How do I become a Contract Business Analyst?

The BA diploma is currently the best known qualification for Business Analysts in the UK. The BA Diploma is run by the BCS – it is an ISEB (Information Systems Examination Board) exam. It consists of two core modules, one knowledge-based elective and one practitioner specialism (these are examinations and certificates in their own right), as well as a 45 minute oral examination, which can only be sat upon successful completion of the written exams

The core modules are:

• Business Analysis Essentials
• Requirements Engineering

The knowledge-based specialism module is to be chosen from:

• Organisational Context
• Foundation Certificate in Business Analysis
• Foundation Certificate in IT-enabled Business Change
• Foundation Certificate in IS Project Management

The practitioner specialism module is to be chosen from:

• Modelling Business Processes
• Systems Modelling Techniques
• Benefits Management & Business Acceptance
• Systems Development Essentials

I think the BA Diploma is a really good qualification. I came from more of a systems analyst background and the BA Diploma gave me a wider business view. My practitioner specialism was in systems development essentials and involved a lot of comparison work with SCRUM techniques etc.

I passed the BA Diploma by teaching myself for the core modules, but when I failed a specialism module first time round I bought materials from a training company and this helped me to pass second time around. I also bought materials from them to help with my oral examination, as this is tough – two examiners grill you for 45 minutes! (But don’t worry they are friendly!!) They are really looking for all round knowledge to test those things that cannot be tested in the written examination – i.e. interpersonal skills and ability in problem solving and thinking on your feet. Also the oral exam gives you the chance to demonstrate that you can relate the four syllabuses and that they are not seen as unconnected and separate islands of knowledge. The oral also means that if you have only had one type of experience in your work as a Business Analyst, this may go against you in the oral, as you need to have knowledge and best practice for all areas of Business Analysis (yes this includes costing models and finance – for those of you who find this a difficult part of the job).

There are no pre-requisites for the certificate exams. But training will improve your chances of success. There is a list of training and examination providers on the BCS website. These providers can provide a training course and exam, or just the exam for a fee.

This means you will need to ring around all BCS ISEB BA Diploma training providers to see what modules they provide, what dates they are available, how much they cost and if they provide just the exam if you choose to train yourself.

The table below gives you an idea of how much getting the diploma will cost, please note prices are appropriate, based on an average of training providers prices and can vary:

The courses and prices above all include the examination at the end of each course. Remember all written exams must all be successfully passed and results received before you can book the oral examination.

You do not have your BA diploma until you pass the oral. You must book the oral through the BCS ISEB directly, or you can do so through a training provider.

The oral examination consists of a 45 minute interview with two examiners and costs around £200.00.

If you feel like you need an oral preparation course, a small number of training providers offer one for around £600.00.

This means (following the average approximations above) training and examinations for the whole diploma can cost up to £6,300 (£6,900 with an oral prep course!!) However you can save some cash by teaching yourself and doing direct entry examination (fee £100) for some of the modules (I did this successfully).

For more information, see http://www.bcs.org/category/7704