Hi All,

I seek your urgent advice/guidance on ISEB Business Analysis Diploma/Certification

I am working (contractor) as a Business Analyst in Telecom domain in the UK for last one year though I got my official designation just few months back. I don’t have any professional qualification as a BA however, have fulltime 2years Post Graduate Diploma in Business Management.

My role generally involves consultancy & Business Process Management & Analysis. In case solution requires technical stuff I would go to Solution designers or System Analysts.

Now, in my home country, I see there are more opportunities for Business System Analyst (includes knowledge of System Modeling and UML etc) than Business Analyst and wish to get myself certified as a Business Analyst for two reasons:

1. To get a professional tag that I am a Business Analyst.
2. To learn those modules which I couldn’t learn on the Job and up skill myself by learning modules for example breaking down Requirements in to Functional or System Requirements, Prepare SRS, System Modeling and things that helps me understand SDLC.
   

 After sharing my background and objective I have two questions for this forum:

1. There are three levels under ISEB for Business Analysis (Foundation Level, Practitioner Level & Higher Level Diploma). With the over all experience close to 6 year in Business Process Analysis I got myself a role into Business Analysis just a year back. Now the question is based on my EXPERIENCE which level of certification I should go for? Foundation, Practitioner or Higher Level? Because it should not give an impression to my next employer that I have done certification for the sake of it and it does not go with my experience in hand.

2. Since I am not that convinced about the self study for the modules like System Modeling I wish to learn these modules through a training provider. I enquired about the training Providers and found one of them as assistkd. They are offering 3 day course for each module and fees is very high around 1000 pounds a module.Alternatively they have a package to offer which prepares you for Diploma @ 3200 pounds + VAT.
   

Now the question is am here in the UK until march 2010. if I go ahead with the individual modules which one I should go for and what I should start with to call myself a Practitioner based on your suggestion for the first question.

I will be grateful to you if you can reply to my query ASAP as I have to book my course I next 3 days.