BABOK Posts

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.

Continue Reading: Task-Specific BABOK® Techniques to Know for the CBAP Exam: Part 6

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.

Continue Reading: Top 10 Mistakes to Avoid When Earning your CBAP® or CCBA™

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

Continue Reading: Task-Specific BABOK Techniques for the CBAP and CCBA Exams: Part 5

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.

Continue Reading: Task-Specific BABOK Techniques to Know for the CBAP Exam: Part 4

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®? CCBA launch soon 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.

Continue Reading: CCBA™ Exam to Launch Soon

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.

Continue Reading: Task-Specific BABOK Techniques for the CBAP Exam: Part 3

Task-Specific BABOK Techniques for the CBAP Exam: Part 2

Posted: September 16th, 2010 by RichLarson. Comments »

Baselining, Signoff, and Checklists

In my continuing coverage of the various BABOK techniques, I want to address three task-specific ones. There are 15 total task-specific techniques in the BABOK, and this entry outlines three of them. You should be familiar with each of these as part of your CBAP exam preparation, and for their overall applicability to business analysis.

Baselining

I think of baselining as more of a concept or what the BABOK calls an “element,” more than a true technique. Baselining involves establishing a point at which a project or product scope is agreed on, and any future changes should only be made using a change management process. If changes are approved, they are recorded, which creates a new baseline, and the scope is said to be “re-baselined.”

Continue Reading: Task-Specific BABOK Techniques for the CBAP Exam: Part 2

CBAP and CCBA Exam Preparation

Posted: August 26th, 2010 by RichLarson. Comments »

I recently received two emails about certification, one from a customer of ours who purchased our CBAP® Online Study Guide. The other was from a colleague wondering if we planned to offer training for the new IIBA certification, the CCBA™ (Certification of Competency in Business Analysis). Both are good questions and prompted me to share my thoughts with others who might be interested.

Q. Can you please give me some advice on starting my preparation for the CBAP® exam? How did you prepare for it? Where are CBAPs most valued in the world?

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Scenarios and Use Cases – Useful Techniques

Posted: July 9th, 2010 by RichLarson. Comments »

In continuing to cover all 49 BABOK® techniques, this entry is about scenarios/use cases.

UC Diagram-Training Example

Since most people refer to these as use cases, that’s the name I’ll use. They are a great way to elicit, analyze, and model interaction requirements. Plus, they help generate related requirements for interfaces, data, process, and business rules.

I gave a use case training class last week, so it’s fresh in my mind. It also influenced me to put this explanation in question and answer form.

Q. What is a use case?

Continue Reading: Scenarios and Use Cases – Useful Techniques

State Diagrams: They Don’t Just State the Obvious

Posted: June 6th, 2010 by RichLarson. Comments »

In my continuing coverage of BABOK® techniques, I plan to comment on all of the general and task-specific techniques. This week’s entry is about state diagrams, a fairly specific technique you may not be familiar with, but could be a source of CBAP® exam questions. It’s also a practical tool. Hopefully my word puzzle on the right makes sense. Minnesota is a state, plus the word diagram = State Diagram. (Hokey, I know.)

Continue Reading: State Diagrams: They Don’t Just State the Obvious