To pass the programme, entrants must demonstrate knowledge and expertise in the areas of web analytics for site optimisation, measuring marketing online campaigns and creating and managing an analytics business culture.

The WAA said that it developed the programme to give web analysts a platform to showcase their expertise and to help companies hire staff with the “knowledge and abilities needed to excel in their position and the larger industry”.

Examination rounds will be held in San Jose and London in May followed by a date in June in New York.

WAA president Alex Langshur (pictured) said: “We are really excited to finally bring certification to the marketplace. Our goal is to create a standardised test that represents a comprehensive body of knowledge, one that employers will recognise as a high-calibre differentiator when making hiring decisions, and that web analysts will see as generating value to their credentials when it comes to compensation. We believe this certification achieves that and more.”