What is IIBA CBDA Certification?
The IIBA CBDA certificate or Certification in Business Data Analytics is an IIBA (International Institute of Business Analysis) program designed to indicate your ability to successfully perform end-to-end business analytics and use data to support the decision-making based on business analysis.
The IIBA CBDA certificate demonstrates to potential employers that you have the command of data analysis and engineering basic concepts and techniques such as analysis, collating, cleaning, and structuring data. IIBA CBDA certified professionals are capable of converting data into information and insights that the organisation can use to make informed decisions.
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What are the Benefits of Obtaining the IIBA CBDA Certification?
IIBA CBDA certification offers many benefits to potential candidates and among the most important are:
- Today, data is the key for making informed business decisions and data-focused organisations perform better on the market. The analytics-based approach is becoming increasingly popular. So, business analytics skills are in high demand in the business analysis sector. They’re among the most sought-after hard skills along with analytical reasoning. IIBA CBDA analysts in the US earn $86,400 per year on average.
- Competent business data analysts greatly expand their options when it comes to choosing a career path. The IIBA CBDA certification allows business analysts not only to work in their primary role but also to take part in end-to-end projects in data analytics/business intelligence and collaborate with data science professionals.
- For data scientists or analysts, IIBA CBDA certification expands the scope of competencies from their core data-related work to business decision-making and effective two-way cooperation with business analysts.
- Professional development (PD) hours gained while obtaining an IIBA CBDA certificate can be used CBAP / CCBA recertification.
CBDA Certification Salary
The IIBA’s 2021 Global State of Business Analysis Report reports 
that the average business analyst who has an IIBA CBDA certification earns on average $80,034. The report also states that business analysis professionals who hold IIBA CBDA certification earn 1% more vs non-certified professionals.
Who is eligible for IIBA CBDA Certification?
IIBA does not have any eligibility criteria for the CBDA exam, so it’s open to anyone. The exam can be taken by business analysts, data scientists and engineers, project managers, consultants, trainers, developers, testers, CBAP and IIBA CCBA certified professionals, and anyone else interested in learning new skills and expanding their competencies in the business analytics field.
Nevertheless, the certification program is designed in a way that makes it most useful for business analysis professionals with mid-level experience and with skills in business data analytics. Candidates who can gain the most for the CBDA certification are:
- Professionals interested in developing their business/data analytics skills.
- BA professionals already involved in data analysis initiatives.
- Data analysis professionals looking to expand their competencies to the business side of data analysis initiatives.
- Anyone else who could use CBDA certification in their field of work.
How Much does IIBA CBDA Cost ?
IIBA charges no application fee for the IIBA CBDA Exam. The cots of the exam itself depend on the membership status of the candidate.
- Corporate member exam Fee – $225
- Member exam fee – $250
- Non-member exam fee – $400
From time to time IIBA offers various discounts to the above prices, so make sure to regularly check their website for information on the current offers.
How do I Pass the IIBA CBDA Certification?
To successfully pass the CBDA certification, you’ll need to go through some steps:
- Register for the exam by using the exam registration form on the IIBA website. Of course, if you don’t already have an account with IIBA, you’ll first need to create one and log in with your credentials.
- Purchase the exam from the certification summary page on the IIBA website. Once you select the CBDA – certification in business data analytics, you can pay the exam fee. Once the payment is processed, you’ll receive a notification e-mail detailing your next steps, including completing your destination.
- Schedule the exam when you feel ready. Prior to scheduling, make sure to thoroughly read and understand all the information on the exam information page. Here, you’ll find all the practical info and guidelines concerning the exam process. Once you feel you know what to expect on the exam day, access the certification summary page, click on Get started complete the schedule and pass exam goal which will take you to the exam scheduling page. Select the time and date for the exam and schedule it with your assigned proctor. When scheduling, make sure to account for the time you’ll need for preparation.
- Prepare for the exam by learning about the key concept and techniques of business data analytics. The certificate exam is aligned with the IIBA’s guide to business data analytics and it should be your main resource for preparation. In addition, it’s always a good idea to take a training course with one of IIBA’s endorsed education providers (EEP). The length of courses varies depending on the provider and your previous knowledge and experience with data analytics. The endorsed education providers also provide valuable professional development hours (PD) and capability development units (CDU) upon the completion of the course. Before the exam, you should also test your knowledge and go through the sample questions and self-assessment process which are available on the IIBA website.
- Take the exam at the scheduled time. The pass or fail result will be available immediately upon the test completion, while the detailed performance summary is provided by IIBA within 2 days.
IIBA CBDA Exam Information
IIBA CBDA exam is a remote online proctored competency-based exam with a duration of 120 minutes. For the exam process, you’ll need a PC/laptop, stable internet access, and a working webcam and microphone. Before the exam, you’ll be assigned a proctor who’s there to guide you through the process and monitor the exam.
The questions test your ability to perform in real-world scenarios. There are 75 of them and they are spread across the six different blueprint domains of knowledge areas. Each domain is weighted differently. The six knowledge areas are:
- Identify research question – 20% (15 questions).
- Source data – 15% (11 questions).
- Analyse data – 16% (12 questions).
- Interpret and report results – 20% (15 questions).
- Use results to influence business decision making – 20% (15 questions).
- Guide organisation-level strategy for business analytics – 9% (7 questions)
IIBA CBDA Certificate Materials and Resources
The most important resource in preparation for the CBDA certification exam is IIBA’s guide to business data analytics. IIBA members can download this guide for free.
The IIBA website also features an extensive list of additional reading resources, including online materials and books which you can use to supplement the information for the guide.
