, transparent and accountable.
Test yourself
Practice tests with an explanation for every answer option, so each mistake teaches you something.
Browse practice testsAll glossary termsWritten and checked by the Be Ready Education team, last reviewed 2 November 2026. General study information, not professional advice. Providers change names and rules, so confirm details on the official documentation. Not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by any certification vendor or exam body. Certification names, exam codes and product names are trademarks of their respective owners and are used only to identify the exam a practice product prepares for. Our questions are original and are not actual exam questions.