🎯 My CBAP® Certification Journey – Real Talk & Free Resources 🏆
It was a serious commitment — balancing work, study, and personal life — but I’m sharing this to help others who might be preparing, especially if you’re looking for free or low-cost resources.
📝 Getting Started
The CBAP exam focuses on the BABOK® Guide v3, so I started by downloading the free digital copy (available to IIBA).
I read it twice:
- First, to get familiar with the structure and language
- Second, to focus on each Knowledge Area, techniques, and tasks
📚 Free Resources That Helped Me
Here are the totally free resources I used:
✅ BABOK® v3
- Download from IIBA.org if you’re a member (Student or regular). It’s the exam’s foundation.
🎥 YouTube Channels
- The BA Guide – Clear, beginner-friendly explanations of BA concepts
- Adaptive US – Offers free webinars, live Q&A sessions, and short topic videos
- Bridging the Gap – Practical BA tips from a real-world perspective
🧠 Practice Questions
- TechCanvas Free CBAP Practice Questions – techcanvass.com
- BA Times Articles + Quizzes – Free blogs and tips from experienced professionals (batimes.com)
- Quizlet Flashcards – Search for “CBAP Inputs Outputs” or “BABOK Techniques”
🤝 Study Communities
- LinkedIn CBAP Study Groups – Great for motivation and asking doubts
- Reddit r/businessanalysis – Helpful discussions and honest advice
💡 How I Studied
- I made flashcards for tasks, techniques, and key terms
- Watched 1-2 YouTube videos per day to reinfo I read
- Practiced 10–15 questions daily to build confidence
- Used mind maps and diagrams to remember connections
- Simulated test conditions using free mock tests to get exam-ready
🧪 Exam Experience
The exam was challenging but fair.
Expect:
- Long scenario-based questions (2–3 paragraphs each)
- Situational questions where more than one answer seems right
- Questions testing your understanding, not memorization
- Time pressure — I finished with just a few minutes left
Some sample question types I encountered (paraphrased for confidentiality):
- You are working on a project with unclear stakeholder roles. Based on BABOK, which technique would best clarify responsibilities?
- A business analyst is gathering requirements from multiple sources with conflicting views. Which strategy is most effective for resolving this?
- Given a business need and current state assessment, what’s the next best task to perform?
Most answers test whether you really understand when and how t use techniques like stakeholder analysis, decision modeling, or root cause analysis.
✅ Final Thoughts
CBAP is not easy — but it’s 100% doable with the right mindset and free resources. You don’t need to spend a lot to succeed. Be consistent, apply real-world logic to everything you read, and don’t study alone — online groups really help.
