The PMI Professional in Business Analysis or just the PMI-PBA is one of the evaluations offered by the Project Management Institute. And it should be noted that such a test is in tremendous demand due to the fact that business analysis has become one of the most important competencies in project management. Moreover, on passing this exam, you will receive a similarly-named certificate, which confirms your professional expertise in determining the requirements of stakeholders and project results, as well as achieving the set business objectives.

Related Qualification

As you have already understood, this test is closely related to the PMI-PBA certification, which confirms the experience of a specialist in business analysis, as well as the use of various methods and tools to achieve project goals. Moreover, the PMI-PBA designation provides a high level of credibility to you as a professional because it confirms that you have completed business analysis training, have experience working on real projects, and have successfully passed the appropriate qualifying exam on various business analysis techniques, tools, principles, and methods. As a result, this renowned validation will also help employers meet company needs by relying on certified business analysts in key roles on their teams. At the same time, once earned, this qualification is valid for 3 years.

Target Audience and Prerequisites

The peculiarity of this designation is the absence of strict requirements for the candidate's sphere of activity. In other words, anyone who is a member of project teams in any field and is engaged in project development and requirement management can be admitted to the PMI-PBA certification exam. Moreover, if you are a program or project manager and your job duties are related to business analysis, this is the best qualification option for you. But to prove your expertise, the first thing you must do is the audit process at which your application will be reviewed for basic designation requirements. Thus, you must:

• Have a secondary degree such as an associate’s diploma or high school diploma, more than 60 months of hands-on experience in business analysis, alongside complete 35-hour training in business analysis.

OR

• Have a bachelor’s degree or its global equivalent, more than 36 months of hands-on experience relating to business analysis, and complete 35-hour education in business analysis.

PMI-PBA Evaluation Overview

After successfully completing the audit process and confirming your application, you can register and pay the registration fee for the relevant multiple-choice exam. Regarding the amount per attempt, it is $405 for PMI members while non-members will have to pay $555. After that, you will have a year in which you can try 3 times to pass the PMI-PBA qualifying exam, which includes 200 questions and lasts a full 4 hours. It's important to note that you can take this evaluation at your nearest Pearson VUE office, or you can choose the online testing option. As you can see, the test is rather extensive, and this is because this certification test covers key aspects of business analysis, namely:

Topic 1. Needs assessment for effective solution development.

Topic 2. Planning process including document control, change management, and requirement management plan.

Topic 3. Analysis and requirement management activities such as acceptance, elicitation, approval, and decomposition among others.

Topic 4. Traceability and monitoring to manage the requirement life cycle.

Topic 5. Evaluation including solution testing, gap determining, and sing-off obtaining.

Process of PMI-PBA Certification Exam Preparation

It is probably not necessary to explain why it is important to pay proper attention to the preparation process. Especially when it comes to the PMI-PBA exam. At the same time, many applicants may find it difficult to avail themselves of the appropriate training materials. That's why you need to know that PMI, the vendor, offers a variety of sources that you can use to get the most current and accessible information. Below are examples of vendor-approved training materials necessary for making your prep efficient and viable:

• Business Analysis for Practitioners: A Practice Guide developed by Project Management Institute

  This study guide, written by PMI experts in business analysis, fully meets all the objectives of the actual PMI-PBA exam. Moreover, it is a practical guide that covers the entire business analysis process in detail, including solving problems related to projects and stakeholder requirements. Thus, after working with this guide, which is available for purchase on Amazon, you will be able to assess the state of the organization, build an effective business analysis plan, and successfully apply it.

• The PMI Guide to Business Analysis developed by Project Management Institute

  This is the basic PMI standard created as a foundation for practicing business analysts to manage projects, programs, and portfolios. Thanks to this edition, you'll understand how business analysis processes and project management processes are complementary activities. And in detail, with such a guide, you'll learn how to assess a project's organizational assets, what competencies a savvy business analyst should have, and how to facilitate the development of a project roadmap. To recap, making use of this resource is vital to your prep so fetch it from Amazon as soon as possible.

• Unearthing Business Requirements: Elicitation Tools and Techniques (Business Analysis Essential Library) written by Rosemary Hossenlopp and Kathleen B. Hass

  This classic study guide for business analyst training will help you understand how to work productively together with project managers and other project team members, and create an effective teamwork plan with key business objectives in mind. What's more, you'll learn essential business analyst techniques alongside basic terminology, principles, and practices that will come in handy during your test writing and as a PMI-PBA certified professional. So, if you want to acquire this manual, visit the Amazon.com website and get it as a Kindle or paperback edition.

• Business Analysis from Steven P. Blais

  This edition, found on Amazon and offered by an expert business analyst and project manager with years of experience, Steven P. Blais, will explain to you the role of business analysis in solving various business problems. In particular, it includes actionable tips, tricks, and tactics that will help you understand how to improve communication between developers and product stakeholders, what the difference between a systems analyst, a project manager, and a business analyst is, and whether a project needs a business case. As a result, not only will you easily earn a passing grade on the final PMI-PBA test, but will also be able to incorporate new business analysis skills into your daily duties.

Conclusion

Now you have all the information you need to avoid doubts and fears about sitting for the PMI-PBA certification exam. Remember, the most important thing is quality preparation. And the above-mentioned training resources will help you comprehensively learn everything that a successful PMI-PBA certificate holder should know. Good luck!