Accelerate Your Analytics Career: Is Alteryx Designer Certification Right for You?
If you’re looking to take your data analytics skills to the next level, Alteryx may be the tool for you. This US-American analytics software offers a workflow interface that allows data professionals to build data pipelines, automated analytics, and even reports. In this article, I’ll share my experience passing the Alteryx Designer Core and Advanced Certificate exams within three months and offer advice for those looking to do the same.
First, it’s important to understand who should get certified. Not everyone who uses Alteryx needs to get certified, however, if you’re the one building the workflows in your organisation it’s worth considering certification. If you’re someone who uses Alteryx workflows built by a data team in your organisation, it may be enough to learn the basics without undergoing any formal certification.
While Alteryx doesn’t require coding, it does require a basic understanding of data and statistics. Depending on the problems you intend to solve with Alteryx, some experience with data analytics may be necessary even for the Core Certificate. The Core Cert is a useful way, especially for early-career data professionals, to demonstrate your ability to pick up a new tool. However, if you’re planning to get hired or are already in a job where Alteryx is the main analytics tool, the Core Certification won’t make much of an impression. In this case, I recommend getting the Core Cert out of the way as soon as possible and moving on to the Advanced Certification.
So, how big is the jump between Alteryx Core and Advanced? In my experience, the Core Certification was more challenging psychologically since you need to learn the tool from scratch, and you can’t really grasp how much more there is to discover. You also might be fairly new to the open-book exam format. Technically, the Advanced exam is more challenging since it covers many complex Alteryx functionalities in breadth and depth compared to the Core Certification.
Now, let’s get to the question everyone wants to know: how can you pass the Alteryx Core and Advanced Certification exams within three months?
The answer is simple: take the exam until you pass it.
This may sound too obvious to qualify as advice, but it’s important to keep in mind that for both certifications, you get to take the exam for free, every 7 days as many times as you wish. The exam only takes two hours, and it will help you understand which topics you need to revisit for a deep dive and which ones you have already covered well enough.
If you tend to find it difficult to structure your exam prep, I’ve written two articles outlining my approaches step-by-step for the Core and Advanced Certification exams. You can use these as a starting point to develop your own study plan and ensure you’re well-prepared for the exams.
In conclusion, Alteryx is a powerful tool for data analytics professionals, and certification can be a valuable credential to demonstrate your expertise. If you’re considering pursuing Alteryx certification, remember to assess whether it’s necessary for your role, build a solid foundation of data analytics knowledge, and take advantage of the opportunity to retake the exam until you pass. With these tips in mind, you’ll be on your way to passing the Alteryx Core and Advanced Certification exams.
This is the first in a series of four articles. On my profile, you can also find step-by-step guidance for the Core and Advanced exams as well as an article on my approach to the open-book format.
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