A Decade of CBAPs Paper

A Decade of CBAPs
1 Copyright Shirley J. Sartin 5/4/2016
A retrospective of the CBAP®
designation.
Shirley J. Sartin, CBAP, BSAC, PBA, PMP, CSM
Copyright 5/4/2016
As an International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA®
) Certified Business Analysis
Professional™ (CBAP®
) #2 Shirley sat with the first CBAP®
exam group on November 10,
2006. Since achieving the CBAP designation she has continued growing professionally while
over 6,000 other CBAP®
s also successfully passed the exam
and were added to the CBAP®
registry. Recently Shirley
provided the following retrospective of CBAP®
s at a
Washington DC IIBA®
chapter meeting that included a look
into the past, outcomes of certification realized by the CBAPs
during the last ten years and the perceived need and reward of
retaining and/or becoming a CBAP in the future.
Background
I recall times when, as a consultant Analyst beginning a new contract I would be provided documentation
with the instructions to ―read through these requirements and continue the work.‖ It was frustrating
because I would have to stretch my mind to understand what had been written. Although it was interesting
to see how other Analysts approached their work I considered my time wasted when trying to determine the
message they were attempting to convey. I knew of professional industries where standards were
mandatory and thus a professional worker in those industries would be relatively assured that they could
review and understand another’s documentation. I dreamed of a time when Analysts would have tools and
standards at hand to facilitate analysis and documenting requirements and ensuring quality standardized
requirements were delivered in a timely manner. The end result would ensure the Analyst had time to
pursue other endeavors which I jokingly referred to as ―bon bon time.‖
I discovered the International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA®
) in 2005 and realized this organization,
although small and in its early stages could be the one to establish standards for the analyst profession. I
joined IIBA at that time (member number 1613) and have been a member ever since. I realized that a
volunteer organization needed many volunteers in different capacities to ensure its success and that success
would include standardization and certification. During those early years I volunteered with IIBA providing
various support efforts to include assisting with founding a local chapter (North East Florida (NEFL) –
Jacksonville), serving on its board and also volunteering in various capacities at the international level.
I also initiated a Business Analysis Body of Knowledge (BABOK®
) version 1.4 chapter study group early
in 2006 with the intent of helping our local analysts learn industry standard analysis techniques to help
them in their work. This study group also served to prepare for a certification exam at some future time. I
was very excited upon hearing of the first certification exam to be held in November 10, 2006i
based on
BABOK version 1.6.
When I found the exam would be held in Orlando, Florida I realized I could
further support the organization by sitting for that first exam and help to test
processes and content. Since I lived a 3 hour drive from Orlando and would
be funding this venture out of my pocket I knew that I needed to take the
exam.
After locating the appropriate BABOK version I completed the manual
application and spent far too much time on it. Eventually I was notified that
my application had been accepted and so I made arrangements to stay the
night before the exam at a small, cheap motel located close to the convention
hotel and the test. The bar next to the motel was noisy and kept me awake so

A Decade of CBAPs
I watched World Series of Poker all night. The morning of the test I was
exhausted but arrived early and chatted with the other test participants. The
first exam was paper-based on version 1.6 of the BABOK and we were
allowed up to 3 ½ hours to complete the exam. We sat and tested….some sat
for less time…some sat for the full time. In the end the test was held and we
were notified in January 2007 that 16 were awarded the CBAP designation.
And then the world returned to normal. Or did it? Other exams were
scheduled in different parts of the worldii
.
We early CBAPs wrote articlesiii
to tell everyone what to expect and
what it was like being a CBAP.
By early 2007 other exams had been held and we had added 45
CBAPs to the listiv
. Once the electronic version became available
the CBAP program took off. Or did it?
Fast forward to today – 10 years later and so much has happened with IIBA’s certification programs. The
CBAP count has increased, a junior level certification was added (Certification of Competency in Business
Analysis (CCBA)), and now a new certification program is about to be released. But did the industry
realize those things which we were hoping? Are the BABOK standards and techniques in play in our
industry? Is the CBAP designation of any value? I researched IIBA’s site and also reached out to the first
group of test takers and have provided my findings below.
Growth of CBAPs
Each year, for the past 10 years the count of Active CBAPs is indicated in the table below as per IIBAs
Certification Registryv
. Note that although year over year growth is not as high as we would like, there has
been growth. Not everyone has recertified their designation during their cycle.

A Decade of CBAPs
Active CBAP Count by Year
Year
New
CBAPs
2006 6
2007 123
2008 154
2009 161
2010 256
2011 392
2012 576
2013 1040
2014 1497
2015 1644
Annual Growth through 2015
Active CBAPs are in countries as listed below
Active CBAP Count by Country as of 5/1/2016
Country CBAPs
Argentina 3
Australia 434
Austria 13
Bahrain 3
Bangladesh 3
Belarus 10
Belgium 13
Bosnia and
Herzegovina 1
Botswana 1
Brazil 15
Brunei
Darussalam 1
Bulgaria 10
Cameroon 1
Canada 1095
China 39
Colombia 7
Costa Rica 1
Cote D'Ivoire 1
Croatia 1
Czech
Republic 1
Denmark 1
Country CBAPs
Egypt 21
Estonia 1
Finland 1
France 20
Germany 45
Ghana 3
Greece 7
Hong Kong 54
Hungary 2
India 598
Indonesia 1
Ireland 22
Italy 95
Jamaica 4
Japan 111
Jordan 2
Kenya 8
Kuwait 5
Latvia 40
Lithuania 7
Luxembourg 2
Macedonia 1
Malaysia 48
Country CBAPs
Mexico 31
Moldova,
Republic Of 1
Monaco 1
Netherlands 15
New Zealand 125
Nigeria 92
Norway 2
Oman 2
Pakistan 13
Palestinian
Territory 1
Panama 1
Peru 15
Philippines 32
Poland 23
Portugal 17
Puerto Rico 3
Qatar 5
Romania 75
Russian
Federation 10
Saudi Arabia 34
Serbia 2
Singapore 83
Country CBAPs
Slovakia 5
Slovenia 4
South Africa 73
Spain 6
Sri Lanka 4
Sudan 5
Sweden 11
Switzerland 63
Taiwan 27
Tanzania,
United
Republic 1
Thailand 1
Turkey 22
Ukraine 14
United Arab
Emirates 67
United
Kingdom 136
United
States 2424
Uruguay 3
Venezuela 1
Viet Nam 4
Zambia 1
Zimbabwe 1
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
1600
1800
'06 '07 '08 '09 '10 '11 '12 '13 '14 '15
New CBAPs

A Decade of CBAPs
Countries of Active CBAPs as of 5/1/2016
CCBAs
Active CCBAs are in countries as listed below.
Active CCBA Count by Country as of 5/1/2016
Country CCBAs
Argentina 3
Australia 65
Austria 2
Belarus 2
Belgium 1
Brazil 1
Canada 86
China 2
Colombia 4
Costa Rica 1
Cyprus 1
Czech
Republic 2
Denmark 1
Country CCBAs
Egypt 3
Estonia 1
France 16
Germany 4
Greece 1
Hong Kong 4
Hungary 2
India 234
Ireland 5
Italy 4
Japan 81
Jordan 1
Kenya 1
Country CCBAs
Lithuania 2
Malaysia 7
Mexico 7
Netherlands 4
New
Zealand 11
Nigeria 3
Philippines 1
Poland 19
Portugal 1
Romania 7
Russian
Federation 4
Singapore 6
Slovakia 2
Country CCBAs
South
Africa 6
Spain 2
Swaziland 1
Sweden 2
Switzerland 10
Ukraine 22
United
Arab
Emirates 5
United
Kingdom 20
United
States 179
Countries of Active CCBAs as of 5/1/2016

A Decade of CBAPs
IIBA Certifications - Where are we now?
In reviewing old newsletters I found an interesting countvi
. Note
that in November 2005 there were 1000 members with 14 chapters
(with 9 pending to include NEFL Chapter and Washington DC)vii
.
Today IIBA has 29,000 Members and 116 Chaptersviii
.
After almost 10 years of testing there are 6,208 Active CBAPs in
87 countries. With almost 5 years of testing there are also 849 Active CCBAs in 48 countries. Some
barriers for BAs to qualify for either exam include a lack of education since the only education requirement
to complete a high school diploma (or its equivalent) may be out of reach in some countries. A lack of
experience also limits their ability to qualify. There are no entry level certifications. How can someone
with no experience show their desire to make this a career?
In researching the CBAP certification registry I found of the original 16 CBAPs only 6 are Active. I could
not determine if any CBAPs retired their certification or are in their grace period of recertification. In
recertifying there are limitations for what is counted as a Continuing Development Unit (CDU). CBAPs
are topped out since we are limited in what we may claim as CDUs beyond those relevant to working as a
practitioner. So how may we be incentivized to continue growing?
Where are we Headed?
Evidence of the continuing maturity of the BA profession is with IIBA’s Enhanced Certifications beginning
in September of this yearix
. IIBA has indicated 4 levels of certification will be available:
Level 1 Entry level. Exam only. No experience assessed.
Level 2 Business Analysts with 2 to 3 years business analysis experience. Requires 3000-4500
hours of experience plus exam. Current CCBAs will be grandfathered into Level 2.
Level 3 More than 5 years business analysis experience. Requires 7,500-10,500 hours experience
plus exam. Current CBAPs grandfathered into Level 3.
Level 4 More than 10 years business analysis experience. Industry thought leaders. Give back to
the community and contribute to evolution of BA practice. Requirements minimum 15,000
hours plus exam.
If you are currently preparing for an exam today be sure to sit before September 2016. Today’s exams will
be replaced with new exams. If you ever wanted a certification but did not have the requisite hours of
experience now you can! Level 1 was created for you.
If you are a CCBA and wanting to sit for the CBAP exam do so before September 2016. If you are senior
level and a CBAP today get ready to apply for Level 4!
No matter which level certification you are looking to acquire the following tips I offered in June 2007x
remain relevant today:
 Have the motivation to sit for the exam.
 Make a plan and work the plan
o Select text date and establish a deadline for completing your application.
o Determine needed exam preparations/study time
 Analyze and prepare the application
o Keep possibility of audit in mind and build a binder containing
 Application Instructions
 Hardcopy of application
 Full version of resume
 Work Experience forms
 Training course information
 References
o Complete application
 Using full resume and estimate how far back to document work experience
 Identify the different projects with BA experiences relating to the BABOK
knowledge areas and key terms for each

A Decade of CBAPs
o Submit the application
 Preparing for the exam
o Create or join a CBAP and/or BABOK study group
o Structure adequate amounts of self-study time by making appointments on your calendar
o Attend a CBAP preparation class, if you are able
 Taking the exam
o Be well rested
o Drive to the test center the day before to ensure you know how to get there
o Allow time for rush hour traffic
o You can be early and wait to take the test. You cannot take the test if you are late for the
appointment.
o Eat a good breakfast and do not cram for the test. Relax...if you don’t know it now you
will not know it in the next few minutes.
Benefits of Certification
IIBA states benefits to the individual may include the followingxi
. After almost a decade of certifications
can this be true?
 Competence in the principles and practices of business analysis.
 Recognition of professional competence by professional peers and management.
 Advanced career potential due to recognition as a professional business analysis practitioner.
 Potentially higher income for being formally recognized as an experienced BA professional.
 Recognizes individuals who have invested in their BA careers and encourages them to keep doing
so.
CBAP Pioneers
My purpose for applying to sit in the initial exam (and being tested) was to help with the CBAP
certification process because I knew that would assist with improving the BAs world. In the end, I expected
requirements standards to be determined and adopted and also for the BA role to become
"professionalized." After obtaining the CBAP I went on to obtain other certifications and another graduate
degree. I don't know if those contributed to my current awesome salary but I do believe the CBAP
designation (and IIBA as an organization) has improved the BA's world due to standardization, etc. and
higher salaries as a result. And I get phone calls and emails every day from different folks looking to place
me in jobs.
Recently I began reminiscing about the past and so I dug out IIBA Newsletter articles written right after the
exam and have been thinking about everyone in that first test sitting. One of the first articles
(November/December 2006xii
) after the exam was by Cleve Pillifant where he'd posited "20 years from
now..." and he questioned "Whatever happened to those trailblazing pioneers?" He'd stated, "The answer to
this one hasn't been written yet. We will just have to wait 20 years to see!" I thought that was a great
question and decided I didn't want to wait 20 years so I contacted those in the first sitting and asked their
purpose for sitting for the exam and how they are doing today. I was curious to hear how the growth of
CBAPs and IIBA had affected their careers. I contacted all Pioneer CBAPs (first sitting) and received 5
responses. Two are no longer certified but 1 is going to recertify. Three are certified and are positive about
the designation and results of IIBA in our industry. Six have maintained their certification. A summary of
responses received are below:
 CBAP Pioneer A – Northeast US
o Was involved with our local IIBA chapter - one of the founders.
o Today am disconnected from the chapter - meetings are held too far away.
o Certification did not contribute to my path or salary.
o Useful to speak about how our BA expertise is critical to the success of
change/transformation projects.
o Many job postings for BA's but not many postings for CBAP.
 CBAP Pioneer B – West Coast US
o Took CBAP exam to further the discipline.

A Decade of CBAPs
o BAs hired in the past did not have the skills they said they had
o More formal standards were developed and thus we can improve
o Happy to see that work has furthered the cause.
o Certification has helped career. Received (and still do) many job offers from companies
that only want CBAPS so that they can enjoy the security of knowing a potential
employee knows their craft.
o Skills honed allowed easy transition to ScrumMaster to Product Owner to Agile Coach
and eventually to CEO of an Agile consulting firm.
o BA skills are well-suited for the versatility needed for the ScrumMaster role and the
analytics needed for the Product Owner position.
 CBAP Pioneer C – East Coast US
o Harder than expected to get recognition for the profession.
o Agile sidetracked a bit but am now seeing most organizations using agile WITH analysts!
o Jobs titled BA and BSA have grown significantly.
o Helping people become BAs and develop skills and confidence is challenging because
the work is really very complex.
o BAs on a project makes it hard to get other team members and stakeholders to stop and
really THINK about things.
o Speed of life and work works against the BA. No one has time to think.
o Overall IIBA and CBAP have been great for the organizations which have embraced
them.
 CBAP Pioneer D – Northeast US
o Able to make an IIBA meeting on occasion but not nearly as much as I would like due to
my travel schedule.
o My area of focus has moved from business analysis to systems engineering. Many of the
same concepts but applied to large system of systems (hardware, software, policies all
rolled into one instead of the software development focus that permeated IIBA).
 CBAP Pioneer E – Midwest US
o IIBA and its CBAP designation did quite a bit for the industry
 Global recognition of the importance of business analysis
 Consistency for understanding what the job entails.
o Have renewed 3 times, but have heard many people who have not or are not going to
renew.
o Many people are wondering about the direction of IIBA.
 How to integrate business analysis into Agile projects.
 Significance of the designation—is it worth the hassle.
 CBAP Pioneer - Me!
o Last recertification struggled to decide to make the effort to track and report on relevant
BA efforts and follow through on the renewing of my CBAP designation.
o But, was there in the beginning of the certification efforts and the work is not completely
finished.
o Industry is dynamic and should always grow and change.
o One day my BA world will end and my CBAP can retire.
 IIBA has provided for that eventuality and I’ll be able to pack away good old
CBAP number 2 in retirement, as wellxiii
.
Summary
I’m looking forward to the next few years and experiencing the changes in our industry and watching IIBA
continue to grow and mature. I want to thank those who gave of their time in the beginning and along the
way….and to those future BAs who will continue the effort. IIBAs work is never done. Please become
involved and help the organization…pay back and pay forward. There remains plenty of room for those
who want to make a difference in our world. Get certified. Volunteer today. Make a difference!

A Decade of CBAPs
References
i
http://www.iiba.org/News-Events/Newsletters/Archived-
Newletters/2006/IIBA_Newsletter_Summer_2006.aspx
ii
Newletters/2007/IIBA_Newsletter_February_2007.aspx http://www.iiba.org/News-
Events/Newsletters/Archived-Newletters/2007/IIBA_Newsletter_March_April_2007.aspx
iii
Newletters/2007/IIBA_Newsletter_May_2007.aspx http://www.iiba.org/News-
Events/Newsletters/Archived-Newletters/2007/IIBA_Newsletter_June_2007.aspx
iv
Newletters/2007/IIBA_Newsletter_June_2007.aspx
v
http://www.iiba.org/Certification-Recognition/Certification-Registry/CBAP-Registry.aspx
vi
Newletters/2006/IIBA_Newsletter_April_2006.aspx
vii
Newletters/2005/IIBA_Newsletter_November_2005.aspx
viii
http://www.iiba.org/About-IIBA/iiba-senior-leadership-team.aspx
ix
http://www.iiba.org/Certification-Recognition/certification2016/certificationFAQ.aspx
x
Newletters/2007/IIBA_Newsletter_June_2007.aspx
xi
http://www.iiba.org/Certification-Recognition/Benefits-of-IIBA-Certification.aspx
xii
Newletters/2006/IIBA_Newsletter_Nov_Dec_2006.aspx
xiii
http://www.iiba.org/Certification-Recognition/CBAP-Designation/CBAP/cbap-retired-status-policy.aspx

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