Certified Analytics Professional Certification brought to you by INFORMS
CAP-Expert Exam Blueprint
INFORMS conducted a Job Task Analysis (JTA) in 2024 which produced the INFORMS Analytics Framework, a comprehensive list of responsibilities and tasks necessary for successful analytics projects.
The CAP-Expert exam blueprint represents the advance level subtasks within the INFORMS Analytics Framework and is a delineation of common or typical tasks performed by advanced Analytics Professionals across the complete analytics life cycle. The blueprint defines the current knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) that must be demonstrated by analytics professionals to conduct effective and successful analytics projects. INFORMS upholds stringent guidelines for the construction of our certification exams. A panel of subject matter experts (SMEs) with diverse analytics backgrounds collaborated to develop the lists of tasks performed by advanced-level analysts on the job, tasks that lead to analytics project success. The KSAs were validated by a larger audience of experts and rated for their frequency of use and importance to analytics project success. This “blueprint” outlines the domain knowledge tested on the INFORMS CAP®-Expert (CAP-X) examination.
Domain I
Business Problem (Question) Framing
The business problem (question) framing domain includes activities related to understanding the business problem and evaluating the scope of the problem.
| Task 1.1 | Develop an initial statement of a business problem (question). |
| Task 1.2 | Identify all stakeholders and their perspectives. |
| Task 1.3 | Determine if the business problem (question) is amenable to an analytics solution. |
| Task 1.4 | Refine the initial business problem (question) statement until it is clear and concise. |
| Task 1.5 | Create an initial business case for a solution to the business problem (question). |
| Task 1.6 | Obtain sponsor agreement and stakeholder alignment on the business problem (question) statement. |
16% Domain Weight
Domain II
Analytics Problem Framing
The analytics problem framing domain includes activities related to understanding and framing the business problem (question) as an analytics problem.
| Task 2.1 | Reformulate the statement of the business problem (question) as an analytics problem statement. |
| Task 2.2 | Develop a proposed set of drivers/inputs and determine how they relate to outputs. |
| Task 2.3 | State the set of assumptions related to the analytics problem. |
| Task 2.4 | Define primary measures of success. |
| Task 2.5 | Identify baseline performance of the current state. |
| Task 2.6 | Identify risks and mitigation strategies for an effective potential analytics solution implementation. |
| Task 2.7 | Obtain sponsor agreement and stakeholder alignment on the Analytics Problem Framing. |
17% Domain Weight
Domain III
Data
The data domain includes activities related to identifying what data is needed and available, manipulating data so as to render it usable to find the answer to an analytics problem, and the required documentation and reporting needs.
| Task 3.1 | Identify and prioritize data needs. |
| Task 3.2 | Identify and analyze data sources including data structures. |
| Task 3.3 | Create a data management plan. |
| Task 3.4 | Acquire data. |
| Task 3.5 | Clean, harmonize, transform, merge/join, and validate data. |
| Task 3.6 | Assess data quality and identify relationships in the data. |
| Task 3.7 | Document and report data findings (e.g., data quality, impact analysis, results, data management plan.) |
| Task 3.8 | Validate and update the business and analytics problem statements. |
21% Domain Weight
Domain IV
Methodology (Approach) Framing
The methodology (approach) selection domain includes activities related to selecting the methods/techniques, software and tools that will enable analytics problem solutions.
| Task 4.1 | Determine available and appropriate methods/techniques for the identified problem. |
| Task 4.2 | Evaluate and select methods / techniques, given the resources and available data. |
| Task 4.3 | Understand the technical solution architecture. |
| Task 4.4 | Evaluate and select the technology stack. |
13% Domain Weight
Domain V
Analytics/Model Development
The analytics/ model development domain includes activities related to identifying, using, calibrating, and integrating models as well as the documentation of the model and communication of findings.
| Task 5.1 | Design the model structure. |
| Task 5.2 | Build one or more appropriate models. |
| Task 5.3 | Run, verify, and evaluate the model performance and outputs. |
| Task 5.4 | Calibrate model and improve data applicability based on client input. |
| Task 5.5 | If necessary, integrate multiple models. |
| Task 5.6 | Document and communicate model findings including assumptions, limitations, and constraints. |
16% Domain Weight
Domain VI
Deployment
The deployment domain includes activities related to the delivery of the analytics solution and requirements to support the deployment into the business.
| Task 6.1 | Perform business validation of the analytics solution. |
| Task 6.2 | Deliver business validation report with findings. |
| Task 6.3 | Obtain sponsor agreement and stakeholder alignment on moving forward with deployment. |
| Task 6.4 | Create requirements for a deployed analytics solution including model, usability, system and business. |
| Task 6.5 | Actively support the implementation and testing of the production analytics solution/system. |
| Task 6.6 | Actively support deployment validation and verification, including production data flows. |
10% Domain Weight
Domain VII
Analytics Solution Lifecycle Management
The analytics solution lifecycle management domain includes activities related to continuous oversight and calibration and training activities to ensure the analytics solution continues to function as planned and returns valid answers.
| Task 7.1 | Track analytics solution performance. |
| Task 7.2 | Recalibrate and maintain the analytics solution. |
| Task 7.3 | Support training activities. |
| Task 7.4 | Validate the business case for the analytics solution over time. |
| Task 7.5 | Analyze side effects of the analytics solution over time. |
| Task 7.6 | Ensure documentation is complete and/or maintained. |
7% Domain Weight
Download the full CAP-Expert Exam Blueprint
The full CAP-Expert Exam Blueprint contains breakdowns of eash task component and more information.