Applying for the CBAP (IIBA BA certification) is a bit daunting. The application process requires that you show that you really do have more than 5 years business analysis experience. This is very important because we, as a profession, want the certification to be meaningful and strong. We know that simply memorizing a bunch of BA terms and techniques does not make a person a Business Analyst. It is our experience that makes us what we are.
So, be aware that the application itself is more important than the CBAP exam in determining your eligibility for certification. Below are some hints for developing an application that accurately describes your experience.
1. Be careful documenting your PM work. Although many of us have done PM work, that work does not count towards your BA experience. Be sure to describe planning activities that you have done as requirements planning, stakeholder analysis, scoping the area of study, or scoping the requirements elicitation process.
2. Be careful documenting your QA work. Although many of us have done QA work, that work does not count towards your BA experience. Be sure to describe testing activities that you have done as identifying test cases that assess business requirements met, tracing test cases back to business requirements, reviewing QA test plans, cases, scripts for adherence to business requirements, reviewing test results for adherence to business requirements.
3. Don't forget about usability work. Many of our organizations have just started using the word usability but most of us have been doing it for years. Whenever you have helped your team design a screen that is more intuitive for its users you are designing usability.
4. Don't be afraid of Enterprise Analysis. You have probably done more Enterprise Analysis than you realize. If you have discussed possible project ideas with your business stakeholders and helped them determine if the project was a good idea (feasibility, alignment with business goals and architecture), you have experience in Enterprise Analysis.
5. Don't detail descriptions of specific projects. Although fascinating to you and your project team, the IIBA application reviewers don't need to know details about the application that you worked on. Describe projects with short, clear names that an outside reviewer would understand. For example: instead of saying: "The DEFSSC project interfaced the INCC system with the EFT outlink." Say something like: "The project involved linking the existing customer purchase system with an outside credit card processing service."
6. Do give specific examples of the types of requirements that you have elicited, analyzed, documented, communicated, and helped to implement. This should be the core of your application. Example: I developed a detailed business model of the payroll processing area by: interviewing 10 business stakeholders; developing a workflow model including over 15 diagrams; presenting the workflow model to the stakeholders; revising the model based on feedback; and obtaining approval of the recommended workflow changes.
7. Do document all of the work you have done in the last 10 years. Showing more than the required 7500 hours allows for a few items to be rejected but your application to be accepted. Document everything that you can.
8. Do enjoy the writing! How often do you get to brag about your accomplishments? Don't dread the writing, enjoy it! Good Luck, Barb
May 29th, 2007 at 11:12 am
Thanks Barb. This is good advice that will make it more likely for an applicant to be successful.
June 19th, 2007 at 10:13 am
what does IIBA stand for?
June 19th, 2007 at 6:27 pm
International Institute of Business Analysis
www.theiiba.org
March 14th, 2008 at 6:40 am
Hi Barb, I am just a tyro in the field of BA. I wish to get this certification some day. But before that I need some guidelines regarding how to carry out the job that has been entrusted upon me. I work for a steel company and there is hardly any guidance available here for this discipline. How should I assure that every hour which I invest in this job should help me in getting this coveted cert? Are there any preparatory courses that will help me in this regard, though I won't be eligible for the cert? At the end I will like to thank you in advance for reading this long request and giving it a thought.
March 26th, 2008 at 9:46 am
Aditya,
Our Essentials Skills for the Business Analyst class would be a perfect match for you. It gives an overview of all of the tasks that BAs are typcially expected to perform and would help if your company doesn’t have clear guidelines for you.
Also, check out our BA library. If you are working on software projects, the Karl Wiegers book is a great introduction - Software Requirements.
Good luck and welcome to a great profession!
Barb
March 31st, 2008 at 3:03 pm
Hi,
I am about to take the CBAP exam and want to know if there are questions with “All of the above” or “None of the above” as potential answers?
Lee
March 31st, 2008 at 3:26 pm
Hi Lee,
Best of luck to you! All of the questions have 1 correct answer. There are no “All of the above” type answers.
Although one answer is correct, the exam writers did a great job of having tough distractors. Make sure you read the questions carefully.
-Kupe
March 31st, 2008 at 3:42 pm
No. You don’t have to worry about these.
March 31st, 2008 at 11:26 pm
Hi Barb,
Thanks for your reply. I just went through the details of the course on your site. I would love to attend it, but none of the public class schedules are in India. Does your institute has an Indian chapter?
How effective will it be to go through the supplimentary text? Will it influence my eligibility for the exam in any way?
April 10th, 2008 at 2:33 pm
Unfortunately we do not yet offer public classes in India. We do have a study guide for the Essential Skills class and a study guide for the CBAP exam that would be helpful for you.
thanks, Barb
May 22nd, 2008 at 2:24 am
Hi Barb,
I am a certified QA working in a Software company. My job includes testing and signing off projects for my division. However i work with Microsoft Business Solutions and my domain includes working with MS CRM as a functional consultant. I do not have any experience in Business Analysis, but as the only QA available for my small team, I am required to do a bit of BA too.
Can you please let me know whether i can take the BA Associate program examination, and how this certification would help me in case i want to switch fields to Business Analysis.
Thanks in advance.
Raj
July 12th, 2008 at 11:46 am
Hi
I have seen that there are many openings for Business Analyst / corporate Analyst. I have not yet completed my B.A. and i am looking to do a course on Analyst. can you assist.
if you could send me a mail i would appreciate the same with full details.
July 18th, 2008 at 4:51 am
Rajesh,
Thanks for your question. Our BA Associate program is open to anyone so you are welcome to participate. It is a good beginning for a move into the business analysis profession. Please let us know if you have any questions about getting started. You will want to attend our first course, Essential Skills for the Business Analyst or pass out of that course if you already have that knowledge.
Barb
July 18th, 2008 at 4:53 am
Leslie,
I would recommend the first course in our program called Essential Skills for the Business Analyst. It will give you the fundamentals of business analysis. You can view or print the detailed course outline on our web page http://www.b2ttraining.com/page/Business-Analyst-Skills
Barb
September 18th, 2008 at 3:10 am
Hi Barb
I have been reading your replies and think that your Essential Skills for the Business Analyst course is just what I need too.
I live in Sydney, Australia- can you please tell me if you ever roadtrip your course down under?
If not, do you know of a local alternative?
Thanks in anticipation of your assistance.
Regards, Steph
September 25th, 2008 at 11:14 am
Steph,
Thanks for your interest in our training. Currently we do not have a training partner “down under”. We would love to come there if there were enough students to hold a class. Are there others at your company who would be interested? In the meanwhile I have written a book that contains much of the information from the Essential Skills course. It will be available Oct. 17. Seven Steps to Mastering Business Analysis available through online book sellers (e.g. Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com)