BCS Business Analysis Diploma – Oral Examination Preparation Workshop

This classroom-based course prepares candidates for the oral examination for the BCS International Diploma in Business Analysis.

The context for business analysis

• The rationale for business analysis
• Sectors of the economy
• Business environment analysis
• Legal framework for business analysis
• SWOT analysis
• Business performance measurement
• Business change lifecycle

Business analysis techniques

• Investigating and documenting business situations
• Stakeholders and perspectives
• Business activity modelling
• Business events and business rules
• Gap analysis

Business case

• Rationale for making a business case
• Contents of a business case
• Options
• The financial case
• Investment appraisal techniques
• Risk / impact analysis
• Lifecycle for the business case

Requirements definition

• Rationale for requirements engineering
• Elicitation techniques and their relevance
• Rationale and approach for requirements analysis
• Rationale and approach for requirements negotiation
• Rationale and approach for requirements validation

Requirements management and documentation

• Rationale and approach for requirements management
• Traceability
• Change and version control
• Types of requirements
• Documenting requirements
• Rationale for modelling requirements
• Approach to modelling processing and data

Selected knowledge-based specialist module

• Relevance of specialist module to the business analyst
• Taking a holistic view
• Competencies of a BA
• Professionalism and business analysis
• Lifecycle relevant to the BA and the specialism

Selected practitioner specialism

• Relevance to role and responsibilities of the business analyst
• Description and application of techniques and / or approaches from specialist module

Practice questions

At the end of the workshop the trainer, who is always an experienced oral examiner, provides participants with practice in handling the types of questions that they will face in the oral examination and gives feedback on the participants’ answers and presentation.