Do You Really Need a Business Analyst Certification?

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Business analysts play an important part in any IT project. They serve as the interaction point between the business users and the technical teams. For many roles in the IT industry, getting a certification is useful and a great way to get started. However, is business analysis the same? Do you need a business analyst certification to get started? Read on to find out more.

Less Demand for Business Analyst Certifications

There seems to be less demand for certifications in the business analyst field. A search on many job sites will show less results for the relevant business analyst certification than other fields, such as project management.

What Business Analyst Certifications Are There?

There are actually some business analyst certifications available in the industry. Any Google search or any investigation into the topic will usually lead you to the IIBA website. They offer two main certifications – the CCBA and the CBAP.

Certification of Competency in Business Analysis (CCBA)

The CCBA is for those who wish to be recognized as a business analyst. It’s the more junior certification of the two. It asks for experience in the business analyst field – but it’s not just a suggestion. The criteria for this certification needs to be met and it involves a certain number of hours in different knowledge areas, a high school education, and references from career managers.

Certified Business Analyst Professional (CBAP)

This certification is targeted to the more senior members of the business analyst community. Experience requirements are also needed, which are higher than the CBAP, and involve certain hours of experience in subject areas, high school education and career manager references.

There are some other certifications for business analyst, but essentially the two from IIBA are the most widely recognized. This brings us to the next question…

Should I Get A Business Analyst Certification?

Which certification should I get? How can I get started in business analysis? How did you start?

You don’t need a certification to get a role as a business analyst. Many of the BA’s I know have started from a technical background with no BA experience (developers, testers, etc.) and moved into the business analyst role from their own choice.

Sure, you can get one of these certifications, but it isn’t essential.

Understanding the business environment and an IT project process is just as important. This information can come from other areas of knowledge (such as degrees) or from experience in technical roles.

It won’t hurt to get a certification – but if you’re looking at these two certifications from the IIBA, you’ll need experience before getting them.

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