For analytics and data science professionals who want to distinguish themselves in the workforce, the Certified Analytics Professional (CAP) certification provides an independent verification of the critical technical expertise and soft skills sought by employers across all organizations and industry sectors.
Unlike other certificates or certifications, CAP serves as a vendor- and technology-neutral testament to an analytics professional’s superior competency in the seven domains of analytics, providing organizations with a trusted means to identify, recruit, and retain top analytics talent.
Are you thinking about earning an analytics or data science certification but wondering if it’s worth it? While not all certifications are created equal, those seeking to showcase their professional competency or convey a sense of credibility and prestige should not underestimate the importance of getting certified.
Choosing a top certification or certificate program can lead to more job opportunities, higher pay, and greater job security. Why? Organizations recognize that obtaining certification requires you to go above and beyond. Certifications can also help you gain and develop skills that you wouldn’t otherwise learn on the job. And since hiring managers prize well-rounded, hardworking, and industrious candidates, earning your CAP is sure to help set you apart from the rest.
Recognition
The Certified Analytics Professional certification has been recognized by numerous publications as a leading option for those seeking professional advancement. CIO.com included both CAP and aCAP on its 2019 list of the “The top 11 big data and data analytics certifications,” while Dataconomy and Analytics Insight ranked CAP first on their respective 2021 lists of “Data science certifications that can give you an edge” and “Top data science certification programs.”
CAP Preferred Employer
Certified Analytics Professionals are employed at Fortune 100 companies including American Express, Apple, Boeing, Capital One, Coca-Cola, Comcast, DuPont, Humana, IBM, JPMorgan Chase, Lockheed Martin, Principal, UPS, and more.
In recognition of the CAP program’s deep industry ties, CAP Preferred Employer (CPE) status is offered to companies, or relevant departments within companies, who commit to prioritizing the hiring of CAP/aCAP certified professionals when sourcing data science and analytics candidates.
Aaron Burciaga, CAP, senior director of analytics and artificial intelligence at new CAP Preferred Employer, ECS, said, “This recognition furthers the investment that ECS makes in its employees. We are excited to see how our analytics professionals will grow with CAP and build our team with new CAP and aCAP recruits—all part of our program to continue delivering top tech and even more impactful AI/ML solutions for our clients.”
CAP is an independent validation that you have superior knowledge of the entire analytics process - from business problem framing, analytics problem framing, data through to methodology selection and model building, deployment and lifecycle management. CAP enables you to easily convey to others that you have mastery of the analytics process.
Maintaining your CAP means that you are continually working to advance your skills. That’s achieved through a combination of continuing education, ongoing analytics employment, and sharing analytics experiences and knowledge - all part of the requirements for renewing your CAP every three years.
Every day more and more employers are adding “CAP Preferred” to their analytics job openings because CAP provides a trusted means to identify, recruit and retain top analytics talent. Add “CAP” to your signature to open doors to new opportunities and professional growth.
Advance Analytics Lead
Analytics Executive
Analytics Strategy Consultant
Associate Partner
Assistant Professor
Business Analytic Leader
Chief Analytics Officer
Data Science Senior Manager
Director of Operations
Director of Research
Head of Applied Research
Lead Data Scientist
Managing Director
Owner
CAP is not a narrowly focused certification, meaning those who earn the certification are well-rounded professionals capable of solving a variety of business challenges in the analytics space.
CAP has provided an independent third-party validation of the skillset obtained from working in the industry. With the certification, peers instinctively trust I understand data and how to utilize the surrounding skillsets across multiple disciplines.
I chose CAP over other certifications because I believed it would represent my problem-solving and statistical skills as opposed to representing my skill level in a software package or programming language. I also liked that it was backed by a well-established and prestigious organization such as INFORMS.
I was familiar with a few of the domains from a support perspective. For example, I was familiar with Data, Model Building, Deployment, and Model Life Cycle Management. However, the other three domains (Business and Analytics Problem Framing and Methodology Selection) showcase the skills of a more senior-level and experienced predictive modeler.
I love having my CAP designation because it provides credibility among my peers and gives me confidence in my work as a marketing data analyst.
[I]n this new era of ‘data science’ where any self-taught scripter can step into an analytics role, how do nontechnical business leaders build trust in the data? This is one reason why I sought to receive Certified Analytics Professional (CAP) designation from the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS).
Certification will be a great marketing tool if I ever decide to increase my consulting work, and it certainly makes me feel good about myself. In addition, it demonstrates my versatility beyond pure research. Certainly, it allows me to tell my students, ‘I have been there.’
I chose to pursue the CAP to enhance my stature in the analytics community. All prior certifications in the field have been vendor-centric, and thus tied to specific software skills rather than deep analytics knowledge. Therefore, this level of independent, academically rigorous certification was desperately needed in the industry. So, when I learned of INFORMS’ effort to create the certification, I couldn’t wait to sit for the exam and demonstrate my expertise in analytics.
Pursuing CAP certification isn’t just about proving what you know. Certified Analytics Professionals gain new fluency in the art and science of leading successful data science initiatives, guided by the framework of the INFORMS Job Task Analysis (JTA).
The JTA, which serves as a “blueprint” for the content on the CAP exam, provides data scientists and business analysts with an end-to-end overview of an effective analytics process – one built to ensure data-driven outcomes.
Developed and validated by a group of highly regarded subject matter experts from a diverse collection of industries and universities, the JTA can serve as a trusted partner when tackling complex analytics projects as you continue to advance in your career.
of executives can't explain how AI models impact business decisions — a critical business analytics skill that CAPs deliver.
of Fortune 100 companies have one or more CAPs on staff.
of companies are likely or very likely to have expanded their adoption of user and entity big data analytics by 2022.
