Do You Really Need a Business Analyst Qualification?

Low demand for business analyst certification

In the field of business analysts, there seems to be little demand for Business analysis certification. Searching on many sites will result in fewer relevant BA certifications than in other areas such as project management.

Why is this?

I think it's a combination of several reasons. The main governing body is the IIBA (International Institute of Business Analysis). I recently read a great opinion piece about business analysis. IIBA is excellent, but from a maturity perspective, it will take some time for PMI to reach its current state.

Also, I think it's a less widely known career. When I was in college, I majored in software development (Oracle database and Java). Since then, I have moved to my current role as a business analyst. It's not even thought of in college, and I don't even remember if I knew what the role of a business analyst was at the time! At university, I don't think it's a highly promoted skill or priority area. Most IT students in my time wanted to be developers, network administrators, or project managers. Business analysts aren't really mentioned.

What kind of business analyst certification do you have?

In fact, there are several BA certifications available in the industry. A Google search or research topic usually takes you to the IIBA website. It offers two main certifications, CCBA and CBAP.

CCBA (Certification of Competency in Business Analysis) is intended for anyone who wishes to be recognized as a business analyst. It is two more junior certifications. It seeks experience in the BA field, but it's not just a suggestion. The criteria for this accreditation must be met and include a period of time in various areas of knowledge, high school education, and references from career managers.

There is also CBAP (Certified Business Analyst Professional). This certification is intended for more senior members of the BA community. Experience requirements are also required. This is higher than CBAP and requires a certain amount of experience in subject areas, high school education, and career manager references.

There are several other certifications in BA (I noticed that there is a master's degree in the Business Analysis course), but basically the two are the most widely recognized IIBA. This brings us to the next question ...

Do I need to qualify as a Business Analyst?

In other posts about the role of BA, some people ask if they need certification to get started. Which certification do I need to get? How can I get started with business analysis? How did you get started?

Well, I don't think you need certification to play the role of BA. Many of the BAs I know started with a technical background (developers, testers, etc.) and moved from their choice to the role of a business analyst.

Of course, you can get one of these certifications, but I don't think it's required. Understanding the business environment and IT project processes is just as important. This information comes from experience in other areas of knowledge (such as a degree) or in a technical role.

It's okay to get certification, but if you want to get these two certifications from IIBA, you need experience before you get them.