BIDA® | Program Updates

This article contains the historical updates and changes to CFI's Business Intelligence & Data Analyst (BIDA®) Certification program.

Update History

Announcement Date Effective Date
N/A May 1, 2024
September 29, 2023 November 1, 2023
April 1, 2022 July 1, 2022

🗓️ Updates Effective May 1, 2024

Summary

The following lessons have been added to the Power BI Financial Statements Case Study course.

  • Sharing a Data Model
  • From Power BI to Excel 
  • Basic Example in Excel

Why did we implement these updates?

These lessons are designed to enrich the chapter on Balance Sheets in Power BI. 

Impact on Existing Certification Holders

  • Learners who have obtained their certificate before the addition of these lessons will not be required to take the additional content to retain their certification.
  • Learners who have not earned their certificate before the addition of these lessons will be required to complete them to earn their certification.

🗓️ Updates Effective November 1, 2023

Summary:

  • Required core courses increased from 14 to 15, introducing practical case studies and additional foundational topics.
  • Electives are optional and are no longer a prerequisite for obtaining a BIDA certification.
  • The BIDA Final Exam has been revised to include questions from the updated core curriculum.
  • Complex data science courses (e.g., classification and loan default prediction) have been removed, as they are now part of the Data Science Specialization.
  • Short case studies have been introduced to provide practical application of knowledge based on positive learner feedback.
  • Enhanced skill practice to help boost confidence in real-world scenarios.

The core curriculum will continue to include:

  • Power Query Fundamentals
  • Power BI Fundamentals
  • Tableau Fundamentals
  • SQL Fundamentals
  • Python Fundamentals
  • Regression Analysis - Fundamentals and Practical Applications

Changes to the existing core curriculum:

  • Dashboards & Data Visualization will continue as part of the FMVA core course offerings.
  • Power Pivot Fundamentals will transition to an elective.
  • Power BI Financial Statements will become an elective course.
  • Tableau Trading Dashboard will become an elective course.
  • Classification - Fundamentals & Practical Applications will now be included as a core course in the Data Science Specialization Bundle.
  • Modeling Risk with Monte Carlo Simulation will be incorporated as a core Data Science Specialization Bundle course.
  • Loan Default Prediction with Machine Learning will be incorporated as a core Data Science Specialization Bundle course.

Electives added to the core curriculum: 

  • Data Analysis in Excel Case Study
  • Power BI Case Study – CFI Capital Partners
  • Tableau Fundamentals Case Study
  • SQL Case Study - WOWI Sales Analysis
  • Python Fundamentals Case Study

Prep courses added to the core curriculum: 

  • Introduction to Careers in Business Intelligence
  • Fundamentals of Data Analysis in Excel

New courses added to the core curriculum: 

  • Power Query Fundamentals Case Study
  • DAX Fundamentals and Time Intelligence

The Benefits:

  • Strengthening the skills of BIDA graduates, ensuring real-world preparation.
  • Elevating BIDA’s reputation and the credibility associated with certification.

Impact on Existing BIDA Certification Holders:

  • The program updates will not impact anyone who completed their BIDA® certification before November 1st, 2023.
  • If you started the BIDA® program before November 1st, 2023, but have not completed all the requirements by November 1st, 2023, you must complete the new requirements to earn your designation.

🗓️ Updates Effective July 1, 2022

Summary:

  • Introduced the BIDA™ final exam as a program requirement to increase the value and credibility of the certification worldwide; protect the integrity of our program and those who work hard to complete it; help students assess their knowledge and identify opportunities for improvement.  Visit our article to learn more about the BIDA® final exam.
  • Added the requirement to complete a minimum of 3 electives to earn the BIDA™ certification.

Impact on Existing BIDA Certification Holders:

  • This change will not impact anyone who completed their BIDA™ certification by July 1st, 2022.
  • The exam will also be available and optional to all existing BIDA™ certification holders and students who completed their studies before July 1st, 2022.
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