When you find yourself in the market for a business analysis certification, you’ll quickly discover that you have many choices.
One question we receive again and again is whether to pursue the CBAP or CCBA.
About the CBAP and CCBA
Both certifications are offered by International Institute of Business Analysis™ (IIBA®). The CBAP is the Certified Business Analysis Professional™ (CBAP®) and the CCBA is Certification of Competency in Business Analysis™ (CCBA®), how do you choose between the two?
There are two big differentiators between the two options:
- The total amount of business analysis experience required.
- The overall diversity of business analysis experience required.
You can qualify to sit for the CCBA exam if you can document at least 3750 hours of work experience aligned with the BABOK® Guide in the last seven years. You also must have at least 900 hours in 2 of the 6 knowledge areas or 500 hours in 4 of the 6 knowledge areas.
In contrast, applying for the CBAP requires more experience. A minimum of 7500 hours of BA work experience aligned with the BABOK® Guide in the last seven years is required in the last 10 years. You also must be able to document 900 hours in 4 of the 6 knowledge areas.
The exams are also different and I would imagine that given the lesser experience requirements for the CCBA, that the exam might be easier overall.
CBAP or CCBA for You?
If you can meet the experience requirements for the CBAP, I would recommend pursuing it instead of the CCBA. If not, then consider the CCBA as an interim certification and, provided you are still leveraging your business analysis skills and expanding your business analysis experience, work towards qualifying for the CBAP before your recertification period.
Of course, you could choose to do both certifications, but unless you work for a training provider looking to build materials specific to each certification, I can’t imagine why you would.
Or, Start with the ACBA – Applied Certification in Business Analysis
The Applied Certification in Business Analysis™ (ACBA) is an application-based certification offered by Bridging the Gap. When you earn your ACBA, you certify not just that you know how to pass a test, but also that you can perform the foundational business analysis techniques in an industry standard way on-the-job.
You can earn your ACBA s by joining a session of The Business Analyst Blueprint certification program.
The Applied Certification in Business Analysis™ (ACBA) designation certifies that an individual has applied the foundational business analysis techniques and planning processes by leveraging industry standards. Certified individuals have successfully applied 12 analysis and collaboration techniques in business process analysis, software requirements modeling, and data modeling, and planned a project using the Bridging the Gap business analysis process framework. All of their deliverables have been instructor assessed to meet rigorous standards.
An ACBA certified professional is ready to make effective contributions to improve an organization’s processes, ensure that business and technology professionals have shared expectations about the implementation, and support the discovery, analysis, and validation of business objectives and requirements from initial concept to crafting metrics to assess the value delivered.
>>How to Earn Your Applied Certification in Business Analysis™
If the ACBA sounds like the right next step for you, we’d be honored to help you take your next step and create a purpose-filled career in business analysis.
Click here to learn more about The Business Analyst Blueprint certification program, where you can earn your Applied Certification in Business Analysis (ACBA).
We build our profession one business analyst at a time. Success starts with you.
