PMI Professional in Business Analysis (PMI-PBA) Certification

Course Outline

I. Introduction and Foundation of the Certification
The field of business analysis is rich with terms, concepts, tools, techniques, and processes. This beginning section sets the foundation of key terms to know in order to prepare you for the five domain areas and forty knowledge and skills areas that are part of the exam:

1. The value of business analysis
2. Common vocabulary
3. Foundational elements
4. Business Analysis Processes
5. Business Analysis Process Groups
6. Business Analysis Knowledge Areas
7. Business Analysis Tailoring

II. Business Analysis Environment
The profession of business analysis is influenced by the environment and organization in which it is performed. This section focuses on the two major categories of influence, both internally and externally.

1. Enterprise environmental factors (EEFs)
2. Organizational process assets (OPAs)

III. Role of the Business Analyst
Even though business analysis has been performed for decades, there is much confusion about the role and who performs the work of business analysis. This section provides context for the role of the business analyst, background and support of the role, and the essential competencies to succeed in business analysis.

1. Definition of a Business Analyst
2. The business analysts’ influence
3. Key competencies for business analysts

IV. Needs Assessment
The first Business Analysis Knowledge Area of the exam is where people begin their requirements process and the activities that lead to project success. Emphasis is placed on the business analysis processes used to define the business problem or opportunity and perform needs assessment. Needs assessment encompasses 18 percent of the exam. In this section we review how to effectively perform these seven business analysis processes:

1. Identify problem or opportunity
2. Assess current state
3. Determine future state
4. Determine viable options and provide recommendation
5. Facilitate product roadmap development
6. Assemble business case
7. Support charter development

V. Stakeholder Engagement
This Business Analysis Knowledge area focuses on identification and analysis of people who have an interest in the solution outcome. Emphasis is placed on how to collaborate and communicate with stakeholders to keep them engaged in the project, program, and/or portfolio. In this section we review how to effectively perform these seven business analysis processes:

1. Identify stakeholders
2. Conduct stakeholder analysis
3. Determine stakeholder engagement and communication approach
4. Conduct business analysis planning
5. Prepare for transition to future state
6. Manage stakeholder engagement and communication
7. Assess business analysis performance

VI. Elicitation
This section emphasizes how a business analysis professional plans and prepares for elicitation, conducts elicitation and confirms elicitation results from the sources used to obtain information for the project, program, and/or portfolio. In this section we review how to effectively perform these four business analysis processes:

1. Determine elicitation approach
2. Prepare for elicitation
3. Conduct elicitation
4. Confirm elicitation results

VII. Analysis
Analysis of the requirements involves making sense of what has been revealed during Elicitation. This Knowledge Area includes performing the following requirements activities: analyzing, decomposing, accepting, verifying, validating, prioritizing, and assessing product design options. The Analysis domain contains 35 percent of the exam (which also includes the Elicitation Knowledge Area – Section VI). In this section we’ll cover the following nine business analysis processes:

1. Determine analysis approach
2. Create and analyze models
3. Define and elaborate requirements
4. Define acceptance criteria
5. Verify requirements
6. Validate requirements
7. Prioritize requirements and other product information
8. Identify and analyze product risks
9. Assess product design options

VIII. Traceability and Monitoring
Identifying the status of requirements throughout the lifecycle of the project and communicating critical information related to requirements is an important factor for project success. This Knowledge Area is concerned about managing, examining, and sharing requirements information with the project stakeholders. Traceability and Monitoring comprises 15 percent of the exam. This Knowledge Area includes the following four business analysis processes:

1. Determine traceability and monitoring approach
2. Establish relationships and dependencies
3. Select and approve requirements
4. Manage changes to requirements and other product information

IX. Solution Evaluation
The final Knowledge Area examines if the delivered solution achieves the business need and satisfies the requirements. These activities could include evaluating solution performance, acceptance results, defects, and solution acceptance. Solution Evaluation comprises 10 percent of the exam. In this section we will explore the following four business analysis processes:

1. Evaluate solution performance
2. Determine solution evaluation approach
3. Evaluate acceptance results and address defects
4. Obtain solution acceptance for release

X. Business Analyst Competencies
To effectively perform business analysis, it is critical to possess specific skills, knowledge and abilities. In this section we will examine the following six major categories of competencies:

1. Analytical skills
2. Expert judgment
3. Communication skills
4. Personal skills
5. Leadership skills
6. Tool knowledge

XI. What to Expect on the Exam
Now that you know the content expectations for the exam it’s important to realize how to prepare for the exam and what to expect as you go through the application process. To ensure you successfully pass the first time, this section will cover:

1. The PMI Professional in Business Analysis (PMI-PBA®) Application
2. Exam requirements
3. Exam overview
4. Preparing for the exam
5. Understanding the questions
6. Taking the exam
7. General tips to help you through the process