FISD Prepares Final Phase of Certification, 200 Expected to Take Early-Adopter Test

Amsterdam - Industry association the FISD is planning to carry out alpha-testing of the exam system for the FISD certification program for data professionals, in preparation for the launch of the Financial Information Associate Test, according to speakers at the FISD Europe conference held in Amsterdam in March.

After the alpha-test, around 200 professionals are expected to take part in the early-adopter test phase, which will enable participants to take the exam at a reduced rate.

London-based David Anderson, director and owner of Atradia, who was appointed by the FISD in 2008 to carry out research into running a financial information certification program, and what sort of market there is for this activity (Inside Reference Data, April 2008), said the early-adopter phase will help the association check the appropriateness of the questions.

"If we get enough people to answer the questions and are then able to analyze the results we should be able to see which questions worked well and which didn't - eventually possibly removing some if necessary," said Anderson.

During the early-adopter phase, there will be around 150 questions and the certification fee will be $125. The final certification test is expected to include 80-100 questions, and the cost of the full certification once the program is launched will be $450.

FISD Starts 'Listening Tour'

Meanwhile, the FISD has embarked on a 'listening tour' to find out how it can add more value in the financial information industry.

One of the areas the FISD is exploring is how to make its engagement in the International Standardization Organization (ISO) processes more valuable for members.

Washington, DC-based Tom Davin, managing director at the FISD, says: "The listening tour will allow us to review all the areas in which the FISD is working on, particularly in the reference data and standards space."

So far, Davin says the work has involved meetings, giving members the opportunity to interact and provide feedback to the association. "We are looking into ideas regarding working groups or best practices that we might be able to help members develop," he says.