BIDA® | Program Updates

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

Update History

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 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.

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.