Johannesburg, 15 Feb 2022
A professional qualification is a significant investment and it is important to have a clear understanding of what is available, who they are for and what you will learn so that you can make the right decision for your career.
BCS International Diploma in Business Analysis
The most popular qualification for business analysts is the BCS International Diploma in Business Analysis. Over 100 000 professionals worldwide are certified with BCS.
Who is it for?
The BCS Business Analysis diploma is aimed at all professionals who want to develop business analysis skills. It will suit any professional who wants to work in a role that helps organisations deliver change initiatives to achieve business goals. If your work involves talking with stakeholders or clients to elicit requirements, understanding needs and resolving issues to deliver solutions for them then you need business analysis skills.
There are no pre-requirements to achieving the BCS Diploma in Business Analysis. And from the delegates that attend our courses, 30% are new to business analysis and the rest have some experience.
At the end of the programme, you will be able to:
- Use investigation techniques to uncover and analyse business needs;
- Understand and engage stakeholders to uncover issues early in a project and deliver solutions that meet business goals and objectives;
- Develop and analyse process models to identify business improvements;
- Learn to use gap analysis to compare current and future situations;
- Deliver and manage acceptance testing to ensure needs are met; and
- Develop business cases for change – identifying options, benefits, costs, risks and impacts.
This qualification will help you:
- Prove to employers and stakeholders that you understand the best practices as recommended by the industry;
- Learn the business analyst language;
- Add structure to your role;
- Develop confidence in your knowledge and skills; and
- Develop a toolkit of techniques and learn how and when to use them in your role.
IIBA Certified Business Analyst Professional
The other popular certification for business analysts is the CBAP qualification developed and accredited by IIBA, the International Institute for Business Analysis.
Who is it for?
This qualification is based on the BABOK standard, and it represents a very structured approach to business analysis that fits well with teams and organisations that want to have a clearly defined business analysis process and standard to follow.
You need to prove you have five years of business analyst experience to take the CBAP exam.
CBAP and CCBA are based on the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge (BABOK); IIBA has categorised business analysis expertise into six knowledge areas.
These are:
- Business analysis planning and monitoring;
- Elicitation;
- Enterprise analysis;
- Requirements analysis;
- Solution assessment and validation; and
- Requirements management and communication.
These knowledge areas along with underlying competencies represent the generalist business analyst expertise.
Certifications side by side comparison
The two qualifications have different structures and each has their own strengths. Here’s a quick comparison of the two:
Which you choose will depend on your situation.
However, if you are aspiring to become a business analyst or have recently stepped into the role, the BCS International Diploma in Business Analysis is the clear winner.
To develop the knowledge, skills and abilities for a successful business analyst career, view our BCS International Diploma in Business Analysis.
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