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In addition to our Events, Virtual Team Training, and Online Learning Courses, TDWI provides numerous solutions to help professionals and teams become data-smart and advance their careers.

How Do You Become Certified?

 

Identify Your Specialty Area

Leadership and Management is a key success factor for BI programs and projects, with a strong focus on effectively integrating people, processes, and technology to deliver business value. The field requires depth of process knowledge including development methodology, program management, and project management, as well as organizational and team-building skills. An understanding of business topics such as business performance management (BPM), customer relationship management (CRM), and supply chain management (SCM) is also needed. A high-level technical understanding of BI applications and data warehousing concepts is also part of the Leadership and Management body of knowledge.

Business Analytics focuses on the effective use of data and information to drive positive business actions. The body of knowledge for this area includes both business and technical topics: concepts of performance management, definition and delivery of business metrics, data visualization, and deployment and use of technology solutions such as OLAP, dashboards, scorecards, analytic applications, and data mining.

Data Analysis and Design provides the foundation for delivery of BI applications. Analysis concentrates on understanding business needs for data and information. Design focuses on translating business information needs into data structures that are adaptable, extensible, and sustainable. Core skills include information needs analysis, specification of business metrics, and data modeling. A solid understanding of data warehousing concepts, architectures, and processes is also essential.

Data Integration is fundamental to data warehousing and is a vital process for a rich and robust data resource to deliver BI solutions. Integration includes all of the activities necessary to acquire data from sources, and to transform and cleanse the data. The body of knowledge includes concepts and skills for source data analysis and source qualification, data profiling, source/target mapping, data cleansing and transformation, and ETL development.

  Business
Analytics
Leadership &
Management
Data Analysis
& Design
Data
Integration
Business Roles        
Sponsor Essential Essential Valuable Valuable
Business Subject Expert Essential Helpful Useful Useful
Knowledge Worker Valuable Helpful Useful Useful
Data Owner Useful Useful Useful Valuable
Data Steward Useful Useful Essential Essential
Management Roles        
Program Manager Essential Essential Valuable Valuable
Project Manager Useful Essential Valuable Valuable
Architecture Roles        
Information Architect Essential Helpful Essential Valuable
Acquisition Architect Useful Helpful Valuable Essential
Technical Architect Valuable Helpful Valuable Essential
Requirements Analysis Roles        
Business Requirements Analyst Essential Helpful Valuable Useful
Source Data Analyst Useful Helpful Essential Valuable
Design and Construction Roles        
ETL Developer Useful Helpful Valuable Essential
Database Developer Useful Helpful Valuable Valuable
Front-end/OLAP Developer Essential Helpful Valuable Valuable
Infrastructure Roles        
Database Administrator Useful Helpful Essential Valuable
Systems Administrator Useful Helpful Valuable Valuable
Metadata Administrator Valuable Useful Valuable Valuable
Data Quality Administrator Valuable Useful Valuable Valuable
Tool/Technology Specialist Useful Helpful Valuable Valuable
Trainer Valuable Helpful Valuable Valuable
Customer Support Specialist Valuable Helpful Valuable Valuable

Identify Your Exams

Achieving certification requires passing two mandatory exams – your choice of the IS Core or Business Core Exam and the Data Foundations Exam – plus at least one specialty exam. Becoming certified is entirely dependent on the scores that you receive on each of the exams. Knowledge and skills testing are essential components of becoming CBIP certified. Testing is rigorous, and a solid educational base and real-world experience are key components for ensuring your success.

The CBIP Examinations are offered at TDWI Education Conferences and through remote proctoring. Contact [email protected] to preregister for the Exam Labs at Education Conferences and for remote proctoring information.


Specialty Areas
Exam Names
Leadership and Management Business Analytics Data Analysis and Design Data Integration and Interoperability
Business Core X X    
IS Core   X X
Data Foundations X X X X
Business Analytics
X

Data Integration
    X
Data Management

X  
Management X

 

Get Prepared

Your ability to be successful on the exams is based on your knowledge and experience. Although study is not required prior to testing, many do elect to update or expand their knowledge to prepare for the exams. TDWI offers a variety of ways in which this can be done.

    1. CBIP Examinations Guide. This guide contains detailed exam outlines, reference reading lists, sample exam questions, answer explanations, and software to take practice exams for each exam included in the CBIP program. The guide is not intended to be a complete study resource. It works best to identify areas where additional study and/or work experience may be necessary prior to testing.

      The guide costs $112.50 for TDWI Members and $125 for non-members.

    2. CBIP Exam Prep Courses.  Now available online, anywhere, anytime. It’s easier than ever to get ready for your certification exams.  TDWI Online Learning offers CBIP Exam Preparation Courses for the following CBIP exams: Business Core, IS Core, and Data Foundations. These courses, each taught by a CBIP-certified industry expert, will help you be as prepared as possible for taking your exams.

TDWI Education

Business intelligence and data warehousing education is available at TDWI Education Conferences and through our Virtual Team Training program for teams.

It is important to note that while TDWI courses can effectively update or expand existing knowledge in the areas of BI and DW prior to CBIP testing, they do not map directly to a specific exam and education alone does not guarantee a passing score. A combination of experience, knowledge, and education provide the foundation for certification.

TDWI Education Conferences

Since 1995, TDWI Education Conferences have provided the leading forum for business and technology professionals looking to gain in-depth education on business intelligence and data warehousing. Each TDWI Education Conference features a unique program of top-notch instructors, full- and half-day courses, one-on-one consulting, peer networking, and an exhibit hall packed with BI solutions. Designed specifically to maximize your learning experience and training investments, the information you gain and key contacts you make at these events enable you to immediately impact your current initiatives.

Virtual Team Training

The program is designed to cost effectively train a group of individuals from any location via a virtual classroom, providing the highest quality business intelligence (BI) and data warehousing (DW) education. A TDWI instructor will work with you in advance to ensure the content is aligned with your audience and corporate training objectives. The Virtual Team Training program can be tailored to fit the needs of your organization.

Take the Exams

CBIP certification requires successful completion of three exams: Two mandatory and one specialty of your choice. Choose one (1) of the two Core examinations (IS Core or Business Core), plus Data Foundations as two of the exams. The third exam is offered in four different specialty areas. To become certified in an additional specialty area, one additional exam per specialty area is required.

The exam questions are multiple-choice, and the exam question format is "straight-line," which means that the answer to one question does not affect the next questions. Each applicant is given 90 minutes to complete each 110-question exam. Those who successfully complete three exams will receive their certificates within 8 weeks.

CBIP Refund Policy: TDWI does not offer refunds for CBIP Exams. Exams that are purchased may be transferred to another individual. Please contact [email protected] for more information.

There are three ways to take the exams:

    1. TDWI Education Conferences. CBIP Exam Labs are offered at each Education Conference:

      Monday 5:30 - 7:00 p.m.
      Wednesday 6:00 - 7:30 p.m.
      Thursday 5:30 - 7:00 p.m.
      Friday 8:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.  (exams must start by 11:30 a.m.)

      Register at the conference at the TDWI Registration Desk. You can pre-register by clicking here. 

      A laptop is required for testing. At a minimum, your laptop must be Windows compatible and not encrypt data on a USB drive. (The testing software runs off a USB drive.) Loaner laptops are available if necessary – contact [email protected] to request one.

      Fee per exam: $325 TDWI Members / $350 Non Members. Your credit card information must be given when you take your first exam. Note: Your credit card charge will be processed following the TDWI conference. You will receive an e-mailed receipt (1105 Media Events) when the transaction is processed.

    2. Remotely Proctored. The exams can be proctored remotely using a Web cam with audio capability and a high-speed Internet connection. The cost of each proctored exam is $400 (for both TDWI Members and Free Members). Please allow three weeks' advance notice when scheduling the exams. To request the CBIP application and a website link to process your payment online, send an e-mail to [email protected].

      Credit card information must be submitted along with a completed application before an exam may be scheduled.

    3. Virtual Team Training. Certify your team by providing education, CBIP preparation, and exam proctoring from any location via a virtual classroom.

Once you pass your first CBIP exam, you have 12 months to pass the remaining two exams.

Recertification

Now that you have set yourself apart from other IT professionals by attaining the CBIP certification, you would not want your certification to lapse. To maintain your credential, simply meet the requirements of the recertification program for continuing professional education. By paying your annual fee and submitting your ongoing professional development, your certificate will be automatically renewed.

Keep Your CBIP Current

Your initial certification is valid for four years; after this initial period, it must be renewed every three years. Recertification requires proof of 120 credit hours of continuing education earned since the last renewal. In addition, an annual fee of $125 is due to ICCP except for the first year.

As a certificate holder, you are required to adhere to the Code of Ethics and Code of Good Practices, which holds you to a high standard within the IT community. If it is reported that the standards you have agreed to are not met, the incident will be investigated and your designation may be revoked for unethical behavior.

Since 2004, TDWI and our partner, ICCP, have provided the CBIP certification to global business and industry through their unique, collaborative business partnership. ICCP handles all annual billing, collects recertification fees, and processes all continuing education credits for CBIP holders. For more information about documentation and acceptable educational activity, refer to the ICCP Recertification Guide. (Prior to 2011 the certification/recertification period is valid for three years and the recertification period began the month after becoming certified.)

Questions about recertifying your CBIP?

Contact ICCP at [email protected] or 800-843-8227 to request the continuing education statement and payment details to become recertified.

Click here to explore 10 ways to earn recertification credits and maintain your CBIP certification.