How to Pass the Cbap Exam Using Babok and an Exam Simulator

In a short period between contracts this year I decided to take the Iiba exam to become a Certified company investigator Professional.

I am a freelance company investigator and process advisor which means I pay for my own courses. Since a period of classroom-based tutorials would leave me unavailable for fee paying work, I started finding for online training that I could use on demand. I gave myself just over a month to study for, and pass the exam.

The courses I found typically cost in excess of £1500 (00) and I questioned how much value I would get from them, bearing in mind my existing company analysis contact and knowledge. All I wanted was to recognize knowledge gaps and weaknesses so that I could focus Babok study in these areas. I decided my best selection was to get ready for the exam by combining self study of the Babok with regular testing using an online exam simulator which provided instant score feedback and knowledgeable customer support.

Study Techniques

I used mind maps, mnemonics and diagrams to help memorise Babok content. A quick google quest will bring up plentifulness of information on study techniques and I won't repeat them in this article. However, I give some examples of efficient study strategies in my blog at (details at the end of this article) and I will write a supplementary description on Babok study tips soon.

Exam Simulators

It is leading to recognise that knowledge of the Babok and unabridged contact as a company investigator is not enough to guarantee passing the exam. Success demands an comprehension of how the questions are regularly framed together with practice at choosing the right selection from four potential responses, two of which will be very similar. Some question wording is involved and it is helpful to have similarly demanding practice questions to organize your skills in answering them.

The exam is still quite new, the online version launched just two years ago, and the question set used for the actual Cbap exam is strictly protected; hence past exam papers are not available. Although there are some sample questions on the web, most of these are poor potential and are not worth searching for. Creating good practice exam questions is not easy and the suppliers of Cbap exam simulators guard their question sets as vital pieces of intellectual property. Therefore, the only way to truly get ready for the exam is by buying an exam simulator.

Your selection of exam simulator will strongly affect chances of success. I tried some and soon got test scores of colse to 90%, suggesting an easy Cbap pass, but raising suspicions in my mind about how intimately these questions sets were modelled on the real thing. Unwilling to waste money on options that left me lacking in confidence about my opening of first time success, I discarded them and ultimately found one that fitted my requirements. Using this simulator, my test scores initially started at colse to 60%. However I was now satisfied that my knowledge and exam technique were being tested effectively. I felt I was being presented with questions and respond options that accurately reflected the ones I would meet in the actual exam.

After an oppressive week of part time study, my score was back to colse to 90% and I now felt certain about passing.

On the day, I completed the test online and had rechecked my answers with half an hour to spare. As the questions in the exam simulator had been very similar to those I had just faced, I was happy to hit the return button to send my script for marking. Within a few seconds, I had an email telling me that I had passed and had been granted the Certified company analysis professional designation. So, passing the exam in just over a month can be done!

However, if you have more time or wish to refresh your familiarity with the Babok knowledge areas, then I propose that you spread your study over a more comfortable three to six months and use a recommended course provider.