Business analysis is a topic of growing importance to projects and programs. The marketplace reflects this importance, as practitioners increasingly embrace business analysis as a technique for uncovering business needs, managing requirements, and creating effective solutions to business problems.

PMI conducted a Role Delineation Study (RDS) in the development of the certification in alignment with industry best practices. This study determined the level of importance of each of the tasks, tools and techniques, and knowledge and skills required to use business analysis principles and practices in  project management. It is the basis for the creation of the examination. The examination for the PMI-PBA certification is a vital part of the activities that lead to earning this certification. Thus, it is imperative that the examination accurately reflect the business analysis practices, tools and techniques being used by practitioners of business analysis.

The PMI-PBA Role Delineation states that candidates for the PMI-PBA certification:

• Perform their duties under general supervision and are responsible for working with stakeholders to define an organization’s business requirements in order to shape the output of projects and ensure they deliver the expected business benefit.
• Spearhead the discovery, analysis and overall management of the requirements for a project. 
• Demonstrate sufficient knowledge and experience to appropriately apply business analysis tools and techniques to enable project success.