Certifications are a great way to check your competency in a specific area. It also provides the employers a tangible way to measure your learning. However, it's important to choose the certification body carefully. A well reputed certification body like International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA), Project Management Institute (PMI), Scrum Alliance etc.
These certification bodies are focused in their area of specialization and offer learning leadership as well.

There are several Business Analysis certifications. International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA) is the most reputed certification body. The most recognized Business Analyst certifications are as below:
Entry Certificate in Business Analysis (ECBA) is the entry level Business Analysis certification (as the name suggests), Certification of Capability in Business Analysis™(CCBA) recognizes your ability to take on larger and or more complex project responsibility.Certified Business Analysis Professional (CBAP®) is a professional certification for individuals with extensive business analysis (BA) experience.Agile Analysis Certification (AAC) addresses both necessity and demand for agile and analyst communities to collaborate and transform project delivery.

The preparation time for CBAP, CCBA and ECBA examinations vary. It depends on the certification course coverage, complexity of exam as well as your working schedule.

ECBA Preparation Time: We recommend close to 80-100 hrs of preparation time. The duration (number of weeks or months) will depend on your schedule. This includes going through BABOK v3 at least twice and practicing with mock questions. Please note you don’t need to cover all the chapters of BABOK for ECBA.

CCBA Preparation Time: We recommend close to 100-120 hrs of preparation time. The duration (number of weeks or months) will depend on your schedule. You need to go through all the chapters of BABOK v3. It is recommended that you go through BABOK at least 2-3 times to really master it. Please note that CCBA has only scenario based questions and it requires a lot of practice.

CBAP Preparation Time: We recommend close to 130-150 hrs of preparation time. CBAP exam contains scenario and case-study based questions. The case studies consist of one to one and half page long cases and each case has 4-5 questions. There are typically 50 questions based on Case studies.

CBAP is definitely a tough exam but careful study and the ability to connect the concepts is extremely important. As you can observe, we recommend maximum time for CBAP preparation considering all the above factors.

Certification is one of the proven ways to assess your skills. Certifications from reputed bodies help in benchmarking your skills and understanding. Upgrading our skills on a regular basis is a necessity these days. Skills upgradation can be overwhelming. Certifications provide a structured approach to learning at different levels.

For example, ECBA Certification from IIBA helps you to assess the foundational knowledge on business analysis according to the BABOK® Guide and showcases that you have the core knowledge and competencies for an entry level Business Analyst.

Similarly CCBA and CBAP certifications help you to assess the competencies and knowledge for an experienced Business Analyst. CAPM and PMP Certifications from the Project management Institute (PMI) help you to assess your knowledge and skills at entry and experience level of Project Management. Employers also value the certifications as the metrics to assess your upskilling or learning of new skills.

One of the career paths for Business Analysts leads to Project management. If you like to manage teams and take more responsibilities, Project management is an ideal skill for you.

Project Management Certification (PMP) is considered to be the most respected certification for Project Management. It is offered by Project Management Institute (PMI), USA.

The primary certifications for a Business Analyst are ECBA, CCBA and CBAP in the order of level of experience. The experience levels of these are mentioned below:
ECBA: No experience
CCBA: 3+ Years of Business Analysis Experience
CBAP: 5+ Years of Business Analysis Experience

In addition to these certifications, there are other areas of skills, which add value to your Business Analysis profile. Here are some of these certifications:

Agile Business Analyst Certification: IIBA, Canada and iSQI Germany offer these certifications. These Certifications address both necessity and demand for agile and analyst communities to collaborate and transform project delivery.
Product Owner Certification (CPOA): IIBA’s Product Ownership Analysis certification program recognizes the integration of Business Analysis and Product Ownership with an Agile mindset to maximize value. The program provides the opportunity to acquire essential concepts needed to create successful products.
Certified Business Data Analytics (CBDA): This Certification in Business Data Analytics (IIBA®- CBDA) recognizes your ability to effectively execute analysis related work in support of business analytics initiatives.

Entry certification in Business Analysis (ECBA) is the best and most respected certification for freshers or professionals with no Business Analysis experience. ECBA Certification from IIBA helps you to assess the foundational knowledge on business analysis according to the BABOK® Guide and showcases that you have the core knowledge and competencies for an entry level Business Analyst.

The eligibility criteria is only 21-hrs of Professional Development hours, which can be achieved by attending an IIBA Endorsed course from an IIBA Endorsed Education provider (EEP) like Ours.

There is no such certification for Banking Business Analyst. However, there are individual certifications for Business Analysis like ECBA, CCBA, CBAP and also for Banking. Some of the certifications in Banking are as follows:

Diploma Courses in Banking and Finance: Top management colleges offer diploma courses in Baking as well as Finance domains. Some examples: NMIMS Diploma, Welingkar’s diploma.
Certificate programs in Banking: There are other Financial organizations like Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) or CRISIL which also offer these certificate programs. BSE Institute offers Banking and Finance Program. Institute of Banking and Finance offers multiple courses.

Professionals from Non-IT backgrounds can also become Business Analysts. There is no requirement of having a technical background for becoming a Business Analyst.

Yes, there are. Life Office Management Association (LOMA) offers certifications in Insurance. The LOMA Certifications are as below:
FLMI Level I: Insurance Fundamentals: Get this need-to-know information about insurance products and operations to help you quickly gain confidence and accelerate your success.
Certificate in Underwriting: The Certificate in Underwriting introduces risk assessment principles as applied to underwriting individual and group life and health insurance, including specialized policies and supplemental coverages.