Business analyst certification for beginners will help you lay a strong foundation for your business analysis career. A strong foundation is necessary for a great career ahead.
A certification from a reputed certifying organization plays an important role for professionals. These certifications are expected to test your understanding of business analysis practice at the entry-level.
In this article, we are going to provide details on the following BA certifications for beginners:
- Entry Certificate in Business Analysis (ECBA)
- Foundation-Level Business Analyst Certification (CFLBA)
- Foundation Certificate in Business Analysis
Entry Certification in Business Analysis (ECBA)
What is ECBA?
Entry Certificate in Business Analysis (ECBA) is the Business Analyst certification for beginners. This certificate is awarded by International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA), Canada.
A certification from a reputed certifying organization plays an important role for professionals who wish to transition to a Business Analyst role.
This certification is expected to test your understanding of business analysis practice at the entry-level. This test is based on Business Analysis body of knowledge (BABOK).
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In this article, we will explain the need for a certification, certification details and how to prepare for this certification.
How to prepare for the ECBA Certification?
Preparing for the ECBA Certification exam can be challenging. The questions are based on IIBA Publication BABOK v3 and the exam requires a thorough understanding of the topics.
BABOK guide is a five-hundred-page document and is not an easy book to understand.
You can read our article How to prepare for the ECBA Certification exam, that will help you in planning your preparation well.
You can also join our ECBA Certification preparation course which will provide you with training sessions, study materials and the ECBA pattern based question bank.
ECBA Certification validity
ECBA certification is valid for life and does not need to be renewed unlike CCBA and CBAP certifications.
ECBA Certification Eligibility
Every candidate who wants to take the ECBA examination, regardless of their previous work experience, has to meet certain eligibility requirements (as per the IIBA website).
Here are the eligibility criteria that you have to meet:
ECBA Certification Syllabus
ECBA Certification is based on IIBA BABOK v3 guide. BABOK has six knowledge areas covering the competency of business analysis. It also defines underlying competencies and techniques. BABOK guide is also applicable for CCBA and CBAP Certifications. The ECBA certification coverage is less than CCBA and CBAP certifications. IIBA has defined the following weightages of knowledge areas for ECBA Certification:
General Topics
- Business Analysis and BA Professional – 2.5%
- Underlying Competencies – 5%
- Business Analysis key concepts – 5%
- Techniques – 17.5%
Knowledge Areas
- Business Analysis Planning & Monitoring – 5%
- Elicitation & Collaboration – 20%
- Requirements Life Cycle Management – 20%
- Strategy Analysis – 0%
- Requirements Analysis and Design Definition – 25%
- Solution Evaluation – 0%
ECBA Exam Pattern
Key points about ECBA certificate exam pattern are:
- There are 50 MCQs to be done in 1 hr
- Each question will have four options
- Every question will have one correct answer
- There are no negative markings
- The questions are based on fundamentals
- To pass the exam, you need to clear each of the knowledge area individually
What kind of questions are asked in the ECBA exam, to know that try our ECBA Mock Test
Certified Foundation Level Business Analyst Certification (CFLBA)
Overview
The Certified Foundation Level Business Analyst Certification (CFLBA) is a business analyst certification for beginners. This certification is awarded by international qualification board for Business analysts (IQBBA).
The acquired knowledge assures a proficiency in definitions and background about business processes modelling and improving, collecting, and analysing requirements, designing business solutions, and working in innovation.
Validity
This certification is valid for 3 years. After the initial three years, the accreditation can be renewed for additional three-year terms.
Eligibility
There are no entry requirements for this certification.
Syllabus
The syllabus for CFLBA is based on the following knowledge areas:
- Fundamentals of Business Analysis
- Strategy Definition
- Management of the Business Analysis Process
- Requirements Engineering in Business Analysis
- Solution Evaluation and Optimization
You can view a detailed course syllabus on the website.
Exam Pattern
The CFLBA exam is 1-hour long and the passing marks is 65%. 25% additional time is given to non-native speakers. The exam consists of 40 multiple choice questions.
BCS Foundation Certificate in Business Analysis
Overview
This entry level business analyst certification is offered by British computer society (BCS). The foundation certificate is designed for people who want to understand business analysis, support change and improve business processes
This certification is suitable for business analysts, business managers and members of their team, business change managers and project managers
Validity
The BCS Foundation Certificate in Business Analysis is a certification that does not expire.
Eligibility
There are no entry requirements for this certification.
Syllabus
The exam syllabus is based on the BCS exam guide. The exam is based on Business Analysis 4th Edition, published by BCS.
The study includes the following topics:
- What is Business Analysis (weightage – 5%)
- Competencies of Business Analysts (weightage – 2.5%)
- The strategic context for business analysis (weightage – 7.5%)
- Business analysis service framework (weightage – 2.5%)
- Investigating the business situation (weightage – 12.5%)
- Analysis and managing stakeholders (weightage – 10%)
- Improving business services and processes (weightage – 12.5%)
- Defining the solution (weightage – 7.5%)
- Making the Business case (weightage -5%)
- Establishing the requirements (weightage – 10%)
- Documenting and modelling requirements (weightage – 10%)
- Validating and managing requirements (weightage – 5%)
- Delivering the requirements (weightage – 5%)
- Delivering the business solution (weightage – 5%)
You can read the detailed course syllabus on their website.
Exam Pattern
The BCS Foundation level BA certification is an online examination. There are 40 multiple choice questions. The exam duration is 60 minutes. The passing percentage is 65%.
Why is a certification important?
Business Analyst certification for beginners is an important milestone for any business analyst aspirant. It helps the aspirant in many ways:
Add credibility to Profile: When you are new to Business Analysis, your profile does not have enough skills or credentials to prove your eligibility. A certification like ECBA helps in adding the credibility. How does it help? It helps in getting shortlisted for the interviews. This is important as you are looking for a job as a Business Analyst.
Help you learn core knowledge: A good certification helps you to learn the core knowledge or skill of a job role. You need to master BABOK for clearing the Business Analyst certification for beginners ECBA. BABOK helps you learn about Business Analysis, which is very helpful in the real-life.
Business Analyst Certification for Beginners FAQs
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Can freshers also do ECBA Certification? |
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As there is no experience requirement as an eligibility, any one can go for this certification. As long as, you learn and master the knowledge. |
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I am an IT professional, is ECBA Certification applicable for me also? |
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ECBA Certification is an entry level certification and is the best choice, if you want to be come a Business Analyst.
Many of our students come from development background and wish to move into a customer facing role like business analyst. Going for ECBA certification is a good step forward.
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I am a Non-IT professional, is ECBA Certification applicable for me also? |
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Business analyst role in the IT industry is possibly the only role where your background does not matter. You can become a business analyst, coming from IT or non-IT backgrounds.
So, if you learn the formal BA skills and get ECBA certified, you have equal opportunity to become a business analyst as an IT professional.
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How can I take the ECBA Exam? |
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The ECBA Exam is conducted by PSI in association with IIBA Canada. You can take this from home as well. You can read more on taking ECBA Exam to know more.
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Is ECBA the only Business Analyst certification for beginners? |
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ECBA is the most reputed certification, but there are other business analyst certification for beginners. Here are the two other certifications:
The acquired knowledge assures a proficiency in definitions and background about business processes modelling and improving, collecting, and analysing requirements, designing business solutions, and working in the area of innovation.
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