Business Analysis is a unique profession in that it has allowed many people to become Business Analysts without necessarily having a formal qualification to back them up. At the same time there are many people who have very strong academic backgrounds who are also practicing Business Analysts. There are currently still many different entry points into the Business Analysis profession but as the profession matures these entry points are slowly closing. One consequence of the Business Analysis profession developing in a formal and recognised way in industry is that it is paving the way for the CBAP certification to become an essential certification to have for senior Business Analysts. This short article looks at the strengths of the CBAP certification today and it benefits those who pursue this certification as a career goal.

# 1 – People can become Business Analysts without having a degree

Today you can still transform your current career to transition into the role of a Business Analyst without the need to necessarily have a formal university degree or any relevant formal qualification. This means you don’t necessarily have to go through years of study at university to become a Business Analyst. However, we all know that a degree is in general a good thing to have on your resume but the fact remains a lot of Business Analysts don’t have degrees. There is however a developing industry need to be able to justify your experience as a Business Analyst with a credible qualification and this is where the CBAP has stepped into play. As someone with or without a degree you can now work towards achieving this internationally recognised certification and in this way give some academic credibility to your business analysis resume. In future it will become more and more important to have that credible academic Business Analysis foundation to guarantee success in progressing as a Business Analyst.

# 2 – The CBAP proves knowledge and practical work experience

There are a number of people who have relevant degrees but cannot even start to think about the CBAP certification because of the lack of work experience. You cannot easily find a Business Analysis role, certainly not a senior Business Analysis role with only a relevant degree these days. So this makes the CBAP a very desirable qualification from a employer’s perspective because the certification don’t only prove Business Analysis knowledge but also that the person has at least five years of pure Business Analysis experience! So think twice before spending four or five years at university where you could have spent those years gaining Business Analysis experience and entering a more senior Business Analysis role with a CBAP  to boot!

# 3 – The CBAP certification is based on an international standard

This point is about the fact that the CBAP certification is issued by the International Institute of Business Analysis which is a truly international body within the realm of Business Analysis. Both their certifications, the CCBA and CBAP are based on the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge which is a standardised handbook of the profession of Business Analysis. This is an international certification which is recognised in most economies around the world as the two most desirable Business Analysis certifications to have. The international nature of this certification gives a lot of credibility and global acceptance to those Business Analysts who loves working globally.