Certified Software Business Analyst (CSBA)

CSBA
Brochure
The need for improved and more reliable information transfer calls for Software Business Analyst
professionals who can effectively bridge the knowledge and language gap between the business
and IT communities. Certification is recommended as a means to define the Common Body of
Knowledge for the practice of business analyzation, and evaluate an individual’s ability to apply
that knowledge to practice. Acquiring the designation of Certified Software Business Analyst
(CSBA) indicates a professional level of competence in the principles and practices associated
with the business analyst profession.
Checking Prerequisites
To qualify for candidacy, each applicant must meet one of four prerequisites:

1. A 4 year degree from an accredited college-level institution and 2 years experience in the
information services field
2. A 3 year degree from an accredited college-level institution and 3 years experience in the
information services field
3. A 2 year degree from an accredited college-level institution and 4 years experience in the
information services field
4. Six years experience in the information services field

AND

Are working, or have worked at any time within the prior 18 months, in the field within covered
by the certification designation

Depending upon a compliance sample selected according to program criteria, the applicant may
be required to provide detailed education and/or employment documentation supporting the
prerequisite option selected on the application. If selected for verification, the applicant must
supply the documentation to the program. Applicants who fail to provide the requested
documentation will not be allowed to sit for the exam or, if the exam has been taken and passed,
may be subject to de-certification.

Filing the Initial Application

A completed Certification Candidacy Application must be submitted through the Customer Portal
for entrance to Software Certifications as a candidate for any particular certification. It should be
submitted by individuals who:

1. Are working, or have worked at any time within the prior 18 months, in the field covered
by the certification designation
2. Have significant experience and breadth of knowledge to have mastered the basics of the
entire Software Business Analyst Common Body of Knowledge
 3. Have reviewed the Software Business Analyst Common Body of Knowledge

The initial application fee is as follows:

• $350.00 (includes PDF version of CBOK). All fee paid in USD (see Payment Policy).
Fees in this program are non-refundable or non-transferable

Candidates for certification who rely only on limited experience/education or too few/specific
study materials typically do not successfully obtain certification. Do not apply unless you feel
confident that your work/education activities and past experience have prepared you for the
examination. Applicants already holding a certification from Software Certifications must submit
a new application when deciding to pursue an additional certification.

Once a new application is accepted and approved, the Candidacy begins the date the application
fee was processed. The candidate then has 12 months from the date the application fee was
processed to take their initial exam. If after the 12-month period the candidate has yet to take the
initial exam their candidacy will expire. The candidate must then reapply for candidacy and pay
the current application fee to begin the process again.

If the initial exam is taken inside that 12-month period, a second or third sitting, if required, must
be completed within 24 months from the date the original application fee was processed. The fee
to Retake the Examination** if within the guidelines mentioned above is $100 a sitting and can
be done through the Customer Portal on the My Examination page by clicking on the Retake /
Resit for this Examination link. After the 24-month period has elapsed their candidacy will
expire. The candidate must then reapply for candidacy and pay the current application fee to
begin the process again.

** Note: Make sure you know exactly when your expiration date is as although your application
may still be active when the Retake / Resit payment is made, that does not guarantee you will be
able to reschedule your exam for a future date as it may be after your application expiration date.
If you are not sure contact certify@softwarecertifications.org before proceeding as once funds are
processed they are not refundable or transferable (Payment Policy).

Code of Ethics
A distinguishing mark of a profession is the acceptance of responsibility by its members to the
interests of those it serves. Those certified must maintain high standards of conduct in order to
effectively discharge their responsibility. An applicant for certification must adhere to the
Software Certifications Code of Ethics that outlines the ethical behaviors expected of all certified
professionals. Software Certifications includes processes and procedures for monitoring
certificant adherence to these policies. Failure to adhere to the requirements of the Code is
grounds for decertification of the individual by the Software Certifications Board.

Examination
Candidates for this certification must pass a four-part examination which includes multiple-
choice, essay, and short answer items in order to obtain certification. The four hour examination
tests the candidate’s knowledge and practice of the skill areas defined in the Software Business
Analyst Common Body of Knowledge. The passing mark is 75% which is the average score of all
four parts.

Exams are now being offered either through a Prometric Testing Center (online exam) or a
Sponsored Site (paper-based exam). The location where you plan to take your exam will
determine whether you take it at a Prometric Testing Center or Sponsored Site. See below for
more information.

Prometric Testing Center

Prometric sites are available worldwide* (Find a Prometric Testing Center locations near
you).

* WARNING: Prometric Sites are NOT an option to those wanting to take their exam in one of
the following locations - India, Brazil, China, or Sri Lanka (see Sponsored Sites Schedule).
Exams taken at a Prometric site in any of these locations will NOT be accepted and the candidate
will forfeit any fees paid for said exam.

Scheduling

1. To schedule the CSBA certification exam a candidate must follow the instructions listed
below.
2. Use the following link to find the Prometric Site(s) where you plan to take the exam (Find
a Prometric Testing Center locations near you). During the process to find a location it
will ask for an exam selection. Simply pick either the CSQA or CSTE exam to continue to
the available sites page for all exams.
3. Write down the address information and site code for each location where you wish to
schedule your examination.
4. Determine the date range in which you plan to take the examination. Make sure the
date(s) selected are at least six weeks out from the day you send the email as this process
does take extra time.
5. Email this location and date information to certify@softwarecertifications.org.

Rescheduling
Please contact certify@softwarecertifications.org to reschedule an existing appointment at
a Prometric site. There could be a fee depending on how close to the scheduled date you
are try to rescheduling.

There is no guarantee that the date / location will be available so provide multiple dates /
locations if possible. The farther out you attempt to schedule the better the chances you will get
the date / locations requested. Waiting to the last minute to schedule your exam only reduces the
chances greatly that you will not find a seat so you need to plan accordingly as there is no
guarantee a seat will be available which is all based on availability at each site.

Sponsored Sites
Sponsored Site exams are ONLY offered in India, Brazil, China, and Sri Lanka. (see Sponsored
Site Examination Schedule)

Scheduling

• Complete the following steps to schedule a Sponsored Site exam in the Customer Portal
1. Go to the My Examination page in the Customer Portal.
2. Click on Pick Scheduling Option.
3. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click on the Sponsored Site tab.
4. Select the Examination Location from the drop-down
5. Select the Examination Date from the drop-down
6. To schedule your exam click on the Confirm this Examination Location / Date
tab
• You must schedule your examination at least 30 days before the selected examination date
in order to reserve a seat which are limited based on availability. (see Sponsored Site
Examination Schedule)
• Candidates are strongly encouraged to check the Sponsored Site Examination Schedule
page for specific location information for their scheduled examination during the days
leading up to the examination sitting. Simply click on the location link of the exam you
are scheduled for to view the location information as they are kept as up-to-date as
possible. (see Sponsored Site Examination Schedule)
• While Software Certifications makes every possible effort to provide examinations as
scheduled, last minute changes have been sometimes unavoidable in the past. Past
disruptions have included exam location changes, inclement weather, and building
closures.

Rescheduling
• From time to time, candidates need to reschedule / postpone an examination for a
Sponsored location to a later date. This is known as a Deferral**.
• To Defer an examination for a Sponsored location, a candidate must go to the My
Examination page in the Customer Portal to Defer** the already scheduled exam.
• The deadline to Defer an already scheduled exam at a Sponsored location is 30 days prior
to the examination date. Deferrals are not accepted less than 30 days prior to an
examination date.

**NOTE: Once you Defer a scheduled exam it is final and will not be reset to the previous date /
location just Deferred once inside 30 days from the scheduled exam date. Make sure you know
exactly when your expiration date is as although your application may still be active when
Deferring, that does not guarantee you will be able to reschedule your exam for a future date as it
may be after your application expiration date. If you are not sure contact
certify@softwarecertifications.org before proceeding with the Deferral as once you Defer it is
final and any funds processed are not refundable or transferable (Payment Policy).
Copyright © 2009, Software Certifications. All rights reserved.
URL
http://www.softwarecertifications.org/qai_csba.htm

Common Body of Knowledge For The Certified Software Business Analyst (CSBA)
All candidates will be tested on this version and current candidates will need to start obtaining CPE credits based on
this version

Skill Categories:

1. Business Analyst Principles and Concepts

2. Management and Communication Skills
3. Define, Build, Implement and Improve Work Processes
4. Business Fundamentals
5. Requirements
6. Software Development Processes, Project and Risk Management
7. Acceptance Testing
8. Commercial Off-the-Shelf Software and Performance Based Contracting

9. Business Partner and Customer Support

Back to Certified Software Business Analyst (CSBA)

Knowledge Category 1 ~ Business Analyst Principles and Concepts

In this Skill Category we examine the evolution of quality concepts and practices around the world. Skill Category 1
also provides an introduction to the basic tools of implementing quality processes and procedures.

Knowledge Category 2 ~ Management and Communication Skills

This Skill Category reviews how Theories of Management evolved and the role the attitude of management plays in
the successful implementation of improvement initiatives. We have also look at the management and communication
skills needed for the Business Analyst to be able to successfully perform their job.

Knowledge Category 3 ~ Define, Build, Implement and Improve Work Processes

This Skill Category is focused on understanding processes as they relate to the role of the Business Analyst. It looks
at how various national and international models and awards provide support for process-oriented thinking.

Knowledge Category 4 ~ Business Fundamentals

This section discusses a view of the business part of the organization which is often undiscovered by much of the
Information Technology staff. The section lays a firm foundation for learning about the specific instantiations of the
business practices within the organization.

Knowledge Category 5 ~ Requirements

This Skill Category addresses the single most important part of the development process, Requirements. The steps
taken to move a vaguely understood, poorly articulated want or need to a clearly actionable statement are detailed.
Methods for gathering the information, refining it and prioritizing it are presented.
Knowledge Category 6 ~ Software Development Processes, Project and Risk Management
Planning for and executing successful Information Technology projects requires a sound understanding of the various
development approaches, their strengths and weaknesses. This Skill category discusses the role of the Business
Analyst in identifying business related risks and helping to assess various strategies for effectively managing them.

Knowledge Category 7 ~ Acceptance Testing

Skill Category 7 examines one of the key roles of the Business Analyst in the development of a software product, the
successful execution of the acceptance testing needed to verify that the product is ready for production. It examines
how creating an effective acceptance test plan that begins in Requirements, and allocates resources to these early life
cycle activities, allows the Business Analyst to leverage the total resource contribution and minimize the amount of
actual testing time required.

Knowledge Category 8 ~ Commercial Off-the-Shelf Software and Performance Based Contracting

This Skill Category discusses the special issues and approaches needed to work with vendors for the development
and acquisition of software products. This may range from completely custom, developed from the customers
requirements, to completely off-the-shelf.

Knowledge Category 9 ~ Business Partner and Customer Support

Skill Category 9 examines the support provided directly to the Business Partner and the Customer during the end
stages of a project. These activities will leave a lasting impression on their minds and do much to shape the final
perception of the product.