September 10, 2020
The CAS Institute is making changes to the requirements to earn the Certified Specialist in Predictive Analytics (CSPA). More specifically, material is being shifted from Exam 3, Predictive Modeling – Methods and Techniques, to Exam 2, Data Concepts and Visualization, to better balance material among the four required CSPA assessments.
Joanne Spalla, President of The CAS Institute, explained that the changes are being made in response to feedback that both the quantity and difficulty of material tested on Exam 3 is much greater than Exam 2. “We hope these changes to balance the material will streamline the process and shorten the timeframe for earning the CSPA credential,” said Spalla.
The specific changes, which will apply to exams taken after the September 15th close of the current testing window, include:
- Moving two sections of the Exam 3 syllabus – Project Planning and Ethics and Social Implications of Modeling – to Exam 2.
- Updating the primary data visualization textbook for Exam 2 from Stephen Few’s Show Me the Numbers to Kieran Healy’s Data Visualization.
“While these changes will increase the amount of material on Exam 2, the new curriculum will better prepare candidates for Exam 3 because the Healy text provides the R code used to generate its examples,” explained Amy Brener, Director of The CAS Institute.
In addition, The CAS Institute is considering the development of an instructor-led course, available on-demand, that covers the material on Exam 3. Additional details will be announced when the course is available.
For candidates who take Exam 2 before September 15th or Exam 3 on October 29th, there will be no change to the syllabus. Those who intend to take Exam 2 beginning with the testing window that opens October 15th will need to study the new curriculum. The updated learning objectives for Exam 2 are now available on the iCAS website.
