PMI-PBA study guide · 2026

The 5 PMI-PBA domains, explained

5 domains and 28 official tasks. Analysis carries the most weight at 35%. Each guide explains what the domain covers, how its questions are framed and where candidates lose marks.

Start with Domain 3 See all domains
Questions
200 (175 scored, 25 unscored pretest)
Time
240 minutes (4 hours)
Passing score
Not published; PMI sets the passing standard by psychometric analysis and reports pass/fail with domain-level diagnostics
Outline
PMI-PBA Examination Content Outline (2013 ECO, reissued July 2017; current as of October 2026)

Exam blueprint

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

  1. 1 18%
  2. 2 22%
  3. 3 35%
  4. 4 15%
  5. 5 10%
  1. 1 Needs Assessment
  2. 2 Planning
  3. 3 Analysis
  4. 4 Traceability and Monitoring
  5. 5 Evaluation

All 5 domains

28 official tasks 140–190 hrs suggested study

  1. Domain 01 18%

    Needs Assessment

    Needs Assessment is where the business analyst decides whether there is a real problem worth solving, what it is worth, and who cares. Every later requirement traces back to the decisions made here.

    Inside this domain

    • Define or review a business problem or opportunity
    • Collect and analyze information from a variety of sources
    • Collaborate in the development of project goals and objectives
    • Identify stakeholders
    • and 1 more tasks

    Watch for Scoping the requested solution

    Tasks
    5
    Questions est.
    ~36
    Study time est.
    25–35 hrs
  2. Domain 02 22%

    Planning

    Planning decides how requirements work will be run: how much traceability, which change and document controls, who approves what, and how success will be measured. Get these choices right and the later domains have rules to follow.

    Inside this domain

    • Review the business case, and the project goals and objectives
    • Define strategy for requirements traceability
    • Develop requirements management plan
    • Select methods for requirements change control
    • and 2 more tasks

    Watch for Always trace everything

    Tasks
    6
    Questions est.
    ~44
    Study time est.
    30–40 hrs
  3. Domain 03 35%

    Analysis

    Analysis is the heaviest PMI-PBA domain and the core of the analyst's craft: drawing out requirements, modeling and decomposing them, deciding what makes the baseline, and proving the result is right before anyone builds it.

    Inside this domain

    • Elicit or identify requirements
    • Analyze, decompose, and elaborate requirements
    • Evaluate product options and capabilities
    • Allocate accepted or deferred requirements
    • and 4 more tasks

    Watch for Interviews for everything

    Tasks
    8
    Questions est.
    ~70
    Study time est.
    50–65 hrs
  4. Domain 04 15%

    Traceability and Monitoring

    Traceability and Monitoring keeps the approved requirements honest after sign-off: every requirement tracked to its source and tests, its status kept current, stakeholders informed, and every change judged against the baseline before it is accepted.

    Inside this domain

    • Track requirements
    • Monitor requirements throughout their lifecycles
    • Update a requirement's status as it moves through its lifecycle states
    • Communicate requirements status to project manager and other stakeholders
    • and 1 more tasks

    Watch for Small change, just do it

    Tasks
    5
    Questions est.
    ~30
    Study time est.
    20–30 hrs
  5. Domain 05 10%

    Evaluation

    Evaluation closes the loop: proving the built solution meets its acceptance criteria, resolving the gaps that remain, securing sign-off to deploy, and checking after launch whether the business case actually paid off.

    Inside this domain

    • Validate the solution's test results, reports, and other test evidence against the requirements acceptance criteria
    • Analyze and communicate the solution's identified gaps and deltas
    • Obtain stakeholder sign-off on the developed solution
    • Evaluate the deployed solution

    Watch for Tests passed, so value is proven

    Tasks
    4
    Questions est.
    ~20
    Study time est.
    15–20 hrs

Study the heaviest domains first

Marks follow weight. This order puts the most marks behind you first, across about 140–190 hrs of study.

  1. 3 Analysis 35% · 50–65 hrs
  2. 2 Planning 22% · 30–40 hrs
  3. 1 Needs Assessment 18% · 25–35 hrs
  4. 4 Traceability and Monitoring 15% · 20–30 hrs
  5. 5 Evaluation 10% · 15–20 hrs

Try one

Practice questionDomain 3: Analysis

A business analyst is eliciting requirements for an expense system used by 1,200 employees in 14 countries. Finance managers have already been interviewed. The analyst now needs to understand how frequently employees submit expenses and which pain points are most common. Which technique is MOST appropriate?

One trap from every domain

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

  • Domain 1

    Scoping the requested solution

    Clue The stem mentions a symptom (complaints, delays, costs) and a proposed tool, but no analysis of why the symptom occurs.

  • Domain 2

    Always trace everything

    Clue The stem describes a short, low-risk, internal or adaptive effort with no audit requirement.

  • Domain 3

    Interviews for everything

    Clue People skip steps they do by habit, departments contradict each other, or users number in the hundreds across regions.

  • Domain 4

    Small change, just do it

    Clue The requirement is baselined and the request comes directly to a team member.

  • Domain 5

    Tests passed, so value is proven

    Clue The stem mentions months after go-live or a business metric such as cost or revenue.

Other Business Analysis certifications

Study guides for exams that overlap with PMI-PBA.

Practise what you read

PMI-PBA domains: common questions

How many domains are in the PMI-PBA exam?

PMI-PBA has 5 domains with 28 official tasks between them: Needs Assessment, Planning, Analysis, Traceability and Monitoring and Evaluation.

Which PMI-PBA domain carries the most weight?

Analysis is the heaviest at 35%, followed by Planning (22%). The lightest is Evaluation (10%). Weights come from PMI's official outline.

What is the PMI-PBA exam format?

Questions: 200 (175 scored, 25 unscored pretest). Time allowed: 240 minutes (4 hours). Passing score: Not published; PMI sets the passing standard by psychometric analysis and reports pass/fail with domain-level diagnostics.

How long should I study for PMI-PBA?

Our planning estimate is 140–190 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 Analysis, 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 PMI-PBA Examination Content Outline (2013 ECO, reissued July 2017; current as of October 2026), published by PMI. It was last reviewed in October 2026.

Domain names, weights and tasks come from PMI's official outline (PMI-PBA Examination Content Outline (2013 ECO, reissued July 2017; current as of October 2026)). Question counts and study hours are editorial planning estimates, not official figures. Last reviewed October 2026.