CERTIFIED

ANALYTICS
PROFESSIONAL
Candidate Handbook
CERTIFIED ANALYTICS
PROFESSIONAL (CAP®)
PROGRAM & EXAM

Candidate Handbook

5521 Research Park Drive, Suite 200, Catonsville, MD 21228

1-800-4-INFORMs I 443-757-3500 I certifiedanalytics.org

Updated January 2024

© 2014
 INTRODUCTION6
About INFORMS & CAP® Program 6
Vision and Mission Statement of the CAP Program 7
Nondiscrimination Policy 8
Eligibility Requirements  8
The Job Task Analysis 9

EXAM APPLICATION & SCHEDULING 13

Steps in the CAP Certification Process 13
Application and Payment Process/Fees and Refunds 14
Scheduling an Exam 15
Modifying/Missing a Scheduled Exam Date 15
Special Exam Arrangements 16

PREPARING FOR THE EXAM 16

Sample Exam Questions 16
Correct Answers 23
Distribution of Sample Questions per Domain 23
Rationale for Correct Answers 24
References 27

TAKING THE EXAM 29

Exam Site Requirements and Instructions 29

AFTER THE EXAM 30

Exam Score Reports, Scoring Process, Hand Scoring 30
Reexamination 30
Security and Confidentiality 31

APPEALS OF CERTIFICATION DECISIONS 31

Appeals Eligibility/ Process/ Panel and Decisions31

DISCIPLINARY PROCESS 32

INFORMS
CODE OF ETHICS 33
ATTN: Certification Manager
5521 Research Park Drive, Suite 200 Catonsville, MD 21228 CERTIFICATION RENEWAL PROCESS 35
Professional Development Unit (PDU) Requirements 35
Phone: 443-757-3500 or 1-800-4-INFORMs Recording PDUs and the Audit Process 36
Fax: 443-757-3515 Changes to Name and Address of Certification Holders 36
Email: info@certifiedanalytics.org
Web: certifiedanalytics.org USE OF THE CAP CREDENTIAL 37
INTRODUCTION 5. Successful completion of the certification process, confirming to both the certified professionals and
their employers the set of core analytics skills they bring to a project team.

The CAP exam measures performance across the seven major areas, or domains, of analytics practice:
About INFORMS business problem framing, analytics problem framing, data, methodology selection, model building,
deployment, and model life cycle management. See the “The Job Task Analysis” section for more about
The Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS) is the leading international the end-to-end process evaluated by the exam.
professional society of more than 12,500 operations research (O.R.) and analytics professionals and
students. INFORMS promotes best practices and advances in O.R., the management sciences, and The CAP exam assesses a breadth of knowledge across the seven domains, and not a depth of knowledge
analytics to improve operational processes, decision making, and outcomes through an array of highly-cited in any one particular area. Those interested in taking the CAP exam should consider themselves to be
publications, conferences, competitions, networking communities, and professional development services. analytics professionals or semi-professionals, and not analytics amateurs. They should be interested in
INFORMS is committed to meeting the professional needs of those who develop, apply, research, and teach adhering to the highest standards of analytics practice and pursuing continual professional development.
advanced analytics, O.R., and the management sciences. See the “Eligibility Requirements” section for more on qualifying for the CAP exam.

CAP program development formally began in August 2011, when INFORMS established the INFORMS
Certification Task Force to plan and develop this new analytics certification.
About the INFORMS CAP Program

INFORMS is pleased to offer the Certified Analytics Professional (CAP®) program, the professional Members of the original INFORMS Certification Task Force included:
certification program that meets the needs of analytics professionals by: (1) validating analytics knowledge
and ability; (2) differentiating analytics professionals from their peers; and (3) enhancing professionals’ • Terry Harrison, CAP (Penn State University) • Paul Messinger, CAP (University of Alberta)
analytics knowledge and ability. The Certified Analytics Professional program was developed in
2011–2012. The first exam was administered on April 7, 2013, at the INFORMS Business Analytics • Lisa Kart, CAP (Gartner) • Polly Mitchell-Guthrie (Kinaxis)
Conference, April 7–9, in San Antonio, Texas.
• Bill Klimack (Chevron) • Scott Nestler, CAP (University of Notre Dame)
The INFORMS CAP program advances the field of analytics by setting standards by which organizations
• David Leonhardi (Boeing) • Michael Rappa (North Carolina State
can identify and develop qualified analytics professionals. Achieving the certification contributes to
& Institute for Advanced Analytics)
the career success and continued competence of analytics professionals. The CAP also reinforces the • Jack Levis (UPS)
credibility and visibility of the analytics profession. • Barry Thomas (University of Iowa)
• Vijay Mehrotra (University of San Francisco)
INFORMS defines “analytics” as the scientific process of transforming data into insight for making
better decisions. Analytics begins with identifying the business problem and proceeds with evaluating Following the first CAP exam in April 2013, an independent Analytics Certification Board (ACB) began
it using statistical tools and methodologies to arrive at a solution, a process in which analytics overseeing the INFORMS analytics certification program. The ACB replaced the INFORMS Certification
professional are skilled. Task Force and became the official governing body. The ACB has independent authority to make all
final decisions regarding program procedures, program content, approval of applicants, and granting
INFORMS is the first professional nonprofit organization to develop a formal certification program for of certification. The ACB functions independently of INFORMS. Visit certifedanalytics.org/analytics-
analytics professionals. Key components of the CAP program include: certification-board for a current list of ACB members.

1. Formal credentialing requirements, including a standardized exam and required renewal process;
Vision and Mission Statement of the CAP Program
2. Program content based on the findings of a job task analysis working group, whose members
represent a broad background of analytics practitioners (see the section, “The Job Task Analysis”);
Vision: To advance the use of analytics to transform the world by setting agreed-upon standards
3. Agreed-upon eligibility criteria consisting of academic preparation, work experience in analytics, of practice.
and employer confirmation of adequate mastery of analytics soft skills;
Mission: To advance the analytics profession by providing a high-quality program of certification
4. Certification program content that is both software- and vendor-neutral; and and promoting continuing competence for practitioners.

6 I CAP Candidate Handbook CAP Candidate Handbook I 7

Nondiscrimination Policy Effectiveness
An important trait of a CAP is the demonstrated achievement of soft skills in addition to the
INFORMS does not discriminate among candidates based on race, color, creed, gender, age, religion, knowledge, skills, and abilities covered by the CAP exam process. These “soft skills” include:
national origin, ancestry, disability, military discharge status, sexual orientation, or marital status. INFORMS
• The ability to communicate with a client/employer regarding the framing of an
adheres to all applicable laws and regulations pertaining to nondiscrimination practices. INFORMS will
analytics problem;
arrange for reasonable accommodation for any individual requesting it.
• Understanding the client’s/employer’s organizational identity and industry focus; and

• The ability to convey a clear understanding of the findings of the analytics process to
Eligibility Requirements (Eligibility requirements for CAP certification include the following.)
the client/employer.

Education and Experience

The CAP program requires confirmation by a current or prior supervisor that the applicant has
A candidate’s number of years of analytics work experience determines the education requirement
acceptable proficiency in the skills enumerated above. Such confirmation must be in documentation
to be eligible for the CAP exam. Applicants must have one of the following combinations:
form and accompanied by the electronic signature of the supervisor. The supervisor may not be a
• At least two years of professional analytics work experience for individuals with an MA/MS degree relative of the candidate.
or higher.
Candidates unable to obtain such confirmation who can demonstrate having put forth a reasonable
• At least four years of professional analytics work experience for individuals with a BA/BS degree. effort to contact a past employer, client, or acceptable substitute may submit a summary of a recent
analytics project describing in detail the soft skills applied in the successful completion of the project
• At least eight years of professional analytics work experience for individuals with any level of and in the implementation of its findings. Candidates choosing this option should contact INFORMS
education or without a degree. staff for additional instructions. Representatives of the ACB may additionally require a telephone
interview with the candidate to assess the candidate’s soft skills.
Applicants must provide proof of professional experience, including company/employer name; name,
title, and contact information of immediate supervisor; and dates of employment. An applicant’s degree
Ethics
must be obtained from a regionally accredited college or university recognized by the U.S. Department
Applicants must pledge to adhere to the Code of Ethics (see page 27) for analytics practitioners.
of Education or equivalent entity if from another country. Applicants with less than eight years of
professional analytics work experience must provide proof of their degree by submitting a copy of their
educational course transcript. Exam
Applicants for CAP certification must pass an exam based on analytics practice. The practice parameters
are detailed in the Job Task Analysis (JTA). All items in the exam are directly linked to the JTA.

Degree Level Degree Area Experience

The Job Task Analysis

MS/MA or Higher Analytics-related area 2 Years The JTA defines the current knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) needed to provide these services
effectively. KSAs are validated by their frequency of use and importance. The JTA also serves as a
blueprint for the content (performance domains) of the INFORMS CAP exam.

BS/BA Analytics-related area 4 Years INFORMS upholds stringent guidelines for the development and administration of the exam. A
panel of subject matter experts (SMEs) was selected to develop the first Job Task Analysis for the
CAP credential.

Any level of education/ The findings of this panel were then distributed to practicing analytics professionals, whose feedback
Non-analytics-related area 8 Years
BA or Higher informed adjustments to the performance domains, tasks, and knowledge comprising the blueprint
used for determining the content of the CAP exam.

8 I CAP Candidate Handbook CAP Candidate Handbook I 9

The table below lists the domains derived from the JTA and their approximate weight in the certification (17%) Domain II: Analytics Problem Framing
exam. The final weights are determined by the percentage of questions included from each domain in The ability to reformulate a business problem into an analytics problem with a potential analytics solution.
the actual exam.
• T-1 Reformulate problem statement as an analytics problem

• T-2 Develop a proposed set of drivers and relationships to outputs

Domain Approximate Weight
• T-3 State the set of assumptions related to the problem

I. Business Problem (Question) Framing 14% • T-4 Define key metrics of success

• T-5 Obtain stakeholder agreement on the analytics problem framing

II. Analytics Problem Framing 17%

(23%) Domain III: Data

III. Data 23% The ability to effectively work with data to help identify potential relationships that will
lead to refinement of the business and analytics problem.

IV. Methodology (Approach) Selection 14% • T-1 Identify and prioritize data needs and sources

• T-2 Acquire data

V. Model Building 16% • T-3 Clean, transform, and validate the data

• T-4 Identify relationships in the data

VI. Deployment 10%
• T-5 Document and report findings (e.g., insights, results, business performance)

VII. Model Life Cycle Management 6% • T-6 Refine the business and analytics problem framing

(14%) Domain IV: Methodology (Approach) Selection

The JTA and its resulting blueprint are reviewed periodically and updated as needed to reflect current The ability to identify and select potential approaches for solving the business problem.
practices in analytics. The following list of domains also includes the key tasks associated with each domain.
• T-1 Identify available problem solving methodologies (approaches)

(14%) Domain I: Business Problem (Question) Framing • T-2 Evaluate methodologies (approaches)1

The ability to understand a business problem and determine whether the problem is • T-3 Select approaches (methods)1
amenable to an analytics solution.

• T-1 Identify initial problem statement and desired outcomes (16%) Domain V: Model Building

• T-2 Identify stakeholders and their perspectives The ability to identify and build effective model structures to help solve the business problem.

• T-3 Determine if the problem can be effectively addressed by analytics • T-1 Identify model structures1

• T-4 Refine the problem statement and identify business constraints • T-1a Build and verify the models

• T-5 Define an initial set of business costs and benefits • T-2 Run and evaluate the models

• T-6 Obtain stakeholder agreement on the business problem framing 1

Tasks that are beyond the scope of the certification exam and that will not be tested.

10 I CAP Candidate Handbook CAP Candidate Handbook I 11

(16%) Domain V: Model Building (Continued) EXAM APPLICATION & SCHEDULING
• T-3 Calibrate models and data1
Steps in the CAP Certification Process
• T-4 Integrate the models1
1. The potential applicant determines whether they meet the eligibility requirements detailed
• T-5 Document and communicate findings (including assumptions, limitations, and constraints)
in the Eligibility Requirements section.

(10%) Domain VI: Deployment 2. The applicant signs in or creates a profile at https://app.prolydian.com/organizations/INFORMS. It is
The ability to deploy the selected model to help solve the business problem. recommended that candidates use a personal email address instead of a work email address when
creating their profile. This allows for continuous communication in case of a job change.
• T-1 Perform business validation of the model
3. The applicant provides contact information for a current or recent supervisor of analytics
• T-2 Deliver report with findings; and/or
in the workplace.
• T-3 Create model, usability, and system requirements for production
4. Applicant provides an electronic version of unofficial transcripts (in English). This is not a copy
• T-4 Deliver production model/system1 of the diploma and must document the required academic preparation for the CAP credential.

• T-5 Support deployment

5. Applicant completes, submits payment of the application fee, and submits the online application.

(6%) Domain VII: Model Life Cycle Management 6. INFORMS staff reviews the application to confirm the applicant’s eligibility. When an application
The ability to manage the model life cycle to evaluate business benefit of the model over time. is approved, the candidate is eligible to sit for the exam within 12 months from their application
approval date..
• T-1 Create document
7. Once a candidate’s application is approved, they will receive instructions to pay for their exam.
• T-2 Track model performance
Upon payment, the candidate will be set up as a test taker with the CAP exam provider Kryterion
• T-3 Recalibrate and maintain the model1 Webassessor. Exams are offered both remotely and at test centers. Exam sites are listed at
https://www.kryterion.com/locate-test-center/.
• T-4 Support training activities
8. The candidate takes the exam at the selected exam site.
• T-5 Evaluate the business benefit of the model over time

9. The candidate receives an official score report noting pass/fail immediately following completion
1
Tasks that are beyond the scope of the certification exam and that will not be tested. of the exam. No other score report will be issued.

10. Eligible candidates who pass the exam will receive an email with a link to the candidate’s credential
within two weeks of successful exam completion. Candidates who fail the exam should begin a
process of targeted professional development to address the areas of weak performance cited in
the score report.

11. All CAP certification holders must renew their certification every three years. See the “Certification
Renewal Process” section for more information. Note: Certification is granted only to individuals
who meet all eligibility requirements and achieve a passing score on the exam. Special exceptions
of certification status are not permitted for any candidates failing to meet these requirements.

12 I CAP Candidate Handbook CAP Candidate Handbook I 13

Application and Payment Process a
Applicants must be members of INFORMS in good standing at the time of application to receive
www.certifiedanalytics.org the member discount. No refunds will be granted for applicants joining INFORMS after submission
of certification application materials.
To apply for the CAP certification exam, please follow these steps:
1. Complete and submit to INFORMS the “CAP/aCAP Certification Application and Agreement” form
b
Applicants must be members of INFORMS, from an INFORMS-designated developing country,
online at app.prolydian.com/organizations/INFORMS. in good standing at the time of application to receive the member from a developing country
discount. No refunds will be granted for applicants joining INFORMS after submission of certification
2. Submit an electronic version of unofficial transcripts (in English). This is not a copy of the diploma
application materials.
and must document the required academic preparation for the CAP credential.
3. Provide contact information for a current or recent supervisor who will complete the “Confirmation c
Reexamination fees apply to second and third CAP exam attempts within a candidate’s 12 months
Statement on Analytics Soft Skills” form online. of eligibility. Exams scheduled past a candidate’s eligibility period will be canceled and exam fees
4. Agree to the Code of Ethics. will be forfeited.
5. Submit Application Fee, and electronically sign and submit the Application Agreement. d
Exams may be rescheduled free of charge if done at least 72 hours in advance of the scheduled
6. Once an application has been accepted, pay the exam fee to INFORMS. exam date. Otherwise a rescheduling fee will be incurred.
INFORMS processes applications within seven business days of receipt of application, payment, and
accompanying documents. Payment of the certification fees may be made by: credit card from a U.S.
issuing bank (Mastercard, Visa, American Express or Discover), check made payable to INFORMS in Scheduling an Exam
U.S. dollars drawn on a U.S. bank, or wire transfer from a U.S. bank (contact INFORMS for details).
After an application is approved and the exam fee paid, candidates will receive an email from the
exam provider in 3-5 business days with instructions for scheduling the exam. Exams may only be
scheduled and taken within a candidate’s eligibility period (12 months from their application approval
Fees and Refunds date, not the date the exam fee was paid). Exams scheduled past a candidate’s eligibility period will be
Fees are subject to change. INFORMS offers discounts on certification fees to current INFORMS members. canceled and exam fees will be forfeited.
INFORMS may offer discounts to other certification partners. If your organization is interested in becoming
a certification partner, please contact INFORMS. Refunds may be provided in some circumstances, but
not after a candidate has begun an exam. INFORMS reserves the right to impose a processing fee on Modifying/Missing a Scheduled Exam Date
certification exam refunds. Application fees are nonrefundable. Exam fees are nonrefundable after a
Should the need arise to reschedule a CAP exam, candidates must do so through the exam vendor’s
candidate’s eligibility expires or 90 days after payment., whichever date comes first.
site at least three business days prior to the scheduled exam date, except in cases of emergency (see
The following fees are currently approved for the CAP program: below). Candidates doing so will have their exam rescheduled at no additional cost.

Application Fee (Nonrefundable) $55 Recertification/Reinstatement Fee $120 Candidates wishing to cancel the exam may receive a refund of the exam fee less a $100 processing fee
INFORMS Member Recertification Fee
a if their refund request is submitted within 90-days of exam payment and before their exam eligibility
Regular Exam Fee $640 $40
(Before CAP expiration) has expired. Candidates requesting to cancel their exams less than three business days before their
scheduled exam date will not receive a refund and will be required to pay a rescheduling fee to
INFORMS Membera Reinstatement Fee
INFORMS Membera Exam Fee $440 $80 reschedule their exams.
(Within 6 months after CAP expiration)
INFORMS Member from Developing Candidates who arrive more than 15 minutes late or fail to arrive for a scheduled exam forfeit their exam fees.
INFORMS Member from Developing
$220 Countriesb Recertification Fee $20
Countriesb Exam Fee
(Before CAP expiration) INFORMS understands that there may be situations when cancellations are required by circumstances
INFORMS Member from Developing beyond the candidate’s control, including:
Reexamination Feec $400 Countriesb Reinstatement Fee $40
(Within 6 months after CAP expiration) • Natural disasters; • Death or illness of an immediate family member;
INFORMS Member Reexamination Fee c
$300 Approved Refunds Processing Fee $100
• Medical emergencies; • Inclement weather; and
Rescheduling Feed $100 Appeals Processing Fee $350

Contact INFORMS to inquire about group rates. • Travel cancellations; • Exam facility power failure.

14 I CAP Candidate Handbook CAP Candidate Handbook I 15

INFORMS staff will handle these situations on a case-by-case basis. Candidates will be expected to The rationale for correct answers is provided at the end of this section. The rationales for
submit written and possible supporting documentation to avoid a cancellation penalty. In the event both the correct and incorrect responses can be found in the Candidate Handbook and at
of exam cancellation due to inclement weather, power failure, or other unforeseen circumstances that certifiedanalytics.org/sample-test.
make holding the exam untenable, affected candidates will be able to reschedule at no additional cost.
1. A box and whisker plot for a dataset will MOST clearly show:

a. The difference between the second quartile and the median.

Special Exam Arrangements b. The 90% confidence interval around the mean.
c. Where the [actual-predicted] error value is not zero.
Candidates with Disabilities
d. If the data is skewed and, if so, in which direction.
INFORMS complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). INFORMS strives to ensure that no
individual with a documented disability is deprived of the opportunity to take the certification exam
solely by reason of that disability provided that reasonable special accommodations can be made. 2. Which of the following BEST describes the data and information flow within an organization?

To request special accommodations, candidates must complete the INFORMS Certification Exam Special a. Information assurance
Accommodations form at https://share.hsforms.com/1xmnAGWH7Q6KCkpYjnKIVBQ21xem?utm_ b. Information strategy
referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.certifiedanalytics.org%2F. The form includes a statement of the disability c. Information mapping
and a space for verification by a medical or mental health professional. Candidates must provide all d. Information architecture
documentation with their application and fees at least 45 days prior to a desired exam date. INFORMS
also requires that applicants notify INFORMS of any requests for special accommodations prior to
scheduling the exam. 3. A clothing company wants to use analytics to decide which customers to send a promotional catalog
in order to attain a targeted response rate. Which of the following techniques would be the MOST
appropriate to use for making this decision?

a. Integer programming

PREPARING FOR THE EXAM b. Logistic regression

c. Analysis of variance
d. Linear regression
The CAP exam is a written exam composed of 100 multiple-choice questions, each with four possible
answers. There is only one correct answer for each question. Candidates are given three hours to
complete the exam. 4. Which of the following is an effective optimization method?

a. Analysis of variance (ANOVA)

b. Generalized linear regression model (GLM)
Sample Exam Questions
c. Box-Jenkins Method (ARIMA)
The following sample exam questions were developed by SMEs in the analytics field. At the end d. Mixed-integer programming (MIP)
of this list of questions is the answer key. These sample questions will never appear in an actual
CAP exam.
5. After building a predictive model and testing it on new data, an under-prediction by a
The 23 questions published here are intended to familiarize certification candidates and potential forecasting system can be detected by its:
certification candidates with the format of the questions that appear on the exam. They are also
a. Negative-squared
intended to provide a sample of the content (knowledge and skill) assessed by the certification exam.
These questions are not intended as a self-assessment instrument, nor should they be used to predict b. Bias
success or failure on the exam. Candidates should bear in mind that the exam is a pass/fail assessment, c. Mean absolute deviation
and that passing does not require all questions to be answered correctly. d. Mean squared error

16 I CAP Candidate Handbook CAP Candidate Handbook I 17

6. A furniture maker would like to determine the most profitable mix of items to produce. There are 11. One of the main advantages of tree-based models and neural networks is that they:
well-known budgetary constraints. Each piece of furniture is made of a predetermined amount of
a. are easy to interpret, use, and explain.
material with known costs, and demand is known. Which of the following analytical techniques is
the MOST appropriate to solve this problem? b. build models with higher R-squared than other regression techniques.
c. reveal interactions without having to explicitly build them into the model.
a. Optimization
d. can be modeled even when there is a significant amount of missing data.
b. Multiple regression
c. Data mining
d. Forecasting 12. A company is considering designing a new automobile. Their options are a design based on current
gasoline engine technology or a government proposed “Green” technology. You are a government
official whose job is to encourage automakers to adopt the “Green” technology. You cannot provide
7. In the initial project meeting with a client, which is the MOST important information to obtain? funding for development or production costs, but you can provide a subsidy for every car sold. The
development costs and the wholesale price, in USD ($), of the cars are shown in the following table:
a. Timeline and implementation plan
b. Analytical model to use
c. Business issue and project goal Gasoline Technology “Green” Technology
d. Available budget
Production Wholesale Price/Vehicle 25,000 40,000

8. Which of the following statements is true of modeling a multi-server checkout line?

Variable Cost/Vehicle 15,000 35,000
a. A queuing model can be used to estimate service rates.
b. A queuing model can be used to estimate average arrivals.
Fixed Development Cost 100,000,000 200,000,000
c. Variability in arrival and service times will tend to play a critical role in congestion.
d. Poisson distributions are not relevant.
How large a subsidy per vehicle sold will be required, assuming there will be enough demand to
motivate the switch?
9. A preferred method or best practice for organizing data in a data warehouse for
a. Greater than $5,000
reporting and analysis is:
b. Less than $5,000
a. Transactional-based modeling c. Cannot be determined
b. Multidimensional modeling d. Equal to $5,000
c. Relation-based modeling
d. Tuple-based modeling
14. A project seeks to build a predictive data-mining model of customer profitability based upon
a series of independent variables including customer transaction history, demographics, and
10. The monthly profit made by a clothing manufacturer is proportional to the monthly demand, up to externally purchased credit-scoring information. There are currently 100,000 unique customers
a maximum demand of 1,000 units, which corresponds to the plant producing at full capacity. (Any available for use in building the predictive model. Which of the following strategies would reflect
excess demand over 1,000 units will be satisfied by some other manufacturer, and hence yield no the BEST allocation of these 100,000 customer data points?
additional profit.) The monthly demand is uncertain, but the average demand is reliably estimated
a. Use 70,000 randomly selected data points when building the model and hold the remaining
at 1,000 units. At this level of demand the monthly profit is $3,000,000. Which of the following
30,000 as a test dataset.
statements must be true of the expected monthly profit, P?
b. Build the model using all 100,000 data points.
a. P can have any positive value.
b. P is possibly greater than $3,000,000. c. Randomly partition the data into four datasets of equal size, build four models and take
their average.
c. P is equal to $3,000,000.
d. P is less than $3,000,000. d. Use 1,000 randomly selected data points when building the model.

18 I CAP Candidate Handbook CAP Candidate Handbook I 19

15. You have simulated the net present value (NPV) of a decision. It ranges between -$10 million 19. An analytics professional is responsible for maintaining a simulation model that is used to determine
and +$10 million. To BEST present the likelihood of possible outcomes, you should: the staffing levels required for a specific operational business process. Assuming that the operational
team always uses the number of staff determined by the model, which of the following is the MOST
a. Present a single NPV estimate to avoid confusion.
important maintenance activity?
b. Present a histogram to show the distribution of various NPV estimates.
c. Trim all outliers to present the most balanced diagram. a. Ensure that all the model input data items are available when needed.

d. Relax constraints associated with extreme points in the simulation. b. Determine if there has been a change in model accuracy over time.
c. Ensure that all users are reviewing the model results in a timely fashion.
d. Determine that the model’s reports are understood by the users.
16. Two investors who have the same information about the stock market buy an equal number
of shares of a stock. Which of the following statements MUST be true?
20. In the following diagram, what is true of Strategy B compared to Strategy A?
a. The risks for the two investors are statistically independent.
b. Both investors are subject to the same risks.
Cumulative Probability Curves: NPV - Millions US$
c. Both investors are subject to the same uncertainty.
1
d. If the investors are optimistic, they should have borrowed, rather than
0.9
bought the shares.
0.8

0.7

Cumulative Probability
17. A segmentation of customers who shop at a retail store may be performed using which of 0.6

the following methods? 0.5

0.4
a. Markov chain Monte Carlo and ANOVA
0.3
b. Clustering, factor, and control charts
0.2
c. Decision tree and recursive function analyses
0.1 Strategy A
d. Clustering and decision tree
0 Strategy B
(400) (200) - 200 400 600 800 1,000 1,200 1,400 1,600

18. A company ships products from a single dock at their warehouse. The time to load shipments NPV, Millions US$

depends on the experience of the crew, products being shipped, and weather. The company
thinks there is significant unmet demand for their products and would like to build another a. Strategy B exhibits stochastic (probabilistic) dominance over Strategy A.
dock in order to meet this demand. They ask you to build a model and determine if the revenue b. Strategy B has the same downside risk as Strategy A since the curves have the same shape.
from the additional products sold will cover the cost of the second dock within two years of it
c. Strategy A exhibits stochastic (probabilistic) dominance over Strategy B.
becoming operational. Which of the following is the MOST appropriate modeling approach?
d. Strategy B must have the same uncertainties impacting it as Strategy A because the curves
a. Optimization, because it is a transportation problem. are so similar in shape.

b. Optimization, because the company’s objective to maximize profit and capacity at the
dock is a limited resource.
21. Each month you generate a list of marketing leads for direct mail campaigns. Which of the following
c. Forecasting, because you can determine the throughput at the dock, calculate the net should you do before the list is used?
revenue, and compare this with the cost of the new dock.
a. Exclude people who were on the list the previous month.
d. Discrete-event simulation, because there is a sequence of discrete random events b. Retain x% of the leads as control for performance measurement.
through time. c. Remove opt-outs.
d. Exclude people who were never on the list.

20 I CAP Candidate Handbook CAP Candidate Handbook I 21

22. Conjoint analysis in market research applications can: Correct Answers
a. give its best estimates of customer preference structure based on in-depth interviews
with a small number of carefully chosen subjects.
Question # Answer Question # Answer Question # Answer
b. only trade off relative importance to customers of features with similar scales.

c. allow calculation of relative importance of varying features and attributes to customers. 1. d 9. b 17. d

d. only trade off among a limited number of attributes and levels. 2. d 10. d 18. b

3. b 11. c 19 a
23. When analyzing responses of a survey of why people like a certain restaurant, factor analysis
could reduce the dimension in which of the following ways?
4. d 12. a 20. c
a. Collapse several survey questions regarding food taste, health value, ingredients, and
consistency into one general unobserved “food quality” variable. 5. b 13. a 21. c

b. Condense similar survey respondent answers into clusters of like-minded customers for
market segment analysis. 6. a 14. b 22. a

c. Reduce the variability of individual subject ratings by centering each respondent’s ratings 7. c 15. c 23. d
around his or her average rating.

d. Decrease variability by analyzing inter-rater reliability on the question items before offering 8. c 16. d
the survey to a wide number of respondents.

24. All times in the decision tree below are given in hours. What is the expected travel time (in hours) Distribution of Sample Questions per Domain
of the optimal (minimum travel time) decision?

a. 7.8
Domain I: Business Problem Framing Questions 7, 12, 14, 15
b. 6.9
c. 7.4
9
Jam
d. 7.0 0.6 Domain II: Analytics Problem Framing Questions 8, 10, 16, 21
Traffic Jam
in No
Ra 5 0. 4
0. 6
Rain? Domain III: Data Questions 1, 2, 9, 22
Dr 9
0.
y Jam
5 0.3
Traffic Jam
iv e

No Domain IV: Methodology (Approach) Selection Questions 3, 4, 6, 17

Dr

0. 7
6

Drive or Fly
Domain V: Model Building Questions 11, 13, 19, 23
10
l ay
De
0.8
Fl
y

Flight Delay

Ra
in No
Domain VI: Deployment Questions 5, 20
5 0. 2
0. 5
Rain?
Dr
y
0.
5 Domain VII: Model Life Cycle Management Question 18
5

22 I CAP Candidate Handbook CAP Candidate Handbook I 23

Rationale for Correct Answers 9. b) Multidimensional modeling
Multidimensional modeling is the optimum way to organize data in a data warehouse for
1. d) If the data is skewed and, if so, in which direction. analysis. It is associated with OLAP (Online Analytical Processing). OLAP data is organized in
A box and whisker plot, sometimes just called a “box plot,” was invented by John Tukey as a cubes that can be taken directly from the data warehouse for analysis.
way to graphically display the distribution of data. The ends of the box are at the first and third
quartiles, and there is a line somewhere in the box representing the median value. The whiskers 10. d) P is less than $3,000,000.
extend either to the minimum and maximum values in the dataset, or possibly less if they do not When the demand is 1,000 or greater, the profit is $3,000,000. But when the demand is less
include points identified as outliers. than 1,000, the profit is less than $3,000,000. Given this and that the average demand is 1,000
units, the expected monthly profit must be less than $3,000,000.
2. d) Information architecture
Information architecture refers to the analysis and design of the data stored by information 11. c) Reveal interactions without having to explicitly build them into the model.
systems, concentrating on entities, their attributes, and their interrelationships. It refers to the Tree-based models and neural networks are employed to find patterns in the data
modeling of data for an individual database and to the corporate data models that an enterprise that were not previously identified (or input into the model building process).
uses to coordinate the definition of data in several (perhaps scores or hundreds) distinct databases.

12. a) Greater than $5,000

3. b) Logistic regression
If we consider the profit from an individual vehicle to be the wholesale price minus the variable
This type of classification model is often used to predict the outcome of a categorical dependent cost, we see that the profit from a Gasoline Technology vehicle is $25K - $15K = $10K. Similarly,
variable (response vs. no response) based on one or more predictor variables, so this is the most the profit from a “Green” Technology vehicle is $40K - $35K = $5K. To make up for this difference
appropriate answer. The goal of the analytics in the stated problem is to determine who is most likely in lost profit, the subsidy provided to the automaker would have to be at least $5K (the difference
to respond, and the binary nature of this predicted outcome is provided by logistic regression. between $10K and $5K). In addition, the subsidy would need to be greater than $5,000 so that the
automakers would be able to recover their increased fixed costs at a reasonable level of demand.
4. d) Mixed integer programming (MIP)
This is a mathematical optimization technique used when one or more of the variables are 13. a) Use 70,000 randomly selected data points when building the model and hold the
restricted to be integers. It is an effective optimization model. remaining 30,000 out as a test dataset.
This split provides sufficient data to build the model and sufficient data to test the model.
5. b) Bias This is the best allocation of the customer data points. (A common ‘rule of thumb’ is to use
The bias measures the difference, including the direction of the estimate and the right about two-thirds of the data to build the model and one-third to test it.)
answer. Depending on whether it’s positive or negative, it will show whether there is an
over or under estimate. 14. b) Present a histogram to show the distribution of various NPV estimates.
Net present value (NPV) takes as input a time series of cash flow (both incoming and outgoing)
6. a) Optimization and a discount rate and outputs a price. By showing a histogram (a graphical representation of the
The problem statement describes an optimization problem: the furniture maker’s objective distribution of data), it is possible to see how likely various NPVs (beyond the given minimum and
function is to maximize his profit. The decision variables are the amount of each item to produce, maximum) are to occur. This would be useful information when considering a decision, especially
and the constraints are that he must meet demand and stay within his budget. Optimization is since the range of outcomes includes $0, meaning the decision could result in a profit or a loss.
the most appropriate technique to solve this problem.
15. c) Both investors are subject to the same uncertainty.
7. c) Business issue and project goal Both investors are subject to the same uncertainty regarding the stock market.`
Understanding the business issue and project goal provides a sound foundation on which
to base the project. 16. d) Clustering and decision trees
Customer segmentation consists of dividing a customer base into groups that are similar in
8. c) Variability in arrival and service times will tend to play a critical role in congestion. specific ways relevant to marketing, e.g., age, gender, interests, spending habits, etc. Customer
Arrival and service time distributions are inputs to a queuing model that would be used to segmentation allows a company to target specific groups of customers effectively and best
modela checkout line and directly influence congestion. allocate marketing resources. Two ways to do this segmentation are clustering and decision trees.

24 I CAP Candidate Handbook CAP Candidate Handbook I 25

17. d) Discrete-event simulation, because there is a sequence of random events through time. References
The time to load shipments depends on the experience of the crew, products being shipped,
and weather. Given that there is a sequence of random events through time, discrete-event The following references may help you prepare for the CAP exam. A committee of select SMEs who have
simulation is the most appropriate modeling approach. earned the CAP credential have developed a study guide to help candidates prepare for the exam. It is
available on certifiedanalytics.org and has information relating to each of the domains listed below.
18. b) Determine if there has been a change in model accuracy over time.
Domain I: Business Problem (Question) Framing
The most important maintenance activity for the analytics professional responsible for maintaining
the simulation model is to monitor the accuracy of the model over time. If there has been a change Kirkwood CW (1997) Strategic Decision Making: Multiobjective Decision Analysis with Spreadsheets
in accuracy, the analytics professional may need to revisit the assumptions of the model. (Duxbury Press, Pacific Grove, CA).

19. a) Strategy B exhibits stochastic (probabilistic) dominance over Strategy A. https://www.statisticshowto.com/false-positive-definition-and-examples/

Because the cumulative probability curve for Strategy B is below (or to the right) of the
corresponding curve for Strategy A, it can be said that Strategy B exhibits stochastic dominance
(SD) over Strategy A. B stochastically dominates A when, for any good outcome x, B gives at Domain II: Analytics Problem Framing
least as high a probability of receiving at least x as does A, and for some x, B gives a higher
probability of receiving at least x. Since the curves do not cross, B stochastically dominates A. Albright SC & Winston WL (2017) Business Analytics: Data Analytics and Decision Making, 6th ed.
(Cengage Learning, Australia).
20. c) Remove opt-outs.
Skinner D (2009) Introduction to Decision Analysis, Third Ed. (Probablistic Publishing).
The list of marketing leads should not include people or organizations that have opted out.

21. c) Allow calculation of relative importance of varying features and attributes to customers. Domain III: Data
Conjoint analysis by definition maps consumer preference structures into mathematical tradeoffs and
was designed to allow a marketer to compare the relative utility of varying features and attributes. lbright SC & Winston WL (2017) Business Analytics: Data Analytics and Decision Making, 6th ed.
(Cengage Learning, Australia).
22. a) Collapse several survey questions regarding food taste, health value, ingredients,
Negnevitsky, Michael (2011) Artificial Intelligence, A Guide to Intelligent Systems, Third Ed. (Pearson), p 34.
and consistency into one general unobserved “food quality” variable.
Factor analysis is a statistical method used to describe variability among observed variables Booz Allen Hamilton Field Guide to Data Science, page 35.
in terms of a potentially lower number of unobserved variables called factors. The information
gained about the interdependencies between observed variables can be used later to reduce Buhlmann P, Drineas P, Kane M, & van der Laan M, Eds. (2016) Handbook of Big Data (CRC Press,
the set of variables in a dataset. Florida), pp. 61-64. http://datashader.org/user_guide/1_Plotting_Pitfalls.html.

23. d) 7.0 Fryman L, Lampshire G, & Meers D (2017) The Data and Analytics Playbook: Proven Methods for
To get this answer, solve the decision tree using the “roll back” technique. Continuing back the Governed Data and Analytic Quality (Morgan Kaufmann Publishers), pp. 10-21.
bottom branch of the tree, the expected time if you fly is (0.5)(9.0) + (0.5)(5) = 7.0 hours. When
faced with the “drive or fly” decision, choose to fly (since 7.0 hours is less than 7.35 hours). Thus, Han J, Pei J, & Kamber M (2011) Data Mining: Concepts and Techniques (Elsevier).
answer d) 7.0 hours is the expected travel time of the optimal (or minimal travel time) decision.
Hillier F, Hillier M (2014) Introduction to Management Science: A Modeling and Case Study Approach,
12th ed. (McGraw-Hill Higher Education, New York, NY).

https://www.public.asu.edu/~kirkwood/DAStuff/refs/decisiontrees/index.html. Definition 2.3 for Utility

function and 2.1 for Certainty equivalent and p. 258 (6th edition).

26 I CAP Candidate Handbook CAP Candidate Handbook I 27

 TAKING THE EXAM
Domain IV: Methodology (Approach) Selection

Albright SC & Winston WL (2017) Business Analytics: Data Analytics and Decision Making, 6th ed.
(Cengage Learning, Australia), pp. 367-368.
Exam Site Requirements and Instructions
Cochran JJ, Ed. (2019) INFORMS Analytics Body of Knowledge (John Wiley & Sons, Hoboken, NJ),
p. 13, Table 1.3. Check-in Procedure
Candidates should arrive at the exam site at least 30 minutes before the scheduled exam time. To gain
Hiller FS & Lieberman GJ (1990) Introduction to Operations Research, 5th ed. (McGraw-Hill, New York). admission to the exam center, you must present two forms of identification. The primary form must be
government-issued, and include your name, signature, and photograph. No form of provisional ID will
Kantardzic M (2011) Data Mining: Concepts, Models, Methods, and Algorithms, 2nd ed. (John Wiley & be accepted. You will also be required to sign a roster for verification of identity.
Sons, Hoboken, NJ), pp. 17-21 and pp. 105-118.
• Examples of valid primary forms of identification are current: driver’s license, state identification
Kirkwood CW (1997) Strategic Decision Making (Duxbury Press, Pacific Grove, CA), Chapter 2. card, passport, or military identification card.

McClave JT, Benson PG, & Sincich T (2008) Statistics for Business and Economics (Pearson),10th ed., p. 423. • The secondary form of identification must display your preprinted legal name and signature for signature
verification (e.g., credit card, social security card, or employment or student ID card, all with signature).

Domain V: Model Building & Domain VII: Model Life Cycle Management • If the name on your registration is different than it appears on your identification, you must
bring proof of your name change (e.g., marriage license, divorce decree, or court order).
Albright SC & Winston WL (2017) Business Analytics: Data Analytics and Decision Making, 6th ed.
• You must have proper identification to gain admission to the exam center. Failure to provide
(Cengage Learning, Australia), pp. 447, 497-499.
appropriate identification at the time of the exam will be considered a missed appointment,
Cochran JJ, Ed. (2019) INFORMS Analytics Body of Knowledge (John Wiley & Sons, Hoboken, NJ), pp. 249-252. and no refund of your exam fee will be provided.

Hillier FS & Lieberman GJ (2014) Introduction to Operations Research, 10th ed. (McGraw-Hill, New York).
Prohibited Items in the Exam Room

Law AM & Kelton DW (2013) Simulation Modeling and Analysis, 5th ed. (McGraw-Hill, New York). Candidates can bring in and use any nonprogrammable, battery-operated calculator. Candidates may not
bring any of the following items into the exam center: cell phones/smartphones, laptops, iPads or tablets,
Ross SM (2017) Introductory Statistics, 4th ed. (Academic Press, Burlington, MA). tape recorders, book bags, pagers, notes of any kind, books, newspapers, or any such item deemed
inappropriate by the exam center. Note: If there is no designated secure storage, candidates may bring
Skinner D (2009) Introduction to Decision Analysis , Third Ed. (Probablistic Publishing), pp. 137-141. the items into the exam room to be placed in an inaccessible location within the room during the exam.

Domain VI: Deployment Exam Aids

Candidates taking the exam will have a calculator embedded in the exam platform.
Laursen GHN & Thorlund J (2016) Business Analytics for Managers: Taking Business Intelligence
Beyond Reporting, 2nd ed. (John Wiley & Sons, Hoboken, NJ).
Disciplinary Policy and Procedures
Candidates are to conduct themselves in a professional manner in the exam center. Any violation may be
Continuing Education/Training Courses subject to disciplinary action up to and including dismissal from the exam center and loss of exam fee.
Grounds for termination of the exam and dismissal from the exam center include the following:
Along with the above-mentioned references, there are also many analytics-related continuing education
• Having or attempting to have another individual take the exam.
and training courses offered by INFORMS and others. Opportunities for professional development are
listed on the INFORMS website: informs.org/Professional-Development/Continuing-Education. • Failing to provide the proper identification.

Note: Completion of preparatory courses is not a requirement for eligibility to sit for the CAP exam. • Using any prohibited exam aids/materials.

28 I CAP Candidate Handbook CAP Candidate Handbook I 29

• Communicating in any manner with other candidates during the administration Security and Confidentiality
of the exam.
All exam-related materials – exam form, exam questions and graphics, and worksheets – are the
• Leaving the exam room or center without permission. exclusive intellectual property of INFORMS. Accordingly, none of these proprietary materials are
available for review by any persons other than the INFORMS certification staff and INFORMS
• Engaging in cheating or any other dishonest or unethical conduct. Analytics Certification Board.

• Failing to follow any of the exam administration rules as stipulated by INFORMS.

All certification candidates sign an application agreement stating they will not discuss or share the specific
content of any INFORMS certification exams with anyone. Any violation of this provision could result in
sanctions up to and including revocation of certification status.

AFTER THE EXAM

Exam Score Reports and the Scoring Process
APPEALS OF CERTIFICATION DECISIONS
INFORMS uses a criterion-referenced methodology for determining the passing score for its exams.
There is no grading on a curve, and candidates are not competing with each other. The specific Appeals Eligibility (Appealable decisions include the following.)
methodology used is the modified Angoff technique, which relies on the judgments of SMEs to
• Denial of eligibility for certification • Denial of renewal
determine an acceptable level of knowledge, skill, and ability in analytics.
• Denial of certification • Revocation of certification
INFORMS may, at times, include pre-exam items in some exams. These items are used for developing
future exams and, accordingly, are not scored and have no impact on a candidate’s pass/fail status.
Appeals Process
Each candidate will receive an official digital score report immediately after completing the exam.
This will be the only official score report provided. The score report for failing candidates will include Applicants, candidates, or certificate holders wishing to appeal a decision must submit written documentation
additional information on performance by domain. Pass/fail reports will not include raw scores. within 30 days of the receipt of the written decision by INFORMS. The written documentation should
specify the grounds on which the appeal is based. A nonrefundable fee of $350 drawn on a U.S. bank
Raw exam scores are confidential. INFORMS will not disclose exam scores to anyone unless INFORMS in U.S. dollars must be submitted with the letter of appeal.
is required to do so by court order or subpoena. Unless otherwise requested in writing, INFORMS will
publish the names of all individuals who have passed the exam and who maintain current certification
status in our registry: certifiedanalytics.org/current-certificants. Appeals Panel

INFORMS will appoint an appeals panel consisting of one current member of the INFORMS Board
of Directors and one current or former member of the INFORMS ACB. None of these individuals shall
Reexamination
have had any affiliation (business, professional, or personal) with the individual filing the appeal. The
Candidates who do not pass their initial exam have the option of retaking this exam up to two times appeals panel members will conduct their work and render a written decision within 60 business days
during the first 12 months following the approval of their application. Candidates who take the exam of their appointment.
a second or third time will be expected to pay the reexamination fee cited in the “Fees and Refunds”
section, each time.
Appeals Decisions
Candidates who fail the exam three times will be required to wait one year from the date of their last
attempt to reapply for certification. Reapplying under these circumstances requires a new submission The appeals panel shall render a decision on any allegations of procedural error or in the making of a
of all application materials. Candidates who fail the exam three times are encouraged to pursue a decision with insufficient evidence to support it. Appeals regarding required compliance with existing
program of education/training prior to reapplying for certification. and published testing standards or program requirements are not accepted.

30 I CAP Candidate Handbook CAP Candidate Handbook I 31

The appeals panel may render a decision to uphold the INFORMS decision, grant the appeal requested Individuals who wish to report a possible certification violation may
by the appellant, or refer the matter back to the INFORMS ACB for reconsideration. A written copy of send a written letter of complaint to:
the appeals panel decision shall be sent to the INFORMS ACB and the appellant.
INFORMS
Attn: Certification Manager
5521 Research Park Drive, Suite 200, Catonsville, MD 21228

DISCIPLINARY PROCESS
email: info@certifiedanalytics.org

Certificate holders are required to comply with all existing and future rules, regulations, and

CODE OF ETHICS
administrative ethical standards for certification established by INFORMS. Certificate holders are
responsible for demonstrating compliance. Failure to do so may lead to disciplinary action, including
but not limited to the denial of eligibility, nonrenewal of a certification, revocation of certification,
probation or suspension, issuance of a letter of censure, or issuance of a written reprimand. Prepared by the INFORMS Certification Task Force

Individuals may report alleged violations of INFORMS rules or regulations in writing to INFORMS. INFORMS has developed the Code of Ethics for Certified Analytic Professionals. All candidates and
Written documentation should include the identity of the individual involved in the alleged misconduct certificate holders participating in the certification process are required to comply with the current
and the nature of the misconduct described in as much detail as possible, and the signature of the and future provisions of this code.
individual filing the complaint.
Applicability: This Code of Ethics applies specifically to those seeking to maintain the CAP certification
INFORMS has the authority to initiate a disciplinary action without receiving a complaint or notification but may be useful to other practitioners who use analytics. Clients, employers, researchers, policymakers,
of inappropriate conduct. INFORMS reserves the right to pursue any and all civil and legal remedies journalists, students, and the public should expect analytical practice by CAP-certified individuals to
available under the law. be conducted in accordance with these guidelines. Application of these or any other ethical guidelines
generally requires good judgment and common sense.
Grounds for disciplinary action include:
Purpose: This Code aims to clarify important ethical requirements; to establish rules and standards; to
1. Conviction of a felony involving moral turpitude. hold the profession accountable; to aid analytics professionals in making and communicating ethical
decisions; to help deter unethical behavior and promote self-regulation; and to list possible violations,
2. Conviction of any other criminal offense that reasonably calls into question the certificate holder’s
ability to provide professional analytics services. sanctions, and enforcement procedures.

3. Engaging in, authorizing, or aiding or abetting fraud, deceit, misrepresentation of materials/facts, General: Analytics professionals aid decision makers in business, industry, academia, government, and
provision of false or forged evidence, or bribery in connection with any application for a certificate military, that is to say, in all facets of society. It is therefore imperative to establish and project an ethical
or registration.
basis to serve as the foundation for their work. Furthermore, practitioners are encouraged to exercise
4. False statements made in any initial or renewal application materials. good professional citizenship to improve the public climate for, understanding of, and respect for the
use of analytics across its range of applications. Analytics professionals are obliged to responsibly
5. Obtaining or attempting to obtain certification or renewal by any fraudulent means. conduct their professional activities, paying particular attention to the values of consistency, respect
6. Failure to meet renewal requirements. for individuals, autonomy for all, integrity, justice, utility, and competence.

7. Use of expired credentials or false or unauthorized use of any INFORMS credentials. Responsibilities: This Code recognizes that analytics professionals have obligations to a variety
of parties, including society, employers and clients, colleagues, research subjects, INFORMS,
8. Unauthorized possession or distribution of an INFORMS exam or exam materials.
and the profession. Responsibilities regarding each of these parties are further described next.
9. Unauthorized use of any registered trademark of INFORMS.
Society: All professionals have societal obligations to perform their work in a professional,
INFORMS shall have the authority to establish procedures for hearings and potential reinstatement competent, and ethical manner. Professionals should adhere to all applicable laws, regulations,
upon satisfactory assurance of proper conduct. and international covenants.

32 I CAP Candidate Handbook CAP Candidate Handbook I 33

Employers and Clients: It is the practitioner’s responsibility to assure employers and clients that commission or omission, and, within the realm of professional activities and expression, all harmful
an analytical approach is suitable to their needs and resources, and communicate the capabilities disrespect for people, unauthorized or illegal use of their intellectual and physical property, and
and limitations of analytical methods in addressing their problem. Analytics professionals should unjustified detraction from the reputation of others. Recognize that differences of opinion and honest
clearly state their qualifications and relevant experience. It is imperative to fulfill all commitments to error do not constitute misconduct; they warrant discussion, but not accusation. Questionable scientific
employers and clients, guard any privileged information they provide unless required to disclose practices may or may not constitute misconduct, depending on their nature and the definition of
(e.g., by court order), and accept full responsibility for their performance. misconduct used. Do not condone retaliation against or damage to the employability of those
who responsibly call attention to possible scientific error or misconduct.
Where appropriate, present a client or employer with choices among valid alternative approaches that
may vary in scope, cost, or precision. Apply analytical methods and procedures scientifically, without References
predetermining the outcome. Resist any pressure from employers and clients to produce a particular
result, regardless of its validity. Saul I. Gass (2009) Ethical Guidelines and Codes in Operations Research, pp. 1044–1050.

American Statistical Association, Ethical Guidelines for Statistical Practice, August 7, 1999.
Colleagues: Analytics professionals have a responsibility to promote the effective and efficient use
of analytical methods by all members of research teams and to respect the ethical obligations of U.S. federal regulations regarding the protection of human subjects are contained in Title 45
members of other disciplines. When possible, professionals share nonproprietary data and methods of the Code of Federal Regulations, Chapter 46 (45 CFR 46).
with others to participate in peer review, focusing on the assessment of methods, not individuals.
Respect differing professional opinions while acknowledging the contributions and intellectual

RECERTIFICATION PROCESS
property of others. Those professionals involved in teaching or training students or junior analysts
have a responsibility to instill in those they teach or train an appreciation for the practical value of
the concepts and methods being taught.
One of the hallmarks of a strong professional certification program is a process for ensuring the
Those in leadership and decision-making roles should use professional qualifications with regard to continuing competence of certificate holders in the discipline. INFORMS will use a Professional
analytic professionals’ hiring, firing, promotion, work assignments, and other professional matters. Development Unit (PDU) system similar to those used in other professional certifications. All certificate
Avoid harassment of or discrimination based on professionally irrelevant bases such as race, color, holders must participate in an ongoing formal renewal process to maintain their certification status.
ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, national Certification holders must demonstrate compliance with renewal requirements during their three-year
origin, age, religion, nationality, or disability. certification cycles.

Research Subjects: If a project involves research subjects, including census or survey respondents, an
analytics professional will know and adhere to the appropriate rules for the protection of those human Professional Development Unit (PDU) Requirements
subjects. Be particularly aware of situations involving vulnerable populations that may be subject to
special risks and may not be able to protect their own interests. This responsibility includes protecting All certification holders will be required to achieve a minimum of 30 PDUs in a three-year renewal period.
the privacy and confidentiality of research subjects and data concerning them. PDUs must be in at least three of the five PDU categories. The following table describes options for
achieving the required PDUs along with any required minimum or maximum PDUs specified in each
INFORMS and the Profession: Analytics professionals will strive for relevance in all analyses. Each study category. Certificate holders may earn a maximum of 10 PDUs per PDU category unless stated otherwise.
or project should be based on a competent understanding of the subject-matter issues, appropriate
analytical methods, and technical criteria to justify both the practical relevance of the study and the
data to be used. Guard against the possibility that a predisposition by investigators or data providers PDU Category Description of Policy PDU Points Allowed
might predetermine the analytic result. Remain current in constantly changing analytical methodology,
as preferred methods from yesterday may be less acceptable today and totally obsolete tomorrow.
Participation as a student This option includes courses, One (1) PDU per hour of
Disclose conflicts of interest, financial and otherwise, and resolve them. Provide only such expert
in formal education/training seminars, and workshops on instruction. Certificate holders
testimony as you would be willing to have peer reviewed. Maintain personal responsibility for all
programs provided on analytics-related issues. must achieve at least eight (8)
work bearing your name; avoid undertaking work or coauthoring publications for which you would
analytics topics PDUs in this category during
not want to acknowledge responsibility.
the three-year renewal period.
Maximum of ten (10) PDUs
Alleged Misconduct: CAPs will strive to avoid condoning or appearing to condone careless,
allowed towards recertification.
incompetent, or unethical practices. Misconduct broadly includes all professional dishonesty, by

34 I CAP Candidate Handbook CAP Candidate Handbook I 35

 Notify INFORMS by one of the following methods:
PDU Category Description of Policy PDU Points Allowed
1. Entering changes to your record online.

Self-directed learning This category includes One (1) PDU per each hour 2. Emailing the changes to info@certifiedanalytics.org.
reading articles and books of self-directed learning.
3. Calling INFORMS certification staff with the changes at 443-757-3500 or 1-800-446-3676.
or watching instructional Maximum of ten (10) PDUs
videos on analytics issues. allowed towards recertification. Note: Individuals who are changing their names must contact INFORMS certification staff to
review the necessary legal documentation required to verify such changes.
Creating new analytics Examples include authoring One (1) PDU is awarded per
knowledge or content, articles, books, etc. PDUs are hour of activity spent in these
including serving as also awarded for serving as activities. Maximum of ten
faculty at learning events faculty at learning events. (10) PDUs allowed towards
recertification.
USE OF THE CAP CREDENTIAL
Volunteer service Examples include serving as a One (1) PDU is awarded per
volunteer for INFORMS or its hour of volunteer service. Once certification holders receive written confirmation from INFORMS regarding their new certification
regional chapters, working on Maximum of ten (10) PDUs status, they may use the CAP mark after their names. Always list the designation in block (capital)
analytics meetings, and assisting allowed towards recertification. letters. The CAP designation may be used only in conjunction with a certificate holder’s name.The
the certification process. CAP designation may not be used in reference to a company or organization. The CAP logo may also
be used on letterhead and personal websites, business cards, LinkedIn, and email signatures with
Analytics professional Full-time employment as an Five (5) PDUs are awarded written approval from INFORMS.
work experience analytics professional for a for each full year of employment
minimum of one year. as an analytics professional. INFORMS will send new certification holders their electronic certificate via a unique URL.
Certification holders may earn
a maximum of 15 PDUs in this CAP logo lapel pins are also available to new certification holders. They are distributed at all INFORMS
category in a three-year period. conferences and meetings or can be requested by contacting the INFORMS certification manager at
info@certifiedanalytics.org.
All claimed PDUs must be submitted to and verified by INFORMS prior to the conclusion of a certificate
holder’s three-year renewal cycle. Certification holders are reminded that they will not be able to claim Unless otherwise requested in writing, INFORMS will publish the names of all current CAPs in an official
more than the maximum PDUs allowed in any specific category. list/registry on its website at certifiedanalytics.org/current-certificants.

Recording PDUs and the Audit Process

Certification holders are required to keep accurate records of all professional development activities
including all certificates or letters confirming attendance or participation in approved education or
training programs. Certification holders must present all required PDU records to INFORMS before
certification renewal will be granted. Certification holders can input their PDUs as they are earned in
the CAP website. INFORMS will periodically audit a sample of certificate holders to verify the PDUs
they have claimed in their renewal application.

Changes to Name and Address of Certification Holders

All candidates and certification holders must notify INFORMS immediately of any change in their
name or address used for purposes of communication regarding certification matters.

36 I CAP Candidate Handbook CAP Candidate Handbook I 37

38 I CAP Candidate Handbook CAP Candidate Handbook I 39