Other sanctioning bodies do it much different. I'll use 2 as an example of just how different they can be: MBN (was MIM), and GBA
1. You'll attend a fairly long class. They're fairly extensive. For MBN (if it's still how I did it when it was MIM), it was an all day class. GBA was 4 or 5 hours, as best I recall...
2. Both have tests. MIM used to have 2 tests, and entrance test and an exit test. Yes, some people fail and are not considered "trained". Taking the class and passing the tests DOESN'T make you a CBJ in either MBN or GBA; it makes you "trained".
3. Both then require that you judge 2 contests as a trained judge before becoming "certified". MBN actually has teams critique their on-site judges. It's rather interesting...
Then, the continuing education is fairly similar, from what I understand.
I'm sure other sanctioning bodies do it different from KCBS as well...
So, to the very first question, which IMHO wasn't really answered except for KCBS only folks, was:
are there study materials? In some, yes, but in most, no. They aren't the same.
are there different tests for different regions? Not that I know of within any 1 sanctioning body, but the various sanctioning bodies do them VERY differently, because their definitions are different, and their type of judging and scoring are VASTLY different.
is it pass/fail? how often does someone fail? In KCBS, from what I've read, no. However, in other sanctioning bodies, YES. I had 2 people fail in my MIM class way back when....