Exploring the CBAP Knowledge Areas (2024)

The CBAP^® knowledge areas are the base of the CBAP exam; they guide the business analysts when they perform business analysis activities at any point in the project or product life cycle. CBAP Exam Knowledge areas define what business analysts need to understand and the tasks they should perform. They do not represent project phases, and their activities are not intended to be performed linearly. Tasks from one or more knowledge areas may be performed in any order (such as in succession, simultaneously, or iteratively), provided that the necessary inputs to each task are available.

Six knowledge areas are defined by the BABOK^® Guide. Suppose you plan to take the Certified Business Analysis Professional (CBAP®), Certification of Competency in Business Analysis (CCBA™), or the ECBA™ exam. In that case, you will need to memorize the high-level definition of each knowledge area and the more detailed tasks, elements, inputs, and outputs. If you are interested in applying these knowledge areas to your work world, you will need to master the tasks and skills to become an effective business analyst. The six CBAP knowledge areas are listed here:

CBAP Knowledge Area: Planning and Monitoring

A business analyst plans how to approach the business analysis effort in the Planning and Monitoring knowledge area. The approach is a set of processes, templates, and activities used to perform business analysis in a specific context. The tasks organize and coordinate the performance of all other business analysis tasks. These planning and monitoring activities take place throughout the project life cycle. The results of this knowledge area guide the tasks found in the remaining five knowledge areas and set the performance metrics to be used to evaluate all business analysis work.

So, what is a business analyst to do? Well, the business analyst’s task list for this particular knowledge area consists of the following:

Planning the business analysis approach for the project
Determining how to engage stakeholders, including stakeholder identification, analysis, and categorization
Defining the business analysis governance activities for decision making
Addressing business analysis information management needs
Planning the requirements development and management process
Managing and reporting on the business analysis effort

CBAP Knowledge Area: Strategy Analysis

Strategy Analysis focuses on how the business analyst identifies the business needs driving a project by defining and analyzing problems. In addition to defining and refining these strategic or tactical needs, the business analyst is responsible for defining a feasible solution scope that the business can implement. This work may also include developing a business case or feasibility study for a proposed project. Typically, the tasks in this knowledge area occur before or early in the project life cycle. The business analyst’s task list for this knowledge area includes translating business strategy into proposed new business or enterprise solutions by doing the following:

Defining and understanding the business problem or opportunity
Assessing capability gaps in the organization by analyzing the current and future states
Assessing risks relative to the proposed solution
Defining the change strategy for the initiative
Determining the most feasible business solution approach

CBAP Knowledge Area: Requirements Life Cycle Management

Requirements Life Cycle Management defines how the business analyst manages and maintains requirements. Tasks and techniques for managing changes, conflicts, and requirements-related issues are also described. Business analysts perform requirement management tasks as part of requirements development work by doing the following:

Managing requirements traceability
Maintaining requirements for accuracy and reuse
Addressing requirements prioritization
Determining how requirements should change
Facilitating requirements approval

CBAP Knowledge Area: Elicitation and Collaboration

Elicitation and Collaboration define how business analysts work with stakeholders to elicit requirements and understand stakeholder needs and concerns. This knowledge area also addresses ongoing collaboration and communication during all business analysis activities. The business analyst’s task list for this knowledge area consists of the following:

Preparing for elicitation activities
Meeting with stakeholders to conduct the elicitation activity
Confirming, documenting, and recording the elicitation results
Communicating and confirming elicitation results with key stakeholders

CBAP Knowledge Area: Requirements Analysis and Design Definition

Requirements Analysis and Design Definition describes how the business analyst progressively elaborates to define, refine, prioritize, and organize requirements. In essence, the business analyst takes the elicited information and makes sense of it to derive the real requirements for the project. This knowledge area also focuses on graphically modeling the requirements and resulting designs and documenting them. When performing these tasks, the business analyst should ensure the feasibility of the requirements while defining, describing, and refining the characteristics of an acceptable solution. The business analyst’s task list for this knowledge area consists of the following:

Specifying and modeling requirements and designs
Verifying requirements and designs
Validating requirements and designs
Defining the architecture and structure of requirements
Defining solution options
Analyzing value and recommending a solution

CBAP Knowledge Area: Solution Evaluation

Solution Evaluation focuses on assessing and validating proposed, in progress, and implemented solutions before, during, and after the project life cycle. A business analyst focuses on the value the solution will deliver to the enterprise, including the constraints that may impact value. While many tasks in this knowledge area take place later in the project life cycle, some solution-focused activities may occur quite early. The business analyst’s task list for this knowledge area consists of the following:

Defining solution performance measures
Collecting and analyzing solution performance data
Assessing solution limitations
Assessing enterprise limitations
Recommending actions to increase solution value

CBAP candidates will be tested in detail in each knowledge area and every task within it. You will need this level of knowledge to prepare for and pass the certification exam successfully. You will also need this level of knowledge to be an effective CBAP practitioner in your organization.

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For more information on CBAP knowledge areas, visit the IIBA page:
CBAP Knowledge Areas