ArtsAutosBooksBusinessEducationEntertainmentFamilyFashionFoodGamesGenderHealthHolidaysHomeHubPagesPersonal FinancePetsPoliticsReligionSportsTechnologyTravel

My Journey to CBAP - Part 1

Updated on May 4, 2012

Qualifying as a Certified Business Analyst Professional

I have been watching my hours accrue. I had already once submitted my CBAP application, but in spite of having around 1,000 hours more than I needed I was cut back to size, and ended up around 600 hours short of the required target of 7,500 hours. What really tripped my up was that after the adjustment I was short some 200 hours in 2 of my scoring knowledge areas.

So, for me it was back to the drawing board …These articles are the result of my quest for my very own CBAP qualification.

Since this is my second go, I thought that I would document my experiences. I hope that my insights into completing the application form, the tips and tricks I offer up for going back and establishing which of your projects qualify, and the spreadsheet that I developed for collating all of these hours proves to be useful.

The three articles are a chronological approach to the CBAP application form, and I share this spreadsheet in my third article.

Source

But First: What is the CBAP? (And why do I want this certification?)

CBAP stands for Certified Business Analyst Professional, and is a professional certification that is offered by the International Institute of Business Analysts (IIBA). The certification was introduced in 2006, and has gone from strength-to-strength ever since.

The value of this certification is that, once attained, the holder can truly claim to be a professional in their field. It signifies that, in the eyes of your peers, you have earned your stripes as a professional business analyst. The IT field is filled with hacks; an unfortunate reality of the technology field in general. By achieving the CBAP you are no longer just another hack, and provably so. Attaining the CBAP qualification carries prestige, and its value is increasingly recognised by employers. As a result, this prestige is rewarded by way of better salaries, more interesting work and better opportunities in general.

Having worked informally as a business analyst for many years, having had a cold realisation of this fact, and then having worked to formalise my relationship with the profession, the CBAP represents the pinnacle of achievement for me. I am one of those people that believes that the IT field is trailing many of the older, more formal professions, such as lawyers, engineers and accountants. Each of these professions requires a trainee to complete their studies with a formal apprentice period, which is followed by a board exam where the scope and depth of their knowledge is tested by a group of their peers. The process is tough, but with reason. The trail‑by‑fire ensures that only those of the best mettle are included into the profession.

Getting Started – Understanding the Prerequisites

The first step that you can take in preparing for sitting the CBAP exam is to understand the requirements that the IIBA have.

The application process ensures that each applicant is eligible to sit the exam, and is able to demonstrate mastery of their profession. What this means is that you have to show that you meet the following requirements:

Minimum Education Requirement; you must have a minimum education level of high school, or equivalent. This one should be easy!

Professional Development Requirement; you must have undertaken at least 21 hours of business analysis-related professional development within the previous 4 years. Think webinars and courses through accredited educators.

Reference Requirement; you must get 2 references, from people who have known you for longer than 6 months, to indicate that you are a suitable candidate for the CBAP certification. You may choose a career manager, an internal or external client or a CBAP recipient to provide this reference for you. Caution: Don’t leave this to the last minute.

Work Experience; you must be able to demonstrate 7,500 hours, or about five years, of hands‑on business analysis work experience. This experience must not be older than 10 years at the time that you submit your application, and it must align with the BABOK. Warning: Don’t attempt to sneak in all that project management experience.

Knowledge Area Requirement; You need to demonstrate broad experience and expertise of business analysis work experience. To do this you need to accumulate a minimum of 900 hours in at least four of the six knowledge areas. Message: Make sure you are well-rounded as a BA.

The IIBA’s CBAP Handbook goes into the details for each of these requirements, and I would advise that you spend time digesting the details laid out in the handbook.

Next Steps – The Application and Exam Process

If, after reviewing the requirements, you feel that you are close to being able to take the exam the steps that you will follow are:

Step 1: Apply for, and Pay for your CBAP Certification.

Step 2: Pay for the Exam.

Step 3: Register for the Exam.

Step 4: Prepare for the Exam.

Step 5: Take the Exam.

In my next article I will discuss my approach to preparing my application. This is no simple process, and it is going to take you some time to compile all the information that you need in order to complete your application. I hope to offer some value and insight, and hopefully my spreadsheet will save you a bit of time too.

Resources:

1. The IIBA’s CBAP page should be your starting point.

2. The Guide to the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge - Version 2.0 Framework is a great overview of the BABOK in general. Get the birds-eye-view here.

3. Download and read the IIBA’s CBAP Handbook.

4. You can also check out the IIBA’s Online Application form for the CBAP.

working

This website uses cookies

As a user in the EEA, your approval is needed on a few things. To provide a better website experience, hubpages.com uses cookies (and other similar technologies) and may collect, process, and share personal data. Please choose which areas of our service you consent to our doing so.

For more information on managing or withdrawing consents and how we handle data, visit our Privacy Policy at: https://corp.maven.io/privacy-policy

Show Details
Necessary
HubPages Device IDThis is used to identify particular browsers or devices when the access the service, and is used for security reasons.
LoginThis is necessary to sign in to the HubPages Service.
Google RecaptchaThis is used to prevent bots and spam. (Privacy Policy)
AkismetThis is used to detect comment spam. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide data on traffic to our website, all personally identifyable data is anonymized. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Traffic PixelThis is used to collect data on traffic to articles and other pages on our site. Unless you are signed in to a HubPages account, all personally identifiable information is anonymized.
Amazon Web ServicesThis is a cloud services platform that we used to host our service. (Privacy Policy)
CloudflareThis is a cloud CDN service that we use to efficiently deliver files required for our service to operate such as javascript, cascading style sheets, images, and videos. (Privacy Policy)
Google Hosted LibrariesJavascript software libraries such as jQuery are loaded at endpoints on the googleapis.com or gstatic.com domains, for performance and efficiency reasons. (Privacy Policy)
Features
Google Custom SearchThis is feature allows you to search the site. (Privacy Policy)
Google MapsSome articles have Google Maps embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
Google ChartsThis is used to display charts and graphs on articles and the author center. (Privacy Policy)
Google AdSense Host APIThis service allows you to sign up for or associate a Google AdSense account with HubPages, so that you can earn money from ads on your articles. No data is shared unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Google YouTubeSome articles have YouTube videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
VimeoSome articles have Vimeo videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
PaypalThis is used for a registered author who enrolls in the HubPages Earnings program and requests to be paid via PayPal. No data is shared with Paypal unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook LoginYou can use this to streamline signing up for, or signing in to your Hubpages account. No data is shared with Facebook unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
MavenThis supports the Maven widget and search functionality. (Privacy Policy)
Marketing
Google AdSenseThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Google DoubleClickGoogle provides ad serving technology and runs an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Index ExchangeThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
SovrnThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook AdsThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Unified Ad MarketplaceThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
AppNexusThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
OpenxThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Rubicon ProjectThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
TripleLiftThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Say MediaWe partner with Say Media to deliver ad campaigns on our sites. (Privacy Policy)
Remarketing PixelsWe may use remarketing pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to advertise the HubPages Service to people that have visited our sites.
Conversion Tracking PixelsWe may use conversion tracking pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to identify when an advertisement has successfully resulted in the desired action, such as signing up for the HubPages Service or publishing an article on the HubPages Service.
Statistics
Author Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide traffic data and reports to the authors of articles on the HubPages Service. (Privacy Policy)
ComscoreComScore is a media measurement and analytics company providing marketing data and analytics to enterprises, media and advertising agencies, and publishers. Non-consent will result in ComScore only processing obfuscated personal data. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Tracking PixelSome articles display amazon products as part of the Amazon Affiliate program, this pixel provides traffic statistics for those products (Privacy Policy)
ClickscoThis is a data management platform studying reader behavior (Privacy Policy)