B2T Training Tip
If you made it through the application process then you are half way home. There is no need to get overly anxious about the exam. But, since you are probably like me, you are still very anxious. I hope the Q & A below helps relieve some of that anxiety.
Q & A
Question: How many questions are on the exam and what is the format; multiple choice, true false, etc.?
Answer: The exam consists of 150 questions and they are all multiple choice with four possible answers. Only one answer is the correct answer and there are no multiple correct choices, i.e. one of the answers is not 'A and C.'
Q: How long are you given to take the exam?
A: You have 3.5 hours to complete the exam. It took each of us at B2T Training between 2.5 and 3 hours to complete the exam.
Q: What version of the BABOK is the exam based on?
A: The exam is and will be based on version 1.6 of the BABOK until further notice. As of 5/1/07 the IIBA does not plan on updating the exam until version 3.0 is released.
Q: Are all the questions taken directly from the content in the BABOK?
A: The short answer is no. The test writers used the BABOK and the references listed in the BABOK to write the questions.
Q: What question types were used?
A: The test writers used Bloom's Taxonomy as a basis to have varying levels of question difficulty. An overview of Bloom's Taxonomy can be found at http://www.coun.uvic.ca/learn/program/hndouts/bloom.html.
Q: Were the questions tricky?
A: I would not say tricky, but a large percent of the questions had good distractors. This means that two answers appeared to be correct. You have to take your time reading each question to ensure you understand what the question is asking and that you select the best answer.
May 9th, 2007 at 11:55 am
All the CBAP info in this blog is very helpful. Thank you for providing it. Do you have any sample exams to study from in order to prepare for the exam?
May 9th, 2007 at 2:16 pm
You are very welcome. We are developing a study guide and boot camp to help potential CBAPs prepare for the exam. Both products will have 450 practice questions which includes a practice exam. All of the questions are endorsed by CBAPs. The study guide and boot camp will be available in July 2007. More information will be made available soon.
When are you planning on taking the exam?
May 15th, 2007 at 9:14 pm
Hello, Thanks for providing this useful information. I would like to belong to a study group. I live in Airdire Alberta, Canada and I won't mind being in a study group in Airdrie or Calgary. Can you please provide me information on how to locate one? Thanks Ola
May 15th, 2007 at 9:16 pm
Follow up to my last enquiry, I have a CBAP exam coming up soon and so I will appreicate your help with locating a study group in my vicinity. Thanks Ola
May 16th, 2007 at 10:53 am
Hello Ola,
Congratulations on your upcoming exam. I hope your studying is going well. I am not aware of any study groups in your area. The Calgary chapter website seems outdated so I am not sure of their status. Have you been involved in that chapter? You may want to try and contact samia.osman@calgary.theiiba.org or send an email to info@calgary.theiiba.org to see if they have any info for you.
If you can not find a study group, here is some advice on preparing for the exam.
1) First look over the exam format Blog entry I posted. That will give you a feel for what types of questions to expect. During the exam make sure you read the questions carefully to really understand what they are asking.
2) Read through the entire BABOK and make sure you understand the concepts they are covering.
3) If you do not have experience or training in a particular concept or technique find another resource to get an understanding. For example, I have never used User Stories to gather requirements. I found a book that talked about user stories and I gained a high-level overview of what they are, who writes them and when they are best used. I took maybe 30 minutes to get an understanding.
4) In general it is good to know when each task or technique can be used, who uses it, who are the stakeholders involved, and alternatives to the task or technique.
I hope that helps a little. Let me know if you have any other questions to help you prepare. I’ll share what I can!!
Thanks and good luck,
July 2nd, 2007 at 12:12 pm
Hi Everyone,
Other than the BABOK, can anyone recommend good self study material for the CBAP? It appears the test covers more than the the BABOK, and as there is so much material written, I am trying to find study material focused on the exam.
Thanks!
Ken
July 9th, 2007 at 2:13 pm
Hi Ken,
We, B2T Training, published a self study guide. Click here, http://www.b2ttraining.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=3&products_id=8, for more information.
This self study guide will help focus your studying and includes 450 practice questions. Feel free to email me if you have any specific questions at kupe@b2ttraining.com.
I hope this helps and best of luck to you!