BCS BA Diploma – Oral Exam Preparation
This 1-day course assists delegates in preparing for the BCS International Diploma in Business Analysis oral exam.
The BCS diploma is completed by sitting an oral exam. Those having the required 4 certificates should book the oral exam directly with BCS – the cost is currently £325 + VAT and is not included as part of our oral exam preparation sessions.
The oral will last for 45 minutes to an hour and will involve two examiners. It is recommended by the BCS that candidates take the oral examination within six months of completing the set of written examinations but we recommend that delegates apply as soon as they have passed their last exam.
Even experienced business analysts should consider attending a prep day as the oral exam is based upon the BCS’s view of business analysis best practice and is not a review of your work experience.
Over the past 5 years, our oral exam pass rate for attendees who attended one of our prep days is 95%. This compares to a global pass rate of around 80%.
This course is also available as a half-day one-to-one session for those preferring a more personalised approach.
- Public Course – prices start from £295 (or £195 for delegates who have attended 5 or more days of training booked direcly with BA Training Solutions in the past 12 months).
- One-to-one session at a time of your choosing – £375.
Course summary
After initial introductions we provide an overview of the BCS oral exam, its purpose and the method of assessment used by the BCS examiners.
A review of essential subject matter areas is given whilst also providing a general overview of how the oral exam flows.
The key part of the prep day is a series of ’round-the-room’ mock exam questions with discussion and feedback given where necessary. The prep day finishes with a final review and reminders of oral exam pointers.
Attendees will get the most out of the prep day if they have already done some revision for their oral exam.
This course is also available as a half-day one-to-one session for those preferring a more personalised approach.
Delivery Method
Classroom and virtual.
Our virtual classroom training courses are delivered via Zoom.
Our expert BA tutors also provide post-course support via email while delegates prepare for their upcoming oral exam.
A hard copy handout is provided to virtual and classroom attendees containing copies of the course slides, essential oral exam guidance and sample exam questions.
Course Tutors
Our course tutors are practising business change professionals with at least 5 years training delivery experience. All of them hold the BCS Diploma in Business Analysis and have been supporting our delegates through the BCS Business Analysis Diploman oral exam for over 10 years.
Suitable for
Our BCS oral exam prep day is for those who have completed the 4 certificates required for the BCS Diploma in Business Analysis oral exam. We recommend attending a preparation day approximately one to two weeks before your actual exam. This will then allow you to revise areas of weakness identified during the course.
This course is suitable for those candidates who have taken the BCS modules of Requirements Engineering, Business Analysis Practice, and Modelling Business Processes. It may not be suitable if you took a different practitioner specialism module. Please call us if you need further advice.
- The cost of attending a public BCS Oral Exam Preparation session starts at £295 (or £195 if you have attended 5 or more days of training with us).
If none of the dates below are suitable, please call us to arrange a one-to-one BCS Oral Exam Preparation session for only £375 (or £295 if you have attended 5 or more days of training with us).
Course Dates
What is included?
- 1-day tutor led training course (09:15 – 14:30), or half-day one-to-one session (09:15 – 13:00)
- Hard-copy course notes with sample BCS oral exam questions
- Maximum 5 delegates per course for virtual and classroom courses
- Engagement with other delegates to learn from their experiences and to share your own
This course does not include the actual oral examination. Oral exams need to be booked directly with BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, and a fee is payable for this. The current price of the diploma oral examination is £325 + VAT.
Find out more about the BCS International Diploma in Business Analysis and oral exam here.
Course preparation
To get the most from this training course, you should spend around 6-7 hours revising for your oral exam but this is mainly necessary if you have not completed most of your modules recently.
Those preparing for the oral exam are recommended to focus their revision time on the BCS publication ‘Business Analysis’ – Third or Fourth Edition’.