CAIP Programme

A world-class certification programme for insights and data professionals

The CAIP programme is designed to ensure that CAIPs have the skills, knowledge and competencies to produce the data-driven insights that organizations need to be successful. The programme is centered around the CAIP Competency Framework that defines the combination of knowledge, skills, and practical abilities that a CAIP should be able to demonstrate.

The pathway to earning the CAIP starts with pursuing a rigorous Professional Education program and obtaining Professional Experience where those learnings are applied in a real-world environment.

The primary pathway to earning the CAIP requires candidates to pass the CAIP Exam.

Register now to write the CAIP Exam. Your registration includes access to the online CAIP Exam Prep Course that reviews key areas of the competency framework, includes sample questions and offers exam writing strategies to help you be successful. Candidates are also encouraged to review the book Practical Marketing Research to acquire or refresh their knowledge of technical topics covered in the CAIP Competency Framework.

For a limited time, CAIP Canada is also offering additional pathways to earn the CAIP for practitioners with 15 years of professional experience and to profesisonals who held the designation of the former Canadian market research association prior to August 2018. Review all the pathways to becoming a CAIP.

CAIP Competency Framework

Helping organizations succeed in the world of data

The growth of data has created huge opportunities for organizations to gain competitive advantage.  While many organizations are investing heavily to become more data-driven, many are facing challenges finding talent who can identify the business opportunities that data holds.  The Certified Analytics and Insights Professional (CAIP) is the qualification for professionals with the skills to analyze and use data to solve business problems.  It also addresses the need to apply a strong ethical framework to the analysis of data.  This unique qualification brings a combination of the analytical and business skills guided by a strong ethics that will help organizations succeed in the world of data.

To help ensure the highest level of professionalism and competency in the practice of research, insights and analytics in Canada, CAIP Canada has developed this competency framework.  Working with leaders across the industry, we defined the combination of knowledge, skill, and practical abilities that a CAIP should be able to demonstrate.  These competencies are made up of both technical and non-technical competencies grounded in a solid foundation of strong professional ethics and behaviours relevant to the research and analytics industry.  The competencies cover a broad set of skills that will serve as a strong base for those who choose to specialize in areas such as analytics or qualitative research later in their career.  The CAIP Competency Framework is kept up to date through an annual review by CAIP Canada’s Board of Examiners.

Professional Education

The path toward becoming a CAIP starts with pursuing a rigorous professional education program to learn the skills identified in the CAIP Canada Competency Framework.  CAIP Canada recognizes that there are multiple paths to obtaining the professional training required to earn the CAIP.  CAIP Canada recommends the completion of a university degree or college diploma and specialized professional training in research, analytics and insights.

Completion of University degree or College Diploma program

Whether in research or another area, completing a university degree or college diploma helps candidates to develop the critical skills needed to succeed as a CAIP.  It is strongly recommended that all candidates should have completed a university degree or college diploma.

Specialized Training in Research, Analytics and Insights

Pursuing a rigorous industry specific training program is essential to developing the technical skills identified in the CAIP Canada Competency Framework.  We recognize that there are multiple pathways to obtaining the professional education needed to prepare for the CAIP Exam including internal training programs at CRIC member companies.  Candidates are required to review the CAIP Competency Framework and confirm that they have taken professional education needed to develop the required competencies.

CAIP Canada recommends the Principles of Market Research and Principles Express courses offered online by the University of Georgia and the Market Research Institute International

Principles of Market Research

The Principles of Market Research course helps both new and experienced market research practitioners understand the full process of research from beginning to end. This online course is completed through self-paced study and covers the 13 topics of the Market Research Core Body of Knowledge (MRCBOK™).  This popular course is endorsed by all major market research and insights industry associations including CAIP Canada and the Canadian Research Insights Council and is kept up-to-date to reflect new methods and concepts in the market research industry. It offers an engaging learning experience through interactive exercises and continuous feedback so participants can gauge their progress throughout the course. Successful completion earns a Certificate of Program Completion and prepares candidates for the CAIP Exam.  Employees of CRIC Member Companies are entitled to special member rates.

Enroll in Principles of Market Research

Principles Express

CAIP Canada recommends the Principles Express course for practitioners seeking to develop or refresh their knowledge in specific areas.  The Principles Express is a series of highly-acclaimed online certificate courses that cover the Market Research process from beginning to end. The courses are based on the Market Research Core Body of Knowledge (MRCBOK™) – a compilation of the underlying principles and essential skills that comprise the Market Research process. The courses are endorsed by CAIP Canada, the Canadian Research Insights Council and other leading market research and insights associations. Practitioners considering 6 or more “Principles Express” courses are encouraged to pursue the comprehensive Principles of Market Research course that includes all the Principles Express Courses.

Enroll in Principles Express Courses

 

CAIP Canada also recommends the following post graduate programs:

Research Analyst Program
Learn from expert faculty and gain hands-on experience. Be ready for your exciting career in market, social or public policy research.
Marketing – Research and Analytics Program
Centennial College’s Marketing Research and Analytics program will position you at the forefront of a cutting-edge job market in which organizations have oceans of data available to them, but struggle to make sense of it while marketing becomes increasingly data-driven.
Research Analyst Program
The Research Analyst graduate certificate program focuses on the theoretical, practical, and ethical underpinnings of research, while equipping you with the statistical, technical and professional skills necessary to do applied research in a variety of different settings throughout the public and private sectors.
Marketing Research and Business Intelligence
In the one-year Marketing Research and Business Intelligence Ontario College Graduate Certificate program you are exposed to the current and emerging techniques in marketing research. This program can launch you into a fascinating data-driven career in the marketing research industry and organizations that use marketing research.

 

Experience Requirements

A key requirement for earning the CAIP designation is being able to apply the skills and knowledge learned through professional education on the job.  A minimum of 2 years of professional experience in market research, analytics, insights or a related field is required to apply to write the CAIP Exam.  The CAIP Exam is designed to test the application of the CAIP competencies in a real-world environment and this experience will help candidates develop the competencies required to be successful on the exam.

Professional experience can include work with an agency or on the client side.  The experience should include the opportunity to develop and recommend approaches to using research and analytics to solve business problems.  It should also involve designing both qualitative and quantitative research studies and analyzing qualitative and quantitative data.  The experience should also include a direct role in working with and delivering insights to the end user.

CAIP Exam Prep Seminar

The CAIP Exam Prep Seminar offered by Robert Wong will review the key topics covered in the CAIP Competency Framework and provide samples of the types of questions and topics that will be covered on the CAIP Exam. It will also review exam writing strategies to help candidates be successful on the exam. The prep course is aimed at candidates who have already taken education programs related to the areas identified in the CAIP Competency Framework. The CAIP Exam Prep Seminar will help identify areas that candidates should focus their review but it will not teach new concepts. Candidates needing a more in-depth review of specific areas are encouraged to register for Principles Express Courses offered by the Market Research Institute International and the University of Georgia. Candidates seeking a more in-depth review of all courses should consider taking the Principles of Market Research Program.

 

View the video Navigating the CAIP Exam Prep Seminar from Robert Wong to learn more.

 

Recommended Reading

Practical Marketing Research

Practical Marketing Research is a guidebook for marketing research students and professionals and and is recommended for practitioners looking to acquire or refresh their knowledge of the essential knowledge and skills needed to:

  • Design marketing research projects
  • Analyze the results
  • Communicate the findings

Using a highly structured, step-by methodology accompanied by numerous practical examples, this book will teach you how to employ the tools and techniques used by marketing research professionals today. Practical Marketing Research is written by three active marketing researchers:

Dr. Chuck Chakrapani, CAIP, FCRIC – CAIP Canada board member, president of Leger Analytics and Distinguished Visiting Professor at the Rogers School of Management

Dr. Ken Deal, CAIP, FCRIC – professor of marketing at the DeGroote School of Business

Jordan A. Levitin, CAIP – CAIP Canada board member, marketing research practitioner for four decades and Course Director at York University

Analytics for Customer Insights: A Non-Technical Introduction

A quick and easy introduction to the techniques used in marketing research. Using no mathematics or formulas, this book explains all major analytic techniques used in marketing research. The techniques explained in this book include:

  • Factor Analysis
  • Discriminant Analysis
  • Boosting
  • Logistic Regression
  • Turf Analysis
  • Regression Analysis
  • Price Sensitivity Meter
  • Random Forest
  • MaxDiff
  • Decision Trees
  • Perceptual Mapping
  • Structural Equation (SEM)
  • Cluster Analysis
  • Conjoint Analysis
  • Support Vector Machines
  • Naive Bayes
  • Path Analysis
  • Artificial Neural Network

Analytics for Customer Insights: A Non-Technical Introduction is written by:

Dr. Chuck Chakrapani, CAIP, FCRIC – CAIP Canada board member, president of Leger Analytics and Distinguished Visiting Professor at the Rogers School of Management

CAIP Exam

The CAIP Exam will test a candidate’s ability to apply the competencies described in the CAIP Canada Competency Framework.  The CAIP Exam is offered twice annually.  The exam will be offered in two parts with a 30 minute break between each part.

 

Part 1: Short Answer

Part 1 will include short answer questions that cover key areas of the competency framework.  Part 1 is designed to ensure coverage of all key technical competencies following the weighting below.  All Enabling Competencies will all be tested within these questions.  Candidates will be allocated 3.5 hours to complete Part 1.

Technical Competency Areas Weighting
Define Business/Organization Problem/Opportunity and Research Approach 20
Identify and Collect/Gather Data

20

 

   Quantitative Primary Data Collection
   Qualitative Primary Data Collection
   Secondary Data Sources
Applies a high duty of care to individuals whose data are collected (data subjects) in terms of ethics, confidentiality, anonymity, security and privacy practices. 15
Analyze Data 20
   Data Cleaning/preparation
   Quantitative Data Analysis
   Qualitative Data Analysis
Developing actionable insights 20
Communicate Findings and Insights 5
TOTAL Weighting 100

 

Part 2: A Comprehensive Case Study

Candidates will be presented with a comprehensive case study that covers both technical and enabling competencies.  Candidates will be allocated 3.5 hours to complete Part 2.

 

Learn why Jennifer Tilk, CAIP and Professor of Marketing at Centennial College believes taking the CAIP Exam is well worth the effort