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- Herausgeber: Packt Publishing
- Kategorie: Wissenschaft und neue Technologien
- Sprache: Englisch
A handy, on-the-job reference filled with real-life scenarios to help you achieve the Certified Business Analysis Professional (CBAP®) and Certification of Capability in Business Analysis (CCBA®) certifications
Key Features
- Gain expert guidance from Esta Lessing, a CBAP® trainer with over 18 years of business analysis experience
- Understand BABOK® knowledge areas and tasks through examples and real-world scenarios
- Learn business analyst skills such as stakeholder engagement, strategy analysis, and requirement elicitation
Book Description
Certified Business Analysis Professional (CBAP®) is a certification from the International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA®) for professionals with extensive experience in business analysis. The CCBA® and CBAP® validates your proficiency in various aspects of business analysis and your ability to tackle challenging projects, work effectively with stakeholders, and identify and deliver business value.
You’ll start by learning about the benefits of CCBA® and CBAP® certifications for your career progression before focussing on the six core knowledge areas explained thoroughly in each chapter. These include topics such as business analysis planning and monitoring, elicitation and collaboration, requirements life cycle management, strategy analysis, requirements analysis, and design definition as well as solution evaluation. The book includes the essential underlying competencies and techniques to ensure a complete understanding of the BABOK® v3 guide content. Each chapter delves into the essential concepts and business analysis task considerations utilizing practical examples. Finally, you’ll assess your knowledge through mock exam questions based on real-world case studies.
By the end of this book, you’ll have gained the business analysis skills needed to prepare for the certification exams and to advance in your career.
What you will learn
- Assess the IIBA® requirements for applying for the CCBA® and CBAP® exams
- Navigate through the sections of the BABOK® v3 Guide
- Understand business analysis concepts, practices and analysis techniques
- Be able to relate concepts, tasks, and techniques to real-world practical situations
- Understand the application of 50 practical techniques concerning the BABOK® v3 Guide knowledge area tasks
- Identify the challenges that could hinder a business analyst from delivering value and effective business solutions
Who this book is for
This book is for business analysts, business consultants, trainers, project managers, and business professionals who are interested in preparing for the IIBA CBAP or CCBA exams. The book assumes business analysis experience.
Esta Lessing is a passionate Professional Business Analyst and educator who helps to transform Business Analysis teams to meet the increasing demand for up to date skills and capability. She founded her company, Business Analysis Excellence Pty Ltd in 2013 and her primary focus is to provide education solutions to enable Business Analysts globally to effectively deliver business value in constantly changing environments. Esta was one of the first to achieve her CBAP® designation in Australia and New Zealand and served as a Certification Role Delineation Committee member for the International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA®).Sie lesen das E-Book in den Legimi-Apps auf:
Seitenzahl: 667
Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2020
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CCBA® and CBAP® Certifications Study Guide
Copyright © 2020 Packt Publishing
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embedded in critical articles or reviews.
Every effort has been made in the preparation of this book to ensure the accuracy of the information presented. However, the information contained in this book is sold without warranty, either express or implied. Neither the author, nor Packt Publishing or its dealers and distributors, will be held liable for any damages caused or alleged to have been caused directly or indirectly by this book.
Packt Publishing has endeavored to provide trademark information about all of the companies and products mentioned in this book by the appropriate use of capitals. However, Packt Publishing cannot guarantee the accuracy of this information.
Commissioning Editor: Ravit JainAcquisition Editor: Ashitosh GuptaContent Development Editor: Aamir AhmedSenior Editor: Martin WhittemoreTechnical Editor: Deepesh PatelCopy Editor: Safis EditingProject Coordinator: Kinjal BariProofreader: Safis EditingIndexer: Rekha NairProduction Designer: Jyoti Chauhan
First published: May 2020
Production reference: 1210520
Published by Packt Publishing Ltd. Livery Place 35 Livery Street Birmingham B3 2PB, UK.
ISBN 978-1-83882-526-3
www.packt.com
I dedicate this book to my parents, who always made me believe I could do anything; to my husband, who catches me when I fall; and to my brother and sister, who are my cheerleading squad.
– Esta Lessing
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Contributors
About the author
Esta Lessing is a passionate professional business analyst and educator who helps to transform business analysis teams to meet the increasing demand for up-to-date skills and capabilities. She founded her company, Business Analysis Excellence Pvt Ltd, in 2013 and her primary focus is to provide education solutions to enable business analysts globally to effectively deliver business value in constantly changing environments.
Esta was one of the first to achieve a CBAP® designation in Australia and New Zealand and served as a Certification Role Delineation Committee member for the International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA®). She has a strong background in business analysis, including having completed multiple British Computer Society (BCS) business analysis certifications and finishing her BCom (Hons) Informatics degree at the University of Pretoria and London School of Economics. She has worked as a business analyst in South Africa and the United Kingdom, and she is currently based in Australia. She has also been closely involved with building the business analysis community of practice teams in different organizations. Esta's most recent achievement is developing an innovative strategic planning and analysis methodology that engages team creativity and delivers strategic roadmaps for achieving a team's future vision.
About the reviewer
Adedayo Idowu, CBAP, is a certified business analyst with expertise in process analysis, process improvement, and automation who has been leveraging business analysis knowledge and experience to drive business transformation and operational excellence projects with the aim of achieving business objectives and moving organizations from their current state to their desired state. Having worked in the financial and social media industries, she has been able to hone her problem-solving, innovative, analytics, and collaborative skills and use them to recommend solutions to meet different business needs.
She currently leverages her business analysis skills to help small and medium business owners identify and meet their business needs.
Packt is searching for authors like you
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Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright and Credits
CCBA® and CBAP® Certifications Study Guide
Dedication
About Packt
Why subscribe?
Contributors
About the author
About the reviewer
Packt is searching for authors like you
Preface
Who this book is for
What this book covers
To get the most out of this book
Conventions used
Get in touch
Reviews
Planning for Success
Benefits of the CCBA® or CBAP® designations
Improved confidence
Recognition in the workplace
Better career opportunities
An entirely new career focus
Visualization as a powerful study tool
You get what you focus on
Setting your certification goal
The ideal timeframe for preparation
How familiar are you with the BABOK® Guide v3 today?
What is your preferred learning style?
Are you a confident learner or a conservative learner?
Have you done a lot of business analysis study before?
Key concepts for creating a good study plan
#1 Working backward
#2 Knowing your own learning style
#3 Being practical and choosing a routine activity
#4 Limiting the scope of study during each session
#5 Having the right materials and study tools
#6 Having goals and measuring progress
Your study plan framework 
Creating your custom study plan
Tips for when you draft your plan
Baseline days
Revision days
Rest days
Ready to get started
Summary
Benefits of certification
Visualization as a study tool
Key concepts when you create a study plan
Your study plan framework
Knowledge quiz
Answers
Exam Application Requirements
A competency-based certification model
CCBA® application requirements
CBAP® application requirements
Additional requirements for CCBA® and CBAP® applicants 
The exam 
Application process
Summary
Competency-based certification model
CCBA® application requirements
CBAP® application requirements
Additional CCBA® and CBAP® requirements
Knowledge quiz
Answers
Study Tools
BABOK® v3.0 Guide structure
Business analysis key concepts
Knowledge areas
Underlying competencies
Techniques
Perspectives
Summary
Navigating through the main sections of the BABOK® Guide
Knowledge areas
Underlying competencies, techniques, and perspectives
Knowledge quiz
Answers
What to Expect From the Exam
Exam blueprints
Question types
Summary
Exam blueprints
Question types
Knowledge quiz
Answers
Business Analysis Foundation Concepts
Understanding business analysis
Who is a business analyst?
The Business Analysis Core Concept Model™ 
Change
Need
Solution
Stakeholder
Value
Context
Key terms 
Business analysis
Business analysis information
Design
Organization
Enterprise
Plan
Requirement
Risk
Stakeholders
Business analyst
Customer
Domain subject matter expert
End user
Implementation subject matter expert
Operational support
Project manager
Regulator
Sponsor
Supplier
Tester
Requirements classification schema
Business requirements
Stakeholder requirements
Solution requirements
Transition requirements
Requirements and designs
Summary 
Business analysis and Business Analyst
Business Analysis Core Concept Model
Key terms
Stakeholders
Requirements classification schema
Knowledge quiz
Answers
Business Analysis Planning and Monitoring
Understanding Business Analysis Planning and Monitoring
The Business Analysis Core Concept Model™  
Change
Need
Solution
Stakeholder
Value
Context
Task: Plan Business Analysis Approach
The elements of Plan Business Analysis Approach
Element 1: Planning the approach
A predictive approach
An adaptive approach
Element 2: Formality and the level of detail of business analysis deliverables 
Element 3: Business analysis activities
Element 4: The timing of business analysis work
Element 5: Complexity and risk
Element 6: The acceptance of the business analysis approach and plan
The inputs and outputs of this task
Task: Plan Stakeholder Engagement
The number of stakeholders
The elements of Plan Stakeholder Engagement
Element 1: Performing stakeholder analysis 
Roles matter
Attitudes of stakeholders
The decision-making authority
Element 2: Defining stakeholder collaboration
Element 3: Stakeholder communication needs
The inputs and outputs of this task
Task: Plan Business Analysis Governance
The elements of Plan Business Analysis Governance
Element 1: Decision-making
Element 2: Changing the control process
Element 3: Planning a prioritization approach
Element 4: Planning for approvals
The inputs and outputs of this task
Task: Plan Business Analysis Information Management
The elements of Plan Business Analysis Information Management
Element 1: The organization of business analysis information
Element 2: The level of abstraction
Element 3: Planning a traceability approach
Element 4:  Planning for requirements' reuse
Element 5:  Storage and access
Element 6: Requirements attributes
The inputs and outputs of this task
Task: Identify Business Analysis Performance Improvements
The elements of Identify Business Analysis Performance Improvements
Element 1: Performance analysis
Element 2: Assessment measures
Element 3: Analyzing results
Element 4: Recommended actions for improvement
The inputs and outputs of this task
Summary
The Business Analysis Planning and Monitoring knowledge area
The Plan Business Analysis Approach task
The Plan Stakeholder Engagement task
The Plan Business Analysis Governance task
The Plan Business Analysis Information Management task
The Identify Business Analysis Performance Improvements task 
Knowledge quiz
Case study: The GO technology payment program
Answers
Elicitation and Collaboration
Understanding elicitation and collaboration
The Business Analysis Core Concept Model™
Change
Need
Solution
Stakeholder
Value
Context
Task: Prepare for Elicitation
Purpose
Elements 
Element 1: Understand the scope of elicitation 
Element 2: Select elicitation techniques
Element 3: Set up logistics
Element 4: Secure supporting material
Element 5: Prepare stakeholders
Inputs and outputs
Task: Conduct Elicitation
Purpose 
Types of elicitation
Collaborative 
Research
Experiments
Elements
Element 1: Guide elicitation activity 
Element 2 – Capture elicitation outcomes
Inputs and outputs
Task: Confirm Elicitation Results
Purpose 
Elements
Element 1: Compare elicitation results against source information
Element 2: Compare elicitation results against other elicitation results
Inputs and outputs
Task: Communicate Business Analysis Information
Purpose
Elements
Element 1: Determine objectives and format of communication
Formats of packages
Element 2: Communicate the business analysis package
Inputs and outputs
Task: Manage Stakeholder Collaboration
Purpose
Elements
Element 1: Gain agreement on commitments
Element 2: Monitor stakeholder engagement
Element 3: Collaboration
Inputs and outputs
Summary
Task: Prepare for elicitation
Task: Conduct elicitation
Task: Confirm elicitation results
Task: Communicate business analysis information
Task: Manage stakeholder collaboration
Knowledge quiz 
Real-world case study – cardholder portal project
Answers
Requirements Life Cycle Management
What is Requirements Life Cycle Management?
The Business Analysis Core Concept Model™  
Change
Need
Solution
Stakeholder
Value
Context
Task: Trace Requirements
Purpose
Why trace requirements?
Elements
Element 1: Level of formality
Element 2: Relationships
Element 3: Traceability Repository
Inputs and outputs
Task: Maintain Requirements
Purpose
Elements
Element 1: Maintain requirements
Element 2: Maintain attributes
Element 3: Reusing requirements 
Inputs and outputs
Task: Prioritize Requirements
Purpose
Why do we need to prioritize requirements?
Elements
Element 1: Basis of prioritization
Benefit 
Penalty
Cost
Risk 
Dependencies 
Time sensitivity 
Stability
Regulatory or policy compliance 
Element 2: Challenges of prioritization
Element 3: Continual prioritization
Inputs and outputs
Task: Assess Requirements Changes
Purpose
Elements
Element 1: Assessment formality 
Predictive and adaptive approaches
Element 2: Impact analysis
Element 3: Impact resolution
Inputs and outputs
Task: Approve Requirements
Purpose
Elements
Element 1: Understand stakeholder roles
Element 2: Conflict and issue management 
Element 3: Gain consensus
Element 4: Track and communicate approval
Inputs and outputs
Summary
Task: Trace Requirements
Task: Maintain Requirements
Task: Prioritize Requirements
Task: Assess Requirements Changes
Task: Approve Requirements
Knowledge quiz
Real-world case study: Car booking system project
Answers
Strategy Analysis
What is Strategy Analysis?
The Business Analysis Core Concept Model™  
Change
Need
Solution
Stakeholder
Value
Context
Task: Analyze Current State
Purpose
Elements
Element 1: Business needs
Element 2: Organizational structure and culture
Element 3: Capabilities and processes
Element 4: Technology and infrastructure
Element 5: Policies
Element 6: Business architecture
Element 7: Internal assets
Element 8: External influences
Inputs and outputs
Task: Define Future State
Purpose
Elements
Element 1: Business goals and objectives
Element 2: The scope of the solution space
Element 3: Constraints
Element 4: Organizational structure and culture
Element 5: Capabilities and processes
Element 6: Technology and infrastructure
Element 7: Policies
Element 8: Business architecture
Element 9: Internal assets
Element 10: Identify assumptions
Element 11: Potential value
Inputs and outputs
Task: Assess Risks
Purpose
Elements
Element 1: Unknowns
Element 2: Constraints, assumptions, and dependencies
Element 3: Negative impact on the value
Element 4: Risk tolerance
Element 5: Recommendations
Inputs and outputs
Task: Define Change Strategy
Purpose
Elements
Element 1: Solution scope
Element 2: Gap analysis
Element 3: Enterprise readiness assessment
Element 4: Change strategy
Element 5: Transition states and release planning
Inputs and outputs
Summary
Learning outcome: Strategy Analysis 
Learning outcome: Analyze Current State
Learning outcome: Define Future State
Learning outcome: Assess Risks
Learning outcome: Define Change Strategy
Knowledge quiz
Case Study: Police criminal record management system
Answers 
Requirements Analysis and Design Definition
What is Requirements Analysis and Design Definition?
Business Analysis Core Concept Model™
Change
Need
Solution
Stakeholder
Value
Context
Task: Specifying and modeling requirements
Purpose
Elements
Element 1: The model requirements 
Matrices 
Diagrams
Element 2: Analyzing the requirements 
Element 3: Representing requirements and attributes
Element 4: Implementing the appropriate levels of abstraction 
Inputs and outputs
Task: Verifying the requirements
Purpose
Elements
Element 1: The characteristics of the requirements and the design quality 
Element 2: The verification activities
Element 3: Checklists
Inputs and outputs
Task: Validating the requirements
Purpose
Elements
Element 1: Identifying assumptions 
Element 2: Defining measurable evaluation criteria
Element 3: Evaluating the alignment against the solution scope
Inputs and outputs
Task: Defining the requirements architecture
Purpose
Elements
Element 1: The requirements architecture viewpoints and views 
Element 2: Template architectures 
Element 3: Completeness
Element 4: Relating and verifying the requirements relationships
Element 5: The business analysis information architecture
Inputs and outputs
Task: Defining the design options
Purpose
Elements
Element 1: Defining the solution approaches
Element 2: Identifying the improvement opportunities 
Increasing efficiencies 
Improving access to information
Identifying additional capabilities
Element 3: Requirements allocation
Element 4: Describing the design options 
Inputs and outputs
Task: Analyzing the potential value and recommending a solution
Purpose
Elements
Element 1: The expected benefits 
Element 2: The expected costs
Element 3: Determining the value
Element 4: Assessing the design options and recommending a solution
Available resources
Constraints on the solution
Dependencies between requirements
Inputs and outputs
Summary
The learning outcome for the Requirements Analysis and Design Definition knowledge area
The learning outcome for specifying and modeling requirements  
The learning outcome for verifying requirements
The learning outcome for validating requirements
The learning outcome for defining the requirements architecture
The learning outcome for defining the solution options
Knowledge quiz
Case study – a health solutions company 
Answers
Solution Evaluation
What is Solution Evaluation?
Business Analysis Core Concept Model™
Change
Need
Solution
Stakeholder
Value
Context
Task: Measure Solution Performance
Purpose
Elements
Element 1: Defining solution performance measures 
Quantitative measures
Qualitative measures
Element 2: Validating performance measures
Element 3: Collecting performance measures
Inputs and outputs
Task: Analyzing Performance Measures
Purpose
Elements
Element 1: Solution performance versus desired value 
Element 2: Risks 
Element 3: Trends
Element 4: Accuracy
Element 5: Performance variations
Inputs and outputs
Task: Assessing Solution Limitations
Purpose
Elements
Element 1: Identify internal solution component dependencies
Element 2: Investigate solution problems
Element 3: Impact assessment
Inputs and outputs
Task: Assessing Enterprise Limitations
Purpose
Elements
Element 1: Enterprise culture assessment 
Element 2: Stakeholder impact analysis 
Function
Location
Concerns
Element 3: Organizational structure changes
Element 4: Operational assessment
Inputs and outputs
Task: Recommending Actions to Increase the Solution Value
Purpose
Elements
Element 1: Adjust solution performance measures
Element 2: Recommendations 
Inputs and outputs
Summary
Learning outcome: Solution evaluation
Learning outcome: Task – Measuring solution performance
Learning outcome: Task – Analyzing performance measures
Learning outcome: Task – Assessing solution limitations
Learning outcome: Task – Assessing enterprise limitations
Learning outcome: Task – Recommending actions to increase the solution value
Knowledge quiz
Case study: Mobile pay
Answers
Underlying Competencies
What are the underlying competencies?
Analytical thinking and problem-solving
Core competency 1: Creative thinking
Core competency 2: Decision-making
Core competency 3: Learning
Core competency 4: Problem-solving
Core competency 5: Systems thinking
Core competency 6: Conceptual thinking
Core competency 7: Visual thinking
Exploring behavioral characteristics
Core competency 1: Ethics
Core competency 2: Personal accountability 
Core competency 3: Trustworthiness
Core competency 4: Organization and time management
Core competency 5: Adaptability
Business knowledge
Core competency 1: Business acumen
Core competency 2: Industry knowledge
Core competency 3: Organization knowledge
Core competency 4: Solution knowledge
Core competency 5: Methodology knowledge
Communication skills
Core competency 1: Verbal communication
Core competency 2: Non-verbal communication
Core competency 3: Written communication
Core competency 4: Listening
Interaction skills 
Core competency 1: Facilitation
Core competency 2: Leadership and influencing
Core competency 3: Teamwork
Core competency 4: Negotiation and conflict resolution
Core competency 5: Teaching
Exploring tools and technology
Core competency 1: Office productivity tools and technology
Core competency 2: Business analysis tools and technology 
Core competency 3: Communication tools and technology
Summary
Learning outcome – underlying competencies
Learning outcome – analytical thinking and problem-solving
Learning outcome – behavioral characteristics
Learning outcome – business knowledge
Learning outcome – communication skills
Learning outcome – interaction skills
Learning outcome – tools and technology
Knowledge quiz
Case study – a day in the life of a business analyst
Situation 1
Situation 2
Situation 3
Situation 4
Questions
Answers
Techniques (Part 1)
Techniques for the exam
Acceptance and evaluation criteria
What is the purpose of this technique?
Key things to know when using this technique 
When should you apply this technique?
Backlog management
What is the purpose of this technique?
Key things to know when using this technique 
When should you apply this technique?
Balanced scorecards
What is the purpose of this technique?
Key things to know when using this technique 
When should you apply this technique?
Benchmarking and market analysis
What is the purpose of this technique?
Key things to know when using this technique 
When should you apply this technique?
Brainstorming
What is the purpose of this technique?
Key things to know when using this technique 
When should you apply this technique?
Business capability analysis
What is the purpose of this technique?
Key things to know when using this technique 
When should you apply this technique?
Business cases
What is the purpose of this technique?
Key things to know when using this technique 
Need assessment
Desired outcomes
Assessing the alternatives
Recommending a solution 
Business model canvas
What is the purpose of this technique?
Key things to know when using this technique
When should you apply this technique?
Business rules analysis
What is the purpose of this technique?
Key things to know when using this technique 
When should you apply this technique?
Collaborative games
What is the purpose of this technique?
Key things to know when using this technique 
When should you apply this technique?
Concept modeling
What is the purpose of this technique?
Key things to know when using this technique 
When should you apply this technique?
Data dictionary
What is the purpose of this technique?
Key things to know when using this technique 
When should you apply this technique?
Data flow diagrams
What is the purpose of this technique?
Key things to know when using this technique 
When should you apply this technique?
Data mining
What is the purpose of this technique?
Key things to know when using this technique 
When should you apply this technique?
Data modeling
What is the purpose of this technique?
Key things to know when using this technique 
Key concepts
In what situations should you apply this technique?
Decision analysis
What is the purpose of this technique?
Key things to know when using this technique 
When should you apply this technique?
Decision modeling
What is the purpose of this technique?
Key things to know when using this technique 
When should you apply this technique?
Document analysis 
What is the purpose of this technique?
Key things to know when using this technique 
When should you apply this technique?
Estimation
What is the purpose of this technique?
Key things to know when using this technique 
When should you apply this technique?
Financial analysis
What is the purpose of this technique?
Key things to know when using this technique 
Financial calculations
When should you apply this technique?
Focus groups
What is the purpose of this technique?
Key things to know when using this technique 
When should you apply this technique?
Functional decomposition
What is the purpose of this technique?
Key things to know when using this technique 
When should you apply this technique?
Glossary
What is the purpose of this technique?
Key things to know when using this technique 
When should you apply this technique?
Interface analysis
What is the purpose of this technique?
Key things to know when using this technique 
When should you apply this technique?
Interviews
What is the purpose of this technique?
Key things to know when using this technique 
When should you apply this technique?
Summary
Techniques (Part 2)
Item tracking
What is the purpose of this technique?
Key things to know when using this technique 
When should you apply this technique?
Lessons learned
What is the purpose of this technique?
Key things to know when using this technique 
When should you apply this technique?
Metrics and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
What is the purpose of this technique?
Key things to know when using this technique
When should you apply this technique?
Mind mapping
What is the purpose of this technique?
Key things to know when using this technique 
When should you apply this technique?
Non-functional requirements analysis
What is the purpose of this technique?
Key things to know when using this technique 
When should you apply this technique?
Observation
What is the purpose of this technique?
Key things to know when using this technique 
When should you apply this technique?
Organizational modeling
What is the purpose of this technique?
Key things to know when using this technique 
When should you apply this technique?
Prioritization
What is the purpose of this technique?
Key things to know when using this technique 
When should you apply this technique?
Process analysis
What is the purpose of this technique?
Key things to know when using this technique 
When should you apply this technique?
Process modeling
What is the purpose of this technique?
Key things to know when using this technique
When should you apply this technique?
Prototyping
What is the purpose of this technique?
Key things to know when using this technique 
When should you apply this technique?
Reviews
What is the purpose of this technique?
Key things to know when using this technique 
When should you apply this technique?
Risk analysis and management
What is the purpose of this technique?
Key things to know when using this technique 
When should you apply this technique?
Roles and permissions matrix
What is the purpose of this technique?
Key things to know when using this technique 
When should you apply this technique?
Root cause analysis
What is the purpose of this technique?
Key things to know when using this technique 
When should you apply this technique?
Scope modeling
What is the purpose of this technique?
Key things to know when using this technique 
When should you apply this technique?
Sequence diagrams
What is the purpose of this technique?
Key things to know when using this technique 
When should you apply this technique?
Stakeholder lists, maps, or personas
What is the purpose of this technique?
Key things to know when using this technique 
When should you apply this technique?
State Modeling
What is the purpose of this technique?
Key things to know when using this technique 
When should you apply this technique?
Surveys or questionnaires
What is the purpose of this technique?
Key things to know when using this technique 
When should you apply this technique?
SWOT analysis
What is the purpose of this technique?
Key things to know when using this technique 
When should you apply this technique?
Use cases and scenarios
What is the purpose of this technique?
Key things to know when using this technique 
When should you apply this technique?
User stories
What is the purpose of this technique?
Key things to know when using this technique 
When should you apply this technique?
Vendor assessments
What is the purpose of this technique?
Key things to know when using this technique 
When should you apply this technique?
Workshops
What is the purpose of this technique?
Key things to know when using this technique 
When should you apply this technique?
Summary
Mock Exam Questions: Case Studies
Case study 1 – Global online platform
Questions
Case study 2 – Offender management system
Questions
Case study 3 – Health and fitness app
Questions
Case study 4 – Business case for a retail company
Problem statement
Desired outcome
Questions
Answers
Answers – Case study 1 – Global online platform
Answers – Case study 2 – Offender management system
Answers – Case study 3 – Health and fitness app
Answers – Case study 4 – Business case for a retail company
Mock Exam Questions: Theory
Questions
Answers
Your Future with a Success Mindset
Planning your next salary increase
People get increases, not qualifications
The employee viewpoint 
Understanding the employer's point of view
Why do you want an increase?
The "What if?" game
Understanding the fear of failure
What does this have to do with salary increases? 
Understanding the process
Before you ask for an increase
Being of value
There is a right way to brag
Is that fair? 
Making your intentions clear
So, what does this mean?
Defining your goal
Knowing the rules of the game
Why your employer is likely to give you an increase when you ask
Summary
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Preface
Business analysis is one of the most rewarding and diverse business-focussed careers, because not only can it be practiced within almost any industry but it focuses on finding opportunities to help every type of business grow and improve. Once you embark on a business analysis career, you are on a journey of continuous learning and problem-solving.
This book, CCBA® and CBAP® Certifications Study Guide, aims to take you on a practical journey through the BABOK® v3 Guide. The goal is to bring the concepts in the BABOK® v3 Guide into the real world with examples in order to assist you in preparing to take the IIBA® CCBA® and CBAP® exams. This guide includes some background of my personal career journey and how the CBAP® designation has supported my career. It discusses a few study approaches and includes some ideas that you could incorporate into your own study plans. This guide outlines the exam requirements as they are stipulated by the International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA®).
As you work through this study guide, you will be taken through all the knowledge areas, their tasks, and the elements to consider. Each of these chapters will include practical real-world examples to assist you in fully understanding the context, reasons, and practical application of the BABOK® v3 Guide's concepts. The book takes a unique perspective on the BABOK®v3 Guide's techniques chapter by describing each technique, summarizing its purpose, key elements, and the different business analysis task contexts it could be applied in. Each chapter ends with a knowledge quiz based on a real-world scenario as well as key concepts covered during the chapter. At the end of the journey through the BABOK® v3 Guide's knowledge area discussion chapters, I finish with additional mock exam-style questions that include theoretical and scenario-based questions to test your knowledge with. The last chapter in this book takes you into the future, to a time after you have achieved the CCBA® or CBAP® designation, and not only gives you advice on how to ensure that you maximize your confidence as a professional business analyst, but also outlines advice on how to make sure you also achieve a better position or salary outcome as a result of your achievement.
The Knowledge Area chapters (Chapters 5 -11) in this study guide contains content similar to the course BABOK® v3 Core Practitioner Course. However, we have included some different examples, element descriptions, and some different questions
Who this book is for
This study guide is aimed at business analysts who want to undertake the CCBA® or CBAP® certification exams and need a more practical view on the content of the BABOK® v3 Guide. It is for people who are seeking guidance and advice on how to achieve a successful exam result. This guide is also suitable for everyday use by practicing business analysts in the workplace who would like to ensure that they fully understand and apply business analysis tasks at work.
What this book covers
Chapter 1, Planning for Success, is where I will be sharing what I have learned are important steps to ensure that you give yourself the best chances of exam success.
Chapter 2, Exam Application Requirements, outlines the IIBA® exam application requirements that you need to meet before you can sit the exam. It also includes some tips about the application process.
Chapter 3, Study Tools, discusses the BABOK® v3 Guide structure and how you navigate and make sense of this guide both during your exam preparation activities and in your everyday practical work life.
Chapter 4, What to Expect From the Exam, describes the IIBA® exam blueprints as well as shedding some light on what types of exam questions you can expect to encounter when you take the CCBA® or CBAP® exams.
Chapter 5, Business Analysis Foundation Concepts, starts with the study material by outlining the foundational concepts that you should understand before attempting the rest of the knowledge area concepts.
Chapter 6, Business Analysis Planning and Monitoring, is where I discuss the Business Analysis Planning and Monitoring knowledge area in terms of its purpose, intent, and tasks, by describing elements to consider using straightforward language and practical examples. This chapter finishes with a real-world case study-based knowledge quiz.
Chapter 7, Elicitation and Collaboration, is where I discuss the Elicitation and Collaboration knowledge area in terms of its purpose, intent, and tasks, by describing elements to consider using straightforward language and practical examples. This chapter finishes with a real-world case study-based knowledge quiz.
Chapter 8, Requirements Life Cycle Management, is where I discuss the Requirements Life Cycle Management knowledge area in terms of its purpose, intent, and tasks, by describing elements to consider using straightforward language and practical examples. This chapter finishes with a real-world case study-based knowledge quiz.
Chapter 9, Strategy Analysis, is where I discuss the Strategy Analysis knowledge area in terms of its purpose, intent, and tasks, by describing elements to consider using straightforward language and practical examples. This chapter finishes with a real-world case study-based knowledge quiz.
Chapter 10, Requirements Analysis and Design Definition, is where I discuss the Requirements Analysis and Design Definition knowledge area in terms of its purpose, intent, and tasks, by describing elements to consider using straightforward language and practical examples. This chapter finishes with a real-world case study-based knowledge quiz.
Chapter 11, Solution Evaluation, is where I discuss the Solution Evaluation knowledge area in terms of its purpose, intent, and tasks, by describing elements to consider using straightforward language and practical examples. This chapter finishes with a real-world case study-based knowledge quiz.
Chapter 12, Underlying Competencies, is where I discuss the core competencies that every business analyst should develop throughout their career, as outlined in the BABOK® v3 Guide, using practical examples. This chapter finishes with a knowledge quiz.
Chapter 13, Techniques (Part 1), covers each of the BABOK® v3 Guide techniques by summarizing their purpose and key considerations. It then also describes each technique in terms of the knowledge area tasks it applies to in order to bring it into the different contexts it is used in.
Chapter 14, Techniques (Part 2), covers each of the BABOK® v3 Guide techniques by summarizing their purpose and key considerations. It then also describes each technique in terms of the knowledge area tasks it applies to in order to bring it into the different contexts it is used in.
Chapter 15, Mock Exam Questions:Case Studies, includes exam-style questions based on a series of four different real-world case studies. It aims to test your knowledge and ability to consider scenarios as part of your reasoning.
Chapter 16, Mock Exam Questions: Theory, includes exam-style questions based on the theoretical content you have covered during the study guide chapters and the context of the BABOK® v3 Guide.
Chapter 17, Your Future with a Success Mindset, takes you into the future, when you have already achieved your CCBA® or CBAP® designation, and provides you with advice on progressing your career as a result of your recent achievement.
To get the most out of this book
You can achieve a good level of knowledge and understanding of the BABOK® v3 Guide simply by studying the content of this study guide. However, in order to get the most out of this study guide and your exam preparation efforts, I do recommend that you also refer to the BABOK® v3 Guide as part of your study activities.
Prior business analysis experience would be highly beneficial when reading the content of this study guide; even so, if you are new to the business analysis profession, you will still get a lot of value from the practical examples covered in this study guide.
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Planning for Success
As a CCBA® (Certification of Capability in Business Analysis) or CBAP®(Certified Business Analysis Professional) aspirant, you may have wondered about how to prepare for the CCBA® or CBAP® exams in a way that is effective and comprehensive, to guarantee that you can pass the exams. This chapter ensures you are clear and confident about your goals in relation to achieving the CCBA® or CBAP® designations, and outlines an approach and plan framework to guide you on how you can make sure you are successful when sitting for the exam.
At the end of this chapter, you will have learned the following:
Writing clear reasons for embarking on this journey
Listing all the benefits of certification for my career
Applying the visualization technique to guarantee success
Creating a plan framework using key concepts
Customizing your plan to your needs
Applying techniques to encourage consistent plan execution
This study guide covers the breadth of the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge (BABOK®) Guide version 3 (v3)) in a way that is easily digestible and exam-focused, using applied examples and scenarios to help bring concepts into the real world of analysis. It is important for you to understand the way the BABOK® Guide v3 has been put together so that you can make optimal use of this study guide while aligning your knowledge with what is captured in the BABOK® Guide v3.
This study guide will provide you with a knowledge assessment at the end of each chapter so that you can practice exam-style questions as you progress through your study plan.
We'll cover the following topics in this chapter:
Benefits of the CCBA
®
or CBAP
®
designations
Visualization as a powerful study tool
Key concepts for creating a good study plan
Your study plan framework
Your custom study plan
Benefits of the CCBA® or CBAP® designations
A great way to get motivated to get started with your study plans for any exam is to focus on all the benefits you will receive once all the hard work is done. As a CCBA® or CBAP® aspirant, you will have some ideas of why you believe it is a good idea to achieve one of these designations. There will be a core reason or belief about what you think you will achieve by taking the time, putting in the effort, and sitting the exam. Right?
You may have seen others take the exams and achieve positive results, or perhaps you simply know that doing a professional certification in your chosen field of work—being business analysis, in this case—can only be of benefit to your career. There are certainly many good reasons for embarking on this journey, and the job market is certainly one of these reasons because employers are asking for the CCBA® and CBAP® certification more and more often.
Perhaps you would like to hear some of the benefits I experienced (and I'm still experiencing) ever since I passed the CBAP® exam in 2007.
Improved confidence
I gained a lot of confidence in my knowledge and abilities as a business analyst. I mention this benefit first because I believe that this is what led to me experiencing all the other, more measurable, benefits in my career. Once I obtained the CBAP® designation, I simply felt more confident in my ability as a business analyst, and this gave me the confidence to consider and choose from multiple job opportunities within the city I was working in at the time, rather than just taking the first job that came along. I also felt more confident to speak up about business analysis best practices within my workplace, which enabled me to make a difference in the way we worked as a business analysis team at the time. This led to the next direct benefit I experienced…
Recognition in the workplace
Once I had the qualification, I started to actively improve the business analysis practices we followed at the company in which I was working. This led our team and management to recognize my level of knowledge and skills a lot more. I started to develop a strong reputation as the person to go to about any business analysis-related questions or issues. My peers started to trust my knowledge and came to seek guidance more and more often. Over a period of time, this led to the next key benefit….
Better career opportunities
I was promoted within a few months of expressing more confidence and improving the business analysis best practices in our company, to become a team leader. This also opened up opportunities to get involved to work directly with the International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA®) to review and design the next-level-down certification exams for the CCBA®. This highlighted to me another perspective on how I could use my CBAP® designation to make a difference. It reawakened my passion for education.
An entirely new career focus
I embarked on a career focus where education became central to my life. I re-certified as a CBAP® professional a number of times since then while building a thriving education business, helping other business analysts achieve great career success through CCBA® and CBAP® certification paths.
Regardless of where you would like to eventually take your business analysis career, the CCBA® and the CBAP® certifications have very specific and clear career benefits attached to them, and, in my personal experience, the CBAP® certification is the primary reason I achieved great career success. The benefits are tangible and exciting and are the path to a great career.
Visualization as a powerful study tool
Have you considered what it will be like once you have achieved your CCBA® or CBAP® designation? If you haven't yet, then now is a great time to do that.
Do this small experiment with yourself and see what comes up for you:
Imagine you finished the exam and you receive the passing score of the CCBA®or CBAP® exam. What does that feel like for you? When you go back to the office and tell your colleagues that you are now a CBAP® or CCBA® professional, in your mind's eye, see them congratulate you. They might shake your hand or give you a wide smile while they say things such as: "Wow, that is awesome!", "I am so impressed with you!", or "Well done, I wish I could do that!". See the certificate you received from the IIBA® to confirm your achievement—is it displayed on a wall at home? Imagine the pride you will feel when you tell your boss about your achievement or when you apply for your next role. Imagine colleagues approaching you for advice because you are now a certified business analyst.
I recommend you create a visualization of these types of positive results you will experience once you pass the CCBA® or CBAP® exam. Revisit this mental picture every day for a couple of minutes. This will go a long way toward telling your subconscious mind what you want, and then, before you know it, it will be what you have.
You get what you focus on
What on earth do I mean with "you get what you focus on"?
You know all those really successful people that we read about, hear about, and even see within our own organizations? They all have one important thing in common. They all have an end goal they are working toward. They have a vision of where they want to end up and what they want to achieve along the way. They also have a clear plan of how they will achieve that outcome or end goal.
To have a successful business analysis career, you must do what they do. So, let's have a look at how you go about creating your vision or end goal, and what steps you need to take to ensure you reach your goal.
Setting your certification goal
You are reading this study guide because you have at least one clear goal right now: to achieve a successful outcome when you take the CCBA® or the CBAP® exam.
The goals you set for yourself are the "map" for reaching your business analysis career outcome or vision. It lays out the milestones or "cities" you need to get to on your "map" to be moving closer to your vision or outcome.
As with any goal, you must set your goals with the end goal in mind—so, in this case, your end goal is to have passed the exam. The goals (or cities on your map) you define can consist of short-term (next week, next month, or in 3 months), medium-term (6 months to 2 years), and longer-term goals (2 to 5 years). The idea is for you to start with the end goal in mind; keep your focus on that while you achieve the smaller goals to get there.
In the context of your goal to pass the exams, you should visualize the end goal and create your study plan with shorter-term goals to achieve and measure successful progress. These goals could take the form of completing study sessions successfully and executing your study schedule consistently.
The ideal timeframe for preparation
A very common question is: "How much time do I need to set aside to prepare for the exams?" While this is a valid and important question, it is also a question that has many different potential answers. Let us look at a few factors for you to consider when determining how much time you might need to set aside for your studies.
How familiar are you with the BABOK® Guide v3 today?
If you are used to referring to the BABOK® Guide v3 as your reference guide at work, then you will be familiar with the terminology, structure, and overall content coverage of the guide. This will reduce the time you need to prepare for the exams. However, if you are brand new to the BABOK® Guide v3, you will need to allow time to get familiar with the structure, terminology, and general content. This will inevitably have an effect on the amount of study time you would need to plan for.
What is your preferred learning style?
Some of us like to study under pressure and in a condensed timeframe, whereas some of us need to study in a more systematic way and at a slower pace. Naturally, this has an impact on how much time you allow for preparing yourself to sit the exam.
Are you a confident learner or a conservative learner?
Everybody has their own unique level of confidence in their ability to learn and apply new concepts. Some of us are very detailed and conservative and will turn a concept over many times before we feel confident that we will be able to interpret and apply the concept in real-world exam questions. However, some of us only need to consider a concept once to feel confident that we know enough to apply that concept to an exam scenario. So, depending on your personal style of learning, you will need more or less time to prepare.
Have you done a lot of business analysis study before?
Another real consideration is how much academic or professional development business analysis training you have done in your career. In my own case, I was lucky to have completed a university degree as well as a series of professional development certifications in my career prior to attempting the CBAP® exam. This helped me tremendously in terms of understanding the concepts in the BABOK® Guide v3 really quickly, and this had a direct impact on the amount of time I needed to study for the exam. I am also a short-term, under-pressure type of learner, which meant my preparation was intense but over within a couple of weeks.
Average preparation time—considering these primary factors—would be between 4 weeks and 12 weeks. This is based on my own experience, but also on my experience after speaking to a wide variety of different people over a long period of time. My advice is that you consider these factors, spend some time to get familiar with the size of the BABOK® Guide v3, and prepare a plan for your studies. In the next section, I provide you with some ideas for how to create a good study plan to suit your own personal circumstances and learning style.
Key concepts for creating a good study plan
Many of the business analysts that I have worked with in the past who have achieved their CCBA® or CBAP® designations have told me that they had a specific study plan and an approach drafted before they started. Not everyone followed the exact same approach, yet everyone took the time to decide what they believed would be practical and realistic for their individual circumstances and their own preferred learning styles.
Some of the key considerations when creating your study plan are as follows:
#1 Working backward
Your first step is to decide when you want to sit the actual CCBA® or CBAP® exam. Is it 3 months from now, 6 weeks, or perhaps a full year into the future? Once you know when you want to sit the exam, you will have a starting point to work out what it will take to achieve that date, and then schedule some time to study every week. It is important to agree on a date with yourself or your certification coach and then stick to this date.
#2 Knowing your own learning style
Each of us has an idea of how we learn most effectively. Some of us like to study months in advance, and some of us like to study under a bit of time pressure. Some of us prefer lots of mock tests, case studies, and discussion, whereas others like to focus on the detail in a systematic, step-by-step fashion. Some of us like visual aids, and others prefer audio tools; and, finally, some of us would like to study a little every day, and others would like to take a block of time and focus just on the study. There is no one right way to study, just as there are no two people who are exactly the same. You will, however, help yourself a great deal if you think about which learning style you prefer and which would make you feel the most productive. Don't blindly try to follow how someone else studied—take it on board, and then adjust that method by focusing on your own study preferences.
#3 Being practical and choosing a routine activity
One of the first and often most challenging aspects of embarking on the CCBA® or CBAP® exam preparation pathway is that of finding time to study. Most business analysts have very busy work and home lives and have to find time in between all of this to get ready for the exams. Some ideas that have worked well for others include the following:
If you commute on the train or bus to work, use this time to study.
If you like getting up early (or even if you don't!), consider getting up 1 hour earlier a couple of days every week, and revise using this study guide or other materials.
What about a lunchtime study session with colleagues? Share the responsibility to ask each other quiz questions or discuss specific topics covered in the
BABOK® Guide v3
or this study guide.
Evenings can work for study too, especially if you are the kind of person that lights up after work and feels energized.
Although weekends are sacred to most of us, perhaps commit to studying for a few hours on a Saturday and/or Sunday for a few weekends.
#4 Limiting the scope of study during each session
Regardless of when you choose to study, I recommend you define exactly which part of the content you will study in any given study session. If you don't have a specific plan that outlines the exact sections upfront, perhaps tell yourself you must study X number of pages per session. Don't do more or less than that part of the content. For example, if you decide to study the knowledge area around Elicitation and Collaboration during a session, perhaps agree with yourself to focus only on understanding the key tasks involved and the main techniques that can be applied during that hour and for those tasks. You might agree with yourself to do the knowledge quiz to test yourself on those tasks and techniques; however, once you completed that section, honor your agreement with yourself, and take a break. This way, you learn to trust yourself to achieve a specific study goal and don't feel as though you need to keep pushing each session's scope with more and more content. This way, you will also not feel guilty about whether you have studied enough or not! Be kind and fair to yourself.
#5 Having the right materials and study tools
Before you embark on your regular study sessions, you should make sure you have all the materials and tools ready to go! If your primary material is this study guide and the BABOK® Guide v3 itself, then that is all good. You may also like to use flashcards or additional courses to help you study. Try your best to choose all these aids before you start. This will go a long way to building your confidence that if you focus on these tools and materials, you will be alright to pass the exams. If you keep changing the tools and materials you will use, you will indirectly be doubting yourself and your ability to pass the exams the first time.
