Certified Business Analysis

Professional™ (CBAP®)
Handbook

October 29, 2013

 Table of Contents

Table of Contents ......................................................................................................................................... 2

1.0 About this Handbook ......................................................................................................................... 3
2.0 About International Institute of Business Analysis .......................................................................... 3
2.1 IIBA Vision Statement.................................................................................................................. 4
2.2 IIBA Mission Statement ............................................................................................................... 4
2.3 Fair & Equitable Policy................................................................................................................. 4
3.0 IIBA BABOK® Guide Overview ........................................................................................................... 4
4.0 About the CBAP® Certification .......................................................................................................... 5
4.1 What is Certification?................................................................................................................... 5
4.2 Definition of a Business Analysis Practitioner ............................................................................... 5
4.3 CBAP® Certification Program Overview ....................................................................................... 5
4.4 Benefits of CBAP® Certification .................................................................................................... 6
5.0 CBAP® Certification Requirements ................................................................................................... 7
5.1 Work Experience Requirement .................................................................................................... 7
5.2 Knowledge Area Requirement ..................................................................................................... 9
5.3 Education Requirement ............................................................................................................. 10
5.4 Professional Development Requirement .................................................................................... 10
5.5 Reference Requirement............................................................................................................. 10
6.0 CBAP® Application and Exam Process ........................................................................................... 11
6.1 Step 1: Applying for and Paying for CBAP ® Certification ............................................................ 12
6.2 Step 2: Paying for the Exam ...................................................................................................... 13
6.3 Step 3: Registering for the Exam ............................................................................................... 14
6.4 Step 4: Preparing for the Exam .................................................................................................. 15
6.5 Step 5: Taking the Exam ........................................................................................................... 16
®
7.0 Granting CBAP Certification .......................................................................................................... 18
8.0 Re-writing the CBAP® Exam ............................................................................................................ 18
®
9.0 Maintaining CBAP Certification and Recertification ..................................................................... 19
9.1 Suspending or Withdrawing CBAP ® Certification........................................................................ 19
10.0 Audit of Candidate and CBAP® Information ............................................................................... 19
11.0 Resolution of Appeals & Complaints ......................................................................................... 19

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 1.0 About this Handbook

The purpose of this handbook is to provide Certified Business Analysis Professional™ (CBAP ®) applicants
and exam candidates the information needed to understand the International Institute of Business Analysis
(IIBA®) organization and the process to become certified.

2.0 About International Institute of Business Analysis

IIBA® is an independent, non-profit professional association serving the growing field of business analysis.
The IIBA mission includes the development and maintenance of standards for the practice of business analysis
and for the certification and recognition of its practitioners. IIBA is the first organization to offer the formal
certification for business analysis professionals.
To facilitate the public recognition and certification of qualified practitioners, IIBA is responsible for:
• Creating and developing awareness and recognition of the value and contribution of the business
analyst.
• Defining and maintaining the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge® (BABOK®) Guide.
• Identifying the required skills and competencies of a qualified practitioner of business analysis.
• Defining training and professional development standards.
• Identifying and endorsing education providers.
• Publicly recognizing and certifying qualified business analysts.

IIBA membership includes many important benefits to help support your development and career growth as a
business analyst including but not limited to:

 Access to a free copy of the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge ®(BABOK® Guide) v2.0

 Free access to the Online Library of more than 300 books

 Discounted fee for IIBA certification exams

 Knowledge sharing and networking opportunities through the IIBA Community Network

 Access to exclusive IIBA monthly publications such as the IIBA Quick Tips for Better Business
Analysis™ e-Bulletin

 Eligibility to join a local IIBA Chapter

 Access to a free copy of the Business Analysis Competency Model

 Access to IIBA Webinars on a range of professional development topics

 Job search capabilities using the Career Centre

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  Free access to the Agile Extension to the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge® (BABOK®) Guide

 Access to a free copy of the BABOK® Learning Guide

The formation of IIBA started in October of 2003, and was formalized at the organization's first Annual
General Meeting in March 2004. IIBA is headquartered in Toronto, Canada and maintains a website at
www.iiba.org.

2.1 IIBA Vision Statement

To be the world’s leading association for business analysis professionals.

2.2 IIBA Mission Statement

To develop and maintain standards for the practice of business analysis and for the certification of
practitioners.

2.3 Fair & Equitable Policy

IIBA policies and procedures contribute to the development, oversight, evaluation and maintenance of fair and
equitable certification and assessment. IIBA complies with all applicable laws and regulations, including the
Americans with Disabilities Act.

3.0 IIBA BABOK ® Guide Overview

The Business Analysis Body of Knowledge (BABOK®) Guide is the collection of knowledge within the
profession of business analysis and reflects current generally accepted practices. The BABOK® Guide is
defined and enhanced by the business analysis professionals who apply it in their daily lives. The BABOK®
Guide describes business analysis areas of knowledge, their associated activities and tasks, and the skills
necessary to be effective in their execution.
Since the BABOK® Guide is growing and evolving, each release must be considered a move toward the
complete body of knowledge. Additions will be made periodically based on feedback and changes to generally
accepted practices. While specific business analysis techniques may be referenced in the BABOK® Guide, the
criteria for including information in the guide are that it is proven, generally accepted and widely applied. The
BABOK® Guide is a reference for professional knowledge for business analysis and provides the basis for the
CBAP® certification.
The BABOK® Guide is composed of six knowledge areas plus underlying competencies. For more information
about the BABOK® Guide, please visit the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge® section of the IIBA
website.

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 4.0 About the CBAP® Certification
4.1 What is Certification?
There are many definitions of professional certification, but the general meaning involves the concept of a
certifying organization approving the knowledge, experience, skills, and expertise of the certified individual.
Certification involves formal recognition of achievement after proving competency through an actual
demonstration of a designated set of skills and/or knowledge.
A business analysis professional certification is of growing importance within business and information
technology projects as the range and depth of required professional knowledge continues to expand.
The CBAP ® certification process includes demonstrating the required experience, knowledge and
competencies of a qualified practitioner of business analysis according to requirements designated by IIBA.

4.2 Definition of a Business Analysis Practitioner

The business analysis practitioner is responsible for identifying the business needs of his or her clients and
stakeholders to help determine solutions to business problems.
The business analysis practitioner is responsible for requirements development and requirements management.
Specifically, the business analysis practitioner elicits, analyzes, validates and documents business,
organizational and/or operational requirements. Solutions are not predetermined by the business analysis
practitioner, but are driven solely by the requirements of the business. Solutions often include a systems
development component, but may also consist of process improvement or organizational change.
The business analysis practitioner is a key facilitator within an organization, acting as a bridge between the
client, stakeholders and the solution team. Business analysis is distinct from financial analysis, project
management, quality assurance, organizational development, testing, training, and documentation
development. However, depending on the organization, a business analysis practitioner may perform some or
all of these related functions.

4.3 CBAP® Certification Program Overview

A CBAP® recipient is an elite member of the business analysis community, and a recognized expert in
identifying the business needs of an organization in order to determine business solutions. CBAP ® recipients
are senior BAs who have the skill and expertise to perform business analysis work on projects of various sizes
and complexities. More and more companies are recognizing the CBAP ® designation and the value and
expertise these professionals bring to their organizations.
You will want to consider the many professional benefits of earning the CBAP ® designation if you have an
advanced level of knowledge and experience, and are working in any of the following roles:
 Business analysis
 Systems analysis
 Requirements analysis or management
 Process management
 Consulting

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 This certification program has been carefully designed to be in compliance with the International Standards
Organization (ISO) 17024 standard for certifying the competence of personnel. The program is also intended
to achieve ISO approval.
Certification applicants should be aware that the application process is a screening process for the exam.
Therefore, applicants should be very familiar with the requirements for applying, and with the application
process as described further in this handbook.
This CBAP® certification is targeted to senior business analysts only. IIBA’s Certification of Competency in
Business Analysis™ (CCBA®) certification is for experienced business analysts who have acquired core BA
skills. The certification examination is offered in the English, German and Japanese language; other languages
may be included in the future.
A certification applicant is not required to be an IIBA member in order to take the certification examination,
but IBA members receive discounts on certification exam fees.

4.4 Benefits of CBAP® Certification

Benefits to the individual may include:

 Competence in the principles and practices of business analysis.

 Participation in a recognized professional group.
 Recognition of professional competence by professional peers and management.
 Advanced career potential due to recognition as a professional Business Analysis practitioner.
 Provides individuals with personal satisfaction of accomplishing a milestone in their BA careers.
 Certification can improve overall performance, remove uncertainty and widen market opportunities.
 The process of achieving and maintaining certification helps ensure you are continually improving and
refining your activities.
 Potentially higher income for being formally recognized as an experienced BA professional. For more
details, view this recent salary survey.
 Demonstrates knowledge of the skills necessary to be an effective senior member of the business
analysis community.

Benefits to the organization may include:

 Provides advancement and recognition opportunities for staff.

 Demonstrates to customers, competitors, suppliers, staff and investors that you use industry-standard
business analysis practices.
 Demonstrates to your stakeholders that your business is run effectively.
 The regular assessment process will improve staff responsibility, commitment and motivation.
 Establishment and implementation of business analysis practices as outlined in the Business Analysis Body
of Knowledge® (BABOK®) Guide by individuals recognized as being knowledgeable and skilled.
 More reliable, higher quality results produced with increased efficiency and consistency by BA
professionals who use industry standard BA techniques.
 Identifies professional business analysts to clients and business partners.
 Offers professional development and recognition for business analysts.

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  Demonstrates commitment to the field of business analysis, increasingly recognized as a vital component
of any successful project.

5.0 CBAP® Certification Requirements

Each CBAP® applicant must meet the requirements specified in this section to be eligible to write the exam.
To earn the CBAP® designation, applicants must meet the following criteria:

 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 21 hours of Professional Development in the past four years
 Two references from a career manager, client or CBAP® recipient
 Signed Code of Conduct

If you don’t meet the requirements for the CBAP ® certification, you may want to consider applying for the
CCBA® Designation

5.1 Work Experience Requirement

7,500 hours (approximately five years) of business analysis work experience in the last ten years engaged in
tasks specifically aligned with the knowledge areas and underlying competencies defined within the BABOK®
Guide. The ten year time frame is based on the application submitted date.
The business analysis work experience can either be activities the applicant has applied directly OR activities
the applicant has assisted others in applying—all activities must be aligned with the BABOK® Guide
knowledge areas and underlying competencies.
Acceptable activities include:
• Hands-on business analysis activities (e.g., requirements gathering, writing requirements
documentation, etc.).
• Coaching or mentoring business analysts with respect to business analysis activities (e.g., planning
the requirements gathering process with the BA, reviewing requirements documents, etc.).
Activities that are not acceptable include:
• Non-supervisory management of business analysis activities (e.g., resource management, status
reporting, performance management, etc.).
• Teaching of business analysis training courses.
• Selling requirements tools/software.
• Project management.
• Testing (e.g., creating and executing test scripts, reporting on testing status, creating test
plans/strategies, etc.).
• Programming.

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 Neither the acceptable and unacceptable activities listed above are comprehensive. These are provided only as
a guideline. Each applicant’s work experience will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.
The following table lists examples of work experience that will qualify and that will not qualify during the
application assessment process. This is not a complete list. See below for instructions on how to document the
work experience section of the application form.

BABOK® Guide Work Experience Work Experience

Knowledge Area that Qualifies that does NOT Qualify

Business Analysis o Creating requirements plan to feed into project plan o Creating project plan
Planning and o Identifying and documenting requirements risks o Identifying project risks
Monitoring
o Reporting on requirements progress as input to
project status report

Elicitation o Facilitating requirements gathering workshop

Requirements o Walkthroughs and sign-offs of requirements o Providing weekly project status

Management and package reports
Communication o Preparing and conducting requirements presentation o Conducting design
for senior executives walkthroughs

Enterprise Analysis o Determining business objectives o Creating Project Charter

o Creating business architecture o Creating system or application
architecture

Requirements o Functional requirements o Creating service level

Analysis agreements
o Non-functional requirements
o Creating and documenting
o User requirements
design solution

Solution Assessment o Reviewing design document and ensuring o Creating design document
and Validation requirements are met
o Creating test strategy, test plan or
o Reviewing test strategy, test plans and test cases to test cases
ensure requirements are met
o Executing testing
o Supporting QA and testing team o Tracking and managing defects
o Reviewing defects and working with client to
determine:
 Priority of fix
 Manual work around

Instructions for Documenting Work Experience:

1. The Work Experience section of the application form must be filled out by project as follows:
• For several small projects within the same year, those projects should be combined into one project.
Indicate this on the application under Description.

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 • List projects in date order with the most recent project experience first.
• It is mandatory that at least 7500 hours of BA related work in the last ten years has been documented
in order to meet the application requirement.
• Resumes will not be accepted to complete this requirement.
• For each project, enter your Total BA Hours. These hours will count towards the minimum 7500
hours of business analysis work experience requirement and the minimum 900 hours in four of the
six Knowledge Areas requirement. The Total BA Hours and the tasks you select must be aligned
with the BABOK® Guide v2.0.
• For each project, from the list of tasks in the table, check off the tasks you have completed that are
aligned with the BABOK® Guide v2.0. Do this for each of the six Knowledge Areas. You can select
a task when you have either performed the task yourself or coached/mentored another business
analyst in performing the task. For each Knowledge Area, indicate the percentage of the Total BA
Hours you spent on the tasks you selected. The percentages across all of the Knowledge Areas must
total 100 within a project.
• Note: Any tasks you select that are not aligned with the BABOK® Guide v2.0 will be removed and
the corresponding hours will be deducted from your Total BA Hours. This could result in your Total
BA Hours falling below the minimum 7500 hours required and/or the minimum 900 hours required
in four out of the six Knowledge Areas. If either occurs, your application will be declined.

2. During the assessment process, the hours deducted for work experience the applicant selects that is not
aligned with the BABOK® Guide are calculated as follows:

a) We take the percentage entered for a Knowledge Area (KA) and multiply it by the number of
Total BA Hours entered for the project to determine the number of BA Hours for that KA.

b) We then subtract the percentage of invalid experience that is selected (i.e., experience not
aligned with the BABOK® Guide) to total experience selected for that KA to come up with the
valid BA Hours for that KA.

c) We do the same for all KAs.

d) Then we add up the valid Total BA Hours for KAs across all projects to ensure the applicant
meets the 900 minimum hours requirement in four of the six KAs (see below for this
requirement).

e) Finally, we add up the valid Total BA Hours across all projects to ensure the applicant meets
the 7500 minimum hours requirement.

5.2 Knowledge Area Requirement

Demonstrated experience and expertise (i.e., a minimum of 900 hours) of business analysis work experience
engaged in tasks specifically aligned with the BABOK® Guide in at least four of the six knowledge areas.
Note: This minimum of 900 hours in each of four out of the six Knowledge Areas are included in the
minimum 7500 hours required for the Work Experience requirement above. This requirement ensures there is
a breadth of work experience across the Knowledge Areas.

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 5.3 Education Requirement
High school or equivalent education. This is the minimum educational requirement.
Note: There will be no reduction in work experience for post secondary education

5.4 Professional Development Requirement

A minimum of 21 hours of professional development in the last four years. The professional development
must be completed by the application submitted date and it must meet the following criteria to qualify:

1. It must be moderated/facilitated similar to a formal course (i.e., there must be a moderator for the
session, or a facilitator/instructor who leads the group/individual through the material).

2. There must be a measurable learning objective (or set of objectives), and those must be directly
applicable to the role of the business analyst (i.e., in terms of either changing behaviour or improving
skills).

3. It cannot simply be a presentation on a specific topic:

a. There must be the opportunity for students to interact with the material (e.g., be able to ask
questions, make the learning meaningful) AND
b. An opportunity to practice the task or objective being presented and, be assessed by the
facilitator/moderator.

4. The subject matter must be directly related to business analysis or its underlying competencies as per
the BABOK® Guide.
Note: IIBA endorsed courses as per the Endorsed Education Provider (EEP™) program automatically qualify
towards the 21 hours of Professional Development for initial certification because they have already been
assessed to ensure they meet the above criteria.
One hour of classroom/contact time is equal to one hour of Professional Development. Fractions of
Professional Development hours may be reported in quarter (¼) hour increments after one full hour. If the
Professional Development is less than one hour, it does not qualify for any credit.

5.5 Reference Requirement

Two references from a career manager, client (internal or external) or CBAP ® recipient are required.
In addition:
• Include one current contact.
• All references must have known the applicant for at least six months.
• A career manager is defined by IIBA as the person who is responsible for providing and preparing
the applicant’s annual performance review.
• Project managers cannot be references unless they are also the applicant’s career manager. The
reference form must clearly indicate they fill both roles or the reference will not qualify.
• Only two references will be assessed during the application assessment process.
• It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure the reference submits their form in time to be considered
for the exam date of interest and to do any necessary follow-up with their references.

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 6.0 CBAP® Application and Exam Process

Step 1: Applying for and Paying for CBAP ® Certification

Step 2: Paying for the Exam
Step 3: Registering for the Exam
Step 4: Preparing for the Exam
Step 5: Taking the Exam

Summary of Fees

Application and Exam

Fee IIBA Member Non-member
Application Fee (non-refundable) $125 $125
Exam Fee – English and Japanese $325 $450
*Exam Fee – German $770 $ 880

Other fees
Fee IIBA Member Non-member
Exam Cancellation Fee (CBT) $50 $50
Exam Re-write Fee – English and $250 $375
Japanese
*Exam Re-write Fee – German $430 $540
*IIBA is partnering with The European Association of Business Analysis (EABA) and in a joint effort, is now
offering business analysis certification exams in German-speaking Europe and at all test center locations
where IIBA exams are offered..

Note:
1. All fees are payable in U.S. dollars (USD) plus GST/HST if you are a Canadian resident or a
GST/HST registrant.
2. The application fee is not refundable regardless of whether an application is approved or declined.
3. Additional transaction fees may apply (see details in the sections below).
4. Application fee payments can be made by VISA, MasterCard, AMEX in the online application, or
by cheque or money order and mailed in.
5. Exam fee payments can be made by PayPal, cheque or money order.
6. For payments made by cheque or money order please mail to:
Certification
701 Rossland Road East, Suite 356
Whitby, ON Canada L1N 9K3

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 7. The Exam Cancellation Fee is payable to the test administrator as per the instructions on the website at CBT
Locations.

Confidentiality of Information
The CBAP® Application Form, exam results and all other CBAP ® certification program-related materials are
kept private and confidential. This information will not be disclosed to anyone other than the applicant without
the applicant’s consent.
To request the release of an exam result to a third party, IIBA must be provided with a written request
identifying which exam result may be disclosed and the person or organization to which the result should be
disclosed. Any violation of the IIBA Confidentiality Policy will be subject to disciplinary action(s) as
described in the IIBA Constitution.
Requests should be submitted to the address listed on our website at www.iiba.org.
Notwithstanding any other confidentiality obligation owed by the IIBA to the applicant, in the event
that the applicant’s application fee and/or examination fee has been paid by a third party (“Sponsor”),
the applicant hereby irrevocably authorizes and directs the IIBA to release Confidential Results
Information to that Sponsor.

6.1 Step 1: Applying for and Paying for CBAP® Certification

To be eligible for the CBAP ® designation, the applicant must:

1. Meet the above applicant requirements (see Section 5.0).

2. Complete the CBAP ® Application Form online.

3. Determine two professional references that indicate suitability as an applicant for the CBAP ®
designation. The online application system will automatically send an email to the references
requesting them to log in to the system to complete the reference process.

4. Agree to adhere to the CBAP ® Code of Ethical Conduct & Professional Standards included in the
online application.

5. Print a copy of the online application for recording purposes.

6. Submit the following:

a. The completed online application.

b. The application fee of $125 USD (plus GST/HST for Canadian residents) for all
applicants (IIBA member and non-member) payable online by credit card with the online
application, or by cheque or international money order to “International Institute of
Business Analysis”. This fee is not refundable regardless of whether an application is
approved or declined.

7. The system will display a message indicating that the application has been submitted to IIBA.

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 8. IIBA will assess the application for completeness and fulfillment of the CBAP ® certification
requirements and will notify the applicant, via email, of the results of this assessment within 21
business days of receiving the application and application fee.

9. If the application is approved, the applicant is eligible to write the CBAP ® Exam at this time.
NOTE – The applicant has a maximum of one (1) year from the date of their application approval
and exam eligibility email to successfully pass the exam. It is the applicant’s responsibility to
ensure the application does not lapse.

10. If an application is declined, the applicant is not eligible to write the CBAP ® exam at this time.
The application assessment results email will include the reason the application was not approved.
The exam fee, if submitted with the application package, will be refunded upon request or can be
put towards the exam if the applicant intends on reapplying. The applicant may reapply for
CBAP ® certification after three (3) months of receiving their application assessment results email
and after the applicant has remedied the reasons for the application being declined. The applicant
may also appeal the Certification Body’s decision to decline the application; the Application
Appeal process can be obtained by emailing certification@iiba.org.

6.2 Step 2: Paying for the Exam

The exam fee for English and Japanese exams is $325.00 USD (for IIBA members) or $450 USD (for non-
members) (plus GST/HST for Canadian residents).
The exam fee and exam rewrite fee for the German exam are (plus GST/HST for Canadian residents):

German CBAP® Exam fee (IIBA members) $770 USD

German CBAP® Exam fee (non members) $880 USD
If paying a member fee, the applicant must be a member at the time of submitting their exam fee; otherwise,
they must pay the non-member fee.
The exam fees pay for the exam sitting. If the applicant does not pass the exam, they will not be reimbursed
the exam fee.
Exam Languages:

Currently the CBAP exam is available in English, German and in Japanese. If you prefer to take the exam in a
language other than English (i.e. Japanese or German), please select the appropriate language in your online
application before submitting it to IIBA OR email certification@iiba.org when making your exam fee payment
and BEFORE you register online for the exam.

It is your responsibility to ensure you are set up to take the exam in the correct language.

If do not notify IIBA that you want to take the exam in a language other than English, you will be set up to
take the exam in English. If you request a change to the exam language AFTER you have scheduled your
exam, you will be subject to the exam cancellation policy documented below and on our website. Depending
on how much notice you provide to IIBA of the language change, you could ultimately forfeit your exam fee
altogether and have to repay the exam fee to IIBA in order to reschedule your exam in the correct language.

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 Special Accommodations:
A modification to the IIBA exam administration procedure may be requested due to disability, handicap or
other condition that may affect the ability to sit for the exam. Special exam accommodation requests should be
reasonable and not compromise the validity and reliability of the exam. If special accommodations are
required to take the exam, please complete the relevant section of the exam registration and payment form. In
addition, you may wish to provide further advance notice to IIBA such that more time is available to meet such
accommodations – you can do so by emailing certification@iiba.org. Please note: you should not register for
the exam through Prometric until you have been approved by IIBA for special accommodations

Payment of the exam fee can be made:

1. By PayPal- a transaction fee of 3.5% of the total amount owing will apply.
a. For example: An exam fee paid via PayPal will cost an additional 3.5% (an additional $11.38USD
for members and $15.75USD for non-members), plus Canadian GST/HST, if applicable.
b. There is no need to complete and mail in the Exam Fee Form if paying by PayPal.
c. If the exam fee payment is made via PayPal, any refund of the exam fee requested as a result of an
application being declined will be via PayPal.

2. By cheque or money order made payable to “IIBA” and mailed to the IIBA address found on page 11.
Please include the Exam Fee Form when mailing in your payment. Any exam fee refund requested as a
result of an application being declined will be made by cheque.

IIBA is a Canadian Corporation. Please note that IIBA does not levy any additional service charges or fees.
However, additional fees may be applied to this purchase if you reside outside of Canada. These fees are
initiated, collected and kept by your credit card provider and are not refundable by IIBA. Fees are charged in
United States currency (USD) and your credit card provider will convert your purchase to your home
currency on your credit card.

6.3 Step 3: Registering for the Exam

Once the exam fee has been processed by IIBA, there are two options to register for the exam:
a. Computer-based testing (CBT) of the exam at a dedicated test center.
The list of test centers is located at CBT Locations.
The candidate should follow the instructions on the IIBA website at CBT Locations to register for
the exam. You should be able to register with Prometric 24 hours after you receive your exam fee
payment confirmation email. A confirmation email will be sent to the candidate within one
business day of registering. Candidates should check their spam folder if they have not received
the confirmation email before calling the number on the Prometric website for further assistance.
Please note, when registering, the candidate will need to supply their Eligibility ID. To find out
your Eligibility ID, login to the My Profile section of the IIBA website at www.iiba.org. Enter
your username and password as requested. Your Eligibility ID is your ID that is listed under the

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 Personal Information section of your IIBA profile. For IIBA members, it is also the same ID as
your IIBA membership ID number..
.

6.4 Step 4: Preparing for the Exam

The following are recommendations from IIBA on how to prepare for the CBAP ® exam. Note that following
these recommendations does not guarantee passing the exam.
• Review the IIBA BABOK® Guide.
• Review the BABOK® Learning Guide found in the Online Library on the Community Network.
• Review Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) on the IIBA website.
• Review recommended resources on the IIBA website.
• Attend training, as needed.
• Find opportunities in day-to-day work to practice tasks by following the BABOK® Guide.
• Find a business analysis mentor.
• Join a study group.
• Network on the IIBA forum and/or attend local IIBA Chapter meetings.
• Review available study guide(s).
The CBAP ® exam is 3.5 hours long and consists of 150 multiple choice questions with four possible answers
to select from. Some questions are based on "comprehension" (e.g., definition, recall, etc.) and others are based
on "situational analysis" (e.g., given a scenario, which is the best course of action) where the applicant must do
a bit of analysis to arrive at the answer. It is neither all of one type or the other but covers a range of Bloom’s
Taxonomy.
The current exam blueprint based on v2.0 of the BABOK® Guide is as follows:

Knowledge Area Percent of Questions

Business Analysis Planning and Monitoring 19.33%

Elicitation 14%

Requirements Management and Communication 16%

Enterprise Analysis 15.33%

Requirements Analysis 19.33%

Solution Assessment and Validation 16%

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 Please note that due to rounding error, the percentages above do not quite add up to 100% without
rounding up.

6.5 Step 5: Taking the Exam

The final step in the Certification process is for the applicant to write and pass a comprehensive final
examination, based on the BABOK® Guide that is designed to objectively assess and measure business analysis
knowledge.
Exam Day Process

Important
Once the proctor logs you onto the computer, you have 2 minutes to confirm your name and exam. If you do
not respond within 2 minutes OR you do not agree with the confirmation screen (i.e. you select NO), your
exam will end and will be scored without the possibility to return back to it. If this happens, you will have to
pay the exam fee again to IIBA to reschedule it.
You will then have 2 minutes to agree to the Non Disclosure Agreement (NDA) screen that is presented after
the exam and name confirmation screen. If you do not respond within 2 minutes OR you do not agree with the
NDA screen (i.e. you select NO), your exam will end and will be scored without the possibility to return back
to it. If this happens, you will have to pay the exam fee again to IIBA to reschedule it

 Arrive on time for the exam. The reporting time is indicated in the exam registration Confirmation
email.
 Provide the following when arriving at the exam:
 Confirmation email
 Identification Requirements: When you arrive at the test center, you are required to present ONE
form of non-expired, government-issued, photo and signature-bearing identification in order to test.
The primary form of identification must bear your signature and a recent photograph and be current
(not expired).
Please note: The name on your identification MUST be the exact same name that appears on your
exam registration Confirmation email AND the same name you used to apply online with IIBA If
you change your name on your required identification after having received your exam registration
Confirmation email, it is your responsibility to notify IIBA as soon as possible so that the test center
can be advised of the change prior to your exam sitting. Failure to notify IIBA in time will result in
the test center not accepting your identification and therefore, you will not be able to take the exam on
your scheduled date. In addition, you will forfeit your exam fee and have to repay your exam fee to
IIBA to reschedule your exam. Acceptable forms of primary identification are limited to:
 Current non expired driver’s license with photo and signature
 State or government-issued Identification with photo and signature
 Valid Passport with photo and signature
 National Identification Card with photo and signature
 Military Identification Card with photo and signature

If you cannot present one the primary ID’s listed containing both a photo

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 And signature, you must present TWO of the following current (not
expired) ID’s ONE of which must contain a recent recognizable photo
and ONE of which must contain your signature:

 Valid driver’s license

 Military Identification Card
 National identification Card
 Valid Passport
 Student Identification Card
 State/Province Identification Card

Unacceptable Forms of Identification include:

 Expired Driver’s License or Passport

 Draft Classification Card
 Letter of Identity from a notary
 Social Security Card, National Identification Number
 Credit Card or Bank Card of any kind
 Employee Identification

If you are testing outside of your country of citizenship, you MUST

present a valid passport.

If you present primary identification without a signature, you MUST

present a second form of current signature identification. You will not
be admitted to the examination without the proper identification, and
there will be no refund of your test fee.

Notification of Exam Results

For CBT exams, immediate scoring is available so the candidate will see their results on the screen within
minutes of submitting the exam.

Applicants who do not successfully pass the exam will be provided some guidance as to the Knowledge Areas
that require attention in their results screen. In this case, the applicant is allowed to retake the exam one time
within the one-year period from the date of application approval results email. However, the applicant must
wait three months from the date of their last exam before retaking the exam.

If the exam is passed, the applicant is granted certification and may use the designation of “Certified Business
Analysis Professional™ (CBAP ®)”.

Exam Cancellation Policy

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 If it is necessary to cancel and/or to reschedule an exam, the following is the exam cancellation process:

 You must cancel and/or reschedule via Prometric’s online registration system.
 If you cancel 30 or more days before your exam date, there is no charge to you.
 If you cancel 5-29 days prior to your exam date, you will be required to pay Prometric a
$50 USD cancellation/rescheduling fee.
 If you cancel less than five days before your exam date or, you fail to appear for a
scheduled test or, you present yourself more than 15 minutes after the scheduled start
time for taking the test and you are refused admission, you will forfeit the exam fee you
paid. In addition, you will have to pay the full exam fee to IIBA to reschedule.

7.0 Granting CBAP® Certification

If the CBAP ® exam is passed, the applicant is granted Certification and may use the designation of “Certified
Business Analysis Professional™ (CBAP ®)”. In addition:
 IIBA will email the successful candidate at the beginning of the following month. For example, if
the candidate passes the exam on April 15th, the candidate will receive the email from IIBA the
first week in May. The email will confirm the candidate’s result and will direct the candidate to
the LinkedIn group for recipients and to the standards guide to obtain the CBAP ® logo.
 The email will also indicate when the CBAP ® recipient can expect to receive their Certification kit
including the certificate and wallet card. These are printed and mailed from Canada mid-month
following the month the exam was passed. For example, if you passed your exam on April 15 th,
your kit will be mailed on May 15 th.
 A listing of all CBAP ® recipients with their first and last name, city, province/state/territory and
certification date is posted on the IIBA website – this listing is updated daily at the end of every
day.

8.0 Re-writing the CBAP® Exam

If the candidate does not pass the CBAP® exam, he or she is allowed to retake the exam once within the one
year period from the date of their application approval and exam eligibility email. However, they must wait
three months from the date of their last exam sitting before retaking the exam. In addition:
 The fee to retake the exam in English and Japanese is $250 USD (for IIBA members) or $375 (for
non-members) (plus GST/HST for Canadian residents). The applicant must complete the CBAP ®
Exam Registration Form (located at www.iiba.org) and mail it with their fee to the address
indicated above. Seating at the exam is limited and is filled on a first come first serve basis. Exam
registration is not done until IIBA receives the exam fee.
 The fees to retake the exam in German are as follows (plus GST/HST for Canadian residents):
• German CBAP® Exam re-write fee (IIBA members) $430 USD
• German CBAP® Exam re-write fee (non members) $540 USD

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  If paying a member fee, the applicant must be a member at the time of submitting their
exam fee; otherwise, they must pay the non-member fee.
 The exam fees pay for the exam sitting. If the applicant does not pass the exam, they will
not be reimbursed the exam fee.
 If the applicant does not write and pass the exam within the one-year period, they must reapply
(and pay full application and exam fees).

9.0 Maintaining CBAP® Certification and Recertification

All CBAP ® recipients are required to meet continuing proficiency requirements in order to maintain their
designation. Continuing proficiency is one of the important benchmarks of a quality certification program. The
IIBA certification needs to be renewed every three years.
The CBAP ® Recertification Handbook and related forms are posted on the IIBA website.

Updating Your Contact Information

It is the responsibility of each CBAP ® applicant to advise of changes to their contact information (i.e., email
address), by updating their Profile on the IIBA website. Failure to provide updated contact information to the
Certification team may result in missed communications.
Note: Email communications from IIBA may inadvertently be blocked or forwarded to bulk mail folders by
some spam filters. CBAP ® recipients should, therefore, add certification@iiba.org to their personal address
book in their email program to help ensure important certification program messages from IIBA, specifically
those from the Certification team, are received.

9.1 Suspending or Withdrawing CBAP ® Certification

The IIBA Certification Body reserves the right to revoke an IIBA CBAP® certification at any time after review
of a reported professional misconduct or for a misuse of the CBAP ® logo. The Certification Body also reserves
the right to conduct random post-certification audits. All fees paid shall be forfeited in the event of a revoked
or suspended certification. Those CBAP ® recipients whose certification has been revoked will not be allowed
to reapply for the CBAP ® Certification for a period of time.

10.0 Audit of Candidate and CBAP® Information

Applicants and CBAP ® recipients may receive a request from the IIBA Certification Body to validate any
information on their application form. It is the applicant’s or CBAP ® recipient’s responsibility to obtain and
provide verification of any statements made within an application.

11.0 Resolution of Appeals & Complaints

CBAP® recipients and applicants for CBAP ® certification may request a review of an adverse IIBA
Certification Body action, decision, or determination. IIBA will investigate the appeal or complaint and
provide notification of their resolution. Please contact certification@iiba.org for information.

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