CBAP study guide · 2026

The 6 CBAP domains, explained

6 domains and 30 official tasks. Requirements Analysis and Design Definition carries the most weight at 30%. Each guide explains what the domain covers, how its questions are framed and where candidates lose marks.

Start with Domain 5 See all domains
Questions
120
Time
210 minutes (3.5 hours)
Passing score
Not published by IIBA (pass/fail result)
Outline
CBAP exam blueprint in the IIBA CBAP Handbook (May 2026), aligned to the BABOK Guide v3 (current)

Exam blueprint

Bar widths follow the official weights. Weight ranges are drawn at their midpoint.

  1. 1 14%
  2. 2 12%
  3. 3 15%
  4. 4 15%
  5. 5 30%
  6. 6 14%
  1. 1 Business Analysis Planning and Monitoring
  2. 2 Elicitation and Collaboration
  3. 3 Requirements Life Cycle Management
  4. 4 Strategy Analysis
  5. 5 Requirements Analysis and Design Definition
  6. 6 Solution Evaluation

All 6 domains

30 official tasks 155–205 hrs suggested study

  1. Domain 01 14%

    Business Analysis Planning and Monitoring

    How a business analyst decides the approach, the stakeholders, the decision rules and the information structure before analysis starts. Every later knowledge area runs on the plans made here.

    Inside this domain

    • Plan Business Analysis Approach
    • Plan Stakeholder Engagement
    • Plan Business Analysis Governance
    • Plan Business Analysis Information Management
    • and 1 more tasks

    Watch for Taking over the project manager's role

    Tasks
    5
    Questions est.
    ~17
    Study time est.
    20–30 hrs
  2. Domain 02 12%

    Elicitation and Collaboration

    How a business analyst draws out information, checks it, shares it and keeps stakeholders working together. It is the lightest knowledge area by weight but the source of every requirement you analyze.

    Inside this domain

    • Prepare for Elicitation
    • Conduct Elicitation
    • Confirm Elicitation Results
    • Communicate Business Analysis Information
    • and 1 more tasks

    Watch for Skipping confirmation

    Tasks
    5
    Questions est.
    ~14
    Study time est.
    20–25 hrs
  3. Domain 03 15%

    Requirements Life Cycle Management

    How requirements and designs are traced, kept current, prioritized, changed and approved from inception to retirement. Expect scenario questions about change requests, sign-off disputes and priority conflicts.

    Inside this domain

    • Trace Requirements
    • Maintain Requirements
    • Prioritize Requirements
    • Assess Requirements Changes
    • and 1 more tasks

    Watch for Implementing the senior request

    Tasks
    5
    Questions est.
    ~18
    Study time est.
    25–30 hrs
  4. Domain 04 15%

    Strategy Analysis

    How a business analyst defines the need, describes where the enterprise is and wants to be, weighs the risks and chooses a path to get there. It decides whether the rest of the work is aimed at the right problem.

    Inside this domain

    • Analyze Current State
    • Define Future State
    • Assess Risks
    • Define Change Strategy

    Watch for Starting with the requested solution

    Tasks
    4
    Questions est.
    ~18
    Study time est.
    25–30 hrs
  5. Domain 05 30%

    Requirements Analysis and Design Definition

    The heaviest knowledge area on the CBAP: turning confirmed information into specified, verified and validated requirements, organizing them, and recommending the design that delivers the most value.

    Inside this domain

    • Specify and Model Requirements
    • Verify Requirements
    • Validate Requirements
    • Define Requirements Architecture
    • and 2 more tasks

    Watch for Reversing verify and validate

    Tasks
    6
    Questions est.
    ~36
    Study time est.
    45–60 hrs
  6. Domain 06 14%

    Solution Evaluation

    How a business analyst checks whether a solution, or part of one, is delivering the value it promised, finds what is holding it back and recommends what to do next.

    Inside this domain

    • Measure Solution Performance
    • Analyze Performance Measures
    • Assess Solution Limitations
    • Assess Enterprise Limitations
    • and 1 more tasks

    Watch for Technical metric as value

    Tasks
    5
    Questions est.
    ~17
    Study time est.
    20–30 hrs

Study the heaviest domains first

Marks follow weight. This order puts the most marks behind you first, across about 155–205 hrs of study.

  1. 5 Requirements Analysis and Design Definition 30% · 45–60 hrs
  2. 3 Requirements Life Cycle Management 15% · 25–30 hrs
  3. 4 Strategy Analysis 15% · 25–30 hrs
  4. 1 Business Analysis Planning and Monitoring 14% · 20–30 hrs
  5. 6 Solution Evaluation 14% · 20–30 hrs
  6. 2 Elicitation and Collaboration 12% · 20–25 hrs

Try one

Practice questionDomain 5: Requirements Analysis and Design Definition

During a review, a business analyst finds a requirement that is clear, atomic and testable, but it was added by one manager and does not support any business objective or fall within the agreed solution scope. Which task has identified the problem?

One trap from every domain

The answer that looks right, and the clue that gives it away.

  • Domain 1

    Taking over the project manager's role

    Clue Look for the words business analysis approach, activities or deliverables rather than project scope, cost or schedule.

  • Domain 2

    Skipping confirmation

    Clue A stem asking what to do NEXT immediately after an elicitation activity usually points to confirmation.

  • Domain 3

    Implementing the senior request

    Clue A late change from a powerful stakeholder with no mention of analysis signals Assess Requirements Changes.

  • Domain 4

    Starting with the requested solution

    Clue A stem that names a solution but not a measurable problem signals Analyze Current State.

  • Domain 5

    Reversing verify and validate

    Clue Vague words or compound statements signal verification; missing links to objectives or scope signal validation.

  • Domain 6

    Technical metric as value

    Clue When the stem states a business objective, pick the measure that tracks that objective.

Other Business Analysis certifications

Study guides for exams that overlap with CBAP.

Practise what you read

CBAP domains: common questions

How many domains are in the CBAP exam?

CBAP has 6 domains with 30 official tasks between them: Business Analysis Planning and Monitoring, Elicitation and Collaboration, Requirements Life Cycle Management, Strategy Analysis, Requirements Analysis and Design Definition and Solution Evaluation.

Which CBAP domain carries the most weight?

Requirements Analysis and Design Definition is the heaviest at 30%, followed by Requirements Life Cycle Management (15%). The lightest is Elicitation and Collaboration (12%). Weights come from IIBA's official outline.

What is the CBAP exam format?

Questions: 120. Time allowed: 210 minutes (3.5 hours). Passing score: Not published by IIBA (pass/fail result).

How long should I study for CBAP?

Our planning estimate is 155–205 hrs across all domains, split by weight. It is an editorial estimate, not an official figure, so adjust it to your experience and to how you score on practice questions.

Where should I start?

Start with Requirements Analysis and Design Definition, because it carries the most marks, then work down by weight. Use the checklist on each domain page to confirm you can do what the domain asks before moving on.

Which outline is this guide based on?

This guide follows CBAP exam blueprint in the IIBA CBAP Handbook (May 2026), aligned to the BABOK Guide v3 (current), published by IIBA. It was last reviewed in October 2026.

Domain names, weights and tasks come from IIBA's official outline (CBAP exam blueprint in the IIBA CBAP Handbook (May 2026), aligned to the BABOK Guide v3 (current)). Question counts and study hours are editorial planning estimates, not official figures. Last reviewed October 2026.