Business analysts and customer journey managers who have completed their two core and two specialist modules and want to be fully prepared for their BCS Business Analysis Oral exam.

Passing the BCS Oral Examination is your final step towards gaining the BCS International Diploma in Business Analysis. This Oral Preparation Workshop has been designed to help you prepare thoroughly for your oral exam and identify gaps in your knowledge. 

The workshop leader will explain the structure of the oral exam, offering practical hints and tips for preparation.  

During the workshop you will have the opportunity to revise the core and specialist modules you have taken and prepare for what the examiners might ask you by practising sample oral questions.

You will be interviewed by BCS oral examiners who will evaluate whether you can put all the techniques you have learned into an overall context and demonstrate the analytical and interpersonal skills needed to be awarded the Diploma.  

Hosted by one of our senior trainers shown below, all of whom are BCS oral examiners. 

Upon the completion of this workshop, candidates will: 

1. Understand the structure and process followed in the oral exam. 
2. Have a refresher on key topics in the syllabus. 
3. Learn strategies to improve their performance in the oral exam. 
4. Identify gaps in their knowledge so that they can focus their preparations for the exam. 

To give you more of an idea of what you’ll learn and how the course will help you, here’s a quick guide.

You will also be given a comprehensive revision pack which explains what examiners are looking for, how to prepare for the exam and some sample questions and tips on the topics that might be covered as part of the practitioner specialist modules. N.B. You are not examined on the Knowledge-based specialist module.

For virtual workshops the revision pack will be sent to your home address in good time for the start of your workshop. Our delegates tell us that having access to a physical document is beneficial as both a reference document and for taking notes during the workshop.

In addition, a link will be emailed to you to enable you to access an electronic copy of the same comprehensive manual for convenient future reference.

No. Not at the end of this day. But we recommend that candidates schedule their BCS Oral exam to take place at least three weeks after the workshop to give them enough time to revise.

We also offer a mock exam which is an ideal practice run for the BA Oral Exam.

The next and final step is the BCS Business Analysis Diploma Oral examination. Once you have passed this exam you will have gained your BCS International Diploma in Business Analysis.

BCS Business Analysis Diploma - Oral Examination Preparation Workshop (a one-day course)

Course Content

The business context

• The rationale for business analysis
• The holistic view of a business system
• Competencies of a business system
• Professionalism in business analysis
• Business environment analysis
• SWOT analysis
• Business performance measurement
• Business change lifecycle

Business analysis techniques

• Investigating and documenting business situations
• Stakeholders and perspectives
• Modelling business activities
• Business events and business rules
• Gap analysis

Business case

• Rationale for making a business case
• Contents of a business case
• Options
• The financial case
• Investment appraisal techniques
• Risk / impact analysis
• Lifecycle for the business case

Requirements definition

• Requirements engineering
• Elicitation techniques and their relevance
• Rationale and approach for requirements analysis
• Rationale and approach for requirements validation

Requirements management and documentation

• Rationale and approach for requirements management
• Traceability
• Change and version control
• Types of requirements
• Legal issues and business analysis
• Documenting requirements
• Rationale for modelling requirements
• Approach to modelling processing and data

Selected practitioner specialism

• Relevance to role and responsibilities of the business analyst
• Relevance to the organisation
• Description and application of techniques and / or approaches from specialist module

Practice questions
During the workshop the trainer, who is always an experienced oral examiner, provides participants with practice in handling the types of questions that they will face in the oral examination and gives feedback on the participants’ answers and presentation.

Course outline ‐ ©Assist Knowledge Development Ltd.