BCS courses are the most popular for business analysts in the UK. That’s because BCS certification is renowned and respected by employers across the UK public and private sectors. Also, BCS provides a comprehensive business certification scheme for business analysts.
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There are several business analyst qualifications in the UK to help you develop your business analyst career. A business analyst role in the UK typically require you to have a business analysis certification recognised in the UK.
This article looks at the most popular business analyst certifications in the UK. So, if you haven’t already got yourself a business analyst qualification read on to find out which business analyst certification you should consider before choosing a business analyst course.
BCS (The Chartered Institute of IT) offers the most popular business analysis certifications in the UK. BCS business analysis certifications range from BCS Business Analysis Foundation to Expert. Each level is mapped according to the SFIA industry-standard framework.
A big advantage of the BCS business analysis certification scheme, is that once you get your first professional certification, you can gain more certifications all the way up to the Expert level. For a structured approach to career development there is none better than the BCS certificate scheme.
The BCS Business Analysis Foundation certificate is the most popular knowledge-based business analyst qualification in the UK for students wanting to understand the basics of business analysis. There are no prerequisites for this certification.
The 60-minute BCS Business Analysis Foundation exam contains 40 multiple choice questions and has a pass mark of 25/40 (65%).
Choose a BCS Foundation course if you want to gain a broad understanding of key concepts in business analysis and common techniques. Courses are held in London (UK) and are accredited by BCS.
Practitioner-level BCS business analysis certifications are more specialised and detailed in nature than the BCS Foundation. There are 7 Practitioner-level certifications in total, including 2 core modules. Each is examined by a 1-hour multiple-choice exam.
The 2 cores modules are:
Other modules include:
Each certificate is available as part of their respective business analysis courses or as online training taken at your own pace. However, if you are considering gaining the International Diploma in business analysis then you should take the Diploma business analysis training course bundle or online training bundle which includes all four courses and exams in one bundle. Courses are held in London (UK) and are accredited by BCS.
The BCS International Diploma in Business Analysis is for business analysts wanting to demonstrate they understand business analysis to a greater depth than certification in any single subject would show.
To earn the BCS Business Analysis Diploma qualification, you must sit an oral examination and pass 4 modules which are:
After gaining the BCS Business Analysis International Diploma, you can progress to the professional level where you must demonstrate that you have analytical skills, business skills, and people skills.
This qualification level is for senior business analysis professionals and recognises business analysis skills, experience and expertise. To gain this qualification you must:
This qualification is the highest level in the BCS business analysis certification scheme. It recognises both your higher skills and expertise. It validates your ability to:
To gain the Expert BA qualification, you must go through an interview, a formal assessment, and a project assignment.
Since agile methods have become popular in executing projects nowadays, APMG International has developed a qualification that blends agile practices with business analysis – Agile Business Analysis (AgileBA).
AgileBA aims to develop a candidate’s skills to become an agile business analyst. The right candidate for this certification is someone currently working as a business analyst, change analyst, project manager, or agile developer.
Certifications are at two levels, Foundation and Practitioner.
The AgileBA Foundation certification shows your knowledge of agile processes, principles and practices, and the roles and responsibilities within an agile project.
The 40-minute exam contains 50 multiple choice questions. The pass mark is 25/50 (50%).
Certification courses are available with expert instructors. Currently, instructor-led courses run in London, United Kingdom. Courses are accredited by APMG.
If you gain the Foundation certification, you will be eligible to apply for the Agile BA Practitioner certification. This is recommended if you really want to boost your CV as an agile business analyst.
You will study the DSDM Agile Project Framework, and you’ll learn how to put into practice some of the key agile methods, such as MoSCoW Prioritisation.
The 2.5-hour exam contains 4 complex multiple-choice questions worth 20 marks each. The pass mark is 40/80 (50%).
Certification training is available with expert instructors. Currently, instructor-led courses run in London, United Kingdom. Courses are accredited by APMG.
The PMI (Project Management Institute) is best known for its project management certifications. However, its Professional in Business Analysis (PMI-PBA)® certification is one which has become popular in countries outside of the UK and Australia.
Although this is an entry-level business analysis qualification, prerequisites include:
or
The (PMI-PBA)® exam is 4 hours and contains 200 multiple-choice questions. To maintain PMI-PBA® certification, a student must earn 60 professional development units (PDUs) in business analysis topics every three years.
You can prepare to get your PMI-PBA® certification by choosing a self paced online course.
Based in Canada, IIBA® (The International Institute of Business Analysis) has become one of the world leading associations for the business analysis profession. [2]
Like BCS, IIBA® has qualification levels from an entry level up to an advanced degree. IIBA® qualifications are based upon the BABOK® Guide.
There are 4 levels in the IIBA certification scheme.
This qualification is for individuals who are entering business analysis for the first time. You need 21 hours of studying to have general awareness and practical knowledge of the six knowledge areas. Those areas are:
The 1-hour exam contains 50 multiple-choice questions.
To earn this qualification, you need:
This level requires from you to be skilled in:
The 3-hour exam contains 130 scenario-based multiple-choice questions.
To earn this qualification, you need:
At this level, you will be able to:
The 3.5-hour exam contains 120 case study-based multiple-choice questions.
This is a new qualification and is similar to the BCS Expert level. It recognises Business Analyst professionals with advanced skills who have over 10 years of experience.
With so many options, it can be tricky to choose the right business analysis professional certification. Where you are based makes a big difference. In the UK or Australia, a BCS certificate is by far the most popular. If you are based in the US, it would be better to choose the PMI certification, and if you are in Canada, choose one from IIBA®.
Also, before getting certified, you must also map where your business analysis knowledge and skills currently are. If you are a total beginner and based in the UK, you should look for an entry-level qualification such as BCS Foundation certificate in business analysis. If you already have some business analysis experience then a popular choice in the UK is to aim for the BCS International Diploma in Business Analysis.
If your chosen training course is approved by the BCS, then your can be assured that it it globally recognised training and certification.
In general, business analysts will benefit from studying for any of the business analysis certifications listed above. The key benefits of certifications are:
[1] Unknown. (Unknown). Expert BA Award. Available: https://www.bcs.org/get-qualified/certifications-for-professionals/business-analysis/expert-ba-award/. Last accessed 19/10/2021.
[2] Unknown. (2014). History of IIBA. Available: https://www.iiba.org/about-iiba/. Last accessed 19/10/2021.
This course bundle is popular with business analysts because it prepares you to sit the oral exam for the BCS International Business Analysis Diploma. The bundle combines 4 courses in one package: the BCS Business Analysis Foundation course, and 3 Business Analysis Practitioner courses. Each course comes with its own exam.
Study options include live or virtual training courses, or online self paced courses.
This training course prepares you to sit the BCS Foundation Certificate in Business Analysis exam. It provides you with a broad understanding of best practice business analysis techniques. The Foundation certificate is one of the requirements for taking the International Diploma.
Study options include live or virtual training courses, or online self paced courses.
This training course prepares you to sit the BCS Certificate in Business Analysis Practice exam and forms one of two core modules needed to gain the International Diploma qualification.
Study options include live or virtual training courses, or online self paced courses.
This training course prepares you to sit the BCS Requirements Engineering exam. It forms the second of two core modules needed to gain the BCS International Diploma certification.
Study options include live or virtual training courses, or online self paced courses.
This training course prepares you to sit the BCS Modelling Business Processes exam. It forms one of 3 Practitioner-level certifications needed to gain the International Diploma qualification.
Study options include live or virtual training courses, or online self paced courses.
This course prepares you to sit the AgileBA Foundation certification exam which tests your knowledge of agile principles and philosophy, processes and practices, and the roles and responsibilities with an agile project.
This training course includes the AgileBA Foundation exam.
This course prepares you to sit the both the AgileBA Foundation and Practitioner exams. The Practitioner exam tests your ability to apply agile principles, philosophy, and key practices; test, estimate and evaluate benefits; and their ability to manage and prioritise requirements in an agile project.
This training course includes both Foundation and Practitioner exams.
This half-day business analysis short course helps you learn to write a great business case which can be approved by your stakeholders or project sponsor. Ideal for project management professionals or business analysts.
