Sunday, November 20, 2011

Chronicles of an IT Job Seeker: I passed the CBAP!

Life is full of ups and downs and being unemployed is like riding an emotional roller coaster. One day things are looking up and you’re in a world of bliss. Other days just don’t go as well. If you’re a job seeker you’ll know what I mean. Does anybody handle rejection well?

“Life is full of ups and downs. The trick is to enjoy the ups and have courage during the downs.”

When I took a Business Analysis course at Microtrain this past summer, I decided to pursue CBAP® certification. CBAP® recipients are the elite, senior members of the Business Analysis community.

Like the PMP, it’s a very rigorous process to apply. You need at least 7500 hours of hands-on Business Analysis experience in the past 10 years, a minimum of 21 hours of Professional Development and two references from a career manager, client or CBAP® recipient. Then you have to pass the exam!

The CBAP® exam is 3.5 hours long and consists of 150 multiple choice questions with four possible answers to select from. Some questions are based on "comprehension" (e.g., definition, recall, etc.) and others are based on "situational analysis" (e.g., given a scenario, which is the best course of action) where the applicant must do a bit of analysis to arrive at the answer.

CBAP®/CCBA™ Certification and Preparation: Frequently Asked Questions

I like practice exams and I went with Watermark Learning. Their CEO, Elizabeth Larson, gave a talk at one of our PMI meetings. Elizabeth was a lead contributor to the A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge: (PMBOK® Guide), 4th edition (Collect Requirements) and to the A Guide to the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge® (BABOK® Guide) 2nd edition chapter Business Analysis Planning and Monitoring. She knows her stuff!

Test Prep: I spent a lot of time on my iPad taking practice exams and it paid off. I liked the immediate feedback from right and wrong answers and the references to the sections and pages in the BABOK. I kept taking the practice exams and re-reading sections of the BABOK until I consistently scored in the high 90’s. This took about 100 study hours over a 4 week period.

Test day: I spent about 2 hours on the 3 ½ test and when I hit the “submit test” button, this is what came back.

Castle Worldwide: Results for MILTON HAYNES
Test Name: Certified Business Analysis Professional (CBAP®)
Test Taken: November 19, 2011

Congratulations!

On behalf of the IIBA Certification Body, we are happy to inform you that you passed the CBAP® Exam. Thus, we are delighted to grant you the Certified Business Analysis Professional designation.

Today is a good day!

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Milt Haynes is an accomplished IT Executive with extensive experience establishing and leading IT organizations responsible for business transformation, PMO management, program management, supplier management, organizational change management and IT service management. His professional experience spans a variety of industries including life sciences, pharmaceuticals, medical products, nutrition products, telecommunications R&D, insurance, technical consulting, manufacturing, stock exchange and banking.




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