For freshers or professionals wanting to enter the domain of business analysis, ECBA is a great place to start. But often ECBA aspirants are unsure whether they should join a formal ECBA prep course or not as there is so much free content on the internet.
This is a valid question. Let us understand why it is essential to join the prep course.
#1. Though there is a lot of free resources available for ECBA aspirants, there is no way to check their quality. Skimming through this endless sea of resources is very time consuming, which will leave less time for preparation for the exam.
This is where a formal prep course helps. The course content is designed by mentors/coaches who are expert BAs and have full knowledge of the ECBA certification exam pattern. The content is written after good research and is periodically reviewed.
Since as a fresher, you have no practical knowledge of Business Analysis, IIBA strongly recommends undergoing proper training from an EEP under a seasoned BA coach/mentor. This will help increase the chances of passing the exam in the very first attempt.
#2. Another important reason why joining a formal prep course makes sense is the help you get from a mentor/coach.
The mentor helps by resolving your doubts. This is something which is not possible when you are studying on your own. The mentor is an expert in the BA field, one who is herself/himself ECBA certified.
As ECBA aspirants are mostly freshers, understanding the concepts without any faculty guidance is extremely difficult.
#3. A formal ECBA prep course provides good support throughout the ECBA preparation period, from form fill-up to giving the exam. They make it easier for you to concentrate on what is most important for you, studying for the exam.
Attending a formal IIBA prep course with an EEP will also give you the much-needed PD hours.
#4. The content which is gathered from the internet is often dubious in quality. You might just end up wasting your time and effort on something which will give you zero result.
When you prepare under a formal ECBA prep course, you get the benefit of curated content like study-guide, question banks, exam simulators, etc. Learning hours are reduced as an instructor ensures participants pay attention to the course.
#5. A self-managed process can be terribly slow, thus denying you many opportunities. Statistics prove that participants of a prep course have a tendency to adhere to the set study plan and have a higher chance of success. Browse the site for more information.
