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6 tips for studying for a CPOA exam

So, I (and many other IIBA members) had no other chance rather than get to work (in this case, study…and hard!)

I did take my exam before June 30, 2021. Although the results are still being analyzed by IIBA for giving a standard classification (which is to say that they need these first results to establish the minimum percentage of right answers for passing the exam), I share now with you my experience with both studying and taking the exam:

1. Choose your training materials

Some people I know only prepared themselves for the exam by studying solely from reading the Guide. I chose to buy materials from IIBA — the “POA Bundle — Digital Access & Exam”. The materials from IIBA were very useful for the study. It has interactive vídeos that help you understand easily the POA framework (much easier than reading the Guide). It also helps you identify the most important points throughout the sections of the Guide. At the end of each chapter, there’s a set of interactive questions. It also includes a separate section with questions concerning all the chapters.

Perhaps, at the time you’re reading this, there may be other studying materials with mock questions similar to the exam. For now, IIBA materials from the POA Bundle were pretty much the only material available worldwide.

But, as a takeaway, always seek additional study sources than just reading the Guide once or twice. Study groups are highly advisable as well!

Always seek additional study sources than just reading the Guide once or twice.

2. Take a look at the Handbook before

The CPOA handbook describes thoroughly the steps for applying to the exam, what is the evaluation workflow, the validity of the badge, and how a candidate must proceed when it’s time to renew the certification.

It also presents a useful structure of the exam. It is from the handbook that you get to know, for example, that the exam “consists of 60 multiple-choice questions to be completed within 90 minutes.” Typically it also includes how many minimum right answers you must have to pass the exam, but as I mentioned before, that is still under analysis from IIBA, which is normal procedure when they release a new exam (whether because it is a new certification, or because of a huge revision of one of the Guides).

3. About the POA discipline

Include in your studies definitions of product and POA, the Product Lifecycle, and roles of Product Manager vs Product Owner vs Product Marketing. It is a must-have to dig deep in your minds these definitions as per the Guide. They will be the basis for incorporating further knowledge about the certification (whether you agree with them or not!)

Although the structure of the exam (see the table from tip nr. 4) doesn’t mention questions about topics from “Chapter 2: Evolving Product Ownership to POA”, “Chapter 3: Understanding Product Ownership Analysis”, and “Chapter 4: Agile Product Management”, that does not mean they should be disregarded. I can say, for example, that my exam included a question about the Product Lifecycle (pages 19–21) and about the three planning horizons (pages 21 and 22 — see tip nr. 6).

On the other hand, it was no use to get deep into the Principles of Agile Analysis, nor the BACCM.

4. Deep understanding of Knowledge Areas (KA) of the POA framework

Probably the easier and obvious tip to mention, as KAs are the focus of the POA framework.

You’ll need to have all 7 KAs at the tip of your tongue:

1: Apply Foundational Concepts

2. Cultivate Customer Intimacy

3: Engage the Whole Team

4: Make An Impact

5: Deliver Often

6: Learn Fast

7: Obsess About Value

Each KA is always split into 2 sections. Then each section typically has 2 or 3 sub-sections. Together, they output the POA Framework. You will find in the Guide an overview of each section and subsection, the elements that are present, and techniques to apply in the sub-section — where they are described for their usefulness for that specific sub-section.

The KA’s are weighted in the exam questions as follows:

Although the table doesn’t refer to question’s coverages to techniques specifically (which meant that they would be embedded in their usage in each KA, in the exam — at least the set of questions that I took — there wasn’t any question of a technique only for a given sub-section. I can suggest that knowledge of the techniques as in Chapter 6 of the Guide was enough. If it was needed, I could relate to the overall application of the technique and the main goal of the KA’s sub-sections.

5. Questions were not scenario-based

Scenario-based questions mean that knowing the Guide back and forth will not be sufficient. There will be questions where there will be more than one right option, however, the question will be “In a scenario X, which is the best option?” or “Which is best applicable in situation Y?”, and it is expected that the candidate will take an answer based in their own experience.

That is not the case for CPOA. For applying to the exam, the candidate does not have to have previous experience as a prerequisite. Neither such experience makes a difference when taking the exam.

After taking the exam, I can confirm that all questions had the right answer somewhere inside the Guide. Straight and simple.

6. Attention to agile planning within the horizons

One key element of the POA Guide is the Agile Planning Horizons. They were originally defined in the Agile Extension of the BABoK®: Strategy, Initiative, and Delivery. However, there is no need to consult the Agile Extension with that purpose, since the POA Guide has all description that is needed about them.

It is very important to absorb the differences between the horizon: the goal, timeframes, involved stakeholders, and, most importantly, the artifacts (see table).

There is also focus in the feedback loops, namely what information is deduced from the feedback, between all 3 horizons. But, in my exam, I had no questions about that.

I hope these tips can be useful for you in your CPOA study.

Well, while I don’t know yet my exam results — which will be released around August 31, 2021 — so I expect to post an update to this article. I can tell you now that I won’t have any problem to say if I failed and hence these tips may not be enough. Even so, I can tell for sure that at this time I wouldn’t have studied it any other way, and at least after finishing my exam, these were the key take-aways I would have pointed then.

P.S: I’m currently studying for the IIBA’s Agile Analysis Certification (AAC). While in this case there are already endorsed trainings and several materials online, I plan to post at the end some study tips as well. In my opinion, CPOA and AAC can work great together :)

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