Why Do You Need to Get A CBAP Certification?

The Certified Business Analysis Professional or CBAP is a professional certification given to individuals who have extensive Business Analysis experience. This designation is highly valued in the field of Business Analysis as it is a validation of your work experience, competencies, personal development, and up-to-date knowledge of the trends and developments of the industry. 
 

CBAP certification is for individuals who want to expand their skill set and climb up their career ladder. The certification will add value to your profile as it is an acknowledgment and recognition of your expertise as a Business Analysis practitioner. Here is why it is relevant to such a large proportion of professionals: 
 

• Business Analysis is one of the fastest-growing occupations in the IT sector. So, it has also become a top desired skill for tech workers. 

• When you have a recognized certificate like CBAP, you will be able to switch easily to the management field from a technical field. 
• Several big companies are following the trend of keeping the Business Analyst role as a stand-by consultant for the organization. 
• With certification, organizations can find employees who already have the required skills. They won’t have to spend money and time training another. 

So, it is clear that CBAP certification is relevant in the current market scenario. However, there are some significant as well as tangle benefits of getting certified. So, even if the certification process is difficult, here are some of the benefits that you will be able to enjoy: 
 

Build your confidence 

The first, most obvious benefit is that you will have improved confidence in your experience as a Business Analysis. A part of applying for the CBAP certification is that you are required to document how your experience is aligned to the BABOK or Business Analysis Body of Knowledge Guide. You need to document at least 7,500 hours for the CBAP certification. 

While you are working on your CBAP application process, you can document the hours where you work in other job roles like Systems Analyst and Quality Assurance Engineer. All you have to focus on is getting the minimum requirements. You will start by documenting one role and project after another. This process is extremely satisfying as you look back to all you have done and achieved. Seeing your experience drawn into a cohesive whole can be fulfilling. Once you are done with this part of the application process, you will be more confident in your experience of Business Analysis and own your career as a Business Analyst. 
 

Reconnect with past colleagues 

The second step toward completing your application involves listing project contacts and references. For references, you will have to fill out an online form that validates your professional integrity and business analysis expertise. In case your application is audited, project contacts will be contacted and asked to provide details that substantiate your documented experience. 
 

This requirement of the application process is a great way of reconnecting with professionals you have worked alongside in the past. They will learn about your certification aspiration. You will learn about where they are working currently and whether you guys can help each other. It is possible that reconnecting with these colleagues leads to other career opportunities. 
 

Connect with other analysts 

Apart from connecting with previous colleagues, you will also have the opportunity of connecting with other Business Analysts. Now, you can pass the exam by studying along. However, the best study approach is through a certification preparation course or a study group. Both of these will allow you to interact with other business analysts and learn more about the BABOK Guide. This way, you will get to know about how other Business Analysts work. By getting a diverse perspective on the core tasks and techniques of Business Analysis, you will be able to learn more about what the field has to offer. 

You can connect with these Business Analysts on LinkedIn to further extend the relationship. Any one of these connections can offer you a great career opportunity. 
 

Participate in Training Opportunities 

Another requirement for the CBAP certification is that you must have 21 hours of professional development documented. To fulfill these requirements, you will have to participate in traditional, instructor-led, in-person, or virtual training. 

This means that you have to make significant time and financial investment for meeting this requirement. However, you are not required to include all of the BABOK guide in these training hours. The training should be aligned with some aspects of the BABOK Guide. So, you have a lot of flexibility in choosing what training you want to go for and select one that is aligned with your professional development goals. 
 

Confirm that you have an understanding of the nuances of the role 

The exam preparation can be enlightening as well as frustrating. You would have to go through every nuance of the techniques, tasks, relationships, inputs, and outputs between the tasks that are outlined in the BABOK Guide. This can be a major challenge on your path to getting the CBAP certification.  
 

However, you have to remember that this intensive preparation and study process. You will have to absorb the BOK to understand why and how business analysis works. The BABOK guide has dissected the tasks apart. An activity that you might think has one cohesive whole might become multiple tasks and techniques. For example, the Requirements Review meetings can be divided into two tasks. The first one is Requirements Verification while the other is Requirements Validation. This is accompanied by different supporting techniques such as Problem Tracking and Structured Walkthrough. 
 

Once you get an understanding of all these nuances, you will be more confident in applying the principles of business analysis. Also, you will have more freedom to select the right activities at the right time.  
 

CBAP is a great way of advancing your Business Analysis career. It can open several new opportunities for you. You can get the CBAP certification online training to get a clear understanding of the business needs and how you can translate it into technical requirements.