Many organizations are shifting toward a dual role for Project Managers in which they act as both Project Manager and Business Analyst.  PMI’s Professional in Business Analysis (PMI-PBA®) certification is designed for project professionals who play both roles of PM and BA.

The need for Business Analysis certifications is growing along with the role.  The U.S. Bureau of Labor predicts that by 2022, business analysis will increase by 18.6%.  Additionally, Business Analysts ranked the highest for wage growth on Glass Door with a 10% increase from 2014 to 2015 and we’re seeing more organizations include certifications in their hiring criteria.

According to research from the Project Management Institute, in the next five years, more than half of organizations plan to integrate their PM and BA practices.  Much of this change is driven by agile adoptions.

In agile environments, the role of the Business Analyst doesn’t go away; the approach changes.  Instead of performing analysis only at the beginning of a project, analysis in done throughout a project and different techniques may be used.

The PMI-PBA® certification is really about the different kinds of analysis that are needed.  This includes needs assessment, analysis planning, traceability, and other analysis tools and techniques.  The questions on the exam are situational based and not simply memorization of information in a book.

Where the International Institute of Business Analysis’s CBAP® certification is geared toward senior business analysts with 7-10 years of experience and includes a deep dive into the BA role, the PMI-PBA® looks at analysis activities at the business level and focuses on what you should consider along with requirements.

Listen to the full episode to hear all of Dayle’s advice for preparing for and passing the PMI-PBA exam

http://traffic.libsyn.com/masteringbusinessanalysis/MBA067.mp3

Pick a date for the exam and drive toward that date.  The hardest part is getting started and picking a date is a great way to motivate yourself.

Senior Instructor, Watermark Learning

Dayle Beyer is a Senior Instructor for Watermark Learning. For over 25 years, she has inspired excellence in thousands of people by providing best practices, tools, and techniques for project management and business analysis.  Dayle is a member and active contributor of the Project Management Institute (PMI®) and International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA®).  She is also a frequent speaker at industry events.

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In this episode, David Mantica, President of ASPE-SDLC, shares his views on the value of professional certifications – both to the individual and to the organization.

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