CBAP and BABOK

Presented to the Albany Capital

District Chapter of the IIBA
February 3, 2009
Mission: To develop and maintain standards for
the practice of business analysis and for the
certification of its practitioners
The IIBA is an international non-profit
professional association for business analysis
professionals
March 2004
37 members
2 countries (Canada & US)
December 2008
7,791 members
81 chapters
68 countries
462 CBAPs (Certified Business Analysis
Professional)

Business Analysis
Business Analysis is the set of tasks, knowledge and
techniques required to identify business needs and
determine solutions to business problems.

Solutions often include a systems development
component, but may also consist of process
improvement or organizational change.

International Institute of Business Analysis Body of Knowledge (BABOK)


A Business Analyst works as a
liaison among stakeholders in
order to elicit, analyze,
communicate, and validate
requirements for changes to
business processes, policies, and
information systems.
Business Analysis Body of
Knowledge
The BABOK is the collection of knowledge
within the profession of Business Analysis and
reflects generally accepted practice
Describes business analysis areas of knowledge,
their associated activities and tasks and the skills
necessary to be effective in their execution
Provides the basis for the CBAP certification
CBAP Certification
Qualified practitioners will receive the
designation Certified Business Analysis Professional
(CBAP)
This certification is designed for individuals with an
advanced level of knowledge and experience
The IIBA is considering a secondary certification to
meet the needs of less senior Business Analysts
Membership in the IIBA is not required to take the
certification examination
CBAP
A recognized expert in identifying the business
needs of an organization in order to determine
business solutions
CBAPs are acknowledged as competent
individuals performing a role which is
increasingly recognized as a vital component of
any successful project

Benefits of CBAP Certification
Validation of skills and capabilities by a recognized
external authority
Recognition by peers and management as qualified
and experienced to practice business analysis
Confirmation of competence in the principles and
practices of business analysis
Advanced career potential by creating a separate and
distinct career path within the information
technology industry and business community
Certification Requirements
5 years (7,500 hours) of business analysis work
in the last 10 years
Demonstrated experience and expertise in at
least 4 of the 6 BABOK Knowledge Areas
Minimum high school diploma or equivalent
21 hours of BA professional development in the
last 4 years
2 professional references
Work Experience
Acceptable activities include:
Hands-on business analysis activities (as per
BABOK)
Coaching or mentoring Business Analysts with
respect to business analysis activities
Development of an organizations business analysis
methodology and/or best practices
Development of business analysis training courses
Work Experience
Activities that will not apply include:
Non-supervisory management of business analysis
activities (e.g., resource management, status
reporting, performance management, etc.)
Teaching business analysis training courses
Selling requirements tools/software
Project Management
Testing
Programming
Knowledge Areas
Enterprise Analysis
Requirements Planning and Management
Requirements Elicitation
Requirements Analysis and Documentation
Requirements Communication
Solution Assessment and Validation
Professional Development
Directly related to business analysis or its
underlying fundamentals
IIBA endorsed education provider courses
qualify note if EEP course
IIBA will review course outline to determine if
other courses qualify
Project management, programming, or testing
courses will not qualify
References
Must be provided by a:
Career Manager (person who is responsible for your
annual performance review)
Internal or external client
Certified Business Analysis Professional (CBAP)
The Certification Process
Submit application including:
Application form and application fee
References
Code of Conduct form
Examination fee (due at least 60 days prior to exam
date)
IIBA reviews to determine if requirements are
met notifies via e-mail within 30 days
Register for Exam
Approved applicant has one year to successfully
pass the exam
Within a month of approval, e-mail from Castle
Worldwide with user ID and password to
register online for a test center and test date
If exam is passed granted CBAP certification
If exam is not passed may retake the exam
once after three month wait if still within one
year eligibility
Current CBAP Exam Blueprint
Knowledge Area Percent of
Questions
Enterprise Analysis 22.0%
Requirements Planning and
Management
22.7%
Requirements Elicitation 18.7%
Requirements Analysis and
Documentation
20.7%
Requirements Communication 10.7%
Solution Assessment and Validation 5.2%
Certification Fees
Initial fees
$125 application fee that is non-refundable
$325 exam fee for IIBA members
$450 exam fee for non-members
Rewrite fees
$250 for IIBA members
$375 for non-members
Recertification
Recertification is required every 3 years
Require 60 Continuing Development Units
(CDUs) to recertify
Renewal fee - $85 for IIBA members and $120
for non-members
Latest Developments
IIBA is piloting an online application process
which includes payment of the application fee -
plans are to launch the process in March
BABOK v2 expected to be released in March
Plans are to begin working on the next version
of the CBAP exam in March or April 2009
New Career Center on IIBA website for job
seekers and employers
BABOK v2 Knowledge Areas
Business Analysis Planning and Monitoring
Enterprise
Analysis
Elicitation Requirements
Analysis
Solution
Assessment
& Validation
Requirements Management and Communication
Underlying Competencies
BABOK
Identifies currently accepted practices
Recognizes business analysis is not synonymous
with software requirements
Defined and enhanced by the professionals who
apply it
Captures the sum of the knowledge required for
the practice of business analysis as a profession
What the BABOK is NOT
It is NOT a methodology nor does it prescribe
or favor a methodology


It is NOT a how to business analysis
instruction manual
Tasks
Applicable to all business analysis efforts
Necessary components of business analysis
May be executed as often as necessary
Consistently defined inputs and outputs

Techniques
Cover different methodologies or approaches
BPM (business process management), Agile,
Iterative, waterfall, etc.
Usage depends on the purpose
Understand when techniques are appropriate
Example Task & Techniques
Task: Conduct Elicitation Activity

Techniques:
Brainstorming
Requirements Workshop
Interview
Prototyping
Etc.
Future Plans
Publication of BABOK v2
Release of electronic copy in late March 2009
Free for IIBA members, nonmembers will be
charged
IIBA is investigating print options

Future editions expected every five years
Knowledge Sharing
Suman Akula has successfully completed his
application to sit for the CBAP exam and is
willing to answer questions about his experience
Is there anyone else here who has completed or
is in the process of applying to take the exam?