Certification Focus
This section provides a more in-depth focus on the certification exams offered by IIBA. The exams offered by IIBA are Certified Business Analysis Professional (CBAP), CCBA (Certification of Capability in Business Analysis), Entry Certificate in Business Analysis (ECBA), Agile Analysis Certification (IIBA-AAC), Business Data Analytics Certification (IIBA-CBDA), Cybersecurity Analysis Certification (IIBA-CCA), and the Product Ownership Analysis Certification (IIBA-CPOA).
Entry Certificate in Business Analysis (ECBA) serves as the Level 1 certification from the IIBA which is a foundational exam in business analysis that is centered on the practical application of business analysis, equipping certificate holders with job-ready competencies to contribute effectively and produce actionable outcomes.
Key Changes in the ECBA Exam
- The entry-level certification for IIBA will be updated effective July 21, 2025. The last date to take the current version of the exam is July 20, 2025. The exam will be updated to reflect more of an emphasis on material from the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge (BABOK) guide.
- The updated exam will focus less on recall and memorization of facts and more on situation-based questions that tests a candidate’s ability to apply concepts from the BABOK guide. More of an emphasis will be placed on the role of the Business Analysis Core Concept Model (BACCM) and it’s role in business analysis.
- The core concepts of the BACCM make up 60% of the exam’s questions, with 10% given to each BACCM concept of Change, Need, Solution, Stakeholder, Value, and Context. The remaining exam questions feature Understanding Business Analysis at 20%, Mindset for Effective Business Analysis at 14%, and Implementing Business Analysis at 6%.
- The exam time has lengthened from 60 minutes to 75 minutes to allow more time to process the application-based questions. The format for the exam is 50 questions and will be offered through an online proctored format.
- Exam candidates should focus on practical situations and apply concepts, not just define them.
Examples of Exam Changes
- Instead of asking “What is a stakeholder?” a question may now ask candidates to identify the most relevant stakeholder for a given situation
- Rather than defining elicitation techniques, candidates must determine the best elicitation method for a specific challenge within an initiative
The requirements to sit for the ECBA exam include registering an account with IIBA and obtaining 21 hours of Professional Development (PD) credits. The Sacramento Valley Chapter offers a yearly BABOK study group focusing on key areas of the BABOK guide, including the BACCM. This study group will provide the needed PD credits needed for the exam.
Contact education@sacramento.iiba.org for more information.
