Skip to main content

Tag: Career

5 Characteristics of Effective Business Analysts

Written by Giorgos Sioutzos on . Posted in Articles.

“Business Analyst” is not just a title. Is not a job. It is a mindset, a concept and a structured process executed by people in different positions inside an organization. It’s more like, an approach of making the things happen from the realization of business need towards the final implementation.

It’s easy to call yourself business analyst but difficult to be a good and effective business analyst. The field can be great fun, and very rewarding, but you need to be prepared. People who take on business analysis roles typically believe they need three things: skills and experience, a bit of marketing, and an interest in working in a variety of environments. However successful business analysts know they need much more than a technical expertise and specific skills. They need a mindset and a specific attitude in order to serve with the best possible and feasibly way their clients business needs.

What is expected from business analysts can vary widely. And what they actually need you to do can be completely different from what they expect. Business analysis is an exciting, dynamic form of work. You can have a positive impact on your clients and be well paid for your effort. But you have to be appropriately equipped.

Advertisement

To be an effective and successful business analysis you need to continuously develop some specific characteristics.

The first is technical depth. It’s critical that you have the technical background to satisfy your clients’ needs. This means you have experience in a variety of environments. The more breadth of experience you have in your technical area, the easier it will be to apply your skill as a business analyst.

Second, effective business analysts need to understand quickly and accurately what’s happening in their client’s environment. Your power of observation needs to be well tuned. Being able to listen carefully and patiently, observe the behavior of your clients, and make sense of what is happening is very important.

Third, effective business analyst care about the welfare of their client’s business and the clients themselves. You need to be able to put yourself in your client’s shoes and appreciate the difficulties they may be facing or have faced. While what you do may seem routine to you, it probably isn’t routine for your client. You need to appreciate that fact and behave accordingly.

Another important characteristic is emotional intelligence. Often clients will engage you because they’ve had substantial difficulties. They may have a skill shortage, or they may not be sure how to manage what you’ve been asked to deliver. All these conditions create stress. On top of that, you’ll be striving to learn as much as you can as quickly as you can, so you’ll be under stress as well. Dealing with all that requires personal emotional maturity and the ability to assess and deal with the emotional state of your client.

Also, you have to develop the observation and effective listening as a personal characteristic, make recommendations based on sound business judgment, and be patient. As trust builds, the direction your client provides will likely become more reasonable. Work out your contract. Understand your client’s needs and desires, and establish a good relationship with your contract manager, and you could put on your superhero costume to celebrate your success. Observation helps towards a really robust problem definition statement. So as you look at your problem-solving, and you’re getting ready to start pursuing that initial set of ideas, you need to go through that prioritization and pick the highest value one that’s going to have the biggest impact on your overall solution.

Business analysis is performed on a variety of initiatives within an enterprise. Initiatives may be strategic, tactical, or operational. Business analysis may be performed within the boundaries of a project or throughout enterprise evolution and continuous improvement. No matter their job title or organizational role business analysts are responsible for discovering, synthesizing, and analyzing information in order the best solutions to be derived and the clients’ needs to be accommodated in the best possible way.

Being strategic in your non-strategic business analysis role

Written by Paul Benn on . Posted in Articles.

We typically see business analysts as a tactical resource – eliciting requirements, analysing solution alternatives, determining the best approach for testing, and implementing a solution, defining non-functional requirements, etc.

This largely comes down to how we as a profession have marketed our ourselves.

The more valuable business analyst operates strategically and thinks strategically.

I am not talking about strategic business analysis; I am talking about being strategic. Even if you are a junior business analyst.

Benefit to strategic thinking in a business analyst role:

You can add a lot more value to an employer when you think strategically.

For instance, working through a problem by viewing multiple elements of and making meaningful comparisons allows the business analyst to come up with various options, and solution approaches to the problem.

If you want to take your career and leadership to the next level, you need to develop strategic thinking.

You need to be great at solving problems. You need to influence and lead your stakeholders through your strategic ability to solve these complex problems. The world is changing fast and you need to lead that change while leading people with you.

Advertisement

What does it mean to be a strategic thinker in business analysis?

We have kind of answered it in the introduction above, but let’s look at it in more detail.

We can define strategy as “a plan of action designed to achieve a long-term or overall aim,” – Oxford Dictionary

We define thinking as “the process of considering or reasoning about something….. using thought or rational judgement; intelligent,” – Oxford Dictionary

We define Business Analysis as “Business Analysis is a disciplined approach for introducing and managing change to organisations, whether they are for-profit businesses, governments, or non-profits.” – IIBA

At the intersection of these three, I believe we find the purpose of strategic thinking in business analysis. Above, I have highlighted the keywords that I believe help us understand strategic thinking in business analysis.

A strategic business analyst “introduces change to an organisation through consideration of organisational problems and opportunities identified, apply intelligent reasoning and rational judgement to the information available, analysing different factors or variables, to help the organisation not only identify the change but also manage the change, through a plan of action to achieve a future aim.”

Having this holistic view of what makes up strategic thinking in a business analysis role also helps us have a strategic thinking framework in our work.

This graphic I developed, using the three definitions above, help us define some framework for strategic thinking.

Element 1: We apply reasoning to business analysis work to determine the current and future state. Identify the gaps between the two and determine the change strategy and how it needs to be managed.

This is represented by the Business Analyst and Thinking circles intersection.

How do we do this?

There are three things we can do here to apply reasoning and judgement

  1. We use what we know about the organisation’s capabilities, resources, objectives, the environment within which the organisation operates, identify change and the impact of the change.
  2. We use the knowledge we have, the understanding of the organisational capabilities, the environment and other relevant information to guide stakeholders with expert reasoning and judgement.
  3. As business analysts, we can apply our judgement and reasoning to determine what that value is and maximise the value an organisation can get out of a change initiative. We help the business rationalise the reason for change, and that if it is worth the value to be gained.

Element 2: We apply reasoning to the strategy objectives (the intersection of the bottom circles)

If you think about the BABOK describes as defining the future state

“defines goals and objectives that will demonstrate that the business need has been satisfied and defines what parts of the enterprise need to change in order to meet those goals and objectives”

Thinking strategically is in your role is about applying your reasoning and judgement to the desired change and to identify what areas of the organisation are affected and how. Having a systems thinking that looks across all the following areas:

  • Business processes,
  • Functions within departments and systems,
  • Functional areas and the interdependencies between them,
  • Changes to the organisation structure,
  • Staff competencies and the training/reskilling required,
  • Knowledge and skills required in the organisation,
  • Resources needed,
  • Tools used within the organisation,
  • The current and future locations of the organisation,
  • Data and information – what data is required and what the flow is,
  • Application systems needed, or enhancements to current ones,
  • Technology infrastructure to host the systems.

Element 3: The last element that is found at the intersection of Business Analyst and the Strategy circles in the diagram.

The BABOK refers to identifying the transition states that address or ensure the change progresses. As a business analyst, we manage that change. This is not project management, but we certainly have a lot to do with helping to identify the things to manage the change in an orderly manner that adds value to the organisation.

The BABOK says that as business analysts we:

“enable the enterprise to address that need, and align the resulting strategy for the change with higher- and lower-level strategies,”

Managing the change, for me, is about ensuring that we have done all that is possible to not only identify the change, but how that change is going to happen and that we have thought through how this all works together to achieve a common aim. This means I apply my capabilities and thinking to ensure that:

  • I help the organisation have outside in view of what is happening. This helps us, and stakeholders, to make rational decisions based on facts and not on assumptions.
  • Provide an objective view of what is happening based on sound research and data. So, for instance, I might look at market movement, other industries, competitors, the economy etc and use data to predict future trends.
  • Help stakeholders decide which route is best for the organisation and which changes will have most favourable outcomes in terms of value.
  • To ensure the change strategy remains on track, a business analyst would have identified the major decision makers needed. Maybe even predict where each stakeholder is needed along each of the transition states.
  • A business analyst defines and communicates the desired future state. Ensuring everyone is aligned with the desired change strategy.
  • Sometimes organisations don’t know what they want. A good business analyst can work in extreme cases of uncertainty to steer their organisation to more certainty about what their needs are.
  • A business analyst also needs to know how the change is going to happen, know each moving part, and how they will contribute to implementing the new future state. They create a clear, actionable plan that makes sense to everyone.

The original article, Using Strategic Thinking in a Business Analyst Role, goes on to explore the 7 habits to develop to aid your strategic thinking capability.

9 Skills Every Business Analyst Needs To Succeed

Written by Justin Osborne on . Posted in Articles.

Businesses don’t often run 100% smoothly. Irrespective of the sector, there will always be challenges and obstacles to overcome on the road to success. However, many organizations have the strength to pull through because they have results-driven and ambitious business analysts. Organizations that employ the services of a good business analyst are likely to succeed. So, what are the skills that distinguish a good business analyst and help them succeed? According to essay help, here are nine important skills that business analysts need.

1.Data analytics skills

This is an important skill, especially given the rise of big data today. More information about customers means that businesses can offer more value, and make smarter, well-informed decisions. Therefore, a business analyst must have the ability to visualize data, use the gathered information, and provide value for the company and its customers.

2. IT Skills

While this is not a crucial skill, it helps the business analyst stand out, especially if they can translate business requirements to technical system requirements and help the organization design their in-house solutions.

Technical lines are not as straightforward as they used to be, so business analysts need to understand the organization’s position in their system and development cycle. This closes the communication gap between the development team and stakeholders.

Advertisement
3. Financial planning skills

There are several factors caused by the effect of COVID-19 that’s causing changes that affect businesses. These factors mean that organizations have fewer resources to work with, more work to do, and changes to adapt to while also trying to meet their targets. Although there was a thick line between financial skills and technical skills, that line has eroded now. So, it is no longer the case that business analysts only have the technical abilities without financial skills to back it. The vulnerable situation of businesses following the pandemic makes it more critical for a business analyst to be vast with financial dealings. Important financial knowledge is budgeting, gap analysis, and cost-benefit analysis.

4. Organizational skills

Three organizational skills necessary for business analysts are goal setting, project management, and time management skills. Now that businesses have more data to work with and have stricter deadlines to meet up with, it has become necessary that business analysts look for ways to manage and use this data effectively.

Business analysts now have more to deal with than ever as they are involved in handling the company’s priorities. Having organizational skills puts them in an excellent position to do their work better.

5. Decision-making skills

This skill is as essential as the organizational skill itself. All good business analysts support businesses to implement the right kind of change to take the organization forward. In addition, as stated on the uk.bestessays.com platform, the close connection between business data and business analysts across different departments means that business analysts are more involved and have more influence in the organization’s decision-making process. This makes sense given their insight into the business, their competitors, and their target audience.

6. Problem-solving skills

The pandemic served as a wake-up call for many businesses about the need to be proactive. Now organizations seek business analysts with good problem-solving skills that are proactive rather than reactive. Now business analysts must anticipate problems, look for ways to reduce the possibility or risk of the issue occurring, and ensure that the organization is resilient and has continuity. This means that analytical thinking is critical, and business analysts must analyze both opportunities and problems effectively for the organization.

7. Managerial skills

Customer-centricity is a rising trend in many industries. This has made it essential for business analysts to have managerial skills as they take on more leadership roles than before. If businesses don’t back their changes with people, they won’t see the result. So, business analysts now have the responsibility to implement the changes in the company from the employee level for more results. This means that business analysts have to develop motivation, planning, teamwork, and collaborative work skills.

8. Communication skills

It is a known fact that every business analyst needs to have good communication skills, which has not changed. It has become even more critical as business analysts are included more in the running of the organization. So, communication has become more crucial.

These days, business analysts are required to be very versatile to understand the language of all departments. Critical and essential skills are digital communication, verbal and non-verbal, emotional intelligence, active listening, and negotiation skills.

9. Business process modeling

This allows business analysts to excel in building, designing, tracking, implementing, adapting, and improving business processes. These processes are a big part of the work of business analysts.

Conclusion 

The work of a business analyst has become more critical than ever in today’s business world. Business analysts are forced to adapt to the different ongoing changes and to help companies progress. Therefore, they need an improved skill set. Some of the skills necessary for business analysts to succeed are discussed in this article.

Time to Prune Your Social Media History

Written by Hans Eckman on . Posted in Articles.

Every week we hear about someone who has an embarrassing social post come back to haunt them. Even worse, this can lead to a loss of employment or being “canceled”. You need to actively manage your social image and reputation at all times. Wait! We have freedom of speech! Yes, but that does not mean freedom from accountability, judgment, and consequences. It’s up to you to set your risk tolerance. Here is guidance to help you decide and better manage your image.

Risks and considerations for having an expanded social presence

As I watched more and more people having to explain, delete, and apologize for past posts, I spent time considering my social trail, goals, and risk I was willing to take. Several major insights occurred to me:

  1. No one goes back to really old posts or sees what you like unless they are looking for someone specific or seeing who you are. When was the last time you scrolled through posts from 2 years ago?!
    1. Delete all old messages that do not have lasting value.
  2. What is acceptable now may be Cancelled in the future or understood under a different context. Imagine I posted about taking my niece to the zoo and how much fun we had. 10 years from now, what if zoos are considered horrible places of the past that unfairly incarcerated animals? There is such a limited value to having that post 10 years from now, that’s it’s just better to make it a point in time and delete it.
  3. Match your message and purpose with your platform: Social platforms are not a good place to sway opinions. I decided to focus on each location with how I could best reach my goal.
    1. LinkedIn – Professional image and content related to my current purpose and focus. Keep content timeless and safe to minimize professional risk. Don’t worry about history.
    2. Twitter – Pint in time notifications or very short updates. Delete all Tweets older than 30 days.
    3. Facebook personal account – Minimize personal account and lock everything down. Delete all posts after 1-3 weeks except for a few that are relevant to my public background or profile. Remove all tags to avoid conflict with comments or content changes later.
    4. Facebook Eckman Guides business page – Use as an extension of LinkedIn for professional posts, updates, and article sharing. Follow the same posting guidelines as LinkedIn.
    5. YouTube personal account – Get private except for low-risk videos I’m willing to have as public. (animal and dash camera videos)
    6. YouTube Eckman Guides – Use as an extension of LinkedIn for video content including presentation videos, podcasts, and topical playlists.
    7. Instagram – Use for professional photography sharing later. Minimize social interaction (likes, shares, comments).
    8. TikTok (or platform of the moment) – Just say no! Privacy risks are not worth it. This platform is not relevant to my content and purpose.
    9. Personal/Professional website – Use as primary professional marketing website and archive for support content, guides, presentations, videos, and recommendations.

 

Advertisement

Advantages of having an expanded social presence

  1. It’s required if you want to be an influencer – If this is your path, decide on your boundaries ahead of time and manually curate your content as needed.
    Advice: Develop a risk mitigation plan in case your posts or content draw negative attention. Delete and apologize is NOT enough of a strategy.
  2. You need views and likes to qualify for advertising standards – Deleting your history reduces your social influence and ability to hit advertising requirements.
    Advice: Define your goal and risk tolerance. Create guidelines for long-term content.
  3. Reaching a broader audience – You may reach more viewers and followers with a wider net.
    Identify your audience who benefits from your core value.
  4. Additional views – For some content, especially videos and podcasts, the majority of your views could come weeks or months later as more people discover your channel.
    Advice: Decide what is core to your message and keep that content until your purpose changes or the content is stale.

Tools to streamline social media management

Trying to manage your content and history manually can be time-consuming and difficult. Fortunately, tools are available to make it a little easier. I’m sure there are others or new ones since this article was written, but hopefully, this will help get you started. Note, I’m not endorsing any of these tools or articles, just saving you search time.

10 deadly failure traps to watch out for during your IIBA exam preparation

Written by Ananya Pani on . Posted in Articles.

Business analysis has been identified as a key discipline in organizations across the globe. Business analysts enable the enterprise to articulate its needs, the rationale for change, and design and describe solutions that deliver value. Business analysis can be performed in a project or across the enterprise. It is used to understand the current state, define the future state and determine activities required for the transition.

This skill has been in great demand and seeing a significant growth pattern for the last few years and has been identified as the hot skill to acquire by LinkedIn Learning and the US Bureau of Labor statistics.

The BA profession is one of the fastest-growing occupations. Between 2014-2014* a 14% industry growth has been projected. BA career prospects growing are very promising.

*Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics

However, many times we business analysts get caught up in our daily job. They perform only one part of this dynamic role over the years, keeping ourselves away from the practices/techniques beyond our organizational boundary. It is critical to get a holistic view of the profession and be skilled in the tools and techniques practiced across the industry to climb the career ladder and reach greater heights.

Industry certifications such as IIBA are proven ways to get oneself established in the industry and achieve much-aspired growth in the profession in terms of skill, visibility, personal branding, career growth, to name a few. In fact, it opens a myriad of opportunities for a business analysis professional.

This article is meant for those wishing to achieve IIBA certification on the first attempt without falling for the deadly failure traps.

The article will discuss:

  1. Strategy to ace the IIBA certification exam
    1. Choosing the certification to pursue
    2. How to come up with a perfect study plan for yourself
    3. Preparing with the best resources
    4. Choosing the right Mentor
    5. Putting up your application without breaking your head
    6. Preparing yourself with the right tools of exam simulators
    7. Learning the best tips to handle exam anxiety
    8. Getting the infrastructure set up to ensure a seamless exam experience
  1. The most common failure traps that many exam takers have stumbled on
    1. Memorizing BABoK instead of understanding the flow and the terminologies
    2. Relying too much on one’s experience as a BA
  • Lack of proper understanding of BABoK terminologies and expectation
  1. Not preparing with the right resources, right model questions, and simulators for practice
  2. Expecting direct questions from BABoK
  3. Poor time management
  • Exam anxiety / Getting stressed
  • Underestimating the exam complexity
  1. Inadequate preparation
  2. Getting stressed based on the initial difficulty level of questions

 

Advertisement

Strategy to ace the IIBA certification exam

  • Choosing the certification to pursue

If you are looking at making your foundation strong in the Business Analysis role and want to be a distinguished BA, you should get formally trained, skilled, and certified in IIBA certifications.

IIBA Certifications are the most desirable BA certifications for business analysts to excel in their careers.

IIBA has three core business analysis certifications: ECBA, CCBA, and CBAP, and 4 specialized certifications, AAC, CBDA, CCA, and CPOA.

The core certifications have been around for a while. They have gained popularity as they focus on business analysis skills and techniques. They also have some eligibility criteria set by IIBA for professionals to qualify to take up the exam.

Here is a basic guide to help evaluate which certification should you be pursuing:

  • Beginners/newbies, college grads, and anyone looking to start a BA career or transition to a BA career should pursue ECBA.
  • Professionals with 2.5+ years of BA work experience in the last 7 years of work history should pursue CCBA.
  • Professionals with 5+ years of BA work experience in the last 10 years should pursue CBAP.

Many times, one may not be a designated BA but may be performing the responsibilities of a BA; some of those roles are (but are not limited to)

  • ERP Implementation
  • Product implementation
  • Process mapping and improvement
  • Change management consultant
  • Functional consultant

The biggest myth around IIBA certifications is one must complete the lower-level certifications before moving to the higher one.

You can go to any level without going through the previous ones as well.

 

How to come up with a perfect study plan for yourself

  • Plan 1 hour of study per day or 6 -8 hours of study per week
  • Plan your study based on the kind of a learner you are, e.g., auditory, visual, kinesthetic, or reading writing
  • An expert/instructor-led class may be the best to start with, followed by studying the concepts from the BABoK/KAs. The expert provides a simpler way of interpreting BABoK and underlying concepts, making it easy to understand and follow.
  • Do self-study of the knowledge areas, one by one, followed by quizzes or questions based on each knowledge area, to test your understanding.
  • Take practice exam question
  • Timeline
    • Training Sessions: 1 week (Fast track) /4 – 8 weeks (staggered class)
    • BABoK study guide: 2 – 3 weeks
    • BABoK reading: 2- 3 weeks
    • Flashcard, Video & Audio learning (optional): 2-3 weeks
    • Quizzes
  • Chapter-wise tests: 4 weeks
  • Revising the areas where you faltered: 1- 2 weeks
  • Revise study guide and key concepts: 1-2 weeks
  • Simulation exam: 2- 3 weeks

 

  • Preparing with the best resources

Though BABoK is the ultimate guide that one needs to prepare for the IIBA core certifications, the book’s sheer size makes it very intimidating. A foolproof plan for preparation should include additional study material to help absorb the main concepts of the BABoK.

A good step is to get hold of a good BABoK Study Guide from an IIBA endorsed training provider, along with other curated content like question banks, exam simulators, exam tips & prep plans, video & audio learning, etc.

Crisp and curated study content will reduce your study time and help you prepare in a more structured manner.

Additive’s best-selling free eBook, 200 IIBA® Exam Prep Questions, is an amazing resource to accelerate your journey towards becoming a highly paid and sought-after IIBA certified business analyst. Utilized by 1000s of BA professionals globally, this book has everything you MUST know to ace your IIBA Exams along with 200 IIBA sample questions!

  • Choosing the right Mentor

A crucial part of the IIBA certification exam preparation is that you should choose the right Mentor. A mentor is usually an IIBA certified trainer/coach who is an expert in the business analysis domain. Make sure that your trainer has not only gone through the rigorous IIBA exams and aced it but also knows what it takes to crack them.

Having someone qualified to guide you through the certification exam preparation can make the entire process less daunting. The help that your Mentor can provide in decoding BABoK is priceless not only for your IIBA exams but also to become a high performing BA and stand out in your BA job.

  • Putting up your application without breaking your head

The application for the IIBA certification exams can be filed through the IIBA website. The Handbook- core-ba-certification-handbook.pdf (IIBA®.org), gives the detailed steps on filling the application form.

Adaptive US offers an Application Simulator as a part of its Certification Prep Training, that takes care of all the requirements from IIBA for the certification exams.

  • Preparing yourself with the right tools – Exam Simulators

A good set of simulation questions prepares you for the various kind of questions that you will face in the actual exam.

Go through the explanations given for the answers during the test. They will help you in assessing your strengths and weaknesses. Study the areas that you have faltered in once more.

Remember, these simulation practice tests give you the most accurate feedback on your exam readiness. They let you know how well you have understood the BABoK and able to apply it in a given case or a scenario. This gives you extremely valuable knowledge to apply in your BA job as well, where you need to put your concepts/techniques to use.

You can consider yourself ready for the exam once you consistently score over 80% in each knowledge area of your simulation exams.

  • Learning the best tips to handle exam anxiety

For BA professionals who have most probably not written any exam for quite some time, maybe decades, the thought of writing an exam can be pretty stressful. While it is quite normal to be a little nervous about giving an exam, you should not allow exam anxiety to be debilitating.

Some tips for handling your exam anxieties:

  • Eat healthily and exercise regularly
  • Get plenty of sleep
  • Learn relaxation techniques
  • Have a positive mental attitude
  • Keep to a regular and structured study routine
  • Do not feel anxious about the ‘Inadequate Preparation’ feeling
  • Take an adequate number of practice exams. Once you score well on these exams, the anxiety level should reduce.

 

  • Getting the infrastructure set up to ensure a seamless exam experience

The IIBA exams are now available online. This is an excellent step from IIBA as it allows BAs around the globe to appear for the exams and allow them the ease of giving the exam from the comfort of their homes.

The exams are now live and remotely proctored, requiring a desktop or laptop, a good internet connection, a working webcam, and a microphone.

The infrastructure requirements that you need to ensure-

  • Your identity proof copy
  • Make sure that you have the hardware required for the exam.
  • The online proctored exam is dependent on the Internet connectivity, firewalls, VPN, and camera quality. Make sure that these are of good quality and functional.
  • Perform the compatibility test on the scheduling website- https://home.psiexams.com/#/home. This will ensure that there are no kinks during your exam time.

The blog Ground Rules for IIBA Online Examinations gives you a detailed view of all the infrastructure requirements and the rules for the IIBA certification exam.

 

The most common failure traps that many exam takers have stumbled on

  • Memorizing BABoK instead of understanding the flow and the terminologies

IIBA exams like CBAP and CCBA are competency-based. To answer the IIBA exam questions, you need to understand the concepts in BABoK and their application, rather than memorizing the book. You need to understand the tasks, techniques well, and their relationship with each other. Though it is useful to commit some of the concepts in BABoK to memory, you cannot answer the questions by rote.

  • Relying too much on one’s experience as a BA

The answers to the IIBA certification exam questions are based on the concepts, tasks, techniques and definitions of BABoK rather than your individual experience as a BA. Instead of using your work experience to answer the questions, you need to apply the concepts from BABoK to the real world and then answer the questions. The inability to correlate the knowledge of BABoK can be detrimental to your exam performance.

  • Lack of proper understanding of BABoK terminologies and expectation

IIBA exams like ECBA are knowledge-based, and thus, you need to know the terminologies to answer the questions correctly. In the higher-level exams, there may be terms from BABoK that are not generally used in your organization. It is essential to know the terms used in BABoK and relate them to the terms used in your organization. Therefore, you need to familiarize yourself with the terms used in BABoK to pass the exam.

A good BABoK Glossary explaining the various terms is a very helpful and valuable resource.

  • Not preparing with the right resources, right model questions, and simulators for practice

If the learning material, practice questions, and simulators you are using are not adequate or based on BABoK, it will be challenging to clear the exam.

Attending an IIBA Certification training course will help not only with the resources required to prepare for the certification exam but will also help you identify the study methods that work best for you.

You can attend the live Interactive Exam Tips Webinar with Adaptive experts and ensure your chances of passing the exams on your first attempt

  • Expecting direct questions from BABoK

Another reason why many people fail to clear the exam is that they expect direct questions from BABoK. Exams like CCBA and CBAP have no direct questions. The questions are lengthy and complex.

  • Poor time management

Time management is the key skill to cracking the IIBA certification exams. There have been cases where people have struggled to complete the exam. Several of our past students have told us that they could finish the exam just in time.

Some questions, like case-based or mathematical questions, require more time than the others, so it is essential to keep track of the time you spend on each question.

You should formulate a clear time management strategy that will help you optimize your time during the exam.

  • Exam anxiety / Getting stressed

Exam anxiety has the power to wreck weeks and months of hard work and preparation. There are several strategies, as discussed earlier in this blog, that can help reduce exam anxiety. Practice those steps diligently to be stress-free on your exam day.Exam anxiety / Getting stressed

  • Underestimating the exam complexity

Sometimes professionals with ample BA experience feel that their experience will help them sail through the IIBA exam like a cakewalk.

Underestimating the exam, its difficulty, and becoming complacent are some of the main reasons for failure in the IIBA exams. You need to remember that though BA experience is important and it helps, that is not the only thing required to become successful in the exam. To achieve your certification goal, you need to dedicate time to read through and prepare from BABoK and apply the concepts learned to answer the questions.

  • Inadequate preparation

Some of the reasons why the exam preparation is not adequate are-

  • Going for the exam too soon- If you are unsure of your preparation level, wait until you are comfortable with BABoK and then submit your application.
  • Inadequate preparation time- IIBA exam needs a dedicated amount of study time. If you do not devote adequate time to study, it is more likely than not that you will be unsuccessful in passing the exam.
  • Not being guided by the right Mentor/ Coach
  • Not attending a proper IIBA certification training under an EEP (highly recommended by IIBA)- Statistics have proven that people who attend a prep course tend to have a higher chance of achieving their goal.
  • Inadequate question preparation- It is well known that practice makes a person perfect. Thus, it is imperative to practice as many sample exam questions as possible. Simulation tests help you understand the level of complexity of the questions you will face during the exam.

 

Getting stressed based on the initial difficulty level of questions

Many exams follow the approach where intentionally, the initial questions are tougher. This is done to test the candidate’s mental strength, confidence level, and ability to handle complex tasks.

Keep your cool, and don’t get flustered, as the stress will negatively affect your performance.

This will help you chalk out your certification path that will lead to success in completing your IIBA certification goal. The above strategies and common mistakes will definitely the points you want to make sure to follow and ace your IIBA exam on the first attempt.

DON’T FORGET TO DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE COPY OF EBOOK OF 200 IIBA EXAM QUESTIONS TODAY!