CBAP® Study Guide (Based on BABOK® v3)
This comprehensive study guide is designed to help professionals prepare for the Certified
Business Analysis Professional (CBAP®) exam by the International Institute of Business Analysis
(IIBA®). It follows the structure of BABOK® v3, covering Knowledge Areas, Techniques, Underlying
Competencies, and Perspectives.
1. Business Analysis Planning and Monitoring
• Plan business analysis approach (predictive vs adaptive)
• Plan stakeholder engagement
• Plan business analysis governance
• Plan business analysis information management
• Identify business analysis performance improvements
2. Elicitation and Collaboration
• Prepare for elicitation (techniques, logistics, stakeholders)
• Conduct elicitation (interviews, workshops, observations, surveys)
• Confirm elicitation results
• Communicate business analysis information
• Manage stakeholder collaboration
3. Requirements Life Cycle Management
• Trace requirements across levels (business, stakeholder, solution)
• Maintain requirements for reuse
• Prioritize requirements
• Assess requirements changes
• Approve requirements
4. Strategy Analysis
• Analyze current state
• Define future state (vision, capabilities, risks)
• Assess risks
• Define change strategy
5. Requirements Analysis and Design Definition
• Specify and model requirements
• Verify requirements
• Validate requirements
• Define requirements architecture
• Define design options
• Analyze potential value and recommend solution
6. Solution Evaluation
• Measure solution performance
• Analyze performance measures
• Assess solution limitations
• Assess enterprise limitations
• Recommend actions to increase solution value
Techniques (50+ BABOK Techniques)
BABOK v3 outlines over 50 techniques to support business analysis practices. Here are some
commonly used techniques grouped by purpose:
Elicitation Techniques
• Brainstorming
• Interviews
• Workshops
• Observation
• Focus Groups
• Surveys/Questionnaires
Modeling Techniques
• Process Modelling
• Use Cases and Scenarios
• User Stories
• Data Modelling
• Business Capability Analysis
Decision-Making Techniques
• Decision Analysis
• SWOT Analysis
• Prioritization
• Risk Analysis and Management
Collaboration & Communication
• Stakeholder Mapping
• RACI Matrix
• Mind Mapping
• Workshops
Underlying Competencies
• Analytical Thinking and Problem Solving
• Behavioral Characteristics (ethics, personal accountability, trustworthiness)
• Business Knowledge (industry, organization, solution)
• Communication Skills (verbal, written, listening)
• Interaction Skills (facilitation, leadership, teamwork)
• Tools and Technology (office productivity, BA tools, modeling tools)
Perspectives
BABOK® v3 introduces perspectives to show how business analysis can be applied within different
contexts:
• Agile Perspective – using adaptive planning, backlog management, user stories
• Business Intelligence Perspective – focusing on data analysis, reporting, dashboards
• Information Technology Perspective – requirements for IT systems and solutions
• Business Architecture Perspective – linking enterprise strategy with execution
• Business Process Management Perspective – process modelling, analysis, and improvement
