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Good luck to all the planners, crammers, and refreshers getting ready to sit for the CBAP® or CCBA™ business analysis certification exam!
Dedicated to my family, friends, and colleagues who put up with me spending so much time on this book.
—Susan
Lovingly dedicated to my niece, Jenna, for her generous spirit, keen analytic skills, and leadership acumen. Fueled by passion and purpose, blended with the right mix of values, skills and experience, I have no doubt her leadership influence will be felt around the world. And it all started with being an awesome Business Analyst!
—Terri
Thank you to Mary Beth Wakefield, Editorial Manager; Kenyon Brown, Senior Aquisitions Editor; Rebecca Anderson, Production Editor; Kim Wimpsett, Copy Editor; John Sleeva, Indexer; and Nancy Carrasco, Proofreader. Without all of their contributions and assistance, this book would never have made it to the presses. In particular, thank you to Development Editor Mary Ellen Schutz. Her attention to detail, requests for clarity, and questions about what was really meant kept me on target to produce the complete study guide you are reading right now. ME, if you were here with me, I would give you a big hug! Without your herding and nipping during the revision process, this book would never have become such a great product. Your gentle editing is subtle, targeted, and effective. Peter Honebein, your technical edits were right on target and made everything in this book better.
A big thank-you goes out to the founders and supporters of the International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA™) and the team who developed the contents of the BABOK® Guide. I would also like to thank my colleagues and good friends, Ginger Sanchez, Peggy Oglesby, and Phil Bennett, for sharing their wonderful business analysis stories and ideas that became the basis for many tales in this book. Thanks also to Melisa Pearce of Touched by a Horse for sharing her barn project.
This book is the result of collaboration between Susan Weese and Terri Wagner. Susan authored the book. Terri reviewed text and lent her experience and expertise to parts of the overall project.
Finally, Little Man, thank you for lying on my computer every morning and helping me think through things. You are the prince of cats.
—Susan
My deepest gratitude to Susan for taking the helm and navigating these waters. Your dedication, talent, and wisdom never cease to amaze me. Thank you for all your hard work and perseverance masterfully integrating the many enhancements to the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge into this updated study guide. I admire your professionalism and cherish your friendship!
—Terri
Susan Weese, PgMP, PMP, PRINCE2, MSPM, MoP Susan is a management consultant, curriculum designer, and professional speaker specializing in project management and requirements development process development and implementation for complex information technology projects. She started her work career as a software engineer, designing and developing complex mathematical algorithms for satellite and radar systems. Halfway through her work life, Susan crossed to the dark side of technology and became actively involved with managing programs, projects, large consulting organizations, and business processes. She is still having a blast and has never looked back.
Susan founded Colorado-based Rhyming Planet, Inc., in 2000 to motivate, lead, and enable technical and business professionals to accomplish their program and project goals. Susan is also an adjunct faculty member at Colorado State University, delivering courses on project management and the underlying competencies that turn good managers into great managers.
Terri Wagner (Aurora, CO) M.A., PMP, CSM is owner/managing member of Mentor Source, Inc., a Colorado-based project management consulting and training company. She has co-authored and been the technical editor for several project management and business analysis books, including the Project Manager Street Smarts (Wiley). She has also taught project management, portfolio management, program management, business leadership, interpersonal skills, quality management, and other topics to state agencies, governmental entities, corporate clients, and at the graduate level in the university system.
The content of this book revolves around A Guide to the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge® (BABOK® Guide) Version 3.0, published in 2015 by the IIBA™ headquartered in Toronto, Canada. You will notice references to the BABOK® Guide throughout this book. Its contents drive the discussions on performing successful business analysis work across the project life cycle. In some cases, certain phrases are used verbatim to ensure strict conformance with the BABOK® Guide. Both certification exams focus on the contents of the BABOK® Guide. Consider getting a copy of the guide to assist you while you are using this book to prepare you for the exams.
The book contains many hints and tips about preparing for and passing the exam and using what you have learned in your everyday work. The first tip for anyone wanting to become familiar with the BABOK® Guide is that you need to learn its language. Speaking this language gives you a common business analysis language, regardless of the industry or organization you work in. The terms and definitions found there may be different from the terms and definitions you use at work. So, your first step is to familiarize yourself with the terms and definitions so you are comfortable with BABOK® Guide–speak.
The second tip is that you need to be familiar with the six knowledge areas defined in the BABOK® Guide. These knowledge areas divide your business analysis knowledge and skills into six common areas. You will start with the high-level definitions and then drill down into the detailed tasks and techniques that successful business analysts use to get the job done. Let’s move on and talk a little bit about the focus of this book.
This book helps you prepare to take the CBAP® or CCBA™ certification exam. The CBAP® exam is designed for experienced business analysts, while the CCBA™ exam targets people who have less experience in the business analysis profession. Reading this book does not guarantee that you will pass the exam, but ideally you will find its contents motivating and helpful.
In the new certification exam structure, the CCBA™ exam provides less experienced business analysts with their first step toward obtaining the CBAP® designation. This exam targets individuals who are proficient in some aspects of business analysis, are in the process of developing business analysis skills and expertise, and who apply business analysis to smaller scope projects and less complex tasks. The CCBA™ certification expires after five years. The expectation is that you will then apply to take the CBAP® exam when you have gained more business analysis experience. You can also retake the CCBA™ exam if you have not yet met the required CBAP® exam level of business analysis experience.
The CBAP®/CCBA™: Certified Business Analysis Study Guide, Second Edition follows a simple project life cycle frequently used as the basis for many projects. The life cycle consists of three high-level phases.
The knowledge areas of the BABOK® Guide are placed within these three life cycle phases in order to work through the business analysis tasks and techniques from project start to end.
To get the most out of this book, you should read each chapter from start to finish and then check your memory and understanding with the chapter-end elements. Even if you’re already familiar with a topic, you should skim the chapter; business analysis is complex. There are often multiple ways to accomplish a task, and you may learn something even if you’re already competent in an area.
The CBAP® and CCBA™ certification exams each address all six knowledge areas from the BABOK® Guide. The exams also test your knowledge of sources referenced by the BABOK® Guide and your own business analysis experience.
The CBAP® exam is designed for experienced business analysts, while the newer CCBA™ exam targets folks who have less experience in the business analysis profession. You can apply and pay for the exams online using the IIBA™ website. Most people schedule and take the exams in a testing center and complete the questions on a computer. Feedback is immediate as to whether you have passed or failed the exam once you submit your finished set of questions. Let’s take a look at each exam in a bit more detail.
The CBAP® exam targets experienced business analysts. The exam contains 150 questions that must be answered within 3.5 hours. The questions you will be facing are based on Bloom’s Taxonomy, which is discussed later in this section.
Requirements for candidates sitting the CBAP® exam include 7,500 hours of business analysis work experience in the last 10 years, demonstrated experience and expertise in four of the six knowledge areas, a high-school education or equivalent, and 21 hours of business analysis-related professional development in the last four years. You will also be required to provide two references from a career manager, client, or CBAP®. These requirements to take the exam are discussed in detail in Appendix A, “Advice on Completing Your Exam Application.”
The CCBA™ exam provides newer, less experienced business analysts with their first step toward obtaining the CBAP® certification. This exam targets individuals who are proficient in some aspects of business analysis, are in the process of developing business analysis skills and expertise, and who apply business analysis to smaller scope and less complex tasks and projects.
Requirements for candidates taking the CCBA™ exam include a minimum of 3,750 hours of business analysis work, aligned with the BABOK® Guide, in the last seven years with at least 900 hours in two of the six knowledge areas or 500 hours in four of the six knowledge areas, a minimum of 21 hours of Professional Development, and a high-school education or equivalent. You will also be required to provide two references from a career manager, client, or CBAP®.
The CCBA™ certification expires after five years. The expectation is that recipients will then apply to take the CBAP® exam as a more experienced business analyst. There is also an option to retake the CCBA™ exam if you have not yet met the required CBAP® exam level of experience during that time period.
Both CBAP® and CCBA™ exams contain 150 questions that must be answered within 3.5 hours. The passing mark for your scored exam is calculated based on psychometric procedures that the IIBA™ does not disclose to the public. The CBAP® and CCBA™ Exam Blueprints indicate the relative weight of each knowledge area by providing you with the percentage of questions from that knowledge area on your exam. The percentages are provided for you in Table 1.1. Because of rounding issues, some of the percentages do not add up to exactly 100 percent.
TABLE 1.1 Exam knowledge area and question breakdown
| Knowledge Area | CBAP® Exam % of Questions | CCBA™ Exam % of Questions |
| Business Analysis Planning and Monitoring | 14% | 12% |
| Elicitation and Collaboration | 12% | 20% |
| Requirements Life Cycle Management | 15% | 18% |
| Strategy Analysis | 15% | 12% |
| Requirements Analysis and Design Definition | 32% | 30% |
| Solution Evaluation | 14% | 6% |
All the questions on your exam are multiple-choice questions with four possible answers from which to select. There are no penalties for incorrect answers, so remember to attempt to answer every question.
In 1956, Benjamin Bloom, an educational psychologist at the University of Chicago, proposed his Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, classifying learning objectives into six hierarchical levels: knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. This taxonomy drives the structure and style of the exam questions you will be seeing on your CBAP® and CCBA™ exams, as the questions will range across this entire taxonomy. Questions may also have a scenario for reading before the body of one or more questions.
The breakdown of questions across Bloom’s Taxonomy is not provided in the IIBA™’s exam blueprint. As a rule of thumb, you should expect to see approximately 70 percent to 80 percent of your questions taken from the easier question types (knowledge, comprehension, application, and analysis) in the taxonomy and 20 percent to 30 percent taken from the more difficult question types (synthesis and evaluation).
If you are able to recognize the type of question you are being asked, you can use this recognition to arrive at the correct answer to that question. Let’s take a look at each question type in more detail:
Knowledge Questions Knowledge questions test your ability to know specific facts and recall information that you have learned. This information may be straight from the BABOK® Guide, or it may be something you have learned from another source. These questions are straightforward and remind us of the traditional multiple-choice questions from exams we took in our younger days. Here is an example of a knowledge question:
Which type of requirement describes high-level organizational needs?
This is a “define the term” question, and the correct answer is A. As stated in the BABOK® Guide glossary, business requirements describe the higher-level business rationale for your project or initiative. Answering this question correctly requires you to recall the definitions for the different types of requirements found in the BABOK® Guide.
Comprehension Questions Comprehension questions require you to interpret facts and understand meanings. This is a step up from a knowledge question, where simple memorization and recall usually provide you with the correct answer. Here is an example of a comprehension question:
What type of requirements contains the environmental conditions of the solution?
This is a “check your understanding” question, and the correct answer is D. As stated in the BABOK® Guide glossary, solution requirements include both functional and nonfunctional requirements for a particular project. This question requires understanding of the requirements types found in the BABOK® Guide and the knowledge that environmental conditions are nonfunctional requirements, which are a subset of the solution requirements.
Application Questions Application questions raise the bar a bit more by asking you to use information to solve problems. These questions take your knowledge and comprehension, combine them, and ask you to do something with the result. Here is an example of an application question:
Transition requirements are typically prepared after which requirements document is completed?
This is a “use the information” problem asking you about the logical sequence for developing the types or classes of requirements on a project. Be sure to answer using the BABOK® Guide classification scheme and a generic life cycle versus answering from your organization’s scheme and life cycle models unless they are exactly the same. The correct answer is A. Once the solution requirements are defined, the transition requirements for the solution can be built.
Analysis Questions Analysis questions are a bit more difficult to navigate. This question type asks you to recognize patterns and seek hidden meanings in the information you are provided. A common type of analysis question is looking at and analyzing a series of process or activity-related steps performed by the business analyst. Here is an example of an analysis question:
To capture the process of provisioning a circuit, the business analyst observed an ordering supervisor for half a day. The resulting information could then be incorporated into all of the following types of requirements except:
This question is a pattern question focusing on a recommended series of steps to be followed by the business analyst who is using observation as a technique to elicit or analyze project requirements. The twist is that you are looking for the wrong answer this time around. The correct (wrong) answer is A. The solution capability is not usually found in the transition requirements for a solution.
Synthesis Questions Synthesis questions test your ability to relate facts and draw conclusions based on the information you are given. Here is an example of a synthesis question:
After reviewing the existing process to approve a new cell phone order, Ginger realized that the senior manager is not always available to manually approve the purchase. She documented the capabilities that facilitate a faster ordering approval process relative to the existing situation. She felt that the existing process was inefficient and that it needed to be changed. What would be an appropriate way for Ginger to express the cause of the current cell phone ordering delays?
You are being asked to “draw a conclusion” based on the specific scenario you have been provided within the body of the question. Ginger is being asked to effectively use her underlying competencies as a business analyst to solve a problem. Her best choice is to confront the problem and lay out all the information for the decision makers to analyze and then decide what to do. The correct answer is B.
Evaluation Questions Evaluation questions expect you to assess ideas and make reasoned judgments. Take a look at the following example of an evaluation question:
To document why your project was initiated, it is appropriate to include the:
This is a “reasoned judgment” style of question based on what you know and the fact that you understand what is required in this particular situation. Typical business analysis documents used to initiate a project are created in the Strategy Analysis knowledge area and include the business case, required capabilities, solution scope, and business need. The correct answer is A.
Remember that you will face 150 questions of various question types on your CBAP® or CCBA™ exam. You need to navigate these questions efficiently and effectively to achieve a passing score on your exam. Although there is no substitute for knowing and understanding how the BABOK® Guide says you should do your business analysis job, your comfort with question types may also be of assistance.
The book includes several testing features, both in the book and available for download. Following this introduction is an assessment test that you can use to check your readiness for the actual exam. Take this test before you start reading the book. It will help you identify the areas you may need to brush up on. The answers to the assessment test appear after the last question of the test. Each answer includes an explanation and a note telling you in which chapter this material appears.
An “Exam Essentials” section appears at the end of every chapter to highlight the topics you’ll most likely find on the exam and help you focus on the most important material covered in the chapter so that you’ll have a solid understanding of those concepts. However, it isn’t possible to predict what questions will be covered on your particular exam, so be sure to study everything in the chapter.
Review questions are also provided at the end of every chapter. You can use these to gauge your understanding of the subject matter before reading the chapter and to point out the areas in which you need to concentrate your study time. As you finish each chapter, answer the review questions and then check to see whether your answers are correct—the correct answers appear in Appendix F. You can go back to reread the section that deals with each question you got wrong to ensure that you answer the question correctly the next time you are tested on the material. If you can answer at least 80 percent of the review questions correctly, you can probably feel comfortable moving on to the next chapter. If you can’t answer that many correctly, reread the chapter, or the section that seems to be giving you trouble, and try the questions again.
Finally, you will notice various “Real World Scenario” sidebars throughout each chapter. These are designed to give you insight into how the various tasks and knowledge areas apply to real-world situations.
The interactive online learning environment that accompanies the CBAP®/CCBA™: Certified Business Analysis Study Guide, Second Edition provides a test bank with study tools to help you prepare for the certification exam—and increase your chances of passing it the first time! The online test bank runs on multiple devices. It includes the following:
Sample Tests All the questions in this book are provided, including the assessment test at the end of this introduction and the chapter tests that include the review questions at the end of each chapter. Use these questions to test your knowledge of the study guide material. In addition, there are two CBAP bonus practice exams with 50 questions each, as well as two CCBA bonus practice exams with 50 questions each. Take these practice exams just as if you were actually taking the exams (that is, without any reference material). When you have finished the first exam, move on to the next exam to solidify your test-taking skills. If you get more than 85 percent of the answers correct, you’re ready to take the real exam.
Flashcards The online text bank includes more than 100 flashcards specifically written to hit you hard, so don’t get discouraged if you don’t ace your way through them at first. They’re there to ensure that you’re really ready for the exam. And no worries—armed with the review questions, practice exams, and flashcards, you’ll be more than prepared when exam day comes. Questions are provided in digital flashcard format (a question followed by a single correct answer). You can use the flashcards to reinforce your learning and provide last-minute test prep before the exam.
Other Study Tools A glossary of key terms from this book is available as a fully searchable PDF. A BABOK® Techniques Matrix is also available as an Excel spreadsheet.
On your exam day, it is important that you be relaxed, psychologically prepared, and confident. Try to be well rested and adequately nourished when you take the exam. Staying up all night before the exam for some last-minute studying is not a good idea.
It is a good idea to make sure you know the location of your testing center prior to exam day. We suggest that you do a “drive by” of the location so you know where you are going and exactly how to get there. You should also call the day before to confirm your exam date and time and the hours of operation. A friend, Peggy, showed up at her testing center to sit a certification exam only to discover that the testing center location had been moved the week before. Peggy had to rush to the other location and then begin the exam. Luckily, Peggy was an early bird, so the damage was minimal. The testing center staff told her that she had been notified of this testing center relocation by email, but Peggy could find no message from them in her inbox. Try to avoid that kind of last-minute stress if you can.
When you arrive at the testing center, you will have to lock up your personal belongings in a locker or leave them in your car for the duration of your exam. You cannot take any food or beverages into the exam, so they must be consumed ahead of time or stored in the locker as well. Be sure to give yourself plenty of time to drink that extra-large latte with four shots of espresso in it. The testing center staff will provide you with scratch paper and pencils. They will also take you into the testing area, seat you at your computer, provide you with headphones to muffle the noise, and confirm that the correct exam is being provided to you.
You have some time before the exam must start if you take the tutorial on how to use the exam software. We recommend that you take the tutorial even though you already know how to point and click. You can use this time to jot down any cheat sheet notes on the scrap paper that you have prepared prior to the exam. Of course, these notes and reminders must all be in your head since you can’t take your own paper into the testing area.
Be aware that there might be other people in the testing area taking a wide variety of exams, so people may come and go during your testing window. If you are easily distracted, this activity may take your attention away from your exam. You may take a break at any time during your exam; however, the timer keeps going while you are away from your seat.
Feedback about this book is welcome. If you have specific questions or comments, please send a message to Susan Weese at susanweese@icloud.com. You can also post questions and comments on Susan’s exam-focused blog at cbapccba.blogspot.com. Her blog offers CBAP® and CCBA™ exam advice and support. Sybex strives to keep you supplied with the latest tools and information you need for your work. Please check the book’s update page on the Sybex website at www.sybex.com/go/cbap. Additional content and updates that supplement this book will be posted if the need arises.
| Knowledge Area | Chapter |
| Business Analysis Planning and Monitoring | |
| Plan Business Analysis Approach | 2 |
| Plan Stakeholder Engagement | 2 |
| Plan Business Analysis Governance | 2 |
| Plan Business Analysis Information Management | 2 |
| Identify Business Analysis Performance Improvements | 2 |
| Strategy Analysis | |
| Analyze Current State | 3 |
| Define Future State | 3 |
| Assess Risks | 3 |
| Define Change Strategy | 3 |
| Elicitation and Collaboration | |
| Prepare for Elicitation | 5 |
| Conduct Elicitation | 5 |
| Confirm Elicitation Results | 5 |
| Communicate Business Analysis Information | 5 |
| Manage Stakeholder Collaboration | 5 |
| Requirements Analysis and Design Definition | |
| Specify and Model Requirements | 6 |
| Verify Requirements | 6 |
| Validate Requirements | 6 |
| Define Requirements Architecture | 6 |
| Define Design Options | 6 |
| Analyze Potential Value and Recommend Solution | 6 |
| Solution Evaluation | |
| Measure Solution Performance | 7 |
| Analyze Performance Measures | 7 |
| Assess Solution Limitations | 7 |
| Assess Enterprise Limitations | 7 |
| Recommend Actions to Increase Solution Value | 7 |
| Requirements Life Cycle Management | |
| Trace Requirements | 4 |
| Maintain Requirements | 4 |
| Prioritize Requirements | 4 |
| Assess Requirements Changes | 4 |
| Approve Requirements | 4 |
| Underlying Competencies | |
| Analytical Thinking and Problem Solving | 8 |
| Behavioral Characteristics | 8 |
| Business Knowledge | 8 |
| Communication Skills | 8 |
| Interaction Skills | 8 |
| Tools and Technology | 8 |
| Perspectives | |
| The Agile Perspective | 9 |
| The Business Intelligence Perspective | 9 |
| The Information Technology Perspective | 9 |
| The Business Architecture Perspective | 9 |
| The Business Process Management Perspective | 9 |