10 business analyst certifications to advance your analytics career

Certifications for business analysts are still emerging, but there’s already a number of organizations offering exams to certify business analytics skills. Business analysts help organizations make the most of the data they collect by finding trends, patterns, and errors that might otherwise go unnoticed. Successful business analysts have the skills to work with data, the acumen to understand the business side of the organization, and the ability to communicate that information to people outside of IT.

Business analytics is a lucrative role in IT, with an average entry-level salary of $68,000 per year. Throughout their careers, business analysts report average salaries ranging from $40,000 to $100,000 per year, according to PayScale. If you want to advance your business analyst career, or change career paths, here are 10 certifications that will help prove your mettle. Not finding what you’re looking for? Check out our list of big data and data analytics certifications.

Top 10 business analyst certifications

• Certified Analytics Professional (CAP)
• IIBA Entry Certificate in Business Analysis (ECBA)
• IIBA Certification of Competency in Business Analysis (CCBA)
• IIBA Certified Business Analysis Professional (CBAP)
• IIBA Agile Analysis Certification (AAC)
• IIBA Certification in Business Data Analytics (CBDA)
• IQBBA Certified Foundation Level Business Analyst (CFLBA)
• IREB Certified Professional for Requirements Engineering (CPRE)
• PMI Professional in Business Analysis (PBA)
• SimpliLearn Business Analyst Masters Program

Certified Analytics Professional (CAP)

The Certified Analytics Professional (CAP) is a vendor-neutral certification that certifies your skills and ability to draw valuable insights from complex data sets to help guide strategic businesses decisions. To qualify for this certification, you will need a master’s degree in a related field and at least five years of relevant experience, or a bachelor’s degree in a related field along with seven years of experience in data or analytics. You can also qualify for the associate level aCAP exam if you have a master’s degree with just three years of related experience in data or analytics.

• Exam fee: $495 for INFORMS members, $695 for non-members; aCAP exam: $200 for INFORMS members, $300 for non-members

IIBA Entry Certificate in Business Analysis (ECBA)

The Entry Certificate in Business Analysis (ECBA) is the first level of certification with the International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA), it’s designed for less experienced and entry-level business analysts. You will need to complete at least 21 hours of professional training credits, within the past four years, before you will be eligible for the exam. You don’t have to renew your ECBA certification, but it’s assumed you’ll move on to the second or third levels of certification.

• Application fee: $60
• Exam fee: $110 for members, $235 for non-members
• Retake fee: $89 for members, $195 for non-members
• Renewal fee: Not applicable

For more, see our guide on the ECBA.

IIBA Certification of Competency in Business Analysis (CCBA)

Level 2 of the IIBA certification, the Certification of Competency in Business Analysis (CCBA) requires a minimum 3,750 hours of business analytics work aligned with the IIBA’s Business Analysis Book of Knowledge (BABOK) guide in the past 7 years, 900 hours in two of six BABOK knowledge areas, or 500 hours in four of six BABOK knowledge areas. The certification also requires a minimum of 21 hours professional development training in the past four years and two professional references. The CCBA exam consists of 130 multiple-choice questions that are scenario-based and require some analysis. It covers fundamentals, underlying competencies, key concepts, techniques and all six knowledge areas covered in the BABOK.