- Partnerships
The world is now powered by data — everything we interact with, across both our personal and professional lives, generates some kind of data. The data explosion over the last decade has transformed many industries; enterprises operating in rapidly changing environments must anticipate what’s next and react in real time. At the same time as organizations integrate AI into their business processes, data-driven insights continue to guide their strategies, helping them to stay competitive. “Big data analysts” are already in high demand and in our new AI-driven era, professionals will need to understand the reliability and accuracy of many different forms of AI-generated data.
CDA Global is one organization with a clear mission in this fast-growing field — to connect businesses and people — while promoting professional practice standards in data analysis. Pearson VUE has worked with the non-profit membership association since 2020, delivering several enhancements to its CDA Certified Data Analyst program. The credential, which has three levels, verifies competence in data analysis for practitioners working in finance, human resources, e-commerce, health care, telecoms, and other industries. The program offers data analysts a clear professional framework while supporting the advancement of data science talent training and assessment globally.
Dr. Jianyi Zhao, CDA Global
CDA Global aimed to encourage more professionals to pursue our certifications and develop their careers, by increasing access, providing greater flexibility, and generally improving their testing experience. When it comes to test security, global reach, and delivering unparalleled customer service, Pearson VUE was the clear choice to help us enhance and expand our program.
Keeping pace with rapid industry developments while scaling up testing
Given the rapid pace of developments in data science, CDA Global must make regular updates to its certification syllabus to ensure its members have both theoretical knowledge of industry best practices and practical skills in the latest technologies. ’’With the speed at which our sector moves, we required a more robust testing process to significantly scale up our certification program — without compromising on security or quality,’’ explained Dr. Jianyi Zhao, sponsor of CDA digital talent certification, Renmin University of China, CDA Global. ‘’CDA Global aimed to encourage more professionals to pursue its certifications and develop their careers, by increasing access, providing greater flexibility, and generally improving their testing experience. When it comes to test security, global reach, and delivering unparalleled customer service, Pearson VUE was the clear choice to help us enhance and expand our program.’’
Enhancing every aspect of the CDA certification program
Drawing on our extensive experience transforming computer-based testing programs, the team at Pearson VUE identified ways to optimize the content and structure of CDA’s exam and develop more efficient testing procedures. Prior to shifting to Pearson VUE, CDA exams were conducted at fixed times and only twice a year — the change allows candidates to conveniently schedule test appointments on demand.
Increasing candidate engagement and providing everyone with the same quality of testing experience and evaluation was key to the expansion of the program. Integral to these aims was the implementation of the VUE™ Integrated Platform™ for delivery, registration, scheduling, results processing, analysis, and reporting. This single-source solution has streamlined all CDA exams, while providing invaluable data and insights to continually improve the performance of the Institute’s program.
Dr. Jianyi Zhao, CDA Global
Working with Pearson VUE has been the start of an exciting new chapter. More CDA candidates are gaining professional recognition than ever before, and both enterprises and institutions have the necessary frameworks in place to accurately evaluate the capabilities of data analysts. This has helped thousands of people unlock new professional opportunities while supporting our mission of advancing the professionalization of the global data analytics industry.
Building more secure test environments
Upholding the integrity of CDA certifications — which are pursued by professionals working in industries that handle highly-sensitive data — was a key priority for CDA. By transitioning the assessment to our test center network (including 80 key cities in mainland China), candidates can test in professional environments that meet high security standards — protecting the fairness of the test and the validity of results.
CDA data analysts driving the digital transformation of enterprise
The enhancements to the program have significantly improved candidates’ overall testing experience and as a result, the number of CDA tests taken each year from 2020-2023 has more than doubled. The subsequent increase in certified CDA analysts has helped drive awareness of CDA Global and led to international recognition of its key industry credential. With a clearly defined career pathway, practitioners are more motivated to continue their learning and upskilling, while also being more resilient to shifting market demands. A CDA Certified Data Analyst can demonstrate they have strong proof of technical competence when applying for a new role in a competitive job market. Enterprises that recruit CDA- certified professionals can conduct data analysis more efficiently, helping improve decision-making quality, and ultimately strengthening their market competitiveness.
We continue to help CDA Global enhance the marketing of its certification program to educational institutions, enterprises, and other industry stakeholders. Through the collaboration, the Institute has fostered new networking opportunities within the global data science community, leading to the development of new strategic partnerships.
Driving professional standards on a global scale
Now CDA candidate professionals feel they have a much stronger foundation in their field of expertise because every touchpoint of their learning and assessment journey has improved. According to Dr. Zhao they feel confident and ready for test day now that they can book a test online and on-demand, take their exam in a professional environment, and receive instant results. In fact, CDA has now scaled up testing from around 30 cities to more than 80 cities in China, as well as Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan.
To learn more visit: PearsonVUE.com or contact: jenny.liu@pearson.com