BCS Business Analysis certification
Instructor-led or self-paced
Choose a BCS Business Analysis course
How BCS Business Analysis can help you…
Start a business analyst career
Start your business analyst career by learning the basics of business analysis.
Plan your business analyst career with BCS Business Analysis qualifications.
Learn new skills to become a better business analyst
Learn a range of tools and techniques to enhance your work as a business analyst.
Fill your skill gaps using the BCS Business Analysis career pathway.
Advance your career with a BCS certification
Demonstrate your abilities as an experienced business analyst.
Show your commitment to professional development with a BCS BA certification.
BCS Business Analyst certification
What is BCS Business Analysis?
BCS (The British Computer Society) is the Chartered Institute for IT, responsible for improving standards of competence across the IT industry. BCS is an independent professional body and provides certifications in IT and management subjects such as business analysis.
BCS Business Analysis is unique in that it provides both entry-level qualifications and expert-level business analysis qualifications aimed at those with 5+ years of experience in business analysis.
Skills Framework for the Information Age (SFIA)
BCS uses a skills framework – SFIA – which allows you to plot your skills against an industry-defined benchmark. This lets you accurately determine your current level of technical expertise as compared to other professionals in the industry.
You can then use the SFIAplus framework to discover appropriate and applicable business analyst training that supports your career development goals.
When you choose to study through our instructor-led courses, you will be given 1-year access to the SFIAplus online tool to help you discover the next step in your business analysis career.
Is BCS Business Analysis popular?
Yes. BCS has certified over 100,000 professionals worldwide. BCS certifications carry a lot of weight because BCS provides the most renowned business analysis certification scheme in the UK.
BCS Business Analysis certification is the first step for many in becoming a practicing business analyst (BA) in the UK.
Much of their popularity is due to the available of instructor-led classroom courses leading to BCS BA certification. Knowledge Train has instructor-led classroom training courses suitable for business analysts at every stage in their career.
What certifications are available in the BCS Business Analysis scheme?
Levels of BCS BA certification
There are 5 levels in the BCS Business Analysis certification scheme:
- Foundation
- Practitioner
- Professional
- Consultant
- Expert.
Foundation-level BCS Business Analysis certification
These certifications are suitable for those with no prior experience in business analysis. For those seeking a business analyst career, the BCS Foundation Certificate in BCS Foundation Certificate in Business Analysis is the most popular certificate.
BCS Foundation Certificate in Business Analysis exam
- Style: Multiple-choice
- Questions: 40
- Pass mark: 65% (26/40)
- Duration: 60 minutes
- Materials allowed: Closed-book
- Pre-requisites: None.
Practitioner-level BCS Business Analysis certification
The BCS Practitioner certifications help working business analysts learn valuable, applicable skills and refine their approach as a BA.
BCS Business Analysis Practitioner exams
For BCS Business Analysis Practitioner-level exams (except International Diploma) the examination format is shown below.
- Style: Multiple-choice
- Questions: 40
- Pass mark: 26/40 (65%)
- Duration: 60 minutes
- Materials allowed: Closed-book
- Pre-requisites: None.
BCS Business Analysis International Diploma exam
The BCS Business Analysis International Diploma exam format is shown below.
- Style: Oral (with 2 examiners)
- Duration: 50 minutes
- Materials allowed: Closed-book
- Pre-requisites: See the next section.
Requirements for sitting the BCS Business Analysis International Diploma exam
The 3 requirements that candidates must fulfil prior to taking the BCS International Diploma in Business Analysis exam are specified below.
1. Pass one of these BCS Business Analysis Foundation modules:
- Business Analysis Foundation – Learn foundational business analysis skills which support change and improve business processes.
- Business Change – Learn to support successful business change programmes within an organisation.
- Organisational Behaviour – Improve your understanding of business finance and organisational behaviour.
- IS Project Management – Understand the principles of project management and related techniques.
2. Pass both these BCS Business Analysis Practitioner core modules:
- Business Analysis Practice– Learn a range of strategic analysis and performance management techniques.
- Requirements Engineering– Develop the skills needed to identify requirements and develop appropriate business solutions.
3. Pass one of these BCS Business Analysis Practitioner optional modules:
- Modelling Business Processes – Learn foundational business analysis skills which support change and improve business processes.
- Benefits Management and Business Acceptance – Learn how a rigorous approach to benefits management can ensure successful product delivery.
- Data Management Essentials – Study the roles responsible for data management and how to implement good practice in data management.
- Systems Modelling Techniques – Learn how to construct three types of models and describe interactions between them.
- Systems Development Essentials - Focus on the systems investigation and quality assurance that underpins all systems development.
Professional, consultant and expert-level BCS Business Analysis certification
BCS also provides a range of professional, consultant and expert-level certifications. These are aimed at business analysts with years of applied experience who want to demonstrate their specialist skills, and contribution to the profession.
BCS Business Analyst certification allows candidates to track, plan and develop their skills through a single certifying body. The BCS SFIAplustool helps you choose appropriate BCS courses and helps make career development easier.
BCS reasonable adjustments policy
For all BCS examinations, adjustments and/or additional time can be requested in line with the BCS reasonable adjustments policy for candidates with a disability, or other special considerations including English as a second language.
History of BCS – The Chartered Institute for IT
BCS was formed in 1957 from the merger of the LCG (London Computer Group) and an association of IT scientists. It was incorporated that same year as ‘The British Computer Society Ltd’.
As a charity with a Royal Charter, their goal is to lead the IT industry through its ethical challenges, and support those who work in the industry.
In 2009, the British Computer Society re-branded itself as ‘BCS – The Chartered Institute for IT’.
In 2018 BCS announced a new focus on ethics, aiming to ensure that IT services better serve society. This initiative included experimentation with emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, big data and virtual reality.
BCS is dedicated to the creation of inclusive products and continues to champion LGBTQ+ representation across the IT industry.
ISEB qualifications
BCS offered the world’s first business analysis certifications. When launched these were called ISEB (Information Systems Examination Board) certifications. In fact, if you hold an ISEB certification it is still valid today.
BCS Business Analysis course details
BCS Business Analysis Foundation course
Course format
- Instructor-led courses are available as either traditional classroom or online virtual classroom courses.
Training includes
- Classroom tuition from an experienced BCS trainer
- BCS Foundation Certificate in Business Analysis training materials
- BCS Business Analysis manual (4th ed.)
- BCS Foundation Certificate in Business Analysis exam
- 1-year BCS associate membership and access to the SFIAplus online tool (on passing your exam)
- BCS Foundation Certificate in Business Analysis (on passing your exam).
Course times
- Instructor-led training courses are held over 3 days from 9 am to 5 pm.
Learning outcomes
This instructor-led classroom training course provides students with the skills to:
- Identify and evaluate business operations.
- Support successful business change programmes within your organisation.
Course content
This BCS Foundation in Business Analysis instructor-led course covers the following topics:
- Business analyst skills and competencies
- Business analysis process models
- Stakeholder analysis and management
- Modelling business systems and processes
- Documenting, managing, and modelling requirements
- Business case development.
Prerequisites
- None
See BCS Foundation Certificate in Business Analysis course for more information.
BCS Business Analysis Practice course
Course format
- Instructor-led courses are available as either traditional classroom or online virtual classroom courses.
Training includes
- Classroom tuition from an experienced BCS trainer
- BCS Business Analysis Practice training materials
- BCS Business Analysis manual (4th ed.)
- BCS Business Analysis Practice Practitioner exam
- 1-year BCS associate membership and access to the SFIAplus online tool (on passing your BCS Business Analysis Practice exam)
- BCS Practitioner Certificate in Business Analysis Practice (on passing your exam).
Course times
- Instructor-led training courses are held over 3 days from 9 am to 5 pm.
Learning outcomes
This instructor-led classroom training course provides students with the skills to:
- Support successful business change through practical strategic analysis and performance management techniques.
- Apply business analysis techniques within a defined framework.
Course content
This BCS Business Analysis Practice instructor-led course covers the following topics:
- Strategic analysis in context
- How to apply project management principles to business analysis
- Analysing and modelling business activities
- Common business analysis techniques such as CATWOE, PESTLE and SWOT analysis
- Creating a robust business case.
Prerequisites
- None
See BCS Business Analysis Practice course for more information.
BCS Requirements Engineering course
Course format
- Instructor-led courses are available as either traditional classroom or online virtual classroom courses.
Training includes
- Classroom tuition from an experienced BCS trainer
- BCS Requirement Engineering training materials
- BCS Business Analysis manual (4th ed.)
- BCS Requirement Engineering Practitioner exam)
- 1-year BCS associate membership and access to the SFIAplus online tool (on passing your BCS Requirement Engineering exam)
- CS Practitioner Certificate in Requirements Engineering (on passing your exam).
Course times
- Instructor-led training courses are held over 3 days from 9 am to 5 pm.
Learning outcomes
This instructor-led classroom training course provides students with the skills to:
- Take a best practice approach to defining business requirements.
- Identify requirements and create effective business solutions.
- Engage with stakeholders, elicit valuable information, and define requirements.
Course content
The BCS Requirements Engineering instructor-led course covers the following topics:
- An introduction to the requirements engineering process
- The hierarchy of requirements
- How to identify stakeholders in the requirements engineering process
- How to elicit requirements
- Modelling, designing and analysing requirements
Prerequisites
- None
See BCS Requirements Engineering course for more information.
BCS Modelling Business Processes course
Course format
- Instructor-led courses are available as either traditional classroom or online virtual classroom courses.
Course includes
- Classroom tuition from an experienced BCS trainer
- BCS Modelling Business Processes training materials
- BCS Business Analysis manual (4th ed.) (virtual training course)
- BCS Modelling Business Processes Practitioner exam
- 1-year BCS associate membership and access to the SFIAplus online tool (on passing your BCS Modelling Business Processes exam)
- BCS Practitioner Certificate in Modelling Business Processes (on passing your exam).
Course times
- Instructor-led training courses are held over 3 days from 9 am to 5 pm.
Learning outcomes
This instructor-led classroom training course provides students with the skills to:
- Apply practical business analysis techniques to help improve business processes..
- Apply different process modelling techniques, including those that detail both the organisational view and more detailed models..
Course content
This BCS Modelling Business Processes instructor-led course covers the following topics:
- The role of business process modelling in improving business processes
- The hierarchy of business process models and how to describe them including: business architecture, business model canvas, business process mapping, and value stream mapping
- How to model core business processes at an organisational level
- How to perform gap analysis for business process re-engineering.
Prerequisites
- None
See BCS Modelling Business Processes course for more information.
BCS International Diploma in Business Analysis training bundle
Benefits of earning a BCS International Diploma in Business Analysis
- It demonstrates your practical experience and shows you have the capacity to work as an effective business analyst
- It enables you to stand out to recruiters by proving your dedication to continuing education and professional development.
Cost-effective route to your BCS International Diploma in Business Analysis
There are several different modules that can be taken to achieve the BCS International Diploma in Business Analysis.At Knowledge Train, we’ve selected the 4 most popular BCS Foundation and Practitioner self-paced online modules, and combined them into a single, cost-effective self-paced online training bundle that we believe suits the needs of our customers.Knowledge based module- Business Analysis Foundation.
- Business Analysis Practice.
- Requirements Engineering.
- Modelling Business Processes.
BCS Business Analysis frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Yes. Knowledge Train is an Accredited Training Partner of BCS and is able to offer accredited online training in the following courses:
- BCS Foundation Certificate in Business Analysis
- BCS Requirements Engineering
- BCS Business Analysis Practice
- BCS Modelling Business Processes.
Instructor-led classroom training
Our instructor-led BCS BA courses are taught by some of the best trainers in the UK. Each is a BCS Business Analysis training expert with years of experience working as business analysts. They help deliver a high quality of training you won’t find elsewhere.
If you’d like to try our instructor-led training and learn how we run our virtual classroom courses, give our team a call on +44 (0)207 148 5985 and we’ll find you a place on our next available course.
We've designed our instructor-led and self-paced courses to give you the best possible chance to learn about BCS Business Analysis and pass your BCS exams. Simply choose the course format that best suits your needs.
You should take instructor-led BCS classroom training if any of the following apply:
- You can commit to a fixed classroom schedule
- You’d like to earn your BCS certification as quickly as possible
- You prefer face-to-face learning with a trainer
- You enjoy learning in a social environment with other students.
You should take a self-paced online BCS course if any of the following apply:
- You cannot commit to a fixed classroom schedule
- You cannot travel to a classroom training venue
- You prefer to learn at your own pace.
There are several business analysis qualification schemes available, such as those offered by BCS, PMI® and IIBA®.
Knowledge Train offers BCS training and certification because it is one the few certification schemes that can provide comprehensive training to those new to the business analysis profession.IIBA® is a registered trade mark of the International Institute of Business Analysis™.
If you've enrolled in our BCS Business Analysis course, we'll provide introductory reading to help you familiarise yourself with basic terms and concepts before the course begins. This reading should take no more than 3-4 hours and provides a basic overview of some of the topics you'll encounter on your first day of training.
If you choose a BCS Business Analysis training course, you can expect to be given up to 1 hour of homework at the end of each day. Homework may include reading assignments, pop-quizzes, and other beneficial revision exercises.
Instructor-led traditional classroom course students
If you live in the United Kingdom and you are taking a classroom BCS Business Analysis training course, we’ll send your manual to you via courier. We aim to ensure that it arrives 3 days prior to the start of your training course
If you live outside the UK, we’ll provide you with a digital copy of the BCS Handbook via email. You can still elect to receive a hard copy of the BCS manual if you choose but must pay an additional postage fee.
All our trainers on our instructor-led BCS training courses are experienced at coaching students to learn what is required to pass their BCS exams.
In addition, you’ll receive official specimen exams that match the style, form, and content of questions you will be asked in your BCS exams.
You will receive your BCS certificate within 5 days of passing your exam.