Best business analyst certifications to level up your career

• Exam fee: $250 for IIBA members, $400 for nonmembers
• Retake fee: $195 for IIBA members, $350 for nonmembers

IIBA Certification in Business Data Analytics (CBDA)

The Certification in Business Data Analytics (IIBA-CBDA) from the IIBA is a new certification that “recognizes your ability to effectively execute analysis-related work in support of business analytics initiatives.” To pass the exam, you will need to examine a real-world business problem, identify the data sources and how to obtain data, analyze the data, interpret and report results from the data. You’ll then need to demonstrate how those results can influence business decision-making and guide company-level strategies for business analytics.

• Exam fee: $250 for IIBA members, $400 for nonmembers
• Retake fee: $195 for IIBA members, $350 for nonmembers

IQBBA Certified Advanced Level Business Analyst (CALBA) 

The IQBBA Certified Advanced Level Business Analyst (CALBA) certification builds off the CFLBA foundation level cert, with the exam covering more advanced analytics skills and knowledge. You’ll be tested in your knowledge of business analysis process management, requirements management, and strategic analysis and optimization. The three modules cover higher-level concepts of business analytics such as strategy definition, solution evaluation and optimization, business analysis processes, people management, relevant tools and software, change management, conflict management, and more. The exam is multiple choice and you can choose to take a course prior, or study on your own time and take the exam when you are ready. The IQBBA announced an expert-level certification, but as of this writing it has not yet been released.

• Exam fee: Varies by location

IQBBA Certified Agile Business Analysis (CABA)

The IQBBA Certified Agile Business Analysis (CABA) certification is designed to help bring more clarity to how agile can help maximize the effectiveness of business analytics. It aims to help business analysts have greater impact on agile software development projects. The exam covers how to identify the role of a business analyst in an agile development project, how to establish the responsibilities of a business analyst on an agile team, and how to integrate the concept of continuous improvement into analytics. The certification helps establish the role of a business analyst in an agile environment and offers a blueprint on how to integrate agile into the business analytics process.

• Exam fee: Varies by location

IREB Certified Professional for Requirements Engineering (CPRE)

The International Requirements Engineering Board (IREB) offers the Certified Professional for Requirements Engineering (CPRE) certification is designed for those working in requirements engineering (RE), and it’s offered at three levels. The Foundation Level is first, where you’ll be certified in the basics of RE. The Advanced Level is next, where you can choose between three paths, including Requirements Elicitation and Consolidation, Requirements Modeling and Requirements Management — but you’ll need to wait 12 months after completing the first exam to take the advanced level exam. The Expert Level certifies you at the “highest level of expert knowledge,” which includes both your hands-on experience as well as your knowledge and skills gained through previous certifications.

Your certification will not expire, and you will not need to renew it. The IREB states that the CPRE is “based on the fundamental methods and approaches of Requirements Engineering, and these alter only slowly,” so at this time, they don’t see a need for renewal.

• Exam fee: Varies by testing center

PMI Professional in Business Analysis (PBA) Certification

The PMI Professional in Business Analysis (PBA) certification is designed for business analysts who work with projects or programs, or project and program managers who work with analytics. It’s offered through the Project Management Institute (PMI), which specializes in widely recognized project management certifications, such as the PMP. The certification focuses on business analysis training through hands-on projects and testing on business analysis principles, tools and fundamentals.

If you’ve already earned a bachelor’s degree, you’ll need at least three years’ experience, or 4,500 hours, in business analysis consecutively within the past eight years to earn this certification. Without a bachelor’s degree, you’ll need five years or 7,500 hours experience.

You’ll be required to earn 60 professional development units within three years after completing the certification to maintain your renewal status. If you let your renewal lapse, your credentials will be suspended for one year until you fulfill the requirements — after that, it will be terminated and you’ll need to reapply.

• Exam fee: $405 for PMI members, $555 for nonmembers