How to Easily Pass the IIBA CBAP Exam: Expert Advice

Mind mapping is a technique that involves creating a visual representation of information, using a central idea and branching out to related topics, subtopics, and details. Mind mapping can help the BA to identify and categorize which information is to be managed, as it allows the BA to organize, structure, and classify information in a hierarchical and logical way. Mind mapping can also help the BA to discover gaps, overlaps, and relationships among information, and to communicate information effectively to stakeholders. The other options are not the best techniques for this objective, as they are more focused on tracking the status, behavior, or appearance of items, creating a working model of a solution, or observing the actions and interactions of stakeholders. References: CBAP Handbook, CBAP Study Guide, BABOK Guide

A change in the requirement is a situation where the requirement is different from what was originally agreed upon by the stakeholders. This can happen due to various reasons, such as changing business needs, stakeholder feedback, regulatory changes, or technical constraints. To assess the change, the BA needs to conduct an impact analysis using traceability, which is a technique that involves identifying and documenting the relationships among requirements, stakeholders, solution components, and other artifacts. Traceability can help the BA to determine the scope, cost, schedule, quality, and risk implications of the change, and to communicate them to the relevant stakeholders for approval or rejection. The other options are not the best actions for assessing the change, as they are more suitable for different purposes, such as closing a defect that is not a defect, evaluating the potential threats and opportunities of the change, or finding the underlying cause of the defect. References: CBAP Handbook, CBAP Study Guide, BABOK Guide

The timing of business analysis work is the most impacted element by the organization’s change from a waterfall methodology to an agile approach. This is because the waterfall and agile methods have different ways of planning, executing, and delivering business analysis work.

In a waterfall method, the business analysis work is done in a sequential and linear manner, following predefined phases and milestones. The requirements are elicited, analyzed, and documented upfront, before the design and development stages. The changes to the requirements are minimized and controlled, and the deliverables are verified and validated at the end of the project. The timing of business analysis work is fixed and predictable, but it may also be rigid and inflexible.

In an agile method, the business analysis work is done in an iterative and incremental manner, following short cycles of development and feedback. The requirements are elicited, analyzed, and documented continuously, along with the design and development stages. The changes to the requirements are welcomed and managed, and the deliverables are verified and validated throughout the project. The timing of business analysis work is variable and adaptable, but it may also be challenging and uncertain.

Therefore, the business analyst (BA) needs to adjust the timing of business analysis work according to the agile method, which involves:

• Breaking down the requirements into smaller and manageable chunks, called user stories or features, that can be delivered in each iteration or sprint
• Prioritizing and refining the requirements backlog, which is the list of all the requirements that need to be addressed in the project, based on the business value and stakeholder feedback
• Collaborating and communicating with the project team and stakeholders frequently and effectively, using various techniques and tools, such as daily stand-ups, retrospectives, demos, etc.
• Adapting and responding to the changing requirements and business needs, using various techniques and tools, such as change requests, impact analysis, traceability, etc.

References:

• [BABOK Guide v3], Section 2.4: Plan Business Analysis Work, p. 24-27
• CBAP / CCBA Certified Business Analysis Study Guide, 2nd Edition, Chapter 2: Business Analysis Planning and Monitoring, p. 43-44
• Certified Business Analysis Professional™ (CBAP®) Specialization, Course 1: Business Analysis: Planning and Monitoring, Week 1: Introduction to Business Analysis Planning and Monitoring, Video: Waterfall vs. Agile
• Agile vs. Waterfall | Pros, Cons, and Key Differences - ProductPlan

 A data dictionary is a technique that is used to define the data elements of a system or a domain. It provides detailed information about the attributes of each data element, such as name, description, type, format, length, range, default value, validation rules, relationships, and constraints. A data dictionary helps to ensure a common understanding of the data elements among the stakeholders and to maintain consistency and accuracy in the data usage and manipulation. A data dictionary can be used to complement a class diagram, which is a graphical representation of the classes and their associations in an object-oriented system or domain. References: The answer can be verified from the following sources:

• A Guide to the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge® (BABOK® Guide) Version 3, Chapter 9: Data Modeling, p. 326-331; Chapter 10: Data Dictionary, p. 332-335.
• Business Analysis for Practitioners: A Practice Guide, Chapter 5: Requirements Analysis and Design Definition, p. 123-124, 129-130.

The activity that the BA should do to determine which stores will be the first to start the renovations is to perform document analysis for stores annual records. Document analysis is a technique that involves reviewing existing documentation to elicit relevant information for the business analysis purpose. In this case, the BA needs to analyze the annual records of each store to identify the top 25 revenue-producing stores, as per the CEO’s decision. This would provide the BA with objective and reliable data to prioritize the stores for the renovation project. The other options are not as effective or efficient as document analysis, because they rely on subjective or incomplete information from the store managers, who may have different opinions or preferences on which stores should be renovated first. References:

• [BABOK Guide v3], Section 10.18: Document Analysis, p. 386-387
• CBAP / CCBA Certified Business Analysis Study Guide, 2nd Edition, Chapter 4: Requirements Elicitation and Collaboration, p. 149-150
• Certified Business Analysis Professional™ (CBAP®) Specialization, Course 2: Business Analysis: Requirements Elicitation and Analysis, Week 1: Elicitation Techniques, Video: Document Analysis

The BA needs to perform a root cause analysis to analyze the performance of the application and provide recommendations. A root cause analysis is a technique that involves identifying and addressing the underlying causes of a problem or an issue, rather than the symptoms or the effects. A root cause analysis can help the BA to find out why the solution implemented three months ago has decreased performance as the volume of transactions has increased, and to propose and implement appropriate solutions to improve the performance and prevent the problem from recurring. The other options are not the best actions for the BA to take, as they are more suitable for different purposes, such as measuring the performance, evaluating the alternatives, or reviewing the existing metrics, rather than finding the root cause of the problem. References: Task: Assessing Solution Limitations, CBAP / CCBA Certified Business Analysis Study Guide, 2nd Edition, BABOK Guide

The lead BA is trying to improve the business analysis practices by finding out the root causes of the problems and inefficiencies in the current state. By measuring the time spent on planned and unplanned activities, the lead BA can identify the typical missing or wasteful activities that are affecting the quality and timeliness of the deliverables. For example, the lead BA may discover that the BAs are spending too much time on rework, clarifications, or scope changes due to poor elicitation, validation, or prioritization techniques. The lead BA can then propose solutions to address these issues and enhance the business analysis performance and value. References:

• CBAP / CCBA Certified Business Analysis Study Guide, 2nd Edition, Chapter 2: Business Analysis Planning and Monitoring, page 57
• Senior Business Analysis Certification CBAP® | IIBA®, Business Analysis Planning and Monitoring, page 5

Dependencies are the relationships among requirements that indicate that one requirement is reliant on another requirement for its implementation, verification, or validation. Dependencies can influence the prioritization of requirements, as some requirements may need to be implemented before others to ensure the functionality, quality, or feasibility of the solution. In this case, the requirement ‘parsing of data’ must be implemented before other requirements, which means that it has a dependency relationship with them. Therefore, the BA has given this requirement a high priority to reflect its importance and urgency. References: Prioritization techniques in business analysis, CBAP / CCBA Certified Business Analysis Study Guide, BABOK Guide

A data model is a diagram type that can describe the association between the subscriber, the medical plan, and the participating service providers. A data model is a visual representation of the data entities, attributes, and relationships involved in a business domain or a system. It shows the structure, constraints, and rules that govern the data and how they are stored, accessed, and manipulated. A data model can help the business analyst specify the data requirements for the mobile application platform and how the data is integrated from different sources. A data model can also help the enterprise architect compare the existing solution and the new solution by showing the similarities and differences in the data entities, attributes, and relationships.

References:

• [BABOK Guide v3], Section 10.9: Data Modeling, p. 358-360
• CBAP / CCBA Certified Business Analysis Study Guide, 2nd Edition, Chapter 6: Requirements Analysis and Design Definition, p. 221-223
• Certified Business Analysis Professional™ (CBAP®) Specialization, Course 2: Business Analysis: Requirements Elicitation and Analysis, Week 4: Requirements Analysis Techniques, Video: Data Modeling

Requirement 5 is not atomic, meaning it is not expressed in the simplest form possible. It combines two sub-requirements: one for selecting an option and one for supplying input. These sub-requirements should be separated into two distinct requirements for clarity and traceability. References: CBAP / CCBA Certified Business Analysis Study Guide, 2nd Edition, page 77; CBAP / CCBA Certified Business Analysis Study Guide, 2nd Edition, page 77.