The Project Management Institute (PMI) estimates that there are more than a million PMPs in the world. Are you one of them? Are you interested in learning more about a new professional field? That’s great to hear. This is not the time for your abilities to stagnate and there are so many ways to increase your worth in the project economy!
The PMI Professional in Business Analysis, or PMI-PBA, is the ideal option for many PMPs. Since its debut in 2014, this PMI certification has grown at an incredible rate. The PBA will continue to expand faster than any other PMI certification except the PMI Agile Certified Practitioner, or PMI-ACP, and that trend will continue beyond 2020.
It is in the context of projects and programs that PMs do business analysis, which is the primary and often the only environment in which they do so. The test focuses on objectives ranging from developing a business case to assessing solutions that have been implemented.
In this article, we’ll look at three frequent objections that PMPs have about pursuing their PMI-PBA, as well as three possible solutions.
-
I’m Not a Business Analyst.
It’s easy to forget how your project management practice was prior to taking the PMP exam. Even after getting your PMP, I’m willing to bet it wasn’t as hard or rigid as it was thereafter. Because as you begin to comprehend what a BA is, you will notice things that you have already been performing. It’s difficult to distinguish between PM and BA tasks if you haven’t studied the relevant resources. For the most part, it’s impossible to tell who is doing what based only on their titles.
Taking the effort to study for your PMI-PBA certification means that you will not only have the certification, but you will also have a better grasp of what effective BA practices are and how to apply them. Check the PMI-PBA Examination Content Outline to see if you don’t notice anything you perform in your project work that’s similar to what’s in there.
Additionally, you’ll walk away with a better knowledge of what Project Management techniques are. You’ll know exactly what function you’re playing and when once the distinction between PM and BA responsibilities is clear. The ability to see the big picture will help you be a more valuable member of the BA and PM teams you work with.
-
I don’t have the time to study for and take another certification exam.
It’s good news that your time spent studying for the PMI-PBA exam will count toward your 60 required Professional Development Units (PDUs). It’s really a pretty cost-effective method of advancing one’s career.
In addition, those who have taken the PMP and the PMI-PBA both say that the PMI-PBA is less challenging than the PMP in terms of difficulty. So don’t be fooled into thinking it’s simple or that you don’t have to take it seriously. It’s still four hours and covers a lot of stuff. If you already have the PMP certification, the PMI-PBA certification is likely to be a simpler process for you since you have already gone through the PMP and everything that it requires.
-
These days, Agile is all the rage, and I need to work on honing my Agile abilities.
No one has to be reminded of the significance of Agile role in a person’s career growth. The PMI-PBA, on the other hand, is an excellent method to enhance your understanding of how to use your project management expertise in an Agile setting.
BAs and PMs with more conventional training are finding it more difficult to use their knowledge and abilities in an Agile setting. To help the team and product owner with backlog refinement and management, most Agile settings look for team members with BA abilities. PMI-PBA test questions now feature additional Agile-specific content in recognition of the importance of BA work on Agile efforts, which was recognized in the 2018 exam update.
Agile teams typically struggle to find a place for project managers. A thorough grasp of how the disciplines of PM and BA meet and differ is critical when deciding how to use them in an Agile setting.
Conclusion
It’s the most cost-effective way to improve your professional abilities. You’ll go away with a greater respect for the roles you’ve played as a project manager and a business analyst. Even in conventional, Agile, or hybrid contexts, you’ll be able to contribute to your value offering. And you owe it to yourself to save money on your development efforts by obtaining high-value PDUs to keep your current certification and get a new certification from a reputable organization.