Business analysis

Everything You Wanted to Know About IIBA Certifications

4 min read

8/11/17 12:00 AM

3 Levels of IIBA Core Certifications - ECBA, CCBA and CBAP

Below are some of the common questions we come across very frequently after IIBA has released the new multi-level Business Analysis certification scheme in the second half of 2016;

What’s the difference between ECBA, CCBA, and CBAP Certification?
Which certification should I pursue ECBA, CCBA, or CBAP?
How do I know which certification is right/suited for me?
There are so many certifications I am completely confused about which one to pursue?
Can you please guide me on which certification should I go for?

The four certification levels are designed to suit the needs of business analysis professionals at various different levels.

Level 1 – ECBA (Entry Certificate in business analysis)
Level 2 – CCBA (Certification of capability in business analysis)
Level 3 – CBAP (Certified business analysis professional)

Primarily aimed at beginners to senior and seasoned business analysis professionals these certifications test the Business Analyst knowledge and skill of professionals at varying levels.

Here’s a snapshot of the IIBA Certification Overview presented in a high-level comparative manner:

IIBA Certification Overview

IIBA Certifications Overview - This post will give an overview of various IIBA certifications like work experience requirements, eligibility, examination pattern, fees, training, reference, question patterns.

Full-Form
ECBA	Entry Certificate in Business Analysis
CCBA	Certification of Capability in Business Analysis
CBAP	Certified Business Analysis Professional
Caters to
ECBA	Recognizes individuals entering the field of business analysis
CCBA	Recognizes BA professionals who have 2-3 years of BA experience
CBAP	Recognizes BA professionals who lead and have over 5 years of BA experience
Target Audience
ECBA	Individuals entering the BA profession New graduates Professionals aiming to switch over to a BA career
CCBA	BA professionals having 2/3 years of experience Developing BAs, Hybrid BAs - PMs, Testers, QA, Change Manager, Tech Lead
CBAP	Aimed towards BA professionals having 5 years of experience Seasoned BAs, BA Consultants, Trainers, Business analysis, Systems analysis, Requirements analysis or management, Process management, Consulting
Eligibility
ECBA	No Work Experience required No Knowledge Area expertise Minimum 21 hours of Professional Development Training in the past four years
CCBA	Minimum 3750 hours of BA work experience aligned with the BABOK® Guide in the last 7 years Minimum 900 hours in each of two of the six knowledge areas or minimum 500 hours in each of four of the six knowledge areas Minimum 21 hours of Professional Development Training in the past four years Two references from a career manager, client, or CBAP® recipient
CBAP	Minimum 7500 hours of BA work experience aligned with the BABOK® Guide in the last 10 years Minimum 900 hours in each of four of the six knowledge areas Minimum of 35 hours of Professional Development Training in the past four years Two references from a career manager, client or CBAP® recipient
PD Hours
ECBA	21 in the last 4 years
CCBA	21 in the last 4 years
CBAP	35 in the last 4 years
References
ECBA	Not needed
CCBA	2 from a career manager, client, or CBAP® recipient
CBAP	2 from a career manager, client, or CBAP® recipient
Focuses on
ECBA	Requirements Analysis and Design Definition -25% Requirements Life Cycle Management – 20% Business Analysis Planning and Monitoring – 5% Elicitation & Collaboration - 20% Techniques -17.5% Underlying Competencies – 5% Business Analysis Key Concepts – 5% Business Analysis & the BA Professional- 2.5%
CCBA	Requirements Analysis and Design Definition – 32% Elicitation and Collaboration – 20% Requirements Life Cycle Management – 18% Business Analysis Planning and Monitoring – 12% Strategy Analysis – 12% Solution Evaluation – 6%
CBAP	Requirements Analysis and Design Definition -30% Strategy Analysis -15% Requirements Life Cycle Management – 15% Solution Evaluation -14% Business Analysis Planning and Monitoring – 14% Elicitation and Collaboration – 12%
Exam Pattern
ECBA	1 hour long 50 multiple-choice questions Basic multiple choice that tests the candidate’s knowledge and understanding Details on ECBA Exam Pattern
CCBA	3 hours long 130 multiple-choice questions. The questions are scenario-based (i.e. the candidate must do a bit of analysis to arrive at the answer) Details on CCBA Exam Pattern
CBAP	3.5 hours long 120 multiple-choice questions. The questions are longer cases (1 to 1.5 pages of information) Multiple questions about the case. Details on CBAP Exam Pattern
Rewrite
ECBA	Twice within one year of approval with no wait time
CCBA	Twice within one year of approval with no wait time
CBAP	Twice within one year of approval with no wait time
Rewrite/Retake Fees
ECBA	95 USD – Members 250 USD – Non-Members
CCBA	195 USD – Members 350 USD – Non-Members
CBAP	295 USD – Members 450 USD – Non-Members
Application Fee
CCBA	145 USD
CBAP	145 USD
Certification Fee
ECBA	150 USD for Members 305 USD for Non-Members
CCBA	250 USD for Members 405 USD for Non-Members
CBAP	350 USD for Members 505 USD for Non-Members
Membership Fees for all 3 Certifications
Region 1 – 139 USD – USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, UK. Region 2 – 89 USD – Malaysia, Algeria, Argentina, Brazil. Region 3 – 55 USD – India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Tanzania.

I sincerely hope this will help you in giving a good snapshot of the IIBA multi-level certifications overview.

Using this IIBA Certification Overview you can decide what would be the right Business Analysis certification for you.

In case you are a business analyst with 5/6+ years of business analysis experience and thinking of CBAP then take a look at this post on how to prepare for CBAP and CBAP on BABoKV3.

In case you are a mid-level business analyst with 3+ years of business analysis experience, then CCBA may be the right Business Analysis certification for you.

If you are a beginner business analyst with no or 1+ years of business analysis experience then ECBA may be the right certification for you, then take a look at this Chicken and Egg, Certification or experience in Business Analysis and also this beautiful video on Introduction to ECBA certification.

Take a look at the sample learning video on the BA planning approach from the collection of 95+ learning videos as part of our BABoK V3 study content.

Happy reading and please share it in your network if you like my writing and the post.

200 IIBA Mock Questions Cover Page 3D