CBAP / CCBA Certified Business Analysis Study Guide 1st Edition

I used this book as my one and only study guide for the CCBA exam and I passed May 22 without any problems whatsoever. Let me say that again in case I was not very clear. I did not spend endless hours studying the BABOK because I knew this book covered the BABOK in a more palatable way. I did not join a study group or use flash cards. I took the practice exam on the companion CD once as an assessment and I learned from that assessment that I needed to read the book.There were a few questions on the CCBA exam that had me stumped. Some due to poor or confusing wording (which I suspect was on purpose) and a few others from knowledge areas that I will admit are not my strong suits. But I did find the answers to those questions in the book, or at least the content in which those questions were based, so I consider it my fault for not studying as diligently in those areas.I especially found the exam spotlights and scenarios to be very valuable. I've never worked somewhere that used the exact terms or processes as the BABOK so I found it useful to "map" the BABOK terms and process with my own work experience. The end of chapter quizzes were also very helpful and reinforced the learning objectives required for the exam.I highly recommend this book to all experienced BAs who are studying for the CCBA or CBAP exam. As a matter of fact, I am now studying for the CBAP exam and I plan to use this same book again as my study guide. But I do believe in lessons learned so I am going to study harder in the areas I'm not as experienced.

This is a great study aide to complement the BABOK. My only two criticisms are that #1, the author does not give attention to the stakeholders that are associated with each task in the knowledge areas. Yet this is something that needs to be understood thoroughly for the test.My 2nd criticism is that the author will indicate that certain techniques are preferred when this information is not in the BABOK. I am not certain how she determines which techniques are preferred as she does note cite her source when making that assessment about a technique.On the positive side, I love the exam spotlights - where she draws the reader's attention to a detail that will be needed for the test. I also love the practice review after each chapter, the pre-study assessment and the CD with additional study aides. I am using it to study with another person who has a different study guide that costs $80. My study partner and I compare notes from both of our study guides as we review each chapter. While we are finding that both study guides have similar information, it appears that this guide offers more with the exam spotlights, 20-question chapter reviews (her guide has 10-question reviews after each chapter) and two practice CBAP exams (her book offers one) in addition to flashcards and a pre-assessment test.I did find one error in one of her diagrams but was able to discern the correct information by referring back to the BABOK. That is why I recommend it as a supplement to the BABOK and not as a replacement for reading the BABOK.Overall, I find this to be an excellent companion to the BABOK for independent or group study. And I did pass the CBAP exam on my first try!

I purchased this study guide as a supplement to the BABOK. I wanted to try a "budget" route to passing the CBAP exam. My goal was to pass the exam using only the BABOK and this study guide and it worked! I started studying the BABOK about 6 months before I purchased this book. I did a complete read-through of the BABOK and then went chapter-by-chapter through the study guide. The pre-test at the beginning of the book gave me a good reality check on the knowledge areas I was really weak on. The tests at the end of each chapter were a great indication of how well I knew the information contained in the chapter and which knowledge areas I really needed to study more. Once I had made it through the study guide one time, I felt confident enough to schedule my exam. Then I went back through the BABOK, back through the study guide, and ended with all of the practice exams on the CD that came with the guide. When I took the actual CBAP exam, I found that the exam questions were not at all as clear as the practice test questions had been. This was troublesome, but I still feel like I had a good knowledge base from the study guide and was able to pass the exam. I definitely recommend this approach to anyone who doesn't want to pay for an expensive review course.

I first downloaded a sample of this book from Kindle Store as I am planning to buy the ebook version. I was sent an ebook with the cover, table of contents and introduction. As I was reading the sample, it keeps on mentioning the companion CD, with the flashcards, the assessment test, the review questions and the bonus exam and it was mentioned there that:"Additionally, if you are going to travel but still need to study... you can take this entire book with you just by taking the CD. This book is available in PDF (Adobe Acrobat), so it can be easily read on any computer."This is why I decided to purchase the actual book and not the ebook. I am not from the US, and shipping is expensive, that is why initially I was thinking of getting the ebook. I was so excited when it arrived, I put on immediately the CD, so I can put the PDF version in my Ipad and be able to read whenever I have free time without carrying the bulky book and wherever, I am thinking I can do this when I am in the train or bus. But the promised PDF version of the entire book is no where to be found. Well, I still gave it 3 stars because I think it is a good book. But just so disappointed.