Business analysis is a rapidly growing field, and certified business analysis professionals are in-demand. Certifications from the International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA®) are globally recognized and help grow your career in business analysis. From entry-level to the more advanced CBAP, and even specialized areas are worth getting to maximize your BA career potential.
 
IIBA currently offers 6 different certifications:

• Core Business Analysis Certifications:
  
  • ECBA – Entry Certificate in Business Analysis
  • CCBA – Certification of Capability in Business Analysis
  • CBAP – Certified Business Analysis Professional
• Specialized Business Analysis Certifications:
  
  • CCA – Certificate in Cybersecurity Analysis
  • AAC – Agile Analysis Certification
  • CBDA - Certification in Business Data Analytics

A little practical note; all IIBA certification exams can be taken via remotely proctored computer-based testing.
 
The certification process may be cumbersome, but luckily all information is clearly and easily available on the IIBA website. Click here to find out more about the different IIBA Certifications. We do also encourage you to check out this useful video from Stefan Bossuwé about "How to Prepare your Application for the IIBA® Core Certifications".
 
First step to obtain any of these certifications, is to do some reading to learn about the eligibility requirements. Depending on the certification, they may require a certain number of professionals develop (PD) hours in the past couple of years – obtained via formal training and a certain amount of demonstrable experience. This, together with other eligibility requirements are the elements you need to provide when applying for certification. Depending on the type of certification & the requirements, formal proof may need to be provided.
 
Once your application has been approved (this is especially relevant for the Core BA certifications), you can now start preparing for the exam itself by studying the syllabus for the certification you are pursuing. For some certification, specific exam preparation courses or even exam simulators exist on the market. When you are good and ready, you can register for your exam.  The exams are not easy, so do prepare yourself well and plan ahead.
 
A certain cost is linked to each certification application, as well as the registration for the exams. Certain reductions are available if you are an IIBA member, so this is something interesting to consider. As an IIBA member, you’ll also get access to a lot of interesting preparation material. More info in IIBA certification fees can be found here.
 
Once you passed the exam and are certified, you need to be an IIBA member to be able to maintain your certification. Some certifications even require re-certification after a certain number of years. More information on re-certification can be found here.

And last but not least:

• Did you know that you can earn PD hours via Belgian EEP?
• Did you know that attending some of our events will contribute towards your Continuing Development Units for recertification of the CCBA™ and CBAP™? You can retrieve additional information and formalities here; 
• Check out this video from IIBA about "Study Smarter, Not Harder" regarding the ECBA Certification;
• Check out this article from IIBA about "4 steps to certification".