IIBA® is pleased to announce a new business analysis certification. The Certification of Competency in Business AnalysisTM (CCBATM) is an intermediate level designation that will launch by the end of 2010.
In the meantime, here are a few facts we can share with you now about the CCBATM designation:

1. IIBA Vision for CCBATM
   CCBATM is a stepping stone to obtaining the CBAP® designation and provides recognition for individuals who have business analysis experience but don't yet meet the requirements for the CBAP® designation.
2. Target Audience
   The CCBATM is specifically meant for individuals who are proficient in some aspects of business analysis, are in the process of developing business analysis skills and expertise, and apply business analysis to smaller scope and less complex tasks.
3. Benefits of CCBATM
    
   1. To the individual:
      1. Recognizes individuals who have invested in their BA careers and encourages them to keep doing so.
      2. Provides individuals with personal satisfaction of accomplishing a milestone in their BA careers.
      3. Certification can improve overall performance, remove uncertainty and widen market opportunities.
      4. The process of achieving and maintaining certification helps ensure you are continually improving and refining your activities.
   2. To the organization/employer:
      1. Provides advancement and recognition opportunities for staff
      2. Demonstrates to customers, competitors, suppliers, staff and investors that you use industry-standard practices.
      3. Demonstrates to your stakeholders that your business is run effectively.
      4. The regular assessment process will improve staff responsibility, commitment and motivation.
4. Application Requirements
   The following requirements must be met at the time of applying for CCBATM in order to be approved to take the CCBATM exam:
   1. Minimum 3750 hours of BA work, aligned with the BABOK® Guide, in the last seven years
   2. Minimum 900 hours in 2 of the 6 knowledge areas or 500 hours in 4 of the 6 knowledge areas
   3. Minimum 21 hours of Professional Development
   4. Minimum high school education or equivalent
   5. Two references from a career manager, client or CBAP® recipient
   6. Signed Code of Conduct
5. CCBATM Exam Blueprint
   Both the CCBATM and CBAP® blueprints are derived from the Job Task Analysis survey conducted by IIBA. The Survey results show that at both the intermediate level (i.e. CCBA candidates) and the senior level (i.e. CBAP® candidates), Business Analysts cover the same BABOK® Guide Knowledge Areas in their work. This is the reason that the blueprints look similar. However, where their business analysis work differs is in the level of complexity in their involvement in projects and in their application of the knowledge areas in their work. This difference in complexity is reflected in the types of questions asked in each of the certification exams.
   The CCBATM exam blueprint based on v2.0 of the BABOK® Guide is as follows:

   Knowledge Area
   Percent of Questions

   Business Analysis Planning & Monitoring
   20%

   Elicitation
   13.33%

   Requirements Management and Communication
   16%

   Enterprise Analysis
   15.33%

   Requirements Analysis
   19.33%

   Solution Assessment & Validation
   16%

   Please note that due to rounding error, the percentages above do not quite add up to 100% without rounding up.

6. Cost of attaining CCBATM
    
   1. Application fee: $125USD (+ GST/HST for Canadian residents) non-refundable
   2. Exam fee (for those approved to sit for the exam): $325USD for IIBA members and $450 for non-members (+ GST/HST for Canadian residents).
7. Stepping stone to CBAP®

(Source: www.theiiba.org/AM/Template.cfm )