AI · 2.5 HOURS
AI-Assisted Analysis and Reporting
AI-Assisted Analysis and Reporting teaches analysts, finance staff and report writers to use AI on real figures without reporting a number they cannot rebuild. You finish with a working file for one real report that records the source data and the method behind each figure, so a colleague can reproduce every result.
About this course
AI tools can read a large spreadsheet quickly and draft a report summary in minutes, but a number in their answer may never have been calculated, may come from the wrong rows or date range, or may compare with a period that is not in the file. Once that number is quoted in a board paper or used to set a budget, nobody can explain why it moved or defend how it was produced.
The course teaches the rebuild test, which asks whether a colleague could reproduce each reported number from named data using a stated method, and shows you how to ask the tool for its working so that the test takes minutes. You also learn to rewrite findings so they say only what the data shows, and you finish with a signed working file for one real report that lets a colleague rebuild every figure in it.
What you will take away
- You will be able to tell a number that can be rebuilt from its rows and calculation from one that a model wrote without calculating it.
- You will be able to write a rebuild note that records the source and its extract date, the selection, the calculation, and the result for each reported figure.
- You will be able to write a request that makes the tool show its code or formula, count the rows it used and excluded, report blank values, and avoid comparisons with missing periods.
- You will be able to spot findings that add a cause, a trend, a scope, or a precision the data does not contain, and rewrite them with the numbers, the scope, and the limit the reader needs.
- You will leave with a signed working file for one real report, listing the source data, every number with its method, the findings with their limits, and what you checked yourself.
Who this course is for
- Analysts and insight teams who use AI tools to summarise data files and must be able to explain where every figure came from.
- Finance and operations staff who prepare monthly figures for managers and boards and need each number traced to its rows and calculation.
- Managers who write performance reports and want findings that state what the data shows without implying a cause, a trend, or a scope it does not support.
- Researchers who are comfortable with spreadsheets and simple formulas, have no statistical training, and want a dependable routine for checking AI-assisted analysis.
What you will do
Each lesson teaches one part of the method, works through a realistic example, and ends with a check on a case you have not seen. The course closes with an assessment and then the piece of work you sign.
- 5lessons with a worked example and a check
- 7scenario questions in the course assessment
- Signedthe working file, with a record anyone can verify
- 2.5 hoursat your own pace, with progress saved
- 01
Lesson
Where a number is invented
This lesson explains how a model can write a number it never calculated and the four places a figure in an AI-assisted report goes wrong. You mark each figure in a model's quarterly sales summary as rebuildable from the data or not rebuildable.
- A model can write a number it never calculated
- Four places a number goes wrong
- Rebuildable from the data, or not rebuildable
- What this lesson is not saying
You mark 3 statements from a realistic case and receive an explanation for each one.
- 02
Lesson
The rebuild test
This lesson sets out the central test of the course and the four things that must be written down for a number to pass it, and explains why asking the model whether it is sure is not a rebuild. You choose which of two notes for a renewal figure passes the test.
- The question the test asks
- Four things written down
- What does not count as a rebuild
- Why the test matters at work
You compare two versions of the same piece of work, choose the stronger one, and see the reasoning behind the answer.
- 03
Lesson
Ask for the working
This lesson shows how to write a request that makes the tool return its code or formula, the rows used and excluded, and its treatment of blank cells. You edit a weak request so that it asks for the method and rows and sets clear limits on blanks and comparisons.
- What asking for the working means
- Ask it to calculate, and to show the calculation
- Say what to do when data is missing
- What this does not replace
You repair a flawed draft so it meets the standard the lesson sets, and your revision is checked against it.
- 04
Lesson
The sentence that overclaims
This lesson describes five common overclaims, including cause from a pattern, a trend from too few points, and statistical words used loosely, where every number is correct but the sentence says too much. You mark each sentence a model wrote from a staff survey.
- A correct number in a sentence that says too much
- Five common overclaims
- Two labels for a finding
- What this is not, and the usual mistake
You mark 4 statements from a realistic case and receive an explanation for each one.
- 05
Lesson
Write the finding
This lesson teaches you to write a finding with its observation, scope, and the one limit that would change the reader's decision, at the precision the data supports. You edit a bank branch finding so that it gives both figures, the branch, the months, and the limit.
- What a finding contains
- The limit that changes the decision
- Precision the data supports
- What this is not, and the usual mistake
You repair a flawed draft so it meets the standard the lesson sets, and your revision is checked against it.
- 06
Course assessment
Course assessment
This lesson recaps the rebuild test, asking for the working, and writing findings, then checks one board paragraph on catering costs from end to end. You answer seven scenario questions set in situations you have not seen, and you need six correct answers to pass.
- Where numbers go wrong, and the rebuild test
- Asking for the working
- Overclaims and findings
You judge 7 new workplace situations, with feedback on every option, and need 6 correct to pass.
- 07
Final work and signed record
A working file
This lesson explains what a working file contains, the three readers it serves, and how to handle confidential figures on your record. You write the working file for one real report you produce, in five labelled parts, and sign it for your record.
- What a working file is
- Three readers
- The five parts, and two labels for reading them
- Confidential figures, and how the file is checked
You write the working file for your own work, part by part, and sign it as your record.
GOOD WORK.THE WORKING FILE, SIGNED.
WHAT CHANGES
What the course changes for you and your organisation.
- 01
Every reported figure can be rebuilt
Numbers enter the report only after they have been reproduced from the named data with a written method. When a figure is questioned in a meeting, you or a manager can show exactly where it came from in one line.
- 02
Findings readers can safely act on
Findings state the observation, who and when it covers, and the one limit that would change the reader's decision. Managers are less likely to roll out a change on the strength of a sentence that claimed a cause the data never showed.
- 03
Reports a colleague can take over
The working file lets someone else produce next month's version while you are away, without asking which rows were excluded or why. The method stays with the report rather than in one person's memory.
- 04
Figures a colleague can rebuild
DSIT research found that 56% of UK businesses using or planning to use AI apply it to data and analytics. Reports built with AI still need a recorded source and method for each figure, so that finance and management teams can reproduce and defend the numbers.
ROLES THIS SKILL SHOWS UP IN
Roles where these skills are already valued and paid for.
These figures are published salary bands and wage premiums, not a guarantee that finishing this course moves you to the top of the range. They are here so you can see what the market is already paying for the work you will practise.
AI Prompt Engineer
£62,750 to £115,000, midpoint £92,500
Robert Half's 2026 UK guide. London midpoint is £125,750.
Artificial Intelligence Engineer
Midpoint £65,750
The neighbouring engineering role in the same Robert Half guide, for people who take the brief into a built system.
Machine Learning Engineer
Midpoint £75,000
Same guide. The brief you write here is the instruction that role then tests.
AI enablement or operations lead
Premium on the role you already hold
PwC found specialist AI skills carried a 34.2% wage premium in 2025. Many of those postings sit inside operations, customer, and people teams rather than a lab.
Customer communications or account work
The same seat, with a skill the posting now names
The course artefact is a prompt card a colleague can run. That is the work those teams are hiring people to supervise.
Learning, knowledge, or product operations
Listed against the AI-skilled premium
These roles now ask for someone who can brief a model, check the output, and leave a reusable instruction. That is the check this course marks.
QUESTIONS
Questions about AI-Assisted Analysis and Reporting
- What is AI-Assisted Analysis and Reporting about?
- AI tools can read a large spreadsheet quickly and draft a report summary in minutes, but a number in their answer may never have been calculated, may come from the wrong rows or date range, or may compare with a period that is not in the file. Once that number is quoted in a board paper or used to set a budget, nobody can explain why it moved or defend how it was produced. The course teaches the rebuild test, which asks whether a colleague could reproduce each reported number from named data using a stated method, and shows you how to ask the tool for its working so that the test takes minutes. You also learn to rewrite findings so they say only what the data shows, and you finish with a signed working file for one real report that lets a colleague rebuild every figure in it.
- Who is AI-Assisted Analysis and Reporting for?
- Analysts and insight teams who use AI tools to summarise data files and must be able to explain where every figure came from. Finance and operations staff who prepare monthly figures for managers and boards and need each number traced to its rows and calculation. Managers who write performance reports and want findings that state what the data shows without implying a cause, a trend, or a scope it does not support. Researchers who are comfortable with spreadsheets and simple formulas, have no statistical training, and want a dependable routine for checking AI-assisted analysis. No specialist background is assumed, and every term is explained before it is used.
- What will I be able to do after AI-Assisted Analysis and Reporting?
- You will be able to tell a number that can be rebuilt from its rows and calculation from one that a model wrote without calculating it. You will be able to write a rebuild note that records the source and its extract date, the selection, the calculation, and the result for each reported figure. You will be able to write a request that makes the tool show its code or formula, count the rows it used and excluded, report blank values, and avoid comparisons with missing periods. You will be able to spot findings that add a cause, a trend, a scope, or a precision the data does not contain, and rewrite them with the numbers, the scope, and the limit the reader needs. You will leave with a signed working file for one real report, listing the source data, every number with its method, the findings with their limits, and what you checked yourself.
- How long does the course take, and how is it taught?
- The course takes about 2.5 hours and is studied online at your own pace. It has 5 lessons, each with a worked example, a practice exercise, and a check on a new case, followed by a course assessment of 7 scenario questions in which you need 6 correct to pass. Your progress is saved to your account.
- Do I get a certificate?
- Yes. When you pass, you sign a record that names you, the course, and the working file. Anyone you share it with can verify it online and download it as a PDF. The record confirms what you completed and does not claim compliance with any regulation.
- How much does it cost, and when can I start?
- The course costs £99, paid once by card through Stripe. Access begins as soon as payment is confirmed, and you can save a sign-in to return to the course from any device.
- Can my organisation train a whole team?
- Yes. Individuals can buy any self-paced course online, and organisations can book trainer-led courses for teams, in person or online, through the Experrt Academy.
More ai courses are listed on the self-paced ai courses for professionals page.
THERE IS A NEXT CHAPTER.
Start today, and finish with
the working file your organisation can use.
Checkout takes an email address and a card, and access begins as soon as payment is confirmed. When you finish, you sign a record that names you and the working file, which anyone you choose can verify online. The record confirms what you completed and does not claim compliance with any regulation.