Salesforce Certified Business Analyst – Complete Winter '26 Guide

Requirements Lifecycle: Discovery → Analysis → Documentation → Validation

The BA follows a defined requirements lifecycle: Discover requirements through interviews, workshops, and observation. Analyse them for conflicts, gaps, and feasibility. Document them as user stories with acceptance criteria. Validate them with stakeholders through review sessions and UAT. The exam frequently tests which phase a given activity belongs to and what output is expected.

User Stories and Acceptance Criteria

A user story follows the format "As a [role], I want [goal] so that [benefit]." Acceptance Criteria define the pass/fail conditions that confirm the story is done. Together, they are the primary deliverable connecting business requirements to development. The exam tests how to write effective user stories and how acceptance criteria differ from test cases.

Stakeholder Management: Power/Interest Grid and DACI

The Power/Interest Grid maps stakeholders by influence and interest — determining whether to manage closely, keep satisfied, keep informed, or monitor. The DACI framework clarifies decision-making: Driver (facilitates closure), Approver (final decision), Contributor (provides input), Informed (kept updated). The exam tests both — especially DACI as a governance tool for resolving conflicting requirements.

Process Modeling: As-Is vs To-Be and Gap Analysis

As-Is analysis documents the current state of a business process — capturing pain points, workarounds, and inefficiencies. To-Be analysis defines the desired future state. Gap Analysis identifies the delta between them and informs the solution scope. Process maps use swimlanes to show which role performs which step. The exam tests when each technique is appropriate and what artefact is produced.

Functional vs Non-Functional Requirements

Functional Requirements describe what the system does (e.g., "Sales reps can create a quote from an opportunity"). Non-Functional Requirements (NFRs) describe how the system performs — page load times, concurrent user capacity, security standards. NFRs are often missed during discovery but become critical during architecture decisions and testing. The exam tests the distinction and when each type surfaces in a project.

User Stories & Acceptance Criteria

Know how to write user stories (As a [persona], I want [goal], so that [reason]) and define acceptance criteria that are testable, specific, and verifiable. Questions test whether criteria are complete and unambiguous.

Requirements Elicitation Techniques

Know the trade-offs of interviews, workshops, surveys, observation, and prototyping. Questions ask which technique is most appropriate for a given scenario — workshops work well for cross-functional alignment, interviews for individual expertise.

Process Mapping & UPN

Understand Universal Process Notation (UPN) and how to map current-state vs. future-state processes. Know how swimlane diagrams document cross-functional workflows and identify handoffs and pain points.

UAT Strategy

User Acceptance Testing involves real end users, realistic data, and verification that business requirements (not just technical specs) are satisfied. Know how to plan, execute, and sign off on UAT.

Stakeholder Management

Identify stakeholder types (decision-makers, influencers, end users), know when to escalate vs. resolve scope conflicts, and understand how to manage competing priorities and scope creep.