Business Analysis Practice Exam

Business Analysis Practice Exam

Business Analysis can be understood as a research discipline that helps identify business needs and determine solutions to business problems. These solutions may involve developing software or system components, improving processes, implementing organizational changes, or engaging in strategic planning and policy development. The primary purpose of business analysis is to find solutions that address the need for improvement.

The business analysis process provides concepts and insights for developing the initial framework of any project. It serves as a guide for project stakeholders, enabling them to perform business modeling in a structured and systematic manner.

Why is Business Analysis important?

Business analysis plays a critical role in enhancing the efficiency, profitability, and long-term growth of an organization. Its importance can be outlined as follows:

1. Increase in ROI
Business analysis helps evaluate an organization’s Return on Investment (ROI) to understand its current performance, measure business value, and track revenue growth or decline. It identifies whether adjustments are needed to boost ROI, such as reducing costs, increasing benefits, or reallocating resources to maximize profitability.

2. Reduction in Costs
By applying strategic analysis, organizations can identify ways to reduce project and operational costs. Business analysis guides teams on cost-effective approaches, resolves recurring issues through affordable solutions, and improves efficiency without compromising quality.

3. Informed Decision-Making
Business analysis supports data-driven decision-making for stakeholders and investors. It provides clarity on business performance, identifies problem areas, uncovers factors driving increased expenditures, and presents strategies to achieve higher profit margins.

4. Understanding Business Requirements
A core objective of business analysis is to gain a deep understanding of the organization’s needs for growth and the obstacles that may hinder it. It informs process and data analysis, enabling better decisions that contribute to sustainable development and profitability.

5. Benefits Across the Organization
Business analysis benefits everyone in the company. It helps leadership make management changes when necessary, guides managers in focusing resources where they’re most needed, and supports team assignments to improve productivity and sales outcomes.

6. Market Position Assessment
Knowing how a business ranks in the market—its value, competitors, and market share—is crucial. Business analysis provides the insights needed to benchmark performance and develop strategies to strengthen competitive positioning.

7. Crisis Anticipation
Through predictive analysis, business analysis prepares organizations for both favorable and challenging times. It helps anticipate potential market disruptions or internal challenges, allowing proactive measures to minimize impact.

8. Evaluation of Change Impact
After implementing changes suggested during reviews, business analysis assesses whether these adjustments have delivered the desired results. It measures the effectiveness of problem-solving efforts and ensures issues are reduced or eliminated over time.

Who should take the Business Analysis Exam?

• Entrepreneurs or Innovators
• Novice to intermediate Business Analysts
• Professionals looking to transition into a Business Analyst role
• New Product Owners
• Other positions that perform business analysis duties such as administrators, managers, and project leads.
• Anyone who analyzes, elicits, or documents requirements.
• Students

Knowledge and Skills Required

Success in business analysis depends on a combination of technical knowledge, analytical thinking, and interpersonal abilities. Key skills and competencies include:

• The ability to interpret data, identify patterns, and break down complex problems into manageable components for effective solutions.

• Proficiency in both verbal and written communication to clearly convey ideas, requirements, and findings to stakeholders, team members, and clients.

• The capability to evaluate multiple perspectives, assess risks, and make informed recommendations based on evidence and business objectives.

• Understanding the industry, market trends, and organizational processes to ensure solutions align with business goals.

• Familiarity with business analysis tools, software, and methodologies such as BPMN, data modeling, or requirements management systems.

• Creativity and logical reasoning to develop innovative solutions to business challenges while considering cost, time, and resource constraints.

• The ability to collaborate with cross-functional teams, build trust with stakeholders, and manage conflicts effectively.

• Ensuring requirements, documentation, and process analyses are accurate and complete, minimizing the risk of errors.

• Flexibility to adjust to changing business needs, evolving technologies, and dynamic market conditions.

• Persuading stakeholders to align with proposed solutions while balancing diverse interests.

Exam Format

• Certification name – Business Analysis Certification
• Exam duration – 60 minutes
• Exam type - Multiple Choice Questions
• Eligibility / pre-requisite - None
• Exam language - English
• Exam format - Online
• Passing score - 25

Business Analysis Certification Course Outline

The exam covers the following topics:

1. Business Analysis Basics

1.1 What is Business Analysis
1.2 Role of a Business Analyst
1.3 History of Business Analysis

2. Organisation Structure & Design

2.1 Organisation Structure
2.2 Formal Organisation
2.3 Work Specialisation
2.4 Departmental Choices
2.5 Organisation Design & Employee Behaviour
2.6 Product and Functional Organisation
2.7 Matrix Organisation
2.8 Project Organisation
2.9 Distribution of Authority

3. Requirements Development

3.1 Customer Data Collection and Analysis
3.2 Voice of Customer (VOC)
3.3 User Requirements
3.4 Conducting User Interviews
3.5 User or Focus Groups
3.6 Decision Making for Product Definition
3.7 Specifying the Product Definition

4. Requirements Analysis

4.1 Feasibility Study
4.2 Project Scope
4.3 Risk Assessment
4.4 Estimation
4.5 Validate Requirements
4.6 Verify Requirements

5. Requirements Modeling

5.1 Business Domain Model
5.2 Data Models
5.3 Flow Models
5.4 UML and UML Tools
5.5 CASE and CASE Tools

6. Specifications

6.1 What are Specifications?
6.2 Characteristics of Specifications
6.3 Detailing User Requirements
6.4 Common Design Needs
6.5 Converting Requirements to Specifications
6.6 Quality Function Deployment (QFD)
6.7 User Requirements Priority and Kano Model
6.8 Documenting User Requirements

7. Concept Generation, Selection and Testing

7.1 Concept Generation Basics
7.2 Techniques to Promote Concept Generation
7.3 Creative Thinking
7.4 Problem Solving
7.5 Brainstorming
7.6 Nominal Group Technique (NGT)
7.7 6-3-5 Brainwriting
7.8 Morphological Analysis
7.9 TRIZ
7.10 Axiomatic Design
7.11 Concept Selection
7.12 Pugh Concept Selection
7.13 Weighted Decision Matrix
7.14 Analytical Hierarchy Process
7.15 Multi-Voting
7.16 Decision Making
7.17 Concept Testing

8. Prototyping

8.1 What is a Wireframe?
8.2 What is a Prototype?
8.3 What is a Mockup?
8.4 Prototype Categories
8.5 Prototype vs. Final Product
8.6 Why Prototype
8.7 Prototyping Components and Techniques

9. Development

9.1 User Personas
9.2 User Stories
9.3 SRA/SDS
9.4 Scenarios
9.5 Product Requirements Document (PRD)
9.6 Functional Specification Document (FSD) and Business Requirements Document (BRD)
9.7 Performing Affinity Mapping
9.8 Creating Storyboards

10. Agile and Scrum Basics

10.1 Agile Basics
10.2 Agile Manifesto
10.3 Agile Principles
10.4 Agile Methods
10.5 Scrum Overview
10.6 Scrum Theory
10.7 Scrum Values
10.8 Scrum Advantages

11. Developing Business Analysis Skills

11.1 Business Analysis Skills
11.2 Communication Skills
11.3 Critical and Systems Thinking
11.4 Negotiation Skills