Education 5.3 High school or equivalent Pro Dvlpmnt hours Work Exp hours in ten years Know Area hs in 4 of 6 KA’s References references CBAP Requirements Process Flow

1. Apply for the exam. Online. $ Receive application approval. 3. Register for the exam. Online. $325 or $ Prep for exam. 5. Take the exam. 6. Receive CBAP certification CBAP Process Phases

Two parts to CBAP certification: The application and the examination. The most time consuming and the most difficult is the application.

The IIBA is a stickler about what does and does not count as work experience. One of the most important elements of what is allowed is the difference between project management and business analysis experience.

Some approved business analysis activities: Requirements gathering Writing requirements documentation Determining project scope and objectives Identifying and documenting requirements risks Reporting on requirements progress Leading requirements gathering workshops Analyzing and documenting functional, nonfunctional, and user requirements Performing walkthrough activities and sign-offs of the requirements package Ensuring that requirements are met for the client, project stakeholder, or customer Reviewing testing strategy, plans, and cases

Activities that do not count toward your business analysis experience: Selling requirements tools and software Managing projects Creating the project plan Creating the project charter Leading presentations on the progress of the project Creating and executing test scripts, reporting on testing status, and creating testing plans and strategies Programming Identifying project risks Providing status reports Tracking and managing defects Teaching business analysis training courses The determining factor is that the approved items focus on requirements, while these unapproved activities often focus on the project and project management duties

To document 7500 hours of business analysis activity in the last ten years will probably require more a more structured approach than just memory. Elements than can help make a list of projects worked on: A list of past employers or engagements Day planners s Logs Calendars

Resist the urge to simply copy a list of activities and deliverables created as a business analyst. The IIBA warns that repetitive text will be rejected. Completing the CBAP application work experience section is a tedious and time consuming activity If the work experience pages are not completed with information the IIBA wants they can reject the application or dock the experience hours. Listing the experience in the format and syntax required by the Institute is not difficult if the hours listed conform to the parameters of the experience required.

Now that you know what you can and can't include on your exam application, you're ready to document the project details. Here's what you'll have to include for each project that you worked on as part of your 7,500 hours of business analysis experience: Start and end date of the project Project description or objective Your role(s) on the project Number of people, if any, that reported to you on the project Project name Project contact's name, , and your relationship to the project contact Organization name, contact information, and web site Total hours you worked on the project, minus the number of hours you completed non-business analysis activities, will equate to the number of hours you may count toward the 7,500 business analysis work experience application work

Take a look at an actual CBAP application as marked up by the IIBA. This example shows what the IIBA allows and denies.