Explore KSACs by Pathway
Explore Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, and Credentials (KSACs) by IT Pathway.
In late 2025, the Partnership pulled together members of industry from across tech to share how the in-demand skillsets for entry-level roles in their fields have changed in the last two years. The KSACs below reflect their feedback on entry-level expectations, especially in a tech workplace increasingly shaped by AI.
Previously two separate KSA lists, Data Management and Analytics have been combined as of 2026. This is in direct response to feedback from members of industry, who shared that with the onset of generative AI, most entry-level data roles will require literacy in skillsets across both of these two specializations.
5. Data Quality, Validation, and Monitoring
| Label | KSAC Description | Bloom's Taxonomy Level | |
|---|---|---|---|
| a | Explain data quality dimensions (accuracy, completeness, consistency, integrity, timeliness) | knowledge | 3 |
| b | Identify common data quality issues such as missing values, outliers, duplication, and inconsistent definitions | knowledge | 3 |
| c | Perform data profiling and summarization to understand distributions, trends, and anomalies | skill | 3 |
| d | Perform data validation and sanity checks to confirm data meets expected rules and constraints | skill | 3 |
| e | Review AI-generated data summaries or transformations for accuracy and alignment with source or expected data | skill | 3 |
| f | Explain continuous data quality monitoring concepts, including why proactive monitoring is necessary in automated environments | knowledge | 3 |
| g | Identify data leakage risks in analytics and AI pipelines, including unintended use of future or restricted data | knowledge | 3 |
| h | Assess data fitness for specific analytical or AI-driven use cases, considering quality, scope, and limitations | ability | 4 |
Credentials
Vendor Certifications - DBMS
- Oracle Associate
- Microsoft
- IBM
Vendor Certifications - Cloud
- AWS
- Oracle
- Microsoft