The New CompTIA Data+: Your Questions Answered

If you’re looking to break into the technology industry but don’t have a ton of technical experience, a data-related job may be a good fit for a variety of reasons. First and foremost, there is great demand for data analysts and employees with data analytics skills. Employers posted more than 1.4 million jobs looking to hire employees with data analysis, data mining, or data visualization skills in the U.S. over the last 12 months through January 2022. (Source: CompTIA analysis of Lightcast job posting data)  

That’s why CompTIA is launching CompTIA Data+. CompTIA Data+ V1 is an early-career data analytics certification for professionals tasked with developing and promoting data-driven business decision-making. There’s been quite a buzz around CompTIA Data+, and we’ve been getting a lot of questions about the exam. Continue reading as we answer some of your biggest questions.

Why are data and analytics skills important?

Data-related jobs are projected to be among the fastest growing occupations for the next several years. For instance, one quarter of a million data analysts will be needed in the U.S. by the end of 2030. (Source: CompTIA Explore Careers)

However, the need for core data skills extends beyond data-specific job roles. CompTIA Data+ can help you develop and refine these skills and prove you have the hands-on experience employers are looking for.

What’s on the new CompTIA Data+ exam?

CompTIA Data+ is an early-career data analytics certification for professionals tasked with developing and promoting data-driven business decision-making. That means that you can make yourself more employable by learning how to better analyze and interpret data, communicate insights, and demonstrate competency. CompTIA Data+ validates certified professionals have the skills required to facilitate data-driven business decisions, including:

• Mining data
• Manipulating data
• Visualizing and reporting data
• Applying basic statistical methods
• Analyzing complex datasets while adhering to governance and quality standards throughout the entire data life cycle

What types of questions are on the CompTIA Data+ exam?

You can expect performance-based and multiple-choice questions across five domains:

• Data Concepts and Environments (15%)
• Data Mining (25%)
• Data Analysis (23%)
• Visualization (23%)
• Data Governance, Qualit,y and Controls (14%)

These domains relate back to job roles that are tasked with developing and promoting data-driven business decision-making.

For example, your organization collects all sorts of data, but is it easy to parse through that data, analyze the data, and make sense of it? This is where data visualization comes into play. Telling the story of your data and getting stakeholders to understand it is a valuable skill that employers want.

What job roles are aligned with CompTIA Data+?

As the importance of data analytics grows, more job roles are required to set context and better communicate vital business intelligence. Collecting, analyzing, and reporting on data can drive priorities and lead business decision-making. The following data and analytics primary job roles align with CompTIA Data+:

• Data analyst
• Data engineer

CompTIA Data+ is an ideal certification for not only data-specific careers but also other career paths that benefit from analytics processes and data analytics knowledge. Jobs like marketing specialists, financial analysts, human resource analysts, or clinical health care analysts can optimize performance and make well-informed decisions when they use and evaluate data correctly.

Watch a data analyst rise to the challenge with their team.

Why would I choose CompTIA Data+ over other data analytics certifications?

CompTIA Data+ is the only data analyst certification that covers baseline data analytics skills, assesses hands-on abilities, and is vendor-neutral and tool-agnostic.

Vendor-neutral certifications provide analyst skills needed to perform various job roles regardless of the specific programs and tools being used. Compare this to vendor-specific certifications, which equip you to work with just one platform (such as SAS, Tableau, or Microsoft). There are also certifications that dive deeper, such as big data and business analytics, which can be pursued after receiving CompTIA Data+.

How much does CompTIA Data+ cost?

The retail price for CompTIA Data+ V1 is $253 (as of December 2024).

How can I train for CompTIA Data+?

Start by downloading the exam objectives to understand what topics are covered. If you’re ready to start studying now, CompTIA has you covered with our full suite of training products:

• CertMaster Perform offers in-depth eLearning and hands-on labs to build knowledge and practical skills. 
• CertMaster Learn is a comprehensive online learning experience covering all the CompTIA Data+ exam objectives.
• CertMaster Labs is a virtual lab environment addressing the hands-on, performance-based aspects of exam prep.
• CertMaster Practice is an adaptive and realistic practice test experience that works nicely as a follow-up to other training. It truly diagnoses your knowledge gaps and then skills you up in your weaker areas.

The amount of time you’ll need to prepare for CompTIA Data+ depends on your existing knowledge of the topics and your hands-on data analytics experience. We recommend that you have 18–24 months of experience in a report/business analyst job role, exposure to databases and analytical tools, a basic understanding of statistics, and data visualization experience. We also suggest that you dedicate between 30 and 40 hours of studying before sitting for the exam.

How long is CompTIA Data+ good for, and how can it be renewed?

As with many CompTIA certifications, CompTIA Data+ is good for three years. CompTIA offers a number of ways for you to renew your certifications. Learn more in the continuing education (CE) section of our website.

I need to renew one of my other CompTIA certifications. If I pass CompTIA Data+, will that renew it?

No, CompTIA Data+ will not renew any other CompTIA certifications at the moment. Additional new certifications and learning materials centered on data knowledge and skills will be introduced beginning in 2023, with resources available for all career levels—early (CompTIA Data Foundations), intermediate for data analytics (CompTIA Data+,) data systems (CompTIA DataSys+), and advanced data science (CompTIA DataX).

Is CompTIA Data+ approved by the DoD for 8570 requirements?

No, CompTIA Data+ is not approved by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) 8570. As always, CompTIA Data+ is developed using the ANSI/ISO 17024 Standard.

For more information on CompTIA Data+ and to receive updates, check out the CompTIA Data+ product page.