You’re a business analyst who wants to take your career to the next level. You’ve been in the field for a few years and have gained a lot of experience, but you want to make sure you’re able to stand out from the rest.
One way you can do this is by getting certified. But you might be wondering, is it worth it? Is the CBAP certification process difficult? What are the CBAP prerequisites?
Here’s everything you need to know about the CBAP certification so you can make the best decision for your career.
What is CBAP?
The CBAP certification or Certified Business Analysis Professional (CBAP) will help you recognise your business analysis expertise and skills. The CBAP certification recognises your expertise in multiple business domains and your ability to tackle more complex projects, work with stakeholders to define and manage their business requirements, drive business processes, and lead business analysis initiatives. By obtaining the CBAP certification you demonstrate commitment, a superior skill set and leadership expertise. A CBAP certification will help you demonstrate senior knowledge and professional competence, increased earning potential and a path towards leadership.
What is the Benefit of Obtaining the CBAP Certification?
The IIBA list 3 major benefits from obtaining a CBAP business analysis professional certification:
- It demonstrates you have the knowledge, competencies and experience as a highly effective business analysis professional.
- It allows you to stand out to employers and peers by showcasing your dedication to your career and the profession of business analysis.
- CBAP certified business analysis professional have higher compensation, earn up to 13% more being CBAP certified.
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CBAP Certification Salary
The IIBA’s 2021 Global State of Business Analysis Report reports 
that the average business analyst who has a CBAP certification earns on average $97,150. The report also states that business analysis professionals who hold CBAP certification earn 26% more vs non-certified professionals.
Who Is Eligible For CBAP Certification?
The CBAP certification is ideal for professionals who are senior members of the business analysis community with more than five years of practical business analysis experience. The CBAP certification is the most advanced level certification offered by the International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA).
How do I Become a CBAP?
To become a CBAP certified or Certified Business Analysis Professional (CBAP), candidates must have the following prerequisite IIBA CBAP certification requirements:
- Complete a minimum of 7,500 hours of business analysis work experience in the last 10 years.
- Within this experience, a minimum of 900 hours completed in 4 of the 6 BABOK guide knowledge areas, for a total of at least 3,600 of the required 7,500 total.
- Complete a minimum of 35 hours of professional development in the last 4 years.
- Provide two references.
- Agree to code of conduct.
- Agree to terms and conditions.
- Pass the exam.
How Long Does it Take to Study for CBAP Certification?
Business Analyst Mentor recommends 100 hours of study time, which can be reduced if you take a classes. The time you can devote to studying will determine how long that takes. Let’s say you can spend 4-5 hours a week studying, then it will take approximately 6 months of studying.
Everybody has their own unique level of confidence in their ability to learn and apply new concepts. Some of us are very detailed and conservative and will turn a concept over many times before we feel confident that we will be able to interpret and apply the concept in real-world exam questions.
However, some of us only need to consider a concept once to feel confident that we know enough to apply that concept to an exam scenario. So, depending on your personal style of learning, you will need more or less time to prepare.
How Much does CBAP Cost ?
How much does CBAP certification cost? The IIBA CBAP certification cost and CBAP exam fee cost is as follows:-
The CBAP exam application fee is:
- Member – $ 145 USD
- Non-Member – $ 145 USD
The CBAP exam fee is:
- Corporate Member – $ 305
- Member – $ 350
- Non-Member – $ 505
How Many CBAP are there in the World?
The IIBA keeps a record of how many CBAP certified in the world. On the September 30th 2021, IIBA recorded 15,179 CBAP professionals.
How do I pass the CBAP Certification?
Adaptive US have identified 5 useful steps for becoming a CBAP certified business analysis professional in less than 3 months:
- Ensure the eligibility for the CBAP certification exam (week 1)
- Take IIBA approved training on CBAP (week 2 to 5)
- Study BABoK and practice CBAP questions (week 2 to 11)
- Get your application approved (week 6)
- Take the CBAP test and be a proud CBAP (week 12)
CBAP Application Process
Step 1: Meet the Criteria
To apply for the CBAP certification exam, you must make sure that you have met the key requirements.
Step 2: Apply to the IIBA
If you feel that you satisfy all the certification application criteria, then you should go to the IIBA website (www.IIBA.org) and submit your application directly to them. Once you have submitted your application and paid your application fee, their certification team will assess your application and confirm your eligibility to sit the exam.
If they have any questions or require an audit to be performed on your application, you will be notified and asked to either make amendments or resubmit your application at a later date. Be sure to complete your application thoroughly and correctly.
Step 3: Sit for CBAP Exam
Once your application is approved, you have 12 months to schedule and sit for the CBAP exam. There are approved test centres in all major cities around the world where you can take the exam. You also now have the option to take the exam online.
CBAP Mock Questions
To help with your success of passing the CBAP exam it is good to choose a good CBAP question bank or CBAP mock exam questions to help your CBAP exam preparations. When deciding which resources to use it is worth checking reviews and look for a question bank that has sufficient number of questions.
The IIBA do have a CBAP exam blueprint to understand performance expectations for the CBAP designation on the exam blueprint, sample CBAP exam questions free and links to each CBAP knowledge area. Also Agora Insights provide CBAP practice test free materials.
Work experience as a business analyst does help in having the confidence to pass the CBAP exam, but one also needs to dedicate time to prepare from BABOK guide and CBAP mock questions to be able to clear the exam. it’s important to solve enough of sample CBAP questions to make one prepared for the exam.
CBAP Exam Information
This is a computer-based exam. The CBAP exam can be taken online via proctor format or at a PSI test centre. There is helpful information from the IIBA to prepare for the CBAP exam and understand guidelines.
Is CBAP Exam Online
Yes it is possible to take the CBAP exam online. CBAP exam remote online proctoring is available. This new option provides flexibility to take the exam online anywhere in the world. Test centre option is also still available, the choice is yours!
CBAP Digital Badges
IIBA have introduced digital badges as a way to share and validate business analysis certification achievements. So you can now have a CBAP digital badge to demonstrate your CBAP exam achievement.
Does CBAP Expire?
The CBAP exam certification from IIBA remains active for 3 years and you need to renew it every 3 years. CBAP recertification requires you to earn a minimum of 60 continuing development units (CDUs) every three years from your date of certification.
How Many Questions in CBAP Exam ?
The CBAP exam consists of 120 multiple choice questions and must be completed within 3.5 hours. Formulated from the BABOK Guide, exam questions are both scenario and case study-based.
You might be wondering what types of questions you can expect in the exam. The exam question types are varied throughout the exam. It tests your ability to recall specific facts, interpret facts, solve problems, recognise patterns, analyse material, and draw sensible conclusions. There are a number of questions expecting you to draw conclusions from specific case studies or scenarios.
The questions in the CBAP certified business analysis professional exam are longer and complex from questions that are direct from BABOK on input, output, techniques etc and scenario-based questions.
It is important to understand that the BABOK guide needs to be comprehended and assimilated rather than memorised. The key is to understand the tasks, techniques well and the interrelationship with each other. It’s important to know the terms used in BABOK and relating them to the terms used in your organisation to pass the CBAP examination.
What is the CBAP Syllabus ?
The IIBA CBAP exam syllabus is weighted in the following IIBA CBAP knowledge areas:
14% | |
12% | |
15% | |
15% | |
30% | |
14% |
What is the Pass Mark for CBAP Exam?
IIBA does not provide scores or scoring percentages for any of the certification exams. This is quite common practice for professional certifications provided by professional member associations like IIBA.
Performance indicators are provided to help candidates target either their preparation for an exam retake or, their plans to improve performance on the job. They are intended for the candidates’ support not for comparison with other candidates.
How to Prepare for CBAP Certification Exam
So how to prepare for CBAP? A lot of hard work and dedication is required to pass the CBAP certification.
You will need to plan and determine a schedule which works alongside your work and family commitments.
You will need to be persistent and remain motivated throughout. So be realistic in your planning to avoid any unnecessary stress.
Once you have planned have an exam date in mind to help your focus and to maintain your goal in your mind. Think about the benefits that the CBAP exam will give you.
To aid your CBAP preparation seek out BABOK study groups some are free and give to the opportunity to meet others in a similar position to you and to ask questions and hear shared responses.
The BABOK guide provides the core of the knowledge required for the CBAP exam. You will need to read the guide several times and take notes. Keep track of the key concepts and think of what questions may get asked. Make the most of CBAP sample question packs and simulation tools (and CBAP flash cards) that your training partner provides.
As you get nearer to the exam date, keep practising and start to time yourself to ensure that you’re finishing the exam within the allocated time.
You should follow a planning framework similar to the one outlined here. Include these elements for each exam preparation session you include in your overall study plan:
Session topic
Describe the topic you plan to study here. Typically, this could be a knowledge area or a subset of techniques.
Chapter and/or sections
Reference the BABOK Guide v3 and this study guide’s chapter and sections you plan to finish during a session.
Date
Allocate the date when you plan to do each study session.
Measure/s
How do you plan to measure whether you understand the topic well enough and have successfully finished the session (for example, pass a quiz)?
Status
Check this off as “complete” if you have done this day’s session of study successfully.
10 Tips to Prepare and Pass the CBAP Exam
Agora Insights provide 10 useful tips to prepare and pass the CBAP® Exam.
- Assess your skills and work experience. Do you meet the eligibility requirements
to apply for and sit the exam? - Get the BABOK® v3 guide.Make sure you have this guide handy as the exam will be based on the guide.
- Sign up to an IIBA-endorsed certification training course. This is important as it not only helps in preparing for the exam, but you will also earn the required professional development hours that you need to submit to the IIBA with your Certified Business Analysis Professional (CBAP) application.
- Prepare a study plan– A study plan is basically a scheduling spreadsheet where you can schedule when you’d like to study each module.
- Practice with mock exam simulators – practice, practice, practice!
- List all BABOK terms and concepts– List the terms and concepts and write down an explanation for each based on your understanding then go through the CBAP mock exam drills to test your understanding.
- Join study groups– your local IIBA Chapter would normally have a study group that you can join.
- Watch free webinars on CBAP-related topics
- Get 1-on-1 coaching– Reach out to your course trainer for some 1-on-1 coaching. Some certification training courses offer this.
- Do’s and don’ts during the exam– find out what you’re meant to do during the exam. The above webinar outlines some helpful tips on what you’re allowed to have during the exam and what the proctor is going to check.
Best CBAP Online Training
Business Analyst Mentor recommends Adaptive US, Business Analysis Excellence , Agora Insights and Business Analysis Doctor as CBAP training course resources (including CBAP online training, CBAP prep courses) for your CBAP certification.
Use a training partner to compliment your business analysis work experience and gain the confidence to pass the CBAP exam by using the training partner to prepare using the BABOK resources and answering CBAP mock questions.
A CBAP training partner will also guide you on how to prepare for CBAP exam.
