Business Analysis Certification Application Advice

When start getting ready to apply to sit the CBAP ® or CCBA ® certifications, there are many things for you to keep in mind. The most challenging part of the application process with the IIBA ® for people seems to be the when it comes to capturing the project Business Analysis experience.

The IIBA ® do provide very comprehensive instructions to Business Analysis applicants on their website.

This short blog article will answer a few practical questions that Business Analysts have asked us in the last couple of years when it comes to their CCBA ® or CBAP ® applications.

Please note: This is NOT official advice and only intended to assist with common questions where we feel we have reasonable advice that will only assist you and not hinder your application.

Question: If I worked on the same project for a full year and my role was purely Business Analysis, how many hours can I claim for this?

Our advice: You have to consider a few different aspects when you start to calculate the total number of Business Analysis experience hours.
These include:

• The IIBA considers a ‘work day’ to constitute 8 hours.
• Remember to subtract your annual leave and sick leave allocations.
• We strongly recommend that you don’t include over time that you may have worked on a project. This is purely because it could skew the total hours, which an average Business Analyst will work on a project on an annual basis and this could potentially appear like you are claiming more hours than what is realistically feasible.

Our general advice – be conservative and where you have worked on more than one project during the same time period, be cognizant of the hour allocation for each project.

Question: Should I put all my experience in the application even when it wasn’t purely Business Analysis?

Our Advice: No, only focus on the Business Analysis experience for the application.

Question: Can I claim Business Analysis experience where I did freelance work?

Our Advice: Yes, as long as you can describe and provide references for that Business Analysis work, this is still valid and completely relevant business analysis work experience and therefore not a problem.

Question: I have more than the minimum project experience hours required, should I capture this?

Our Advice: Yes, always try to capture more than what the minimum requirement is providing you have the actual hours of Business Analysis experience. This will provide a “buffer” when the IIBA ® reviewer looks at your application and perhaps need to subtract hours for something they believe is not pure Business Analysis experience. Try and claim the maximum number of project hours that you are eligible for within each Knowledge Area.

Question: I don’t have the project contact details of anyone that I worked for on one of my projects. What can I do?

Our Advice: Try to find someone who can vouch that you have in fact done the particular project work experience. Don’t leave this section empty because it may means that your experience will not be counted.

Question: How long does it take for the IIBA ® Application to be processed?

Our Advice: We have had students who had their applications processed in 1 day and we have had students who had to wait a few weeks. We recommend that you give the process approximately 3-4 weeks before enquiring.

Question: I am not sure I have enough hours for each Knowledge Area to meet the minimum required hours, should I apply?

Our Advice: We would recommend you wait until you have a little more than the minimum hours required for each Knowledge Area before you apply.

Question: Do I need to first be an IIBA ® Member before I can apply for my CCBA ® or CBAP ® certification?

Our Advice: No, you don’t have to be a member to apply for the CCBA ® or CBAP ® Business Analysis Certifications however, it is recommended you first become a member because this means you will receive a discount (equal to the annual membership fee) when you apply for the respective Business Analysis certification exam.

In conclusion

We strongly recommend that all applicants take the necessary time to complete the IIBA ® CCBA ® or CBAP ® Business Analysis certification application. You should also read all their instructions very carefully to prevent making unnecessary mistakes in your application. Spending some time to complete this application correctly the first time will save you a lot of rework (and expense) than if you didn’t do it properly the first time.
Remember that Business Analysis Excellence provides an online certification preparation training program which includes a review of your CCBA ® or CBAP ® application prior to your final submission to the IIBA ®.