FISD Academy is our new Learning Management System. All existing users have been migrated to the FISD Academy. If you already have an account, refer to How-To Guide for Migrated Users for instructions on accessing your account. If you are a new user, please refer to How-To Guide for New Users.

Financial Information Technologist (FIT)

Mastery of market data technology is your new competitive edge

Learning Outcomes

Besides a sweet wall plaque and a shiny new post-nomial, earning your FISD FIT certification will help you better understand:

  • Data sources, formats, and distribution technology
  • Principles and protocols for communicating data
  • Distribution infrastructure, servers, and APIs
  • Software development techniques and concepts
  • So much more – download the syllabus for details
Download the Syllabus

Overview

The FISD Financial Information Technologist (FISD FIT) is a professional credential certifying your understanding of the technology that underpins market data and market data systems.

  • 100 multiple-choice and multiple-selection questions
  • Take your exam from any computer at any time
  • Score at least 75% to pass
  • No recertification required
  • Free retakes for FISD members, $150 for non-member retakes
Register Here

Pricing

  • Exam: $500 per candidate
  • Exam + Finance Modules eTraining (FISD members): $940
  • Exam + Finance Modules eTraining (non-members): $1,040

Register a group: Send an invoice request to FISD with the following information

  • Billing address
  • Participant full names & email addresses or number of participants if still confirming the final group
  • Choice of exam + eTraining or exam only
See Who is FIT Certified

Financial Information Technologist (FIT)

The FISD Financial Information Technologist (FISD FIT) is a professional credential certifying your understanding of the technology that underpins market data and market data systems.

There is a wide variety of technology that supports business activity and information transmission between exchanges, information providers, buy-side, and sell-side firms. Understanding not just the systems you use, but the technology your colleagues and clients have at their disposal is essential. 

The FISD FIT curriculum covers information that could otherwise take you years of on-the-job experience to learn.

General Questions

The FISD FIT is for anyone working in or around financial information. The curriculum is challenging enough to help you grow, but not so challenging that non-devs should shy away from it.

Yes. Contact FISD to request that your name be withheld, removed, or changed.

There are 100 multiple choice questions on the exam.

You may take up to 160 minutes (2 hours and 40 minutes) to complete the exam.

Yes. As soon as you’re comfortable, you can submit your exam to receive your results.

You must score at least 75% on the exam to pass. Scores are not rounded.

Login to your FISD Academy Account. From your Home Page, go to My Learning, and you will see your course and associated exam. Your exam will begin immediately once you click Start Now and there is no break, so be sure you’re able to devote up to 2 hours 40 minutes to your exam before clicking the button.

Exam retakes are unlimited. There is no waiting period between attempts. Results never expire and scores are not published, so you don’t need to complete a retake unless you scored below 75%. FISD members get unlimited retakes. Non-members must pay $150 per retake.

There is no required waiting period. As soon as you feel ready to try the exam again you’re welcome to do so.

The fee for a single exam is $500. Members can purchase the exam + eTraining for $940 ($1,040 for non-members)

No, FISD does not discount the exam. If you purchase the exam + eTraining package (either as a member or non-member) you’ll enjoy a savings over purchasing the exam and eTraining separately.

Your result will appear immediately on your computer screen once you submit your exam answers.  You will also be able to view and download your certificate of completion.

Plaque shipments are batched and handled by a third-party company, so FISD cannot provide an accurate estimate.

Send your correct name, exam date, phone number (for shipping only), and mailing address to FISD upon completion of your exam.

Yes. Confirm your preferred name with FISD and if you would like it to appear that way in the plaque, directory, or both.

Yes, it is available anytime you access your FISD Academy Account. 

Yes. Email FISD with your full name and exam date to request a PDF certificate.

Yes. Email FISD to request that your name be kept out of the FISD FIT directory.

Yes. Email FISD with your original name and your new name to have the FISD FIT directory updated.

All accounts found to be duplicates for the same person were compiled under one account using the personal email address provided (i.e. Gmail, Yahoo, etc.). If no personal email address was provided for any of the accounts, the most recent email address provided was used to create the login. If you are unsure what that email is, you can email certification@siia.net with the request.

Due to the data migration process, any certification completed more than 2 years ago is in the system but in an “achieved” state only visible to FISD Admin staff. If you need information regarding the completion of the certification (i.e. date taken, score, etc.) please email your request to certification@siia.net and allow 1 business day for a response.

Investigators should contact FISD to verify certification status.

Registering for the Exam

  1. Click the Register button on any of the FISD FIT pages or navigate to The FISD Academy.  Create an account via the “Register Now” option.
  2. Login to your account. Click the Store Icon at the top of the screen. Which will direct you to the FISD Academy storefront where you will be able to view all available courses/certifications via the “Shop All” option.
  3. Click on the course you would like to enrol in and “add to basket” and then “checkout” which will allow you to pay. Please note that there are some exam names that are similar, so be sure to choose the correct one for you.
  4. Payment can be made through the system using ACH Payment or Stripe. For invoicing needs, these requests can be made by contacting Adam Stanton at astanton@siia.net.
  5. A receipt will be sent to the email address provided for the account.
  6. Access to the course and all written training materials will be available after purchase. Please note that video training is conducted outside the system and access information will be provided within 1 business day from purchase.

That’s up to you! At-home FISD FIT exams can be taken whenever you want, with no advance registration required.

FISD does not offer that service.

FISD members, please contact FISD to be registered for your retake exam free of charge.

Support

Contact FISD to have your session reset or to receive a complimentary retake. In many cases, your exam can be reopened at the last question you answered so you won’t have to restart from the beginning.

Contact FISD and we’ll be happy to help you, we work within the UK time zone and our dedicated staff will answer within 1 business day.

Finance Modules

The self-paced Finance Modules eTraining course for the FISD FIT features eight hours of video instruction divided into short videos for flexible viewing. To supplement this content Finance Modules includes 80+ pages of notes, and a self-assessment quiz to check how well you absorbed the material. 445 GBP fee per user.

FISD members may purchase an exam + Finance Modules training bundle for $940 USD. Click REGISTER to purchase your bundle online from the FISD exam catalog (if this is your first FISD exam, you will need to create an exam account to proceed) or contact FISD to purchase your bundle via invoice.

Contact the trainer: Tony Gibson

In-Person Trainings

In-Person Public & Private Classroom Training 

FISD FIA Two-Day Training from FISD - Public Courses

Members: $1,600 | Nonmembers: $1,900

View Upcoming Courses on the FISD Events Calendar

Private and Bespoke FISD FIA Training in Your Office: Contact David Anderson to inquire

Fees variable based on course specifications

FISD has developed an intensive, in-person training course that prepares participants for the FISD FIA certification exam. This course will cover all the elements of the FISD FIA syllabus. Plus, students will benefit from the ability to ask detailed questions of the trainer and hearing anecdotal context for key concepts. Students also receive the complete Learning Modules video-based eLearning course. Certain video modules are required viewing before the classroom course while all modules are helpful as a post-classroom study tool.   

 

About your trainer:

David Anderson has worked in market data since September 1984, starting out as a sales executive for Telerate in London. He went on to spend nearly 13 years in various sales and marketing roles with what was then Reuters, a further 10 years operating a specialist market data consultancy, www.atradia.com, and has spent 12 years working with FISD. David created the FISD Professional Certification program and has been the author/editor of the FISD FIA syllabus and exam – now in its fourth version. For more background, see David’s LinkedIn profile.

How to book: Find an upcoming course in your area on the FISD events calendar or contact David Anderson to inquire

eTraining

Finance Modules

All new for FISD FIA v4.0. The self-paced Finance Modules eTraining course features 7 hours 40 minutes of video instruction divided across four modules that track with the FISD FIA syllabus: The Markets, The Data, Technology, and Issues & Trends. To supplement this content Learning Modules includes 140+ pages of notes, and four self-assessment quizzes, one after each module. 445 GBP fee per user.

FISD members may purchase an exam + Finance Modules training bundle for $940 USD (normally $1,035 if buying both). Click REGISTER to purchase your bundle online from the FISD exam catalog (you will need to create an exam account to proceed) or contact Hope Wilkes to purchase your bundle via invoice.

Contact: Tony Gibson

Private Classroom Courses Only

EDMWorks

(also offers an eLearning component)

Based in the UK and serves Europe, North America, Asia, and the Middle East.

Data Practitioner Foundation Course is a 2-day course which provides a broad foundation in data-related knowledge including regulations, data modeling and design, data quality management, data ownership, data governance plus the entire FISD FIA syllabus. This course additionally includes 7 hours of eLearning plus quizzes and notes.

Fee: dependent on trainer’s travel requirements, number of students
Contact: Dennis Slattery

TCAM

Consulting firm based in the Netherlands offering a two-day Expert training course is designed to teach candidates the essential knowledge for the FISD FIA.

Fee: dependent on trainer’s travel requirements, number of students
Contact: John Lathouwers   

Both Public and Private Courses
AFO Training Johannesburg

Two-day course based on the FISD FIA v4.0 syllabus. Class size is limited to 25 participants.

Contact: Kelvin Thomson

KSS Training

Based in the UK and serving North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, the trainers affiliated with KSS offer public and private courses that teach to the FISD FIA v4.0 syllabus. Four mini-courses guide candidates through the entire exam syllabus. In the case of private courses, it’s possible to tailor the length of instruction to either 2 or 3 days based on candidates’ needs.

Contact: David Curran

MDS at Work

MSD at Work is an Amsterdam based Market Data Consultancy firm offering two-day public Market Data courses that cover a range of industry topics as well as the FISD FIA v4.0 syllabus. Customized Market Data training programs can be conducted in a classroom environment or remotely and will include useful examples from our day to day consultancy practice. All trainers have gained experience at vendors or end user firms, and most recently at TRG Screen (previously known as Screen Consultants).

Contact: Arjen van der Sluis

Tee Williams Associates

All of our training is now live, online until we can safely meet again. We trained FIA #1,000! We train globally, at a time you choose in your time zone. We can use your platform (e.g., Zoom, etc.) or Adobe Connect. We offer three training modules that can be combined for either FIA v4.0 or Data Licensing Specialist Certifications:

  • Module 1 — Market Basics: How the market functions and the technology that supports it;
  • Module 2 — Data Basics: Data creation, usage, content, and the business of data; and
  • Module 3 — Licensing Basics: Definitions, concepts and process of data/service licensing.

Each module requires approximately 6.5 hours to complete.

Content based on the FISD: FIA v4.0 (Level 1) Syllabus (Modules 1 & 2); or FISD Data Licensing Licensing Specialist (Level 2) Syllabus (Modules 2 & 3)

Fee: Three fee structures 1) individuals paying personally 2) companies paying for individual employee(s) 3) Fixed-fee per company group

Contact: Tee Williams

The Financial Information Technologist (FISD FIT) is a Level 2 certification designed specifically for market data industry professionals. The syllabus covers everything you need to know to buff up your knowledge around cloud computing, desktop APIs, data science, colocation, permissioning, trading automation, and more. Prepare for the exam using training that fits your schedule, or flex your existing expertise by sitting the exam right away. By growing your mastery of financial information technology and demonstrating your prowess by earning your FISD FIT, you’ll increase the value you bring to any team in this industry.

Get your free copy of the syllabus here.