IICTI Certified Business Intelligence Developer

Holders demonstrate that they can apply and evaluate enterprise semantic model architecture, advanced DAX and calculation engine mechanics, bI performance engineering and query diagnostics and headless semantic layers and metrics governance, plus 6 further areas, in realistic professional scenarios, as defined in the AQSCERT scheme for Business Intelligence Developer.

Who it is for: Professionals working, or preparing to work, in data roles.

1. 01Enterprise semantic model architecture16% of the exam

   • Architect semantic models that deliver correct, reusable business logic across domains and reporting tools.
   • Scope: Star schema design, role-playing and junk dimensions, many-to-many and bridge tables, composite and DirectQuery/Import hybrid models, Tabular/Power BI, LookML and dbt Semantic Layer (MetricFlow) modelling patterns.
2. 02Advanced DAX and calculation engine mechanics5% of the exam

   • Design and debug complex measures whose results remain correct under every filter combination.
   • Scope: Filter and row context, context transition, CALCULATE modifiers, iterators, virtual tables, time intelligence on non-standard calendars, calculation groups, visual calculations and formula versus storage engine behaviour.
3. 03BI performance engineering and query diagnostics9% of the exam

   • Diagnose and resolve report and model performance problems using engine-level traces and metrics.
   • Scope: VertiPaq compression and cardinality, DirectQuery, Direct Lake and dual storage, user-defined aggregations, incremental refresh, query folding, DAX Studio server timings, Performance Analyzer and Best Practice Analyzer.
4. 04Headless semantic layers and metrics governance5% of the exam

   • Evaluate and design a governed metrics layer that provides a single trusted definition of key business measures.
   • Scope: Universal metric definitions, Cube, dbt Semantic Layer and AtScale, certified and promoted datasets, metric trees, conformed dimensions, metric versioning and reconciliation across tools.
5. 05Analytics-ready data preparation and ELT for BI29% of the exam

   • Design data preparation flows that keep BI models accurate, fresh and efficient to refresh at scale.
   • Scope: Power Query M and query folding, dataflows, warehouse and lakehouse marts with dbt, incremental and late-arriving data handling, slowly changing dimensions, data freshness and refresh orchestration.
6. 06Enterprise BI security and embedded analytics8% of the exam

   • Architect BI security models that enforce least-privilege access for internal, external and embedded audiences.
   • Scope: Static and dynamic row-level security, object-level security, Entra ID integration, embedded analytics and service-principal token patterns, sensitivity labels, tenant settings and data exfiltration controls.
7. 07BI lifecycle management, DevOps and version control6% of the exam

   • Lead the implementation of a BI release process that makes changes traceable, testable and safely deployable.
   • Scope: Microsoft Fabric Git integration, PBIP and TMDL formats, deployment pipelines, XMLA endpoint, Tabular Editor and ALM Toolkit, automated model and report testing, CI/CD for semantic models.
8. 08Visual analytics and information design11% of the exam

   • Evaluate and design dashboards that drive accurate, fast decisions for defined audiences.
   • Scope: Perceptual and pre-attentive principles, chart selection, IBCS notation, dashboard information architecture, cognitive load, accessibility to WCAG 2.2, narrative and decision-oriented design.
9. 09Advanced and AI-assisted analytics in BI platforms5% of the exam

   • Evaluate when and how to embed advanced and AI-assisted analytics so that outputs remain statistically sound and explainable.
   • Scope: Forecasting and anomaly detection, what-if and scenario parameters, statistical significance in reported comparisons, Python and R integration, Copilot and natural-language query, validation of AI-generated insights.
10. 10BI platform governance, capacity and adoption leadership6% of the exam

    • Lead BI platform governance and adoption so that self-service scales without loss of trust, performance or control.
    • Scope: BI Center of Excellence, Fabric adoption roadmap, capacity planning and throttling, workspace and content governance, usage and audit monitoring, self-service guardrails, data literacy programmes.

Question types

Single choice 100%

Delivery

Online (remote proctored), Test centre, On-site (corporate)

Retakes

Up to three attempts within any 12-month period. A 14-day waiting period applies after a first unsuccessful attempt and 30 days after a second. Each retake requires a new booking and fee. Retakes draw a different randomised form from the question bank.

Provisional cut score — psychometric validation is required before live delivery. Blueprint v1.0.

1. 1

   Register

   Create a free account and start the programme.

2. 2

   Practice

   Online practice test (coming soon).

3. 3

   Training

   Optional

   Online course or classroom — or skip it.

4. 4

   Certification

   Independent exam and certification decision.

Training is optional and does not by itself confer certification. Find a training partner