BCS Business Analysis Practice course

No prerequisites are required to study the BCS Business Analysis Practice course – the course is open to anyone regardless of prior qualifications or formal business analysis experience.

The BCS Business Analysis Practice course is accredited by BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, and is designed primarily for:

• Practising business analysts who want to strengthen their technique-based skills
• Aspiring business analysts moving into the discipline
• Product owners, consultants, and project managers involved in discovery or pre-project work
• Any professional who needs deeper, applied business analysis skills

Although no formal prerequisites exist, learners who already have some exposure to business analysis concepts – for example, through the BCS Business Analysis Foundation course – may find the Practice course content easier to absorb, since it focuses on applying specific tools and techniques such as stakeholder analysis, business activity models (BAMs), target operating models (TOMs), gap analysis, and business case development.

The course leads to a BCS Practitioner certificate and is also one of the four modules that make up the BCS International Diploma in Business Analysis, so it can serve as a standalone qualification or as part of a broader learning pathway.

Both instructor-led and self-paced delivery options are available, with the BCS exam included in both formats.

The right format depends on how you learn best, how quickly you want to qualify, and how much structure you need – both options include the BCS Business Analysis Practice exam and lead to the same BCS Practitioner certificate.

Instructor-led training

• Duration: 3 days of live online sessions on fixed scheduled dates
• Best for: Learners who prefer real-time interaction, structured progression, and live Q&A with an accredited trainer
• Materials included: Official BCS manual and sample papers
• Tutor support: Available by email for up to 3 months after the course ends

Self-paced online training

• Duration: Approximately 10 hours of interactive e-learning, accessible at any time
• Best for: Learners who need flexibility – for example, those fitting study around work or other commitments
• Materials included: Interactive content and sample papers, with 12 months of access
• Support: Tutor and technical support available by email and phone throughout the access period

How to decide

Choose instructor-led if you want a concentrated, guided experience and benefit from asking questions in real time. Choose self-paced if you need to fit learning around other commitments or prefer to revisit topics at your own speed. Both formats are delivered by Knowledge Train and both include the BCS exam.

The BCS Business Analysis Practice exam is taken online and is included as part of the course when you book with Knowledge Train.

The exam is delivered by BCS (The Chartered Institute for IT) and has the following format:

• Format: Multiple choice (objective test)
• Questions: 40
• Pass mark: 65% (26 out of 40 correct answers)
• Duration: 60 minutes
• Materials allowed: Closed book – no notes or reference materials permitted
• Prerequisites: None
• Results: Issued on the same day
• Access: Online

Because the exam is closed book, preparation is important. The BCS Business Analysis Practice course – available in either instructor-led (3 days, live online) or self-paced (10 hours, online modules) formats – is designed to align directly with the official BCS Business Analysis Practice syllabus. Both formats include the exam and sample papers to support your revision.

There are no formal prerequisites, so you do not need to hold the BCS Business Analysis Foundation certificate before sitting this exam, although familiarity with core business analysis concepts is beneficial.

Knowledge Train reports a 90% pass rate for learners taking the BCS Business Analysis Practice exam through their courses.

You will receive a provisional result immediately after completing the BCS Business Analysis Practice exam, with your official digital certificate available within one week.

The BCS Business Analysis Practice exam is taken online via the BCS candidate portal. Because the exam uses an objective test format – 40 multiple choice questions in 60 minutes – the system can return a provisional result as soon as you finish. BCS then confirms the result officially and makes your digital e-certificate available in your BCS e-professional portal within one week of the exam date.

A few practical points to be aware of:

• Portal registration: You must register on the BCS portal before sitting your exam. Make sure this is done in advance to avoid delays on exam day.
• Pass mark: You need to answer at least 26 out of 40 questions correctly (65%) to pass and receive the BCS Practitioner Certificate in Business Analysis Practice.
• Same-day provisional result: Knowing your result on the day is reassuring, but the official certificate follows within the one-week confirmation window.
• Certificate format: BCS issues a digital e-certificate, which you can download and share from your BCS portal.

Both the instructor-led (3-day) and self-paced (10-hour) versions of the BCS Business Analysis Practice course offered by Knowledge Train include the exam, so there is no separate exam booking required for either format.

The BCS Business Analysis Practice exam is achievable for most prepared candidates, with Knowledge Train reporting a 90% pass rate across its learners.

The exam itself is a closed-book, multiple-choice test consisting of 40 questions to be completed in 60 minutes, with a pass mark of 65% (26 out of 40 correct answers). There are no formal prerequisites, so candidates do not need to hold a prior BCS qualification before sitting it.

The areas that typically require solid preparation include:

• Strategic analysis frameworks such as VMOST, PESTLE, and Porter’s Five Forces
• Stakeholder analysis tools including CATWOE and power/interest grids
• Business activity models (BAMs) and target operating models (TOMs) based on the POPIT framework
• Financial appraisal techniques such as payback, discounted cash flow, and net present value
• The purpose and structure of a business case

Candidates who engage actively with the official BCS syllabus and practise with sample papers tend to find the exam manageable. Knowledge Train includes the BCS exam, official study materials, and sample papers with both its instructor-led (3-day live online) and self-paced (10-hour) options, which helps learners focus revision on the right areas. Provisional results are available on the same day as the exam.

Candidates who fail and wish to resit will need to pay an additional exam resit fee.

Yes, you can retake the BCS Business Analysis Practice exam if you do not pass, but an additional exam resit fee applies.

The BCS Business Analysis Practice exam is included in the course fee when you book with Knowledge Train, whether you choose the instructor-led or self-paced option. If you sit the exam and do not achieve the pass mark of 65% (26 out of 40 questions), you are able to resit. However, the resit is not covered by your original course fee – you will need to pay a separate resit fee to take the exam again.

A few practical points to be aware of:

• The exam is a 40-question multiple choice test, taken online, with a 60-minute time limit.
• It is a closed-book exam, so no reference materials are permitted during the sitting.
• Provisional results are available on the same day, so you will know quickly whether a resit is needed.
• BCS confirms the result and makes the digital e-certificate available in the candidate’s BCS e-professional portal within one week of the exam being taken.
• Knowledge Train reports a 90% pass rate for this course, which means the majority of learners pass at the first attempt.

If you are concerned about exam readiness, both the instructor-led and self-paced options include sample papers to help you practise before sitting the live exam.