Certification FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions: Certification
The most commonly asked questions about certification. This includes ECBA™, CCBA™, CBAP™, IIBA®-CBDA, IIBA®-AAC, IIBA®-CCA, and IIBA®-CPOA.
Questions
- How can I prepare for the exam?
- What are the benefits of attending study groups for IIBA® Certifications preparation?
- What is the main goal of the study groups?
- Who should attend study groups?
- Do I need to be a member of IIBA to apply for certification or to recertify?
- What are the eligibility requirements for ECBA™, CCBA®, CBAP®?
- What are the eligibility requirements for AAC, CBDA, CCA and CPOA?
- For ECBA, what qualifies towards the Professional Development requirement?
- For CCBA and CBAP, what qualifies towards the Professional Development requirement?
- Are Professional Development hours (or Contact Hours in the application), the same as Professional Development Units (PDUs)?
- Will IIBA verify professional development or work experience?
- How many references do I need, and what conditions do they need to meet?
- How do I apply and enter the hours for an application?
- After I submit my application how long will I have to wait to find out if I am approved to sit for the exam?
- What if I am selected for an audit?
- How do I recertify and what happens if I do not recertify?
- When I submit my recertification application, do I also have to include documents that verify the activities for my Continuing Development Units (CDUs)?
- How do I request a recertification extension for an extenuating circumstance?
How can I prepare for the exam?
To prepare for the exam please refer to the BABOK® Guide and the references identified. The exam is also based on experience. You may also want to look at the Endorsed Education Providers (EEPTM) listing for any additional training you may require.
What are the benefits of attending study groups for IIBA® Certifications preparation?
There are many benefits of attending and participating in study group sessions. Some of the benefits are: learning faster, filling gaps by comparing knowledge with others, answering other members’ questions, learning new perspectives, moving faster through materials, following a schedule, or interacting with other members.
What is the main goal of the study groups?
Study group sessions are intended to support Business Analysts in preparation for ECBA™ | CCBA® | CBAP® certification.
Who should attend study groups?
Study Groups are mainly held for Business Analysts who have been successful in the application process and are waiting to write the exam, for those wanting to learn more of what a business analysis is or those still working towards satisfying the requirements so they may submit their ECBA™ | CCBA® | CBAP® application. It is important that everyone reviews the material before each session. For more information, read the upcoming study group description under Chapter Events.
Do I need to be a member of IIBA to apply for certification or to recertify?
No, you do not need to be an IIBA member to apply for certification.
There are many benefits to IIBA membership. These include, but are not limited to, discounted certification exam fees, discounted recertification fees, a free PDF copy of the BABOK® Guide, and much more.
What are the eligibility requirements for ECBA™, CCBA®, CBAP®?
Refer to the certification pages for ECBA, CCBA, CBAP for the eligibility requirements.
What are the eligibility requirements for AAC, CBDA, CCA and CPOA?
Refer to the certification pages for the AAC, CBDA, CCA and CPOA requirements.
For ECBA, what qualifies towards the Professional Development requirement?
Professional Development (PD) refers to training and/or education that will assist you in further developing your skills and/or knowledge for a given area. ECBA professional development can consist of any of the following activities:
- Classroom and online courses (e.g. EEP endorsed courses )
- Webinars - live or recorded (e.g. IIBA Webinars)
- Conference track sessions, tutorials, keynotes & workshops
- Chapter events (i.e. presentations, study groups, workshops, conference days)
- Self -directed learning (i.e. reading/reviewing the BABOK® Guide v3.0)
For CCBA and CBAP, what qualifies towards the Professional Development requirement?
For a course to qualify towards the Professional Development requirement, it must meet the following criteria:
- It must be moderated/facilitated similar to a formal course (i.e., there must be a moderator for the session, or a facilitator/instructor who leads the group/individual through the material).
- There must be a measurable learning objective (or set of objectives), and those must be directly applicable to the role of the business analyst (i.e., in terms of either changing behavior or improving skills).
- It cannot simply be a presentation on a specific topic.
- There must be the opportunity for students to interact with the material (e.g., be able to ask questions, make the learning meaningful).
- An opportunity to practice the task or objective being presented and, be assessed by the facilitator/moderator.
- The subject matter must be directly aligned with the BABOK® Guide.
- To qualify, courses must also be completed by the application submitted date and have a start date within the last four years from the application submitted date.
To verify if any courses already taken are a part of our program, you can perform a search on our website from within the Endorsed Education and Training Provider section.
Are Professional Development hours (or Contact Hours in the application), the same as Professional Development Units (PDUs)?
IIBA does not use or refer to Professional Development Units (PDUs) instead, we use the term Professional Development hours (or PD hours). When applying online, you enter in your professional development hours in the Contact Hours field. Please note: 1 hour of Professional Development = 1 Contact Hour.
Will IIBA verify professional development or work experience?
Applicants and recipients may be randomly selected for audit to validate work experience, professional development and other information provided when they apply and/or recertify.
How many references do I need, and what conditions do they need to meet?
To complete the application, you must enter, into your application, two references: either a career manager, client (internal or external), or CBAP® recipient. IIBA will only ask for endorsement from your references if your application is selected for a random audit. If your application is selected for a random audit, it is the applicant’s responsibility to do any necessary follow-up to ensure that the references reply to IIBA in a timely fashion.
These references must meet the following conditions:
- At least one of the references must be a current contact.
- All references must have known the applicant for at least six months.
- A career manager is defined by IIBA as the person who is responsible for providing and preparing the applicant’s annual performance review.
- Project managers cannot be references unless they are also the applicant’s career manager. The reference form must clearly indicate they fill both roles or the reference will not qualify.
Please review the Core Certification Handbook for details and for access to the specific process documents.
For ECBA: See Handbook under section 3.0 Certification Process, ECBA Application Process.
For CCBA and CBAP: See Handbook under section 3.0 Certification Process, CCBA and CBAP Application Process.
After I submit my application how long will I have to wait to find out if I am approved to sit for the exam?
Applications are assessed immediately upon submission. You will not be able to submit your application unless you have met all the eligibility requirements. Once your online application shows that all requirements have been met, you will be able to submit your application. You will immediately receive an email stating that you are either approved OR approved pending audit. If you are approved, the e-mail will contain instructions on paying the exam fee so you can schedule it.
What if I am selected for an audit?
Random application audits are performed for all levels of the core business analysis certification program. Audits include validating the work experience, professional development and references submitted in your application.
If your application notice is "approved pending audit", this means your application will be audited within one month.
Applicants may receive a request to validate any information on their application form. It is the applicant’s responsibility to obtain and provide verification of any statements made within their application. Timing of the audit is dependant on responses from references.
If your audit is not passed, the reason will be communicated to you via email and your application will not be approved. All fees paid will be forfeited. You may reapply only after you have remedied the reasons for the audit not passing. You may also appeal the Certification Body’s decision to fail the audit of the application by e-mailing certification@iiba.org.
How do I recertify and what happens if I do not recertify?
Please refer to the Recertification Handbook for details about your certification:
When you submit your recertification application, you are not required to provide documents that verify your CDUs. In the event that your recertification application is selected for audit, you are required to provide proof at that time. As a result, we recommend you keep a copy of the supporting documentation for all CDUs claimed for 12 months. A list of the required supporting documentation and acceptable formats can be viewed in the Recertification Handbooks under Audits and Audit Documentation.
How do I request a recertification extension for an extenuating circumstance?
Recertification extensions can only be requested for extenuating circumstances. An extenuating circumstance is an event or hardship that would prevent you from completing your recertification. To request an extension, please visit the Extenuating Circumstance Policy page.
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