I’ve been waiting for this for a long time, but it finally became true: the IIBA just announced the intermediate CBAP certification, call the Certfication of Competency in Business Analysis (CCBA). My feeling is that certification will become more interesting for BAs, especially those like me who have not cumulated 7,500h of business analysis work; the requirements for the CCBA will be at 3,750h, which is probably about 2 to 4 years working as a BA.
The CCBA will also help to increase awareness about the IIBA and the CBAP certification itself, as it will become accessible to experts around the world, without reducing the value of the CBAP itself.
All the details are in the June edition of the BA Connection. For non-IIBA members, I give myself the permission to copy the announcement here (hoping that you will rush to the IIBA website to register after reading it 
).
Certification Program Update
By Suzanne Bertschi, Certification Product Manager
Introducing the Certification of Competency in Business Analysis™ (CCBA™)
International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA) is pleased to announce a new business analysis certification. The Certification of Competency in Business Analysis™ (CCBA™) is an intermediate level designation that will launch by the end of 2010.
IIBA® has long recognized the need for an intermediate business analysis certification in the business community. Previously, a business analyst had to wait until they had 7500 hours (approximately five years) of work experience before they could apply for and achieve the Certified Business Analysis Professional™ (CBAP®) designation which could take up to 10 years to accumulate. This has been an issue for many business analysts—while they need BA experience to earn the CBAP® designation, many employers are looking for opportunities for their business analysts to seek certification.
Now, BAs can earn a certification earlier in their career, which will help to expand the opportunities available to them in their chosen field. To earn the CCBA™ designation, a BA will need to be knowledgeable in all six BABOK® Guide knowledge areas, with proficiency in at least two. BAs at this level are in the process of developing business analysis skills and expertise, and apply business analysis to smaller scope and less complex tasks.
Organizations that employ CCBA™ recipients will benefit by being able to demonstrate to customers, competitors, suppliers, staff and investors that the company uses and applies industry-respected standards for business analysis. Individuals who earn the CCBA™ designation will realize the following benefits:
Recognition for investing in their BA career
Personal satisfaction of accomplishing a career milestone
Improvement in the overall performance of their job
Expansion of career opportunities
The process of achieving and maintaining the certification also helps to ensure the BA is continually improving and refining their BA skills. Here are the details about the application requirements for the CCBA™ designation:
- Minimum 3750 hours of BA work, aligned with the BABOK® Guide, in the last seven years
- Minimum 900 hours in 2 of the 6 knowledge areas or 500 hours in 4 of the 6 knowledge areas
- Minimum 21 hours of Professional Development
- Minimum high school education or equivalent
- Two references from a career manager, client or CBAP® recipient
- Signed Code of Conduct
The cost for CCBA™ certification is as follows:
- Application fee: $125USD (non-refundable)
- Exam fee (for those approved to sit for the exam): $325USD for IIBA members and $450USD for non-members
The application is scheduled to launch by the end of 2010, with the launch of the exam in January 2011. The CCBA™ designation expires five years from the certification date, and the recipient must then reapply and take the exam again, or they can choose to apply for the CBAP® designation.
Role Delineation Committee and CCBA™ Item Writing Volunteer Opportunities
We’ve had a number of CBAP® recipients email us with their interest in volunteering either on the Role Delineation Committee or on the CCBA™ Item Writing Team – thank you for your interest! At the end of May, we replied to everyone who applied letting them know their status. If you have not heard back from us, please email certification@theiiba.org.
Now that we have these teams in place, stay tuned for more updates on their progress in our monthly newsletter.
