Start your business analyst career by learning the basics of business analysis. Plan your business analyst career with BCS Business Analysis qualifications.
Learn new skills to become a better business analyst
Learn a range of tools and techniques to enhance your work as a business analyst. Fill your skill gaps using the BCS Business Analysis career pathway.
Advance your career with a BCS certification
Demonstrate your abilities as an experienced business analyst. Show your commitment to professional development with a BCS BA certification
BCS Business Analyst certification
What is BCS Business Analysis?
BCS (The British Computer Society) is the Chartered Institute for IT, responsible for improving standards of competence across the IT industry. BCS is an independent professional body and provides certifications in IT and management subjects such as business analysis.
BCS Business Analysis is unique in that it provides both entry-level qualifications and expert-level business analysis qualifications aimed at those with 5+ years of experience in business analysis.
Skills Framework for the Information Age (SFIA)
BCS uses a skills framework – SFIA – which allows you to plot your skills against an industry-defined benchmark. This lets you accurately determine your current level of technical expertise as compared to other professionals in the industry.
You can then use the SFIAplus framework to discover appropriate and applicable business analyst training that supports your career development goals.
When you choose to study through our instructor-led courses, you will be given 1-year access to the SFIAplus online tool to help you discover the next step in your business analysis career.
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Is BCS Business Analysis popular?
Yes. BCS has certified over 100,000 professionals worldwide. BCS certifications carry a lot of weight because BCS provides the most renowned business analysis certification scheme in the UK.
BCS Business Analysis certification is the first step for many in becoming a practicing business analyst (BA) in the UK.
Much of their popularity is due to the available of instructor-led classroom courses leading to BCS BA certification. Knowledge Train has instructor-led classroom training courses suitable for business analysts at every stage in their career.
What certifications are available in the BCS Business Analysis scheme?
Levels of BCS BA certification
There are 5 levels in the BCS Business Analysis certification scheme:
Foundation
Practitioner
Professional
Consultant
Expert.
Foundation-level BCS Business Analysis certification
These certifications are suitable for those with no prior experience in business analysis. For those seeking a business analyst career, the BCS Foundation Certificate in BCS Foundation Certificate in Business Analysis is the most popular certificate.
BCS Foundation Certificate in Business Analysis exam
Style: Multiple-choice
Questions: 40
Pass mark: 65% (26/40)
Duration: 60 minutes
Materials allowed: Closed-book
Prerequisites: None.
Practitioner-level BCS Business Analysis certification
The BCS Practitioner certifications help working business analysts learn valuable, applicable skills and refine their approach as a BA.
BCS Business Analysis Practitioner exams
For BCS Business Analysis Practitioner-level exams (except International Diploma) the examination format is shown below.
Style: Multiple-choice
Questions: 40
Pass mark: 26/40 (65%)
Duration: 60 minutes
Materials allowed: Closed-book
Prerequisites: None.
BCS Business Analysis International Diploma exam
The BCS Business Analysis International Diploma exam format is shown below.
Style: Oral (with 2 examiners)
Duration: 50 minutes
Materials allowed: Closed-book
Prerequisites: See the next section.
Requirements for sitting the BCS Business Analysis International Diploma exam
Requirements Engineering– Develop the skills needed to identify requirements and develop appropriate business solutions.
3. Pass one of these BCS Business Analysis Practitioner optional modules:
Modelling Business Processes – Learn foundational business analysis skills which support change and improve business processes.
Benefits Management and Business Acceptance – Learn how a rigorous approach to benefits management can ensure successful product delivery.
Data Management Essentials – Study the roles responsible for data management and how to implement good practice in data management.
Systems Modelling Techniques – Learn how to construct three types of models and describe interactions between them.
Systems Development Essentials – Focus on the systems investigation and quality assurance that underpins all systems development.
Professional, consultant and expert-level BCS Business Analysis certification
BCS also provides a range of professional, consultant and expert-level certifications. These are aimed at business analysts with years of applied experience who want to demonstrate their specialist skills, and contribution to the profession.
BCS Business Analyst certification allows candidates to track, plan and develop their skills through a single certifying body. The BCS SFIAplus tool helps you choose appropriate BCS courses and helps make career development easier.
BCS reasonable adjustments policy
For all BCS examinations, adjustments and/or additional time can be requested in line with the BCS reasonable adjustments policy for candidates with a disability, or other special considerations including English as a second language.
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History of BCS – The Chartered Institute for IT
BCS was formed in 1957 from the merger of the LCG (London Computer Group) and an association of IT scientists. It was incorporated that same year as ‘The British Computer Society Ltd’.
As a charity with a Royal Charter, their goal is to lead the IT industry through its ethical challenges, and support those who work in the industry.
In 2009, the British Computer Society re-branded itself as ‘BCS – The Chartered Institute for IT’.
In 2018 BCS announced a new focus on ethics, aiming to ensure that IT services better serve society. This initiative included experimentation with emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, big data and virtual reality.
BCS is dedicated to the creation of inclusive products and continues to champion LGBTQ+ representation across the IT industry.
ISEB qualifications
BCS offered the world’s first business analysis certifications. When launched these were called ISEB (Information Systems Examination Board) certifications. In fact, if you hold an ISEB certification it is still valid today.
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Self-paced learning
Self-paced learning has had many different names over the years, including distance learning, computer-based training (CBT), and e-Learning (or elearning). We prefer to use the term ‘self-paced’ because you can stop and start your learning whenever, and wherever you want. Read the benefits of self-paced learning below to learn more about why self-paced online learning is a great way to learn about BCS Business Analysis and gain your BCS BA qualification.
Self-paced training benefits
Saves you time
If you are a busy professional, you often cannot afford the time to attend fixed-schedule classroom training. So, taking a self-paced BCS BA online course saves you time.
Saves you money
If you are a freelancer or contractor, you lose money if you take time off work to attend a fixed-schedule classroom course. With self-paced BCS online training you fit your learning time around your working hours, so this saves you money.
Learn at your own pace
You can study whenever and wherever you want. You can use any device (desktop, tablet, or mobile) on any platform (Windows, Mac, IOS, or Android) which has a reliable internet connection. You can choose when and how to study so you study at your own pace.
Support provided
As a student on our self-paced BCS online courses, you have access to an expert trainer. Our trainers aim to answer all questions from students within 1 business day, and often reply within hours.
Best practice design
All our BCS online courses are designed to engage your brain, with the aim to promote longer lasting and deeper understanding of the core concepts. For more details about our best practice design see more about our self-paced online learning below.
Long validity
You have access to our self-paced AgilePM online courses for 12 months. You can take your AgilePM online exam any time within this period.
Online exam
All self-paced BCS online courses include the BCS exam taken online. No travel to an exam centre is required, so you can gain your BCS qualification entirely from home.
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About self-paced online BCS courses
Learning technology
These self-paced online BCS courses have been designed with the latest web technologies, so they work on Windows, MacOS, iOS and Android. They are fully responsive, and fit any device and screen size – desktop, tablet and mobile. No browser plugins or installation files are required.
Best practice design
Our self-paced BCS Business Analysis online courses are highly interactive, and exercises have been designed to aid a deeper level of understanding, leading to longer-lasting learning. Like all our online courses, these self-paced online BCS Business Analysis courses have been designed using the latest best practices in instructional design, including:
Micro-learning
These are short chunks of content taking just a few minutes to complete.
Gamification
Selective use of gamified elements to promote playful elements into the learning process.
Learning Management System (LMS)
A modern LMS which remembers where you are and allows you easy access to all your learning content.
Quizzes
Lots of quizzes to check your knowledge at the end of each topic.
Audio
Selective use of audio to enhance, which avoids ‘overloading’ the student with ‘too much information’.
Accessibility standards
Meeting many of the recommended accessibility standards from the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1.
Many companies develop e-learning cheaply by simply filming a trainer in a classroom. We do not think that’s a good way to help students learn, nor does it engage learners.
We are confident that our interactive elearning will help you gain an understanding of project management so that you can sit your BCS Business Analysis online exam with confidence.
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BCS Business Analysis Foundation course details
Course format
Instructor-led courses (traditional classroom or online virtual classroom) or self-paced online training.
Training includes
Classroom tuition from an experienced BCS trainer or high-quality, interactive online learning content
BCS Business Analysis manual 4th ed. (classroom training only)
BCS Foundation Certificate in Business Analysis exam
1-year BCS associate membership and access to the SFIAplus online tool (on passing your exam)
BCS Foundation Certificate in Business Analysis (on passing your exam).
Course times
Instructor-led training courses are held over 3 days from 9 am to 5 pm.
1-year access to self-paced online learning course.
Learning outcomes
This training course provides students with the skills to:
Identify and evaluate business operations.
Support successful business change programmes within your organisation.
Course content
This BCS Foundation in Business Analysis training course covers the following topics:
Instructor-led courses (traditional classroom or online virtual classroom) or self-paced online training.
Training includes
Classroom tuition from an experienced BCS trainer or high-quality, interactive online learning content
BCS Business Analysis manual 4th ed. (classroom training only)
BCS Modelling Business Processes Practitioner exam
1-year BCS associate membership and access to the SFIAplus online tool (on passing your BCS Modelling Business Processes exam)
BCS Practitioner Certificate in Modelling Business Processes (on passing your exam).
Course times
Instructor-led training courses are held over 3 days from 9 am to 5 pm.
1-year access to self-paced online learning course.
Learning outcomes
This training course provides students with the skills to:
Apply practical business analysis techniques to help improve business processes.
Apply different process modelling techniques, including those that detail both the organisational view and more detailed models.
Course content
This BCS Modelling Business Processes training course covers the following topics:
The role of business process modelling in improving business processes
The hierarchy of business process models and how to describe them including: business architecture, business model canvas, business process mapping, and value stream mapping
How to model core business processes at an organisational level
How to perform gap analysis for business process re-engineering.
At Knowledge Train, we’ve selected the 4 most popular BCS Foundation and Practitioner self-paced online modules, and combined them into a single, cost-effective self-paced online training bundle that we believe suits the needs of our customers.
Our instructor-led BCS BA courses are taught by some of the best trainers in the UK. Each is a BCS Business Analysis training expert with years of experience working as business analysts. They help deliver a high quality of training you won’t find elsewhere.
If you’d like to try our instructor-led training and learn how we run our virtual classroom courses, give our team a call on +44 (0)207 148 5985 and we’ll find you a place on our next available course.
We’ve designed our instructor-led and self-paced courses to give you the best possible chance to learn about BCS Business Analysis and pass your BCS exams. Simply choose the course format that best suits your needs.
You should take instructor-led BCS classroom training if any of the following apply:
You can commit to a fixed classroom schedule
You’d like to earn your BCS certification as quickly as possible
You prefer face-to-face learning with a trainer
You enjoy learning in a social environment with other students.
You should take a self-paced online BCS course if any of the following apply:
There are several business analysis qualification schemes available, such as those offered by BCS, PMI® and IIBA®.
Knowledge Train offers BCS training and certification because it is one the few certification schemes that can provide comprehensive training to those new to the business analysis profession.
IIBA® is a registered trade mark of the International Institute of Business Analysis™.
If you’ve enrolled in our BCS Business Analysis course, we’ll provide introductory reading to help you familiarise yourself with basic terms and concepts before the course begins. This reading should take no more than 3-4 hours and provides a basic overview of some of the topics you’ll encounter on your first day of training.
If you choose a BCS Business Analysis training course, you can expect to be given up to 1 hour of homework at the end of each day. Homework may include reading assignments, pop-quizzes, and other beneficial revision exercises.
Instructor-led traditional classroom course students
If you live in the United Kingdom and you are taking a classroom BCS Business Analysis training course, we’ll send your manual to you via courier. We aim to ensure that it arrives 3 days prior to the start of your training course
If you live outside the UK, we’ll provide you with a digital copy of the BCS Handbook via email. You can still elect to receive a hard copy of the BCS manual if you choose but must pay an additional postage fee.
All our trainers on our instructor-led BCS training courses are experienced at coaching students to learn what is required to pass their BCS exams.
In addition, you’ll receive official specimen exams that match the style, form, and content of questions you will be asked in your BCS exams.
Your self-paced BCS online course is designed to help you learn fast and retain information longer, making it an ideal preparation for sitting your exam(s).
The online self-paced training also contains official sample exams that match the style, form, and content of questions you will be asked in your BCS exams.
Students also benefit from having access to a dedicated expert trainer who is available to answer your questions via email. Our trainers will try to respond to any queries you may have within 1 working day.
Yes. For organisations wanting to train lots of staff members, our training is available for hosting on your organisation’s Learning Management System (LMS).
Our self-paced training courses use industry standard SCORM and TinCan API formats that are used by modern Learning Management Systems.
Please call our team on +44 (0)207 148 5985 for more details about hosting our BCS online courses on your own LMS.
The BCS International Diploma is the must-have BCS certification for business analysts. It consists of the knowledge-based Foundation certificate, 2 core Practitioner modules and a selective Practitioner module. The training bundle provides all 4 courses in one complete package.
To gain this certification you must pass the BCS the Foundation exam and 3 Practitioner exams.
Accreditation:
BCS
Prerequisites:
None
Format:
Instructor-led or self-paced
BCS Foundation Certificate in Business Analysis
The BCS Foundation Certificate in Business Analysis is the entry-level qualification for aspiring business analysts. Gaining this certificate is one of the requirements for taking the International Diploma.
To gain this certification you must pass the BCS Foundation Certificate exam.
Accreditation:
BCS
Prerequisites:
None
Format:
Instructor-led or self-paced
BCS Business Analysis Practice Practitioner certificate
The BCS Certificate in Business Analysis Practice is one of two core Practitioner modules needed to gain the International Diploma qualification.
To gain this certification you must pass the BCS Business Analysis Practice exam.
Accreditation:
BCS
Prerequisites:
None
Format:
Instructor-led or self-paced
BCS Requirements Engineering certificate
The BCS Requirements Engineering certificate in Business Analysis is the second of two core Practitioner modules needed to gain the BCS International Diploma qualification.
To gain this certification you must pass the BCS Requirements Engineering exam.
Accreditation:
BCS
Prerequisites:
None
Format:
Instructor-led or self-paced
BCS Modelling Business Processes certificate
The BCS Modelling Business Processes certificate is one of 3 Practitioner-level certifications needed to gain the International Diploma qualification.
To gain this certification you must pass the BCS Modelling Business Processes exam.
Accreditation:
BCS
Prerequisites:
None
Format:
Instructor-led or self-paced
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