# Overview
What is the purpose of the case study?
The final stage of the certification process takes the form of a take-home exam, where you will perform an analysis and present the results. The skills that we are testing depend on the certification.
### Data Scientist
We will be assessing your skills in model development and communication. We want to see that you can take a business problem, select and implement appropriate techniques and then give a relevant summary of what you have found to the defined audience.
You will need to write a technical report and give a presentation aimed at a non-technical audience.
You can find information on how we grade your Data Science case study in the full [rubric](https://s3.amazonaws.com/talent-assets.datacamp.com/Case+Study+-+General+Info.pdf).
### Data Analyst
We will be assessing your skills in visualization and reporting. We want to see that you can take a business problem, select and create appropriate visualizations, and then give a relevant summary of what you have found to the defined audience.
You will need to give a presentation of your results to a non-technical audience.
You can find more information on how we grade the Data Analyst case study in the full [rubric](https://s3.amazonaws.com/talent-assets.datacamp.com/DA+Case+Study+Information.pdf).
# When can I take my case study?
Do I have to schedule a time?
As soon as you have finished the assessments and coding challenges, you will have the option to start your case study. Once you have clicked “Start Now” and confirm that you want to go ahead, you will have 72 hours (3 days) to complete all of the tasks for the case study. If you don’t finish you will have to wait 4 weeks to try again - so make sure you are ready to start when you confirm!
Although you have 3 days, we don’t expect it to take you that long. You can complete everything to the standard needed in as little as 2 hours, but most people will spend between 4 and 6 hours.
**Please note: all presentations will be recorded for grading and quality assurance purposes. You will need to have your webcam on, share your screen, and deliver your presentation in English. If you do not wish to be recorded we will not be able to accept your submission.**
# How should I prepare for certification?
**How should I prepare for the certification?**
For the Data Scientist certification, we recommend that you first complete:
* The [Data Scientist with R](https://www.datacamp.com/tracks/data-scientist-with-r) or [Data Scientist with Python](https://www.datacamp.com/tracks/data-scientist-with-python) career track
* [SQL Fundamentals](https://www.datacamp.com/tracks/sql-fundamentals) skill track
* [Data Communication Concepts](https://app.datacamp.com/learn/courses/data-communication-concepts) course
For the Data Analyst certification, we recommend that you start out with:
* [Data Science for Everyone](https://app.datacamp.com/learn/courses/data-science-for-everyone)
* [Data Visualisation for Everyone](https://app.datacamp.com/learn/courses/data-visualization-for-everyone)
* [SQL Fundamentals](https://app.datacamp.com/learn/skill-tracks/sql-fundamentals) skill track
* If you use R:
* [Introduction to the Tidyverse](https://app.datacamp.com/learn/courses/introduction-to-the-tidyverse)
* [Data Manipulation with dplyr](https://app.datacamp.com/learn/courses/data-manipulation-with-dplyr)
* [Joining Data with dplyr](https://app.datacamp.com/learn/courses/joining-data-with-dplyr)
* [Introduction to Data Visualization with ggplot2](https://app.datacamp.com/learn/courses/introduction-to-data-visualization-with-ggplot2)
* If you use Python:
* [Introduction to Python](https://app.datacamp.com/learn/courses/intro-to-python-for-data-science)
* [Intermediate Python](https://app.datacamp.com/learn/courses/intermediate-python)
* [Data Manipulation with Pandas](https://app.datacamp.com/learn/courses/data-manipulation-with-pandas)
* [Joining Data with Pandas](https://app.datacamp.com/learn/courses/joining-data-with-pandas)
* [Introduction to Data Visualization with seaborn](https://app.datacamp.com/learn/courses/introduction-to-data-visualization-with-seaborn)
* [Data Communication Concepts](https://app.datacamp.com/learn/courses/data-communication-concepts) course
**How should I prepare for the case study?**
By the time you get to the case study you will have been tested on a whole range of skills. Some of these will be tested again during the case study but others, like communication skills, will be tested for the first time.
Our [Data Communication Concepts](https://app.datacamp.com/learn/courses/data-communication-concepts) course will help you prepare to present to technical and non-technical audiences.
**Can I practice a case study before I book a time?**
Yes! Although we won’t be able to give you any feedback, you can try one of our old case study projects currently on our [GitHub pages](https://github.com/datacamp/careerhub-data).
# How do I get started?
Once you confirm you want to start, you will be assigned a project. You will have links to the project description from the Certification dashboard.
**Data Scientist case study:** You will also receive a link to a Workspace where you will perform your analysis and create your technical report. Further information on DataCamp Workspaces can be found here. You will also need to prepare a presentation to share your results.
**Data Analysis case study:** A link to the data for the project will be in the project description. You are free to use any tool you like to perform your analysis. You only need to prepare a presentation to share your results.
**I don’t understand something in the project, can you give me more information?**
Everything you need to demonstrate the skills for certification has been included in the project description. As this is an assessment, we can’t give any more information.
**What will I be tested on in the case study?**
We are mostly interested in the way that you communicate. Are you presenting to the right audience? Are you addressing the problem that you were given? You can find the exact criteria in the rubric for the certification you are completing.
**I have been working on my case study for hours and can’t get near to the criteria the project asks for. Is it even possible?**
All the projects we use are designed to reflect a real**-**life situation you may be in. Sometimes we can’t meet the demands of our stakeholders with the data we have. How would you handle that in a real situation?
# How do I create my technical report?
For the Data Science case study you will be given a link to a DataCamp Workspace template. This template will include the data for your case study. You can do all of your analysis in this environment and you must create your final report using Workspace.
So that we can grade your report you will need to share a published version of your Workspace.
Once you have finished your report you will need to press the "Publish" button on the left navigation bar.
When prompted, press the “Publish” button, making sure you are publishing the file that contains your report. When you publish your work it will all be run again. This means your work needs to be completely reproducible, including any package installations.
If publication fails, double-check the log and make sure all packages are installed that you need to use.
If you change your file after you have published you will need to update the publication. We recommend that you double-check the live publication before you submit as this is the only thing we will grade.
You can find much more information on how to use DataCamp Workspace in the [documentation](https://workspace-docs.datacamp.com/).
**My Workspace isn’t publishing, what should I do?**
We would recommend that you take a look through the Workspace documentation for more help.
**What format should my presentation be in?**
That is entirely up to you, but remember to think about the audience you have been asked to present to. What would be the best way to share information with them?
**Can I use BI tools for my presentation (e.g., Tableau, Power BI)?**
Of course! You can use any tool you think is appropriate for the content and audience.
**Can I see an example of an excellent technical report/presentation?**
We don't currently have any examples of reports or presentations
# How do I submit my work?
Once you are ready, you can submit your published technical report (Data Scientist only) and give your presentation (Data Scientist and Data Analyst).
If you are taking the data science certification you will first need to share the link to your published workspace. Please note we only grade the published workspace, so do remember to check you can see what you want us to grade.
Before you get started with the presentation, we recommend that you use the tools provided to test your microphone and screen sharing. We recommend that you share your whole screen and not just one application.
Your presentation should be no longer than 10 minutes and recording will stop if you reach 12 minutes. We might not grade your work if you exceed the upper time limit.
**Please note that the session will be recorded so that your case study can be graded by a member of the team, and for quality assurance purposes.**
# What happens after submission?
Your case study will be allocated and graded by a member of the grading team. It may be reviewed again for quality assurance purposes before the result is sent to you. This process can take up to 21 days to complete, so please don’t contact us about your results until after that time.
You can see the grading criteria in the [Data Science rubric](https://s3.amazonaws.com/talent-assets.datacamp.com/Case+Study+-+General+Info.pdf) or the [Data Analyst rubric](https://s3.amazonaws.com/talent-assets.datacamp.com/DA+Case+Study+Information.pdf).
**Why haven’t I received my results?**
If you have not received your results after 21 days (and you have double-checked it didn’t go to your spam folder), please reach out to us at
**Why was part of my submission “Ungraded”?**
We only grade your technical report if all the criteria for the presentation have been met. If your presentation was too long, we might not have graded your report or most aspects of your presentation.
**Can you give me more detailed information on where I need to improve?**
As this is a certification assessment designed to measure your skills we cannot give you any further feedback on your case study. We would strongly encourage you to carefully review the grading rubric ([Data Scientist](https://s3.amazonaws.com/talent-assets.datacamp.com/Case+Study+-+General+Info.pdf) or [Data Analyst](https://s3.amazonaws.com/talent-assets.datacamp.com/DA+Case+Study+Information.pdf)), which provides all of the information you need on what it takes to pass each element of the case study.
You may want to further review our guide on [preparing for the case stud](/case-study/how-should-i-prepare-for-the-case-study)y.
# Frequently Asked Questions
Can't find the answer to your question? Take a look at our [FAQ page](https://support.datacamp.com/hc/en-us/articles/1500003936581) for answers to the most commonly asked questions.