5 Key Reasons to Join a Formal CBAP Prep Course in 2023

What You Lose When You Avoid A CBAP Prep Course

Very often, we are asked by prospective CBAP certification aspirants, ‘Why should I join a formal CBAP prep course when there is so much free content on the internet?’. This is indeed a valid question.

Here are 5 key reasons why you should join a formal CBAP prep course.

#1. It is humanly impossible to go through all the content available. And it is not necessarily reliable.

These days there are all kinds of information and resources available online. In fact, there are a plethora of free resources available for people who want to get certified as a CBAP from IIBA. The problem is that there is no way to check the quality of these available resources. You do not have the luxury of time (since most have a job to cater to) while preparing for the exam. You simply can’t be spending your time on endless skimming of information to find the right resource, if at all.

This is where a formal prep course makes the difference. The course content is designed by mentors and coaches who have expertise in the BA field and have full knowledge of the CBAP certification exam pattern. The experts spend a great amount of time and effort creating the content as required by IIBA and periodically review it and make changes as needed.

Time is a critical factor to success, and a formal CBAP prep course allows you to spend most of it on things that matter, like actual preparation rather than gathering information and verifying its authenticity and worth.

In fact, IIBA strongly recommends undergoing proper training from an EEP (Endorsed Education Provider) under a seasoned BA coach/mentor. This will help increase the chances of passing on the very first attempt in the shortest possible time.

#2. Internet does not offer any support in clarifying your doubts

Another important reason why joining a formal prep course makes sense is the help you get from a mentor/coach. When you join a formal prep course, you have the advantage of a mentor who can answer your queries and resolve your doubts. This is something that is not possible when you are studying on your own.

The mentor is an expert in the BA field, one who is endorsed by and attached to IIBA, and is usually one who is herself/himself CBAP certified. BABoK contains more than 200,000 words and close to 500 pages of dense documentation. The sheer size of BABoK (which one must study while preparing for the certifications) makes understanding it without faculty guidance extremely difficult.

Most CBAP prep courses provide a study guide based on the BABoK, which, along with the help from the faculty, makes understanding BABoK much easier than doing it all by yourself.

#3. Internet does not support you when you hit a wall with the CBAP application process.

Another important reason is that a formal CBAP prep course provides comprehensive support. They provide you with all the support you require, from filling up the form to your giving the exam. They form your support system throughout your preparation time. This allows you to concentrate on what is most important for you, studying for the exam.

Attending a formal IIBA prep course with an EEP will also give you the much-needed PD hours during the preparation process itself. You also get tips and suggestions from past certified professionals who have taken the course. You can follow their tips and improve your chances of succeeding on the first attempt.

#4. Internet-based content is often dubious in quality.

The information available for free on the internet is unverified and unstructured. You might just end up wasting your time and effort on something which will give you zero results. When you prepare under a formal CBAP prep course, you get the benefit of curated content like study-guide, question banks, exam simulators, exam tips & prep plans, video & audio learning, etc. Learning hours are reduced by at least 50% as an instructor ensures participants pay attention to the course.

Adaptive's course content also evolves according to the needs of the candidates and changes incorporated by IIBA for the CBAP course, thereby helping the candidate prepare in a better and more structured way.

#5. A self-managed process can be terribly slow, thus denying you many opportunities.

Statistics prove that participants of a prep course have a tendency to adhere to the set study plan and thus have a higher chance of success. We hope these reasons give you ample information and aid you in making an informed decision to join a formal CBAP prep course.

Suggested Reading-

How to prepare for CBAP certification - A step by step approach

CBAP Exam Passing Score

CBAP Exam Pattern here

CBAP Certification Cost