BCS BA Foundation study plan
BCS BA Foundation · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 6 hours per week
Business analysis fundamentals
Define business analysis and the BA role in your own words, listing at least five core responsibilities
Distinguish business analysis from project management, systems analysis and business change, with one worked example of each boundary
Identify the six knowledge areas of the BA framework and map each to a one-line purpose statement
Classify ten example activities as strategic, tactical or operational analysis
Your checkpoint
A one-page concept map linking the BA role, its boundaries and the six knowledge areas, with definitions written from memory
Business analysis fundamentals & Requirements engineering
Explain how the business analysis process model moves from investigation to requirements to solution delivery
Compare the roles of stakeholder, sponsor and subject matter expert in shaping requirements
Draft a stakeholder wheel for a realistic scenario, assigning each group an interest and influence level
Describe the purpose of the BA service framework and how it positions analysis work inside an organisation
Your checkpoint
A stakeholder wheel plus a half-page narrative explaining how each group influences requirement priorities
Business analysis techniques
Select appropriate investigation techniques for three contrasting scenarios and justify each choice
Apply questioning and observation techniques to gather facts about a fictional process, recording raw findings
Construct a rich picture and a mind map for the same situation and note what each reveals that the other misses
Explain when to use workshops versus interviews versus document analysis
Your checkpoint
An investigation toolkit table covering at least eight techniques with when-to-use, strengths and limitations
Business analysis techniques & Requirements engineering
Model a current-state process using an activity diagram and annotate three improvement opportunities
Produce a business event and use case description for one scenario, including preconditions and postconditions
Write five well-formed requirements using a consistent template, each with a testable acceptance criterion
Categorise a set of ten requirements as functional, non-functional, general or technical
Your checkpoint
A requirements catalogue of ten items with categories, rationale and acceptance criteria, plus one process model
Requirements engineering
Explain the requirements engineering lifecycle from elicitation through to validation and management
Apply MoSCoW prioritisation to your catalogue and justify the must-haves against business need
Document three requirement conflicts and describe a resolution approach for each
Describe how requirements are traced from business need to solution component
Your checkpoint
A prioritised, conflict-analysed requirements document with a traceability column linking each item to a business objective
Business analysis practice
Describe the stages of the BA practice lifecycle and what good looks like at each stage
Draft a short terms of reference for a piece of analysis work, stating scope, constraints and success measures
Identify five quality assurance checks a BA should apply to their own outputs
Explain how the BA role adapts in agile versus plan-driven delivery contexts
Your checkpoint
A terms of reference document plus a self-review checklist of quality criteria applied to your week 5 requirements work
Business change and stakeholder engagement
Analyse a stakeholder group using power and interest, and select an engagement approach for each quadrant
Explain the emotional and behavioural dimensions of change and how they affect adoption
Draft a communication plan naming audiences, messages, channels and frequency
Identify three sources of resistance in a change scenario and propose a response for each
Your checkpoint
A stakeholder engagement and communication plan for a change scenario, covering at least five stakeholder groups
Business analysis fundamentals & Business analysis techniques & Business analysis practice & Requirements engineering & Business change and stakeholder engagement
Consolidate weak areas by re-testing each domain and logging every missed concept
Produce a one-page summary sheet per domain linking key terms to practical examples
Complete two timed mixed-domain practice papers and review every error
Rehearse explaining three techniques aloud as if to a colleague, checking accuracy
Your checkpoint
A personal revision pack of five domain summary sheets plus an error log identifying remaining gaps
Milestones
Week 2: Can define business analysis, explain the BA role boundaries and map the six knowledge areas without notes
Week 4: Can select and justify investigation techniques and produce a correctly structured requirements catalogue
Week 6: Can describe the BA practice lifecycle and apply quality checks to own outputs
Week 8: Scores consistently above 70 percent on mixed-domain practice papers with all errors logged and reviewed