BCD study guide
BCD · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The BCS Certificate in Business Analysis Practice is a professional qualification for people who investigate business situations, model how organisations work, and recommend and justify change. It suits practising business analysts, product and project professionals moving into analysis, and subject-matter experts who need a structured toolkit. The BCD study guide has 7 sections and about 1,988 words.
01Strategic Context and Business Analysis
Business analysis does not begin with a requirements list; it begins with understanding why change is being contemplated. The strategic context domain asks you to situate a piece of work inside the organisation's direction and the wider environment.
307 words, about 2 min02Stakeholder Analysis and Management
Stakeholders are anyone affected by, or able to affect, the change. This domain tests whether you can identify, analyse, and plan engagement .
284 words, about 1 min03Investigating the Business Situation
Investigation is about gathering reliable evidence before proposing change. Candidates must know the elicitation techniques and when each fits: interviews (depth, rapport, costly), workshops (consensus, breadth, can be dominated), observation (reveals actual vs stated practice), document analysis (context, rules), questionnaires (reach, low depth), focus groups, prototyping and shadowing .
271 words, about 1 min04Business Process Modelling and Analysis
Process modelling makes work visible so it can be improved. Candidates should understand process hierarchy (enterprise, value stream, process, sub-process, task), the difference between a functional and a process view, and the as-is/to-be pair.
292 words, about 1 min05Identifying and Evaluating Options
Once the situation is understood, candidates must generate and compare options. Know the option identification sources: do nothing, do the minimum, process improvement, buy/configure a package, build custom, or outsource.
284 words, about 1 min06Defining Business Requirements and the Solution
This domain turns findings into a precise statement of what must be delivered. Candidates must know the requirements hierarchy : business requirements (why, at organisational level), stakeholder requirements (what users need), and solution requirements split into functional (what the system does) and non-functional (how well - performance, security, usability, availability).
261 words, about 1 min07Making the Business Case and Gaining Approval
The business case justifies investment and secures sign-off. Candidates must understand its typical structure: executive summary, strategic context, problem/opportunity, options considered, recommended option, costs and benefits, risks, timescale, and recommendation .
289 words, about 1 min