The BCS Practitioner Certificate in Business Analysis Practice (BAP) is a practitioner-level business analysis certification from BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT. The current v5.1 exam has 40 multiple-choice and multiple-response questions in 60 minutes, it's closed book, and the pass mark is 26 out of 40 (65%). It covers strategy analysis, stakeholder management, current and target state analysis, solution definition and the business case.
The BCS Practitioner Certificate in Business Analysis Practice focuses on the business analysis skills used in pre-project work: understanding an organisation's strategy, analysing its current situation, defining where it needs to be, and building a business case for change. BCS designed it to emphasise practical business analysis skills and tools rather than the Business Analyst job title, so it suits a wide range of roles.
It's one of the core practitioner modules on the path to the BCS International Diploma in Business Analysis, and its knowledge level aligns with SFIA Level 4 in Requirements Definition and Management.
Code : BAPv5
Exam Name : BCS Practitioner Certificate in Business Analysis Practice
Awarding Body : BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT
Current Syllabus : Version 5.1 (June 2023)
Level : Practitioner
Number of Questions : 40 (multiple choice and multiple response)
Duration : 60 minutes
Pass Mark : 26 out of 40 (65%)
Open Book : No (closed book, supervised)
Delivery : Digital, invigilated online exam
Prerequisites : None mandatory
Recommended Study Time : 18 hours
Syllabus Area : 1. Strategic Context for Business Analysis
Weight : 20%
Key Techniques : Vision and mission, VMOST, resource audit, Porter's Five Forces, PESTLE, SWOT, balanced scorecard, CSFs and KPIs
Syllabus Area : 2. Analysing and Managing Stakeholders
Weight : 20%
Key Techniques : Stakeholder wheel, CATWOE, power/interest grid, stakeholder management strategies, RACI
Syllabus Area : 3. Analysing the Current State
Weight : 15%
Key Techniques : Investigation techniques (interviews, workshops, observation, surveys), customer journey maps, rich pictures, empathy maps, mind maps
Syllabus Area : 4. Establishing the Target State
Weight : 15%
Key Techniques : Business activity models (BAM), consensus BAM, business events, target operating model (TOM), POPIT™
Syllabus Area : 5. Designing and Defining the Solution
Weight : 15%
Key Techniques : Design Thinking, the Double Diamond, divergent and convergent thinking, gap analysis, feasibility (business, technical, financial)
Syllabus Area : 6. Developing a Business Case
Weight : 15%
Key Techniques : Business case contents, tangible and intangible costs and benefits, risk assessment, payback, discounted cash flow, NPV, business change lifecycle
BCS designed this certificate for roles such as:
business analysts, business architects and business systems analysts
data analysts, enterprise analysts and process analysts
product managers, product owners and project managers
management consultants and systems analysts
New to business analysis? Start with our BCS Foundation in Business Analysis practice exam. You can also continue with BCS Requirements Engineering or BCS Modelling Business Processes.
Start with the two 20% areas. Strategic Context and Stakeholders together make up 40% of the exam.
Practise applying techniques, not just defining them. BCS expects you to prepare a SWOT, plot stakeholders on a power/interest grid and categorise BAM activities.
Know your business case calculations. Payback, discounted cash flow and NPV questions catch out many candidates.
Watch for multiple-response questions, which need every correct option selected.
The exam has 40 multiple-choice and multiple-response questions, and you have 60 minutes to complete it.
The pass mark is 26 out of 40 (65%).
No. The exam is closed book and supervised, and no materials can be taken into the exam.
The current syllabus is version 5.1, published by BCS in June 2023.
It covers six areas: Strategic Context for Business Analysis (20%), Analysing and Managing Stakeholders (20%), Analysing the Current State (15%), Establishing the Target State (15%), Designing and Defining the Solution (15%) and Developing a Business Case (15%).
There are no mandatory prerequisites. However, the BCS Foundation Certificate in Business Analysis covers the knowledge that comes before this certificate, and candidates new to business analysis are advised to study it first.
No. Requirements engineering is covered by a separate certificate, the BCS Practitioner Certificate in Requirements Engineering.
BCS recommends Business Analysis (4th Edition) by Debra Paul and James Cadle, and lists Business Analysis Techniques: 123 Essential Tools for Success as required reading.
Yes. Business Analysis Practice is one of the core modules of the BCS International Diploma in Business Analysis.
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Everything you need to know about the BCS Practitioner Certificate in Business Analysis Practice Exam certification
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Updated September 23, 2026
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