CBAP Certification for A Beginner: A Detailed Guide

“I’ll often joke that when people ask, ‘what is business analysis?’, I say: You know all those times that people say, ‘somebody should look into that?’, I’m the person who looks into that.”

• Jen Neuls, Senior Business Analyst

So, a Business Analyst is someone who finds out what happened and why it happened in a business. 

A Business Analyst is a professional who guides businesses in improvising processes, services, products, and software by performing data analysis. They are the agile workers who bridge the gap between IT and the business, thereby improving the efficiency of the business. 

IIBA or International Institute of Business Analysis renders the business analyst as ‘an agent of change’ and defines Business Analysis as ‘a disciplined approach for introducing and managing change to organizations, whether they are for-profit businesses, governments, or non-profits.’

What if you earn the gold standard for business analysts known as CBAP or Certified Business Analysis Professional certification awarded by IIBA. It serves icing on the cake. 

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How?

Quick Bite:

• As a Business Analyst, if you have earned one or more IIBA certifications, you can make 14% more than equivalent non-certified candidates.
• Particularly, if you hold a CBAP credential, you are likely to earn 19% more than a non-certified BA.

So, are you willing to earn a CBAP to upgrade your career as a Business Analyst? This article will lead you to a guide to a career in Business Analysis and the importance of taking a CBAP certification training online.

Who is a CBAP?

Certified Business Analysis Professional or CBAP certification is a professional certification awarded by IIBA for candidates with extensive experience in business analysis. You can apply for the CBAP certification exam if you have in-depth knowledge of Business Analysis and years of experience in the same. 

Today, CBAP is considered one of the most esteemed designations for business professionals. This certification program got massive recognition in 2006 when it was first introduced. Today there are more than 1000 professionals from 30+ countries who have earned CBAP credentials. 

Generally, a CBAP professional, besides possessing extensive knowledge of best practices involved in Business Analysis, is an expert in identifying the business requirements of an organization. They are capable of suggesting the best business solutions for organizations that come up with the utmost benefits. 

The CBAP certification is best suited for the candidates like Business Analysts or System Analysts. If you attain the certification, it validates that:

• Your competence in various business domains
• Ability to handle more complex projects
• Ability to identify and manage business requirements with prominent stakeholders
• Improve/drive business processes
• Lead the business analysis efforts
• Define opportunities and solve problems such that the best possible results are achieved

Step-by-Step Guide to earn the CBAP Certification

Let us have a look at the steps you need to take to attain the CBAP certification.

1. Meet the Eligibility Criteria

To earn the world’s most recognized certification in business analysis, you are required to meet the eligibility criteria set by IIBA. Let’s have a look.

• You need a minimum of 7500 hours of experience in business analysis in the last years.
• A minimum of 900 hours in 4 out of 6 Knowledge areas of BABOK Guide makes a total of 3600 of a total requirement of 7500 hours.
• Minimum 35 hours of professional development in four years
• Agree to Terms and Conditions and Code of Conduct. 
• Provide two references
• Pass the exam

If you are not able to meet the eligibility criteria for CBAP, just aim towards CCBA (Certification of Capability in Business Analysis) or ECBA (Entry Certificate in Business Analysis). The eligibility criteria for these two are not as rigorous as that of CBAP. 

2. Make a Practical Action Plan

To crack the CBAP exam, you need a systematic approach that includes a lot of hard work. Chalk down your routine and try to dedicate at least 12 hours of studying in a week. So if you study for 4 to 5 months, making 180 to 240 hours of preparing and practicing for CBAP, it is likely that you will crack the exam on the very first attempt. 

3. Set a Clear Goal

When you have a clear goal, your focus is set and you can prepare well. Make a weekly goal so that you can review what you have studied and make a plan of reconsidering the topics that need more focus and move ahead accordingly. 

4. Set a Target Date of the Exam

When you know it’s D-Day, your mind is capable of focusing well. On the basis of assessments made in steps 1 and 2, you can set up an exam date. This will guide you in making the plan of studying.

5. Go through BABOK Guide

It is only and only BABOK that you need to go through the lines. Remember, you need to go through the lines. That means you need to grasp every concept. You need to go through the guide twice or thrice; then you will be able to score more than 75% in practice tests. 

When you read BABOK for the first time, you come across the key concepts and develop your vocabulary. When you go through it for the second time, you can go through each key aspect in-depth. You can start taking practice tests now. 

The third reading should be taken while you take a practice test with exam simulators. You can study according to your performance in the practice tests.

6. Get Trained

The steps you take for preparation may not be enough and may go tedious. To learn hassle-free, it is good to go with an accredited online training course. The learning goes trouble-free, and when you learn in a group with candidates equivalent to your qualification, you feel comfortable in studying. 

Conclusion

To get a CBAP certification is a dream of many Business Analysts across the globe. Attaining this gold standard maybe your wish too. If yes, there are online training courses out there to help you. This is because you can learn at your own pace plus in a learning mode of your choice. 

Also, there is 24*7 online support, and you can refer to them anytime you are stuck while studying. Industry experts are there to help you with all your queries, in the end, to make sure that you are prepared in and out. Also, you get job assistance to get the job of your dreams. 

Enroll now and get CBAP added to your resume.