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Learning path · Data analyst

Data analyst: a free learning path for engineers

How do you become a data analyst for free? This path puts 6 free courses in order: Excel, SQL, Power BI and Python on engineering and manufacturing data, about 85 hours in all. You build a Power BI production dashboard and work in SQL and Python that you can show. It is evidence of learning, not a qualification. The certificate is optional (£19 including VAT).

See the 6 courses
Long aisle of server and network cabinets in a data hall

In order

The courses, with hours

About 85 hours in all. Take them in this order. Each is free and stands on its own.

  1. 1Excel for Engineers: Formulas, Data and Dashboards Beginner 12 hoursStart here: formulas, tables, charts and dashboards on engineering data.
  2. 2SQL for PLC and SCADA Engineers Beginner 14 hoursAsk a database a question: the queries behind plant historians, reports and dashboards.
  3. 3Power BI Data Analyst (PL-300 Prep) Beginner 13 hoursData models, DAX and reports, with preparation for Microsoft's PL-300 exam (the exam is paid and set by Microsoft).
  4. 4Power BI for Manufacturing: OEE and Production Dashboards Beginner 12 hoursBuild an OEE and production dashboard, a piece you can show.
  5. 5Python for AI and Engineering Data Beginner 18 hoursPython from the basics: data, plots and files for engineers.
  6. 6Industrial Data with Python Intermediate 16 hoursPython on plant data: reading, cleaning and analysing it.

Practise as you learn

Watching is a start. Do it in the Lab, free.

The EDWartens Lab runs in your browser, with nothing to install. It is a practice environment, not the vendors' own software.

  • Train a model and test it without leaking data
  • Move the decision threshold and watch precision and recall change
  • Weigh the cost of errors before you trust a result
Try the AI for industry lab freeHow the Lab works
AI for industryBuild AI models.

Data analyst: a free learning path for engineers: guide

How to work through it

Take one course at a time and finish its final exam before the next. At around five hours a week, a 12 to 18 hour course is about two to four weeks, so the whole path is a programme of months, not days. Keep what you make: a clean workbook, a set of SQL queries, a Power BI dashboard and a Python notebook make a short portfolio.

What the path is and is not

Checked 28 October 2026

It is not a qualification, and the certificate is a certificate of completion, not accredited. It does not promise a job. The National Careers Service lists a university course, a college course, an apprenticeship or a graduate scheme as routes into data analysis (checked 28 October 2026), and employers set their own requirements. The free data analyst courses hub lists every course on the subject and says how people become data analysts in the UK.

Practise on real-looking data

Finish with the Data Analyst job simulation: clean messy data, answer a business question and present it. Days 1 to 5 are free, and it is practice, not employment. See what employers ask for on the data and analytics jobs board.

Next steps

Practise, then apply

Job simulations (practice, not employment)

UK jobs

Also useful

Questions

Common questions

Last reviewed 28 October 2026.

How long does the data analyst path take?
About 85 hours of study in all. At around five hours a week that is a matter of months, so take one course at a time and finish its final exam before starting the next.
Will this get me a job?
No. It builds evidence you can show, such as a dashboard and queries. We do not promise jobs, interviews or placements, so read current adverts to see what employers ask for.
Do I need a degree to become a data analyst?
Not always. The National Careers Service lists a university course, a college course, an apprenticeship or a graduate scheme as routes in (checked 28 October 2026), and many employers ask for SQL, Excel or Power BI skills and examples of your work. Requirements vary by employer.
Is the path free, and is there a certificate?
Every lesson, quiz and final exam is free. The optional EDWartens certificate is £19 including VAT per course. It is a certificate of completion: not accredited, not a Microsoft certification and not a regulated qualification.