Application Software Development

I have return.....from my eight month siesta.  No, I have not been in Mexico; so I can guarantee that I do not have the swine flu.  Although Mexico is on my bucket list, I don't believe now is a great time to visit.  I am back and still on my soap box.  What has gotten me back on my soap box are some recent articles and blogs I have read complaining that the International Institute for Business Analysis ® has made the application and recertification process for their Certified Business Analyst Professional (CBAP)® certification too stringent.

I have been and continue to be a strong proponent for IT certifications.  Even since I obtained my CBAP® certification last year the application process has changed.  The exam itself is now based on version 2.0 of the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge (BABOK)®.

I have heard that CBAP® applicants are rejected due to the IIBA® reducing their documented hours for tasks or deliverables that do not qualify as business analysis work.  Such reduction of hours left them short of the 7,500 hour requirement.  Some applicants are unaware of the new 900 hour requirement in four of the six knowledge hours, again leaving them short of the requirement. 

First of all I believe that the application process itself is more rigorous than the exam.  It is part of the whole process of obtaining the certification.  The IIBA® , by putting all applicants through a rigorous review process, protects the value of the certification.  A couple of tips I can give you in applying for the CBAP® certification:

1. Document more than the minimum 7,500 hours of business analysis work.  This ensures that if your hours are reduced in the review process that you will still have enough hours to qualify to sit for the exam.  This goes for total hours as well as hours in each of the knowledge areas.  I personally documented 9,000 hours on my application.
2. Put the language on your application in the wording of the BABOK®.  By putting your work tasks and deliverables in the language of the profession it is less likely that the hours will be discounted in review.
    

Remember that any certification worth getting will not be a give-me.  You will have to work for it.  Any certification worth getting will have a re-certification process, usually just as rigorous as the original application process itself.  In my opinion, the CBAP ® certification and the business analysis profession is what turns IT solutions into IT business solutions.  When it comes to web application development or any business application development projects, the business analyst is as much a valued resource as the project manager.  Business analysis done right can help ensure the success of your IT business solutions projects.