BIDA® | Program Updates

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

Update History

Summary

• Effective June 30, 2026, the AI for Excel Formulas course will be retired and will no longer be offered as an elective in the BIDA curriculum.
• After June 30, 2026, AI for Excel Formulas will no longer count toward BIDA program requirements.

Impact on Learners

• Learners who have selected this course as one of their electives must complete the BIDA program and pass the final exam before June 30, 2026, to avoid having to take an additional elective.

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.

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 BIDA 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.

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.