There aren’t many organizations that offer tests to certify business analytics skills, business analyst certifications are still in their early stages. By spotting trends, patterns, and problems that might otherwise go unnoticed, business analysts help organizations make the most of the data they collect.
The following certificates will help you establish your value if you want to grow in your business analyst job or change careers. Before we begin, let’s clarify the benefits of becoming a certified business analyst for you.
Why Should You Become a Certified Business Analyst?
Business analysts are more prevalent throughout numerous industries. During the hiring process, employers want to be sure that you have the abilities to perform the job satisfactorily. An active business analyst certification shows that you are dedicated to your career as well as having the abilities and information necessary to thrive in the position.
Furthermore, acquiring a certification is likely to increase your work possibilities because many firms prefer to hire qualified specialists.
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Getting Certified As A Business Analyst
The following are the fundamental steps to become a certified business analyst:
- Determine which certification you require
- Check that you have all of the requirements
- Get ready to take the certification exam
- Take the test
1. Determine which certification you require
Consider your options carefully as there are many certifications available. You can learn whether employers frequently require a particular certification by looking through job advertising for business analysts in your area. Ask your manager if they have a preferred certification if you work as a business analyst for a company.
2. Double-check that you have all of the requirements
For the majority of certificates, you must fulfill requirements before you can register for the exam. A degree, prior work experience, and business analyst education hours are requirements for some roles. Visit the website of each institute to find out more about the certification criteria.
3. Get ready to take the certification exam
The majority of boards and institutes provide courses that have been specially designed for certification tests. Additionally, you have access to outside courses that can help you with your preparation. Although you might be able to find an in-person school nearby, you can always take a course online.
4. Take the test
Exams consist of a range of multiple-choice questions and run roughly an hour. The majority of exams let you take them as many times as necessary. Depending on the certification you selected, you might need to renew your credential. Note that in order to maintain the validity of your certification, you must timely renew it and provide any necessary documentation of continuing education.
Top 10 Business Analyst Certifications
The following are the top 10 business analyst qualifications to pursue in 2022:
1. Certified Analytics Professional (CAP)
A vendor-neutral certification called Certified Analytics Professional (CAP) verifies your capacity to draw insightful conclusions from large, complicated data sets and use those conclusions to inform important business choices. You need either a bachelor’s degree in a related discipline and seven years of experience working with data or analytics to qualify for this certification, or a master’s degree in a related field and at least five years of relevant experience.
You can also take the associate level aCAP test if you have a master’s degree and three years of relevant experience in data or analytics. While the CAP test costs $200 for INFORMS members and $300 for non-members, the exam costs $495 for members of INFORMS and $695 for non-members.
2. The IIBA Entry Certificate in Business Analysis
The International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBAfirst )’s level of certification, the Entry Certificate in Business Analysis (ECBA), is geared toward beginning and less experienced business analysts.
You must have completed at least 21 hours of professional training credits within the previous four years in order to sit for the exam. It is believed that you will advance to the second or third levels of certification even though you are not required to renew your ECBA certification.
Members pay $110 for the exam, while non-members pay $235. And a further retake fee of $89 for members and $195 for non-members would be charged for the exam. There is no renewal cost, please note.
3. IIBA Competency in Business Analysis Certification (CCBA)
A minimum of 3,750 hours of business analytics work in the previous 7 years that is in accordance with the IIBA’s Business Analysis Book of Knowledge (BABOK) guide, 900 hours in two of the six BABOK knowledge areas, or 500 hours in four of the six BABOK knowledge areas, is required for the Certification of Competency in Business Analysis (CCBA), Level 2 of the IIBA certification.
The credential also needs two professional references and at least 21 hours of professional development training over the past four years.130 scenario-based multiple-choice questions that call for some analysis make up the CCBA exam. All six of the BABOK knowledge domains are covered, along with the principles, underlying competencies, significant concepts, and approaches. The exam for this certification is $325 for members and $450 for non-members, and the application fee is $125.
Renewal fees are $85 for members and $120 for non-members, with the cost of the retake being $250 for members and $375 for non-members.
4. Certified Business Analysis Professional (IIBA) (CBAP)
The third level of IIBA certification, the Certified Business Analysis Professional (CBAP) accreditation, is geared toward “individuals with substantial business analysis experience.”
You must have at least 900 hours of work experience in four of the six BABOK knowledge areas, 7,500 hours of business analyst experience over the previous ten years, 35 hours of professional development over the previous four years, and professional references in order to be eligible for this certification. There are 120 multiple-choice questions on case studies on the 3.5-hour exam. After passing, you’ll need to submit a report every three years showing that you’ve completed at least 60 hours of continuing education.
The exam for this certification is $325 for members and $450 for non-members, and the application fee is $125. Renewal fees are $85 for members and $120 for non-members, with the cost of the retake being $250 for members and $375 for non-members.
5. Agile Analysis Certification from the IIBA (AAC)
Agile as a technique has become more significant for business analysts recently, according to the IIBA.
To address this skill set and certify business analyst professionals working in agile contexts that demand quick adaptation and rapid change, the competency-based Agile Analysis Certification (AAC) test was developed. It is not a certification that stacks on top of the other IIBA business analyst certificates. The test, which has 85 multiple-choice, scenario-based questions and lasts two hours, is given by remote internet proctoring. Theagile mentality (30%), strategy horizon (10%), initiative horizon (25%), and delivery horizon (25%) are the exam’s four primary subjects.
Three years from the date of issue, your certification must be renewed. Although there are no prerequisites for the exam, the IIBA advises having at least two to five years of experience in agile-related fields.
The application fee for this certification is $125, and the exam is $250 for members and $375 for non-members. Renewal fees are $30 for members and $50 for non-members, with the cost of the retake being $250 for members and $325 for non-members.
6. IIBA Business Data Analytics Certification (CBDA)
The new Business Data Analytics Certification from the IIBA (IIBA-CBDA) “recognizes your capacity to conduct analysis-related tasks efficiently in support of business analytics projects.”
You must evaluate a real-world business problem, recognize data sources and know how to get data, analyze data, interpret data, and report outcomes in order to pass the exam. You’ll then need to illustrate how those results might affect business decisions and steer company-level business analytics strategy. The exam for this certification is $450 for members and $575 for non-members, and the application fee is $125.
Renewal fees are $30 for members and $50 for non-members, with the cost of the retake being $400 for members and $525 for non-members.
7. IQBBA Foundation Level Business Analyst Certification (CFLBA)
The International Qualifications Board for Business Analysts (IQBBA) offers the Certified Foundation Level Business Analysis (CFLBA) certification as a foundational credential that will allow you to pursue further levels of certification. It is a certification that is widely recognized, and there are test and training facilities all around the world.
“Persons interested in studying business processes within an organization, modeling businesses, and process improvement” are the target audiences. The following topics are covered at the foundational level: enterprise analysis, business analysis process planning, requirements elicitation, requirements analysis, solution validation, tools and techniques, innovation, and design.
After completing the entry-level exam, you can move on to the Certified Advanced Level Business Analyst (CALBA) and Certified Expert Level Business Analyst (CELBA) certifications. Only a few of training and exam centers in the US are now accredited, with locations in Chicago, Maryland, Oklahoma, Florida, and Texas. However, there are ways to take training programs and assessments online.
The exam for this certification costs $250.
8. Certified Professional in Requirements Engineering by the IREB (CPRE)
For those working in requirements engineering, the International Requirements Engineering Board (IREB) offers the Certified Professional for Requirements Engineering (CPRE) certification, which comes in three levels (RE). You will receive real estate foundational certification at the Foundation Level, which is the first.
Requirements Elicitation and Consolidation, Requirements Modeling, and Requirements Management are the three options for the Advanced Level, but you must wait a full year after passing the first exam to take the advanced level exam. Your “highest degree of expert knowledge,” which incorporates both your practical experience and the knowledge and abilities you’ve acquired through prior certifications, is what the Expert Level certifies you at.
You are not required to renew your certification, nor does it have an expiration date. There is now no requirement for renewal because the CPRE is “based on the core methodologies and approaches of Requirements Engineering, and they evolve only slowly,” according to the IREB. Exam fees for this certification vary.
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9. Professional in Business Analysis (PBA) Certification from PMI
Project and program managers who employ analytics as well as business analysts who work on projects or programs are the target audience for the PMI Professional in Business Analysis (PBA) certification.
It is offered by the Project Management Institute, a business that focuses on internationally renowned project management credentials like the PMP. The certification focuses on practical business analysis training and examination on the core concepts, methods, and tools of business analysis. For this certification, you must have at least three years—or 4,500 hours—consecutive experience in business analysis during the previous eight years if you already hold a bachelor’s degree. If you don’t have a bachelor’s degree, you’ll need five years of experience, which is equivalent to 7,500 hours.
You must complete 60 professional development units within three years of receiving your certification in order to keep your renewal status. If you don’t renew your credentials, they will be terminated and you will have to reapply after being suspended for a year until you meet the requirements. The application fee for this certification is $405 for PMI members and $555 for non-members. There is no test fee, and renewal is $150 for non-members and $60 for PMI members. Additionally, it costs $275 for PMI members to retake the exam and $375 for non-members.
10. Master’s Degree in Business Analysis from SimpliLearn
SimpliLearn provides an IIBA-accredited Business Analyst Masters Program whether you’re new to the field or want to change careers and become a business analyst.
Through the program, you can obtain your CCBA certification as well as credentials in R Programming for Data Science, Agile Scrum Foundation, Digital Transformation for Leaders, and Python for Data Science. Upon completion of the course, you will also receive 35 IIBA and 25 PMI professional development units. Excel, CBAP, Tableau, Agile ScrumMaster, SQL, CCBA, and Agile Scrum Foundation are all allegedly covered in the course.
Among other things, you’ll learn how to build interactive dashboards, employ statistical concepts and tools, master the agile scrum methodology, plan and monitor Scrum projects, comprehend fundamental business analysis ideas, and perform data analysis using Tableau. The course is priced at $1,299 USD.
FAQS on Business Analyst Certifications
What certification is most in demand?
Full Stack Web Development
Data Analytics
Penetration Testing
Computer Network.
Cloud Computing
DevOps
Agile and Scrum
Digital Marketing.
What certificates can I get in 6 months?
Emergency Medical Technician.
Funeral director.
Brick Mason.
Personal trainer.
Medical coder.
Firefighter.
Air traffic controller.
Automobile service station manager.
What qualifications does a business analyst need?
For this position, any degree that provides analytical skills can be helpful. Some employers could favor you if you have a degree or postgraduate education in a relevant field, such business management or business information systems.
Which is better CBAP or CCBA?
The CBAP has more respect because it is more difficult to obtain than the CCBA. criteria for experience. In order to take the CBAP exam, candidates must have 7,500 hours of business analysis work experience, including 900 hours in each of the six subject areas.
Which business analyst has highest salary?
Highest salary that a Business Analyst can earn is ₹15.0 Lakhs per year (₹1.3L per month).
Business Analysis.
Agile.
SQL.
Project Management.
Data Analysis.
Conclusion
Business analyst certifications are still in their infancy, but a number of firms are now giving tests to certify business analytics skills. By spotting trends, patterns, and problems that could otherwise go missed, business analysts assist organizations in getting the most out of the data they collect. Business analysts that are successful have the aptitude to work with data, the business knowledge of the organization, and the communication abilities to convey that knowledge to those outside of IT.
The typical starting salary for a business analytics position in IT is $68,000 annually. According to PayScale, business analysts typically earn between $40,000 and $100,000 annually throughout the course of their employment. Here are 10 credentials that will assist you demonstrate your abilities if you want to develop in your business analyst career or change career paths.
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