PCiDS™ Qualifying and Certification Rounds

To earn the prestigious PCiDS™ Certificate, the process consists of two stages. The first stage must be completed within three months. All exam-takers must strictly adhere to the following instructions: 

Stage 1 - Qualifying Round

You will be given a cybersecurity scenario and are required to complete the following tasks: 

1. Write a detailed report of at least 3,500 words assessing the scenario, addressed to the management.
2. Present the report in a video recording, summarizing your assessment in no more than 20 minutes.

Detailed Report

The report must include the following components:

• AI Use Disclosure
  A signed statement declaring any use of AI tools and the practice of paraphrasing outputs, if applicable.
• Cover Page
  Includes the student’s name, instructor’s name, and student ID (if applicable).
• Table of Contents
  A clear outline of the sections included in the report.
• Executive Summary
  A concise overview of your findings and key points.
• Technical Description of the Incident
  Detailed analysis of the cybersecurity scenario, including logs, vectors, and patterns.
• Data Integration & ETL Process
  A description of how various data sources were cleaned, transformed, and merged. Technical walkthrough must be provided.
• Threat Modeling and Graph Analysis
  Graph-based representation and analysis of potential attack paths or anomalies. Technical walkthrough must be provided.
• Machine Learning Model Use & Performance
  Explanation of ML techniques used, model evaluation, and performance metrics. Technical walkthrough must be provided.
• Visualizations
  Graphs, charts, or dashboards that support the understanding of the report.
• Drafted Ethical and Legal Documents
  Relevant documents (e.g., Data Protection Impact Assessment, ethical considerations) based on the scenario.
• Recommendations & Prevention Plan
  Actionable strategies for mitigation and future prevention.
• Personal Reflection
  Insights gained, challenges faced, and lessons learned.

Important:

Any content with a high similarity to AI-generated material will result in a deduction of marks. It is the trainee’s responsibility to ensure the report reflects original thought and demonstrates minimal similarity to AI-generated outputs.

Video Presentation

After completing the detailed report, the trainee must record a video presentation with the following requirements: 

• The trainee must be dressed in professional attire and appear in a professional setting. 
• Eye contact with the camera must be maintained throughout the presentation, except for brief glances (e.g., when referencing notes).
• Reading directly from a script will result in mark deductions.
• The video should present a concise and structured summary of the report within the allocated time limit.

Important:

The trainee must present the biographical page of their passport or the front of their photo ID with the photo, showing their photo alongside their face, in the video before the presentation begins. The name printed on the passport or ID must be the same as the registered name with Data Chord. The certificate will be issued to the name found in the passport or ID.

Optional:

Trainees are encouraged to use video editing tools to enhance the presentation quality.

Alternatively, the trainee may present the report in a videoconference-style format, delivering the presentation to a live audience via platforms such as Microsoft Teams or Zoom.

Criteria

Trainees must achieve a minimum score of 70% to advance to the Certification Round. In the event of failure, trainees may retake Stage 1 by paying the examination fee again.