After a few days of enjoying the scenery of the southern coast, and the fun of whale watching every day, we ventured back to Cape Town. The Southern Right Whales had begun their migration 
up from Antarctica – what a sight!
The local branch of IIBA hosted a presentation on “CBAP/CCBA Application Tips and Tricks.” There were 30 interested, motivated BAs present and asking great questions about their applications and qualifications for the CBAP or in some cases a few CCBAs.
Our visit coincided with the South African chapter of IIBA’s Annual General Meeting. Steve Erlank, our host, is also the President of the chapter, and he gave a lightning-fast review of the past year. They have found it more beneficial to have one national chapter, with satellite chapters in the major cities of Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, etc. They face the same challenges as IIBA chapters around the world – membership, volunteers, meeting locations, etc. We took a photo opp with some of the current and future board members.
Rich here again. In working with CBAP (and now CCBA) candidates, 
I run across people with a variety of motivations for getting their credential. Some people get certified for recognition, others want it for the personal satisfaction or increased stature it brings. And, we all would not mind if the CBAP lead to extra income, and the IIBA has released a study showing that CBAPs earn higher salaries.
In a conversation with a CBAP candidate last week I found out AXA Equitable Insurance recognizes the CBAP as an element in deciding on promotions. She said “For me, it is a critical factor to being promoted in my company. It is a critical step needed for me to move from Senior to Lead BA in a mature BA practicing company.”
There are many reasons to obtain your CBAP or CCBA credential. I’ve given this considerable thought and talked to numerous people about it over the years. There is considerable work in the preparation for it and more than a bit of stress in achieving it. Here are the top five reasons in my opinion for getting your certification, in reverse order.
5. Obtain Better Assignments. I hear more and more stories from CBAPs who tell me about getting more satisfying and higher-profile assignments once they have obtained their CBAP. The numbers this has happened to are split fairly evenly between internal employees and external consultants. For an interesting perspective of one consultant, Brian Hunt, and what the CBAP has meant to him, see his article How CBAP® Helps You Become a Better Consultant.
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.
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®.
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
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?
So, you wanted to get your CBAP certification, right? It is a significant accomplishment, to be sure. As soon as you achieve it, though, you will face a new challenge: maintaining it! Every three years, you must earn 60 CDUs (Continuing Development Units) to keep your certification active. And, as you might expect, the IIBA has another challenging application for you to complete. Just when you thought the CBAP® application was behind you!
Here are some basic facts about re-certification:
• Your CBAP® status must be renewed every 3 years from the anniversary date of earning your initial CBAP®.
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