PMI-PBA Business Analyst Certification
PMI launched the internationally recognised Professional in Business Analysis (PMI-PBA) qualification in 2014, which certifies that the qualified person is able to manage needs at a professional level before, during and after projects. The number of certified individuals has doubled every year internationally, which is a highly recognised qualification alongside the PMP qualification. It is typical of PMI to update the subject matter behind the certifications every 3-4 years in line with current and upcoming market trends. They are doing so again this year, which will see the exam change from 25 June 2018, and in our post we highlight these changes.
The learning material
The knowledge required to pass the exam was previously covered in the Business Analysis for practitioners practice guide, which presented the techniques and processes required in business analysis through domains. In 2017, The PMI Guide to Business Analysis was published, which describes the knowledge required for the modified exam. The most important change is that instead of domains, the processes are now defined by knowledge areas (Needs assessment, Stakeholder engagement, Elicitation, Analysis, Traceability & monitoring, Solution evaluation) and process groups (Defining and aligning, Initiating, Planning, Executing, Monitoring & Controlling, Releasing), fully aligned with the PMBOK Guide. The BA matrix thus presents the BA activity through 35 processes, which can make the daily work of business analysts, project managers or even process managers easier and more efficient. A further change is that the material also covers the applicability in agile and traditional frameworks.
Main content elements of knowledge areas:
- Needs assessment - Defining and understanding a business problem or opportunity; assessing and defining current and future state; supporting the development of a product roadmap; preparing a business plan; supporting the creation of a charter
- Stakeholder engagement - Stakeholder identification and analysis; BA planning; transition preparation; stakeholder engagement and communication management; BA performance evaluation
- Elicitation - preparing and carrying out needs assessments; validating results
- Analysis - Requirements development and analysis; acceptance criteria definition; requirements validation and prioritisation; product risk management
- Traceability & monitoring - Identifying dependencies and relationships between requirements; selecting requirements; managing change
- Solution evaluation - Evaluation and back-testing; handling errors; validation of sharpening
Designabc