Not every road to certification is the same, and some don’t go the way we plan. It’s gratifying to hear from people who have passed, and we get spontaneous notes frequently from successful CBAPs and PMPs. We love hearing from you! We also get emails from unsuccessful candidates, and do our best to offer advice or when appropriate, coaching or other tutoring. Here’s a success story that started off with hours of study, but a failed CBAP® exam, and ended with a successful 2nd attempt and obtaining the CBAP®.
BABOK Posts
CBAP Success – The Second Time Around
Posted: November 10th, 2011 by RichLarson. Comments »
Arrived in South Africa – Aug 1-2, 2011
Posted: August 4th, 2011 by RichLarson. Comments »Elizabeth and I arrived in Cape Town on Monday, and basically crashed due to the long, 18-hour flight. The trip over the Atlantic seems short compared to the Amsterdam to Cape Town flight.
We were literally at the bottom of Africa, at the point where two oceans meet: Atlantic, meet Indian. We started our trip by flying straight to Johannesburg on Tuesday. After getting settled, we visited the Joburg office of our South African partner, Faculty Training Institute. The head of FTI, Steve Erlank, showed us around and we got to see their preparation. Very impressive with three training rooms, offices, a kitchen, and huge cafeteria for students.
BABOK Techniques to Know for the CBAP/CCBA Exam: Part 7
Posted: July 18th, 2011 by RichLarson. Comments »Rich here. It’s been a while since I’ve written about BABOK techniques you need to know to pass the CBAP or CCBA exam. If I’m going to try and finish covering all 34 general and 15 task-specific ones by the end of the year, I have to get back to it.
In past blog posts I featured all the task-specific techniques and four of the general techniques: Data Modeling, Observation, Scenarios and Use Cases, and State Diagrams. Next I want to explore Acceptance and Evaluation Criteria Definition with an excerpt from our book CBAP Certification Study Guide.
Common Questions for the CBAP and CCBA Applications
Posted: March 11th, 2011 by RichLarson. Comments »I just finished another application writing session for the IIBA Phoenix chapter. It was a good exchange, with many challenging questions.
First of all, nearly everyone preparing for the CBAP questions the BABOK® and how it may or may not be “real life.” What I tell people is that everything in the BABOK is somebody’s real life! That may or may not be a comfort, but it does put it in perspective.
Most of the topics at my recent session pertained to the CBAP and CCBA application. Here are some notable questions that came up and my answers. Hope this helps you.
Task-Specific BABOK® Techniques to Know for the CBAP Exam: Part 6
Posted: February 22nd, 2011 by RichLarson. Comments »
Prioritization Techniques
One of the most difficult things for many decision-makers is to prioritize their needs. It is far easier to say “everything is an A priority” than to rationally sort through the many features of a project and make tough decisions. It is frustrating to project teams to deal with this type of stakeholder, and fortunately there are techniques that can help.
There are three techniques mentioned in the BABOK® specifically to support prioritizing requirements. Some of the techniques are in wide use, and one of them is more a guideline than a technique. If you are studying for the CBAP® or CCBA™ exams, there is a good chance of being tested on one of these because of their importance.
Top 10 Mistakes to Avoid When Earning your CBAP® or CCBA™
Posted: February 4th, 2011 by RichLarson. Comments »
I’ve helped many people achieve their CBAP®, and I’ve seen a number of approaches. Most have been successful I’m happy to say. A few others have not been, either because candidates stressed out or were underprepared. Below is a summary of the top mistakes people have made in working towards their CBAP®.
- Not enough study time. A major mistake is not studying enough. According to our research, successful CBAP® candidates spent an average of around 100 hours studying for their CBAP®. Give yourself at least several weeks and spread that time out before you take your exam.
Task-Specific BABOK Techniques for the CBAP and CCBA Exams: Part 5
Posted: January 18th, 2011 by RichLarson. Comments »Problem or Vision Statement and Feasibility Analysis
This week I’m writing about two specialized and powerful techniques that are useful not only for business analysis, but project management and other disciplines. These two come up in context of Enterprise Analysis, which deals with understanding business needs, devising proposed solutions for those needs, and building a business case for getting it done. I’m writing about BABOK® techniques not only to help people pass the CBAP® or CCBA™ exam, but because they are useful on the job, too.
Problem or Vision Statement
Task-Specific BABOK Techniques to Know for the CBAP Exam: Part 4
Posted: December 22nd, 2010 by RichLarson. Comments »Stakeholder Map and Variance Analysis
Here are two more task-specific techniques featured in the BABOK® Guide. These two are part of Business Analysis Planning and Monitoring. They are useful techniques in their own right and knowing about them will help you pass the CBAP® or CCBA™ exams.
Stakeholder Map
A stakeholder map is a visual diagram showing relationships between stakeholders and the solution. The BABOK mentions there are several types of maps and highlights two types. Chances are you won’t be tested on the details of either, so we refer you to examples found online.
CCBA™ Exam to Launch Soon
Posted: November 2nd, 2010 by RichLarson. Comments »Are you a BA interested in certification, but don’t have the experience quite yet for the CBAP®? 
Get ready for the launch of the certification tailor made for you. The IIBA® has been working hard to create their newest credential, the Certification of Competency in Business Analysis, or CCBA™ for short. This soon-to-be available certification is ideal for Business Analysts who want to be certified, but don’t have the number of hours to qualify for the CBAP® (Certified Business Analyst Professional). The exam will be ready by January, 2011.
Task-Specific BABOK Techniques for the CBAP Exam: Part 3
Posted: October 27th, 2010 by RichLarson. Comments »Coverage Matrix, Requirements for Vendor Selection, Requirements Documentation
Picking up where I left off on BABOK techniques, let’s cover three more task-specific techniques. Or, what might be considered outputs, or have been combined with other techniques. But, I’m editorializing again. 
Coverage Matrix
Somewhere along the line, the good old fashioned traceability matrix was renamed as a Coverage Matrix. You didn’t get the memo, you say? Neither did I. But, it illustrates an important point about preparing for the CBAP exam: use the BABOK terminology even if it disagrees with what you are familiar with.
