CBAP Certification Process: An Explanation

While industry certification is important in many professions, it can be considered essential to your successful business analyst career. Earning a respected business analysis certification, such as Certified Business Analysis Professional^® (CBAP®), offered by International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA^®), demonstrates to both current and future employers that you are dedicated to your career and have the advanced skills they need to reach strategic objectives. The core business analyst skills you’ll acquire through the certification process will enable you to take on high-level projects that can lead to positions of greater responsibility and increased earnings.

The CBAP® is the elite level of certification for business analysts, requiring extensive hands-on experience and expert-level knowledge. It is geared toward professionals working in:

• Business analysis
• Requirements analysis or management
• Systems analysis
• Process improvement
• Consulting

Because of the extensive knowledge and skill required to pass the examination, preparing for CBAP® certification is best accomplished by enrolling in professional business analyst certification courses.

What is IIBA^®?

IIBA^® is a nonprofit entity serving the business analysis field. The organization created the Business Analysis Book of Knowledge® (BABOK®), a collection of generally accepted practices to guide the profession. The BABOK® serves as the basis for the CBAP® examination. In addition to acting as governing body for the CBAP® examination, the IIBA^® provides professional business analysts access to relevant content, including an online library, webinars and newsletters.

Business analysts take on a wide variety of responsibilities, depending on the needs, size and industry of the organization. For purposes of passing the CBAP® exam, it’s important to know how IIBA^® defines the core responsibilities of the business analysis role:

• Identifying the business needs of an organization, its clients and stakeholders
• Determining solutions to business problems
• Developing and managing requirements
• Eliciting, analyzing, validating and documenting requirements
• Acting as facilitator within the organization between clients, stakeholders and solution team

The Five CBAP® Eligibility Requirements

In order to be eligible for CBAP® designation, a business analyst must demonstrate an understanding of the BABOK®, which is determined through passing an examination, and meet five additional requirements:

1. Sufficient Work Experience – IIBA^® requires at least 7,500 hours, or five years, of work experience in the business analysis field within the last ten years
2. Expertise in the BABOK® Areas of Knowledge – Demonstrated expertise, or 900 hours, of business analysis work experience in tasks specifically related to at least four of six areas of knowledge defined in BABOK®
3. Minimum Education Level – IIBA^® requires at least a high school education or equivalent. Post-secondary education does not negate the work experience requirement
4. Professional Development – IIBA^® requires 21 hours of professional development, aligned with BABOK®, within the last four years
5. Evidence of Certification Suitability – At least two references must indicate that you are a suitable candidate for the CBAP® business analyst certification. They may be a manager, client or CBAP® recipient

I’m Eligible for the CBAP®: What’s Next?

Once you’ve met IIBA^® requirements, you must complete and submit a CBAP® application form and await approval. Once approved, you have one year from the date of approval to take and successfully complete the exam. If you are not approved, you’ll be notified of the reason(s) behind the decision; you’ll be eligible to remedy the reason for declination and re-apply after three months.

The next step is to sit for the CBAP® exam, which objectively measures your business analysis knowledge and experience. Once you pass, you are eligible to use the CBAP® designation. If you don’t pass on your first try, you are allowed to retake the exam once within the one-year period from the date of your application approval. You must wait three months before retaking the exam.

Business Analysis Certification: Good to Know

As in any standard examination, there is a body of knowledge that can help you better prepare for successfully completing the CBAP® exam – and earning your business analysis certification on the first try. While there are no guarantees of passing, here are a few things that are good to know about the CBAP® certification process:

• Enrolling in business analyst certification online courses can help give you a solid foundation on the key topics covered on the IIBA^® exam
• Each CBAP® candidate is required to prove and document their five years of experience
• It’s helpful to use the terminology and approaches in the BABOK®when completing your application and the exam itself
• IIBA^® membership is not required to take the exam, but there is a discount off the exam fee for members
• Use your work experience along with the BABOK®to get you through the exam – it could be possible to memorize all the definitions and content the guide contains
• Allow plenty of time to study and participate in study groups
• There are no substitutions for the application requirements. Each candidate must meet all five to be eligible to take the CBAP® exam

Why Pursue Business Analysis Certification?

Earning the CBAP® designation can give you instant credibility and respect among your peers. In addition, it can make your ‘résumé stand out from the rest when you’re pursuing your next business analyst position. And, top employers increasingly require CBAP® certification when hiring or promoting business analysts.

In order to put your business analyst career into overdrive and reach your full potential, enroll in a business analyst certification course and get started on preparing for the CBAP® exam. Not only may you gain vital, career-boosting skills, but you might join the ranks of elite, expert-level business analysts, as recognized by IIBA^®.