Business Analysis and Requirements Gathering
What this domain tests
You must show you can turn a vague business ask into measurable analytics requirements. Core concepts: business objectives vs. KPIs vs. metrics, stakeholder interviews, KPI trees, success criteria, scope and assumptions, and the difference between a business requirement and a technical/solution requirement. Know how to write a measurable KPI (metric + dimension + timeframe + target) and how to document a solution design reference (SDR) as the bridge from requirements to implementation.
Traps to watch for
- Questions that offer a vanity metric (page views) when the objective is conversion or retention.
- "Which requirement is missing?" items where the correct answer is a measurable success criterion or timeframe, not another report.
- Confusing the business question ("are we acquiring high-value customers?") with the technical ask ("track campaign codes").
- Assuming a stakeholder's requested report equals the underlying requirement; the exam rewards asking why.
Worked example
Business ask: "We want to know if our email campaign works." Weak requirement: "Build an email dashboard." Strong requirement: "Measure conversion rate (orders/visits) for visits from email campaign tracking code, by week, against a 3% target, for Q3." That names metric, dimension, cadence, target, and horizon - the four elements graders look for.
Rule of thumb
If a requirement cannot be tested as pass/fail at the end of the project, it is not finished. Every KPI needs an owner, a definition, and a target.