PMI-PBA Certification – An Overview

What is PMI-PBA?

PMI-PBA stands for ‘Project Management Institute – Professional in Business Analysis. It is one of the PMI certifications awarded to qualifying candidates and is receiving importance among professionals.

It is an internationally recognized,  popular, and high-level professionally credible certification in Business Analysis. The certificate applies to various sectors and industries businesses and is transferable across geographic boundaries.

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PMI-PBA Designation Hloders Growth

The graph below shows the growth of designation holders in the last five years.

The growth in number displays professionals’ and employers’ popularity, interest, and confidence in this certification.

Who are PMI-PBA?  and What they do?

PMI-PBA designation holders coordinate with stakeholders to interpret and analyze organization business needs. They re-engineer business processes and operating procedures to improve business profits. They demonstrate in-depth knowledge of Business Analysis Principles, Models,  and Tools and Techniques.  These qualifications contribute to the organizations’ success as a subject matter expert in Business Analysis.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria refers to three essential items.

1. Education,
2. Business Analysis Experience, and
3. Training in Business Analysis . 

Experience Requirement is dependent on the candidate’s education level.

For Secondary School Diploma or Associate Degree holder candidates, the Business Analysis practitioner experience requirement is 60 months.  

For four years Bachelor’s degree holders, the experience requirement is 36 months.

In both of the above cases, Experience must be non-overlapping and earned in the last eight consecutive years.

For post-graduate or master’s degree holders, this unique non-overlapping professional business analysis experience requirement is  24 months. 

Training Requirement for all levels of education and Experience is the same as 35 Contact Hours. One hour of classroom instructions equals one contact hour. 

Exam Fee

PMI-PBA exam fee varies based on candidate PMI membership status.

For those who are members of PMI, the exam fee is US$ 405; however, those who are not members pay a fee of US$ 555.

Exam Process

The exam format is Computer-Based Testing or CBT. In it …, candidates sit in the exam at a local Pearson VUE Testing Center.

Online Proctor Testing or OPT is available for this certification, as well. In OPT… candidates can take the exam from home or office.

To take OPT exam, you need a computer, mic, webcam and reliable internet. Candidates taking OPT exam monitored through webcam and mic.

Exam Content Outline (Syllabus)

The certification exam follows the examination content outline. Percentage of Exam Questions is break up among five domain areas is as under;

• Domain I. Need Assessment 18%
• Domain II. Planning  22%
• Domain III. Analysis 35%
• Domain IV. Traceability and Monitoring 15%
• Domain V. Evaluation 10%

The examination is available in the English language only. The total exam Time is 240 Minutes or four hours. The exam consists of 200 questions; however, the number of questions marked is only 175. The format of Questions asked is multiple choice.

Maintenance and Renewal

PMI-PBA credential holders must earn 60 PDUs over three years. Pay renewal fee and get a Renewal Certificate for the next three years cycle. PDU stands for Professional Development Unit. One hour of learning accounts for one PDU.