BrainRank
Business Analyst roadmap

Business Analyst roadmap: your 90-day plan

A 90-day plan built around what business analysts actually produce: clear requirements, process maps, user stories, and the communication that ties them together.

Assumes 6-8 hours a week

How each step works

  1. Learn
  2. Check yourself
  3. Find weak areas
  4. Practise
  5. Check again

Steps marked BrainRank assessment link to a test or tool on BrainRank. Steps marked Self-check are exercises you do yourself. If a check shows a gap, practise and check again before moving on.

Days 1-30

Capture and write requirements clearly

  1. Step 1Requirements analysis

    Types of requirements

    Goal: Separate business, functional and non-functional requirements.

    Practise

    • Pick an app you use and list ten of its requirements
    • Label each one as business, functional or non-functional
    • Rewrite any vague requirement until it can be tested

    Check yourself

    Self-check
    Testability check

    For each requirement, write how you would test it. If you can't, the requirement is still too vague.

    Interview prep: Explain functional vs non-functional requirements with one example of each.

  2. Step 2Agile requirements

    User stories

    Goal: Write user stories with acceptance criteria that a developer could build from.

    Practise

    • Write ten user stories in the 'As a … I want … so that …' format
    • Add Given/When/Then acceptance criteria to each
    • Split any story too large for one sprint

    Check yourself

    Self-check
    INVEST review

    Check each story against INVEST (independent, negotiable, valuable, estimable, small, testable) and fix the ones that fail.

    Interview prep: Be ready to write a user story with acceptance criteria live in the interview.

  3. Step 3Elicitation

    Stakeholder interviews

    Goal: Run a structured conversation that uncovers real needs.

    Practise

    • Prepare an interview guide with open questions
    • Interview a friend about a process they find frustrating
    • Summarise the needs you found in one page

    Check yourself

    Self-check
    Summary check

    Ask your interviewee to read your summary. Anything they correct is a listening gap to work on.

    Interview prep: Prepare a story about handling two stakeholders who wanted different things.

Days 31-60

Model processes and work in agile teams

  1. Step 4Process modelling (BPMN)

    Process mapping

    Goal: Map a current process and design an improved one.

    Practise

    • Map an everyday process, such as ordering food, as a flowchart
    • Redraw it with BPMN symbols
    • Design a future-state version that removes one pain point

    Check yourself

    Self-check
    Walkthrough check

    Walk someone through your map. Every question they ask shows a step that is unclear.

    Interview prep: Prepare to explain an as-is vs to-be process you designed.

  2. Step 5Scrum

    Agile delivery

    Goal: Understand how requirements flow through sprints.

    Practise

    • Learn Scrum roles, events and artefacts
    • Build a small backlog in Jira or a spreadsheet and prioritise it
    • Run a mock refinement session on three stories

    Check yourself

    Self-check
    Scrum recap

    Explain each Scrum event and who attends it, from memory. Re-read anything you get wrong.

    Interview prep: Explain the BA's role in sprint planning and backlog refinement.

  3. Step 6Logical and numerical reasoning

    The aptitude round

    Goal: Clear the online aptitude test used by many IT services employers.

    Practise

    • Take the aptitude assessment to find your weakest area
    • Practise that area in the question bank
    • Retake the assessment and compare your results

    Check yourself

    BrainRank assessment
    BrainRank aptitude assessment

    20 questions in 20 minutes across logic, numbers, language and patterns. Note your weakest section.

    Start

    Interview prep: Many BA processes at service companies start with this round; don't skip it.

Days 61-90

Produce a portfolio and prepare for interviews

  1. Step 7Documentation

    Requirements document

    Goal: Write a complete, readable requirements document for a small project.

    Practise

    • Choose a realistic project, such as a library booking app
    • Write the scope, process maps, user stories and acceptance criteria
    • Add a simple wireframe for two screens

    Check yourself

    Self-check
    Developer test

    Ask a developer friend what questions they would have before building it. Each question is a gap to fill.

    Interview prep: Use this document as a portfolio piece you can walk through.

  2. Step 8SQL and Excel basics

    Data for BAs

    Goal: Use data to validate a requirement or size a problem.

    Practise

    • Learn basic SELECT and GROUP BY queries
    • Use Excel to size a problem, for example how many orders are delayed
    • Add one data-backed point to your requirements document

    Check yourself

    Self-check
    Data check

    Answer three sizing questions from a sample dataset without help.

    Interview prep: Prepare an example of using data to settle a requirements debate.

  3. Step 9Interview practice

    Interview readiness

    Goal: Present your experience in STAR stories and a resume that passes screening.

    Practise

    • Prepare five STAR stories: conflict, scope change, ambiguity, failure, success
    • Score your resume and apply the suggestions
    • Read the interview guides for your target companies

    Check yourself

    BrainRank assessment
    BrainRank resume score

    Check ATS readiness and keywords, update your resume, then re-score it.

    Start

    Interview prep: Review the business analyst interview topics on the career guide.

Ready to apply for business analyst roles?

Check your resume against applicant tracking systems before you send it.

Score My ResumeBusiness Analyst career guide

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