CCBA certification: cost, requirements and exam format

What is CCBA certification?

CCBA stands for Certification of Capability in Business Analysis. It is issued by IIBA, the International Institute of Business Analysis, and sits in the middle of IIBA’s core business analysis certifications: above the entry-level ECBA and below the senior CBAP.

IIBA describes the CCBA certification as recognising your expertise and preparing you to take on larger, more complex initiatives. In practice, IIBA first checks that you have documented business analysis experience, and the exam then tests whether you can apply the BABOK Guide to realistic scenarios.

The roles IIBA names include holders of the ECBA credential, business analysts, IT business analysts, systems analysts, business systems analysts, business process analysts, technical business analysts, requirements analysts and product analysts.

Source: IIBA — Certification of Capability in Business Analysis (CCBA). Checked 10 October 2026.

CCBA certification cost

IIBA publishes its CCBA fees in US dollars, in stages. First the application fee of US$145, which is non-refundable and non-transferable. Then the exam fee: US$405, or US$250 for IIBA members, and IIBA notes that the first year of membership is included with the exam fee.

If you need another attempt, the exam rewrite fee is US$195 for members and US$350 for non-members. Every three years, recertification costs US$85 for members and US$120 for non-members.

So the CCBA certification cost for a first-time pass is the application fee plus one exam fee. The training you take to meet the 21 professional development hours is a separate expense set by whoever delivers it.

• Application: US$145
• Exam: US$405 standard, US$250 for members
• Exam rewrite: US$195 members, US$350 non-members
• Recertification every three years: US$85 members, US$120 non-members

Source: IIBA — Certification of Capability in Business Analysis (CCBA). Checked 10 October 2026.

CCBA certification requirements

Every CCBA requirement is about experience and training, not a degree. IIBA asks for two to three years of business analysis work in the last seven years, totalling 3,750 hours. The CCBA Handbook adds how those hours must be spread: at least 900 hours in each of 2 knowledge areas, or at least 500 hours in each of 4 knowledge areas.

On top of that you need 21 professional development hours within the last four years and two references who have known you for at least six months. Once IIBA approves the application, it is valid for one year.

• 3,750 hours of business analysis work in the last 7 years
• At least 900 hours in each of 2 knowledge areas, or 500 hours in each of 4
• 21 professional development hours in the last 4 years
• Two references who have known you for at least 6 months

Source: IIBA — CCBA Handbook (May 2026). Checked 10 October 2026.

CCBA exam format and passing score

The CCBA exam is 180 minutes long and has 130 multiple-choice, scenario-based questions formulated from the BABOK Guide. That leaves a little under 1 minute 25 seconds per question, and each scenario has to be read before you can answer, so pacing is part of the test.

The CCBA test is computer-based and delivered by IIBA’s exam partner PSI, either online with a remote proctor or at a PSI test centre.

IIBA does not publish a CCBA passing score. The Handbook says only that you receive a pass or fail result on screen when the exam ends. A percentage quoted elsewhere does not come from IIBA, so the safer target for a pass is consistent strength across all six knowledge areas.

After approval you have a one-year term with up to three exam attempts. Each attempt you buy is valid for six months or until the one-year term ends, whichever comes first.

Source: IIBA — CCBA Handbook (May 2026). Checked 10 October 2026.

What is on the CCBA exam? The knowledge areas

The CCBA exam covers the six knowledge areas of IIBA’s BABOK Guide, and IIBA publishes the weight of each. Requirements analysis and design definition is by far the largest at 32%, and elicitation and collaboration follows at 20%. Together they make up more than half of the exam, while solution evaluation carries only 6%.

That weighting differs from CBAP, where strategy analysis and solution evaluation count for more. Study for the CCBA blueprint, not a generic business analysis outline.

• Requirements analysis and design definition — 32%
• Elicitation and collaboration — 20%
• Requirements life cycle management — 18%
• Business analysis planning and monitoring — 12%
• Strategy analysis — 12%
• Solution evaluation — 6%

Source: IIBA — Certification of Capability in Business Analysis (CCBA). Checked 10 October 2026.

CCBA training and courses

Because 21 professional development hours are a CCBA requirement, CCBA training is part of the route rather than an extra. IIBA points to its Training Partners, which offer exam prep and professional development courses aligned with IIBA standards.

A CCBA course can be self-paced online, live with an instructor or a classroom workshop. Whatever you choose, check that the CCBA certification training will count towards your 21 hours and that it follows the six knowledge areas with their CCBA weights. IIBA sets no single training price; it depends on the provider.

The best study order follows the blueprint: requirements analysis and design definition and elicitation and collaboration first, because they carry the most scored questions, then the remaining four areas.

Source: IIBA — Certification of Capability in Business Analysis (CCBA). Checked 10 October 2026.

CCBA sample questions, practice tests and exam dumps

IIBA publishes five CCBA sample questions with answers on its CCBA page. They show the style well: a short business situation — automating a manual data-entry process, verifying requirements in a stakeholder review — followed by four options about which technique or step a business analyst should choose.

Five questions are a style reference, not a full practice exam. For exam prep, a useful CCBA practice test is scenario-based, weighted towards requirements analysis and design definition, and taken under the 180-minute limit at least once before you book.

Copies of live exam questions are a different matter. IIBA’s Code of Ethical Conduct requires candidates to keep the contents of the exam, including questions, scenarios and cases, confidential and says disclosure is strictly prohibited. Violations can lead to rejection of the application, denial to sit the exam and revocation, so a CCBA dump puts the certification itself at risk.

Source: IIBA — Code of Ethical Conduct and Professional Standards. Checked 10 October 2026.

How do you renew CCBA?

CCBA is renewed every three years. The Handbook requires credential holders to earn and record 60 Continuing Development Units (CDUs) in each three-year period in IIBA’s BA Development Log, and the recertification fee is US$85 for members or US$120 for non-members.

If you hold both CBAP and CCBA, IIBA states that the CCBA renews automatically each time the CBAP is recertified.

Source: IIBA — CCBA Handbook (May 2026). Checked 10 October 2026.

CCBA vs CBAP

Both are IIBA certifications built on the BABOK Guide, but they gate on different amounts of experience. CCBA asks for 3,750 hours in the last seven years and 21 professional development hours. CBAP asks for 7,500 hours — five or more years — in the last ten years and 35 professional development hours.

The exams differ too. CCBA has 130 scenario-based questions in 180 minutes; CBAP has 120 case-study and scenario-based questions in 210 minutes. The CBAP exam fee is US$505, or US$350 for members, against US$405 and US$250 for CCBA. If your hours do not yet reach 7,500, CCBA is the IIBA certification that fits now.

Source: IIBA — Certified Business Analysis Professional (CBAP). Checked 10 October 2026.

CCBA practice questions

Certsqill’s CCBA practice questions are expert-developed and scenario-based: every question explains each answer option, and a readiness score for each of the six knowledge areas shows whether requirements analysis and design definition, at 32% of the exam, is ready before you spend an attempt.

CCBA questions people ask

What is CCBA certification?

The Certification of Capability in Business Analysis from IIBA, its mid-level business analysis certification for people with two to three years of experience. Source: IIBA, checked 10 October 2026.

How much does the CCBA certification cost?

A US$145 application fee plus a US$405 exam fee, or US$250 for IIBA members. Retakes cost US$195 for members or US$350 for non-members. Source: IIBA CCBA page, checked 10 October 2026.

What are the CCBA requirements?

3,750 hours of business analysis work in the last seven years, spread as 900 hours in 2 or 500 hours in 4 knowledge areas, 21 professional development hours in the last four years and two references. Source: IIBA, checked 10 October 2026.

How many questions are on the CCBA exam?

130 multiple-choice, scenario-based questions in 180 minutes. Source: IIBA CCBA page, checked 10 October 2026.

What is the CCBA passing score?

IIBA does not publish one. The Handbook says only that you receive a pass or fail result on screen, checked 10 October 2026.

Can I take the CCBA exam online?

Yes. It is offered as an online remote proctored exam or at PSI test centres. Source: IIBA CCBA Handbook, checked 10 October 2026.

How many times can I take the CCBA exam?

Up to three attempts within the one-year term after your application is approved. Source: IIBA CCBA Handbook, checked 10 October 2026.

Is CCBA worth it, and what about salary?

IIBA states, citing its Global State of Business Analysis Report, that CCBA certified professionals earn higher salaries than non-certified counterparts, without giving a figure on the page. Treat it as IIBA’s own claim; it is worth it mainly if you have the 3,750 hours and want a recognised step towards CBAP.

How do I renew CCBA?

Earn and record 60 CDUs every three years and pay the recertification fee of US$85 for members or US$120 for non-members. Source: IIBA, checked 10 October 2026.