Has anyone found the BCS/ISEB Diploma in BA useful in gaining employment as a BA?

I've been working in IT for over a decade during which time I've worked in Support and Training, and as a QA and Test Analyst. During these roles I've enjoyed the analysis and definition of client's requirements, documenting them, performing reviews with the client/development teams etc and conducting the testing, delivery and training, to ensure the clients requirements have been met. I'm interesting in specialising as a BA and was considering taking the ISEB Diploma in Business Analysis. Even though I've performed a number of duties of that of a BA during my career, I do not have any formal corporate BA experience. Has anyone been in a simlar position and found the ISEB qualification useful in gaining employment as a BA? Or have any other advice?! Thanks for any feedback.

Aaron,
I hope you will find it useful I am in a similar position.
Please take a look a post i made here for some similar advice:

www.modernanalyst.com/Community/Forums/tabid/76/forumid/22/threadid/636/scope/posts/Default.aspx

Kind Regards,

G.

Hey G - thanks for the info - very useful and much appreciated! As the ISEB course is so expensive to take without corporate funding I'm hoping to 'go it alone' and have details of the syllabus and recommended reading lists (the books are cheaper via Amazon than via BCS by the way!), and then go in as a direct entry candidate for the exams. Is that your approach too?

A.

A, Glad to be of help. I am going to see if I can get some courses via my employers. Money is tight at the moment with them budget wise so will see. I will go down the book route if it's a no go. ISEB very usefully tell you which chapters to concentrate on - it's a lot reading. Thank goodness for the flexibility taking the exams independently - these seem to cost only 100-105.00 from what I can see. Lots of luck!

Aaron_Brighton_UK in Brighton, United Kingdom said: Hey G - thanks for the info - very useful and much appreciated! As the ISEB course is so expensive to take without corporate funding I'm hoping to 'go it alone' and have details of the syllabus and recommended reading lists (the books are cheaper via Amazon than via BCS by the way!), and then go in as a direct entry candidate for the exams. Is that your approach too?

A.

Aaron, how's it going... I'min a similiar boat. I'm a software developer in Canary Wharf and want to move into a BA role and but my company wont fund it so I'm going it alone..

I've printed the Syllabus's and the sample papers off the BCS website and also found this recommended reading list (only 3 books)

www.businessanalystsolutions.com/Advanced%20Business%20Analysis%20ISEB%20Reading%20List.pdf

Let me know how you get on.. I'm going to take one a month for the next 4 months to spread the cost a little.. To be honest the exams look pretty straight forward, a lot of common sense and as they are open book shouldn't be too difficult.. Fortunately I have found a BA at work who went on all the courses and has the course notes which should help.

Cheers
R

Alas I had to abandon my studying for the time being - albeit I was finding it very interesting - due to a within promotion in my current organisation now zapping my time. Good luck to you.

Cheers mate... I'll let you know how it goes..

R

hi there, saw ur posting, can u plz guide me regarding the core and specialist modules in the diploma structure.which one do u think should be taken from utility point of view.

You can find all you need to know on the BCS website including what modules there are, the syllabus's, sample exams etc...

www.bcs.org/server.php?show=nav.7704

As I am an developer and looking at moving into what I guess would be considered more of a System Analyst role I am taking the System Development Essentials elective module

R

Richard in London, United Kingdom said: You can find all you need to know on the BCS website including what modules there are, the syllabus's, sample exams etc...

www.bcs.org/server.php?show=nav.7704

As I am an developer and looking at moving into what I guess would be considered more of a System Analyst role I am taking the System Development Essentials elective module

R

Hi Richard, my situation is exactly like yours. I'm a software developer working in the industry from past 6 years but now i want to move towards management.
In order to open different career options for me i'm taking different certifications to find out which career path suits me. Like recently i'm doing Prince2 and after that i've almost finalized to go for ISEB Business Analysis Diploma.
Would you mind sharing you self learning experience? Especially i wanna know being a software developer how much study required for each exam like i've also planned almost a month to each exam.

Many Thanks
Faraz

Hi mate,

Depends how much experience you have... I look at some of the sample papers and reckon I could do them without any studying as a lot of it is common sense and just being able to look at a case study and extract the key information etc.. Something I do every day at work.. Also I have experience of a lot of the analyst role as I do it day to day in my development job. You do need to swot up on modelling techniques though such as using UML for business process diagrams and activity diagrams etc.. Saying that the Essential BA & Organizational Context are both new to me and do require some reading up of theory and looking for some sample case studies on the net to work through and apply certain skills... I am lucky enough to have the course notes for them all and am going to start studying this weekend.. Hoping to get all 4 exams done by end of July so 2 months..

Good Luck

R

Cheers mate, i reckon then i'll take 2-3 months to pass 4 exams. Anyway i'm gona start in end of July, so by the time you'll have full experience of it. I would like to be in touch with you if you don't mind but don't know how. So do let me know.

Many Thanks
Faraz

Faraz Siddiqui in London, United Kingdom said: Cheers mate, i reckon then i'll take 2-3 months to pass 4 exams. Anyway i'm gona start in end of July, so by the time you'll have full experience of it. I would like to be in touch with you if you don't mind but don't know how. So do let me know.

Many Thanks
Faraz

richard smith j AT barcap com

Put the dots in the gaps !!

R

Dear all, Hope this helps. I too want to complete the ISEB BA course but as some of you have noted, the training can be expensive. Parity do a discount scheme which ends up costing £3000 +vat + exams still a lot of money for the self improver.

Have a look at www.metadatatraining.co.uk They do weekend courses at £700+vat. so 4 * 700 = 2800 +vat, and they give a 20% discount if you do the four needed with them, so it works out at a bit over 2K + Vat + exams I think.

Quite a good deal relatively speaking.

I think I will try with the books and the syllabus and see how I get on for a month. Then make a decision about training. Anybody interested in swapping their notes, could save some time.

Good Luck

Ian F

Ian,

Drop me an email, I may be able to help you.

Cheers
R

Hi,

I have read this thread and thinking of considering taking metadata training.
However I am hunting for training material so I can so self study as i am currently involved in BA role and should be able to get through with self study.
Can anyone guide my with BCS BA certification course material. I can pay for that. The training are too expensive.

thanks for help.
Niv.

Hello,

I have been looking for someone to help me with BA expereience, as I feel i am in predicament, and I am not sure how to handle it. I graduated from uni last July, and have since done a one year placment at Mars (BA experience there/Knowledge Mgt). I am now in my first job out of uni as a business anlayst. I have been given the title of 'Graduate BA, and have received no training having been there now for nearly a yr (in aug). The job was first sold to me, as it was the IT Director who interviewed me. However when I started the job last Aug, I learnt that he was no longer with the company. The company has a history of 'Ignoring IT' and still does. I am the only BA, and I am doing everything a normal BA would be doing, without mentoring/ training, just books and the internet (a book was a struggle to get!) I feel that I am doing a lot of work, and bringing great value to the company but no one is recognising it. As a consequence I don't think I am getting paid enough for this, as Admin assistants and are getting more! I have my appraisal coming up in July, and I would like to point this out and somehow also ask for a payrise. But I do not know how to approach this. I have no mentor or another BA to learn from so I am unsure as to how the path should work. I am using all the techiniques a more expereience BA would use...etc Please help, as I am very frustrated with this job. I have looked for other jobs but cannot find any where I am. However I don;t want to just leave at the same time as I have put in a lot of work and can see the value. The history of our IT department does not help, as it is seen more as "IT Support" and not as a whole IT department with a dev team etc. We have a new IT Director coming in (Since we have only had a IT Manager. I would really aprpeciate anyones help and advice as to how to handle my appraisal, as I feel completly lost but very ambitious.

Hello,

I have been looking for someone to help me with BA expereience, as I feel i am in predicament, and I am not sure how to handle it. I graduated from uni last July, and have since done a one year placment at Mars (BA experience there/Knowledge Mgt). I am now in my first job out of uni as a business anlayst. I have been given the title of 'Graduate BA, and have received no training having been there now for nearly a yr (in aug). The job was first sold to me, as it was the IT Director who interviewed me. However when I started the job last Aug, I learnt that he was no longer with the company. The company has a history of 'Ignoring IT' and still does. I am the only BA, and I am doing everything a normal BA would be doing, without mentoring/ training, just books and the internet (a book was a struggle to get!) I feel that I am doing a lot of work, and bringing great value to the company but no one is recognising it. As a consequence I don't think I am getting paid enough for this, as Admin assistants and are getting more! I have my appraisal coming up in July, and I would like to point this out and somehow also ask for a payrise. But I do not know how to approach this. I have no mentor or another BA to learn from so I am unsure as to how the path should work. I am using all the techiniques a more expereience BA would use...etc Please help, as I am very frustrated with this job. I have looked for other jobs but cannot find any where I am. However I don;t want to just leave at the same time as I have put in a lot of work and can see the value. The history of our IT department does not help, as it is seen more as "IT Support" and not as a whole IT department with a dev team etc. We have a new IT Director coming in (Since we have only had a IT Manager. I would really aprpeciate anyones help and advice as to how to handle my appraisal, as I feel completly lost but very ambitious.

1. I think the Times produce a "Top 100 companies to work" for supplement, get a copy, read it and leave it on your desk.

2. Prepare yourself for your appraisal with facts, not emotion. Facts win arguments, emotions loose them.

3. Generally, experience gets jobs, qualifications give precedence.

4. If you are an IT graduate you should have no problem with the ISEB BA exams. Go to the BCS/ISEB site and find the syllabuses for the 4 subjects, get the reading lists, get the sample exams. Work out if you want to do self study or pay for courses. See other posts but, Parity courses cost ~3000+vat and the Metadata courses ~2200 +vat if you do take the weekend option.

5. I am a contract project manager and I am taking the business analysis qualification because more and more IT jobs are requesting BA skills (as well as a host of other stuff (Prince, Agile, Serbo Croat, cycling proficiency)).

Hope this helps a bit.

Hello Guys.
Im starting the ISEB BA exam in a week time. With no experience at all but im a very passionate learner. With just a diploma in computing, im of the opinion of working as a volunter in BA entry work to enhance the chance of getting a job. Could anyone help how to go about this.
Please im also open to any advise you would give in realating to this or any within this context of becoming a BA. (london)

Alright mate.. I reckon you will struggle to get even free work experience worth having as the problem is the time it will take to support you in any role will out weigh any benefit you add... I work for an investment bank and I know we try to avoid having grads come into the team as you have to spend a lot of time with them supporting them then after a year they move somewhere else !!
All the best with your studies though, I have my 2nd exam tomorrow. They are quite straight forward but be warned, the sample exams on the BCS website are a lot easier then the actual exams..

Thanks Richard for your reply.
i reckon thats a home truth but impossible is nothing.
But then, will like know more about being a BA in investment domain.
Whats advise would you give to bewell equipped and up above the rest. Please im very open to any and all advise and instruction.
Above all, wish you the very best in youe exam.

Cheers mate... I didn't mean that as a put down, it is just what I have seen. I am a developer and not yet moved into a BA role and the biggest obstacle I am seeing is that when hiring BA's they want people who know the business area inside out. Doesn't matter what BA skills / experience you have, IT knowledge etc.. Business Knowledge is everything.. I personally disagree with this attitude as I feel it is something you can pick up along the way pretty quickly but thats the bottom line..

I do know that. Its reality.
I have read some blogs and done a little research myself.
Its always being a transition post in most cases.

i hope to keep in touch.
thanks

Is is possible to take the ISEB exam as a self study ? where do you book the exam only ?

all the links i've followed seem to suggest you can only do the exam after paying for a training course !

IT being noted that most guys seeking BA career have software development experience. Would anyone advise how better route to be a developer apart from degree in general cases.
Say for instance, direct move to be microsoft cerified(MCTS)
2. Does ISEB BSD-(development)takes you up in anyway into programming job or developing software.
Put it this way, what are the safest route to gain entry or be skilled for entry into development( work as a developer.
What are the most knowledge or skills to acquire.
Im hoping to gain skills to enable me work as a developer in investment company. what are the requisite?

Its on the BCS/ISEB website. You might have to dig a little to find it.
You will be able to take some exams at BCS up to 15th AUG (not all I think). After that you will need to book through a training organisation. But as someone pointed out to me, they may not be happy to let you do exams if they think you will lower their pass rates. Why not contact BCS and a few training orgs and ask then post reply here

Cheers

I got lucky and QA are letting me do just the exams as Barcap who I work for put a lot of work their way.. Saying that they are not letting anyone else do it after me, I got lucky. BCS used to do open exams but last ones are Auguest 16th I think.. Now you can only take them from exam providers who also run courses and hence you have to do the course.. Madness isn't it.. I think we all need to hassle BCS about it as it appears the only way to get the Diploma going forward is to spend £4k + on training courses.

Microsoft exams are rubbish.. I have completed the old MCSD twice and it is a joke.. ALl it proves is you can memorise every property of every class / control in the framework.. No practical application just multiple choice.. They are rubbish trust me. I have a Computer Science degree but from my experience the best developers seem to be those who came up through the ranks in a Software House. These are companies who simply outsource themselves to write software apps for other companies. They have good standards and develop within a good framework.. Great apprenticeship..

Hi, can someone in Telecoms actually benefit from studing this course. I have been working in the NOC (technical) of telecoms for over 8 years and would like a bit of change. Also, please can anyone help me with additional notes as i have already ordered the book off Bookdepository.

Thanks

HI,
I was following the posts tht being posted and I my self is interested to do ISEB.I want to do it by self learning.I just wants to do u have an idea how much would the exam fee will costs for the ISEB foundation exam.. I will be gratefull if an answer can be given,From the sites I have checked they dont clearly specify a clear amount...money is tight coz im funding my self alonee..can somebody please help me

thank you

I think the exam prices are £110 + VAT but that is if you've done the course with them.. I think you will struggle to do the exam without doing the course as BCS isn't doing anymore open exams so you have to go through a training provider and they insist on you doing the course with them first.. Speak to BCS.

I have just got a new position as a BA after 2 years experience as one out of uni. I had no formal training as a BA in my previous role. I had 4 interviews and got 4 offers. I can only suggest that my experiecne with real busienss situations and highlighting the core competencies that a BA should have was the reason for my success. The competencies are described in the Busienss Analysis Essentials book on the BCS website. I did mention to a couple of the companies that I was self studying the diploma and it was taken as a positive, but it would not have got me a job by itself as you need real life exaples of demonstratable skills. I suggest that highlighting areas you are not strong in and focusing on them for study is important i.e. Stakeholder management, busienss case dev. Then, be honest in an interview, a person who can admit their weaknesses is also desirable as it shows you have considered your development.

Congratulations! more grease to your elbow.

Congrat, Dom.

Could you elaborate on your background. I mean, like your uni degree progam, where and how you got you first or previous job.

Will in London, United Kingdom said: Congrat, Dom.

Could you elaborate on your background. I mean, like your uni degree progam, where and how you got you first or previous job.

Thanks Will. My background was that I did a degree in computing from surrey uni. I got my first job with the same company i did my years placement with as a part of that degree course. I do agree that business knowledge is important as a BA, but I am switching industry completley, from pharma to software, so its not vital. As I said, I think it's more important to work on your cv and detail work experience in terms of particular competencies that are relavent to the BA position you are going for.

Hi Guys,

I was going through ISEB site and sample paper and I noticed that exam instruction says 'reading time is 15 minutes'.

Does anyone know what it means? I am new to open book exams so not sure what exactly it means.

Are candidates not allowed to refer to scenario after 15 minutes while writing exam?

rgds

I have taken the RE exam so I can tell about it.
It is scenario based and open book. You have 15 mins to read the scenario/case (not allowed) to write anywhere not even on question paper during this time. After which you can start answering and also refer to the scenario again. In those 15 mins you should read it as many times as you can and start analyzing it in your head.

Thanks Niv,

However now I am thinking of giving exam in next couple of days without going through entire reading list or taking any course. So I think going for Fundamental cert might be good idea for now.

reds

Hi

Here are a couple of electronic books that are great training manuals for IT Business Analysis. The books are 25.00 and can be downloaded immediately. There is an Introduction to Business Analysis and Business Analysis Templates. Here are the links

Introduction - www.lulu.com/content/2684973
Business Analysis Templates - www.lulu.com/content/2684973

Niv in London, United Kingdom said: I have taken the RE exam so I can tell about it.
It is scenario based and open book. You have 15 mins to read the scenario/case (not allowed) to write anywhere not even on question paper during this time. After which you can start answering and also refer to the scenario again. In those 15 mins you should read it as many times as you can and start analyzing it in your head.

Hi Niv,
Did you attend any course or was it self-stydy?
rgds

Niv in London, United Kingdom said: I have taken the RE exam so I can tell about it.
It is scenario based and open book. You have 15 mins to read the scenario/case (not allowed) to write anywhere not even on question paper during this time. After which you can start answering and also refer to the scenario again. In those 15 mins you should read it as many times as you can and start analyzing it in your head.

Can you tell us what subjects came up please i.e. BAM, MOST Analysis etc?

Does acquiring ISEB BUS ANALYSIS certification enough to get anyone an entry level job in Bus Analysis?

You mean in RE exam.

We it is a scenario based so you can expect questions like.

1. Requirement elicitation techniques best suited for the scenario.
2. Major stakeholders list.
3. Use case diagram/logical model.
4. Interpretation of UML diagrams.
5. Any conflicts analysis/resolution.
6. Requirement document for a particular scenario.

All questions are related to the scenario.

i attended a course. metadata.

If you don’t mind, would you be able to send me test email on Mr_Cool_Ck@Yahoo.com. I have some queries that I don’t find worth discussing in forum.

There are some articles on changing career to Business Analyst at www.smart-ba.com/resource.html#articles
Hope they help!

Niv in London, United Kingdom said: i attended a course. metadata.

Hi Niv,

what made you choose metadata ? how were they ? I am looking to move into BA from real estate consultancy and plan to educate myself in ISEB BA Diploma to become employable in this field. I feel face to face training would be a huge cost but is good investment in oneself with the right training provider.

I need some names and feedback from people about providers interested in teaching the subject and not just handing out a certificate.

Hi All,

I have a question. I am preparing for ISEB Foundation Cetificate in Business Analysis. And I have computer based exam in the end of Oct.
I just wanted to know that Has this certification got any recognition / value in UK? Is it going to help me in anyways?
I am a Techno Functional ERP guy.

Please reply

Regards,
Gaurav

I started my career as a Business Analyst 15 years ago. What I have noticed is that in the past work experience would suffice. Recently, employers are asking for certifications to determine real BA's from those who are saying they are BA's. For example, employers are looking for experience from BA's in use case development, requirements gathering, UML, etc. These are the skills that are taught in certification courses. I have seen a lot of job descriptions that say BA's however, they do no have this type of experience listed (i.e. Financial Business analyst). My recommendation is to make sure you list the skills learned in your certification program on you resume in detail. I have always considered myself as a Business Analyst and not specific to any particular application (ERP, Oracle, People Soft,etc). When doing so I am not limited to particular industries.

Also, I have written some books and software on the subject. You can visit my website at www.echoicesolutions.com
Also, do you know how I can reach more people in the UK