Data Journalism & Visualization Certification

The Data Journalism & Visualization Certification is a free intermediate-level, 20-minute skill test from Science of Apps. It tests data journalism and visualisation — finding stories in data, sourcing public datasets and FOI data, cleaning and checking data, spreadsheets and basic statistics such as medians, rates and per-capita comparisons, correlation versus causation, margins of error, choosing charts with the FT Visual Vocabulary, honest axes and scales, colour and accessibility, maps and choropleths, interactive graphics, writing with numbers, methodology notes, reproducibility, privacy and ethics — written to DataJournalism.com, Financial Times, Wilke and SPJ guidance for 2026 and 2027. Score 70% or more on its 20 questions to earn a verifiable Data Journalism & Visualization certificate (SOA-DJV). Every question is based on published standards and research — including DataJournalism.com guides and handbooks (European Journalism Centre), Fundamentals of Data Visualization (Claus O. Wilke) (O'Reilly / author site), Visual Vocabulary: choosing the right chart (Financial Times) — and each answer is explained with its source.

Science of Apps offers a free Data Journalism & Visualization Certification, written for 2026 and 2027. It tests finding and preparing data, analysis and statistics, visualisation design and maps, interactives and publishing with 20 original scenario questions in all, each naming its published source; you get an instant score and a verifiable certificate with a credential ID you can add to LinkedIn.

Read the four skill areas on this page, then take the 20-minute test online — no fee, course or sign-up. You see every answer explained when you finish. Score 70% or more and you get a Data Journalism & Visualization certificate straight away, on screen, as a PDF and by email, with a credential ID anyone can verify.

Yes. The questions are original scenarios written by Science of Apps, and each one is based on a public source you can read: DataJournalism.com guides and handbooks (European Journalism Centre); Fundamentals of Data Visualization (Claus O. Wilke) (O'Reilly / author site); Visual Vocabulary: choosing the right chart (Financial Times); SPJ Code of Ethics (Society of Professional Journalists); General Data Protection Regulation (full text) (gdpr-info.eu); ARIA Authoring Practices Guide (W3C WAI). The source is shown under each question and linked in the answer review. Science of Apps doesn't copy questions from other tests.

Four skill areas with five questions each, drawn from a bank of 10 per area so a retake brings new questions: Finding and Preparing Data (Sources, Cleaning and checking and Ethics of data); Analysis and Statistics (Rates and averages, Correlation and causation and Uncertainty); Visualisation Design (Choosing charts, Honest scales and Colour and accessibility); Maps, Interactives and Publishing (Maps, Interactive graphics and Writing and methods). Every question is an original scenario written to the 2026–2027 standard, with the published source named under it.

Data journalist or reporter, Newsroom graphics or visual editor, Communications or research analyst, Journalism or data science student and NGO or policy communicator. It suits students at leading universities, career switchers and experienced professionals who want quick, verifiable proof of Data Journalism & Visualization knowledge in 2026 and 2027.

Math, stats and economics majors are drawn to sports analytics, social-good data work and geospatial science. Passing earns a founder-signed Science of Apps certificate with a credential ID and QR code that recruiters can verify.

Raw totals mostly reflect population size. Dividing by population (or another base) lets you compare places or groups fairly, for example crimes per 100,000 residents.

Almost always. Bar length encodes value, so a truncated axis exaggerates differences. Line charts can use a non-zero baseline when the focus is change over time, if clearly labelled.

Yes. The test is online, in English and free everywhere — people take it from India, the US, the UK, Europe, Africa, Latin America and Asia-Pacific. Your certificate is dated with your own local date and can be verified from anywhere at scienceofapps.com/certification/verify/.

20 questions — 5 from each of 4 skill areas — with a 20-minute limit. You need 70% (14 of 20) to pass and 90% for distinction.

We rate it Intermediate: assumes hands-on experience in the role. It has 20 scenario questions — 5 from each of 4 skill areas — and a 20-minute limit. You need 70% (14 of 20) to pass and 90% for distinction.

Nothing. There is no fee to take a test, to receive the certificate, to have it emailed or to verify it, and no sign-up.

On our server, not in your browser. The answers never reach the page until you submit, so a certificate can only be earned by passing. Each certificate gets a unique credential ID stored by Science of Apps.

You see your score for each area and every question with the correct answer and why, with the published source behind it. You can retake after 30 minutes, and the retake draws questions you haven't seen yet.

No. Every certificate is dated, so it always shows when you passed. Retake a test any time for a newer date or a higher score.

Yes. After you pass, Add to LinkedIn opens the Licenses & certifications form with the certificate name, Science of Apps as the issuer, the issue date, your credential ID and the verification link filled in. You can also download it as a PDF or PNG, and it's emailed to you as a PDF.

Every certificate has a credential ID and a QR code. Scanning it, or entering the ID at scienceofapps.com/certification/verify/, shows the holder's name, the certification, the score and the issue date from our records.

No. They are Science of Apps' own assessments of applied skill. They aren't issued by a university or standards body, and they work best alongside a portfolio that shows the skills in real work.