Standards
Careers by field
Where each CBA credential sits in a working life: the level it is awarded at, what the award requires, and the roles each discipline is written for.
Three levels
Each level states the evidence CBA requires before awarding the credential, and includes the requirements of the level below it.
The Competency FrameworkLevel 1
Certificate
That the holder knows the discipline, assessed by examination.
Level 2
Practitioner
That the holder can carry out the core tasks of the discipline, assessed through applied work.
Level 3
Professional
That the holder is a practising professional, with experience confirmed by a referee.
Finance
- Requirement
- Awarded on the examination, 6 assessed workbooks of applied work and 3 years' relevant professional experience (2 with a relevant degree), confirmed by a named referee, with a signed undertaking to the Code of Professional Conduct.
- Written for
- Financial and FP&A analysts
- Advisory and transaction professionals
- Accountants and career movers into analysis
- Requirement
- Awarded on the examination and 4 assessed workbooks of applied work.
- Written for
- Financial and business analysts
- Accountants moving into planning
- Business unit finance managers
Accounting
- Requirement
- Awarded on the examination and 4 assessed workbooks of applied work.
- Written for
- Senior accountant stepping up
- New accounting manager or team lead
- Practice or outsourcing supervisor
- Requirement
- Awarded on the examination, 6 assessed workbooks of applied work and 3 years' relevant professional experience (2 with a relevant degree), confirmed by a named referee, with a signed undertaking to the Code of Professional Conduct.
- Written for
- Accountants transitioning to IFRS
- Audit and assurance staff
- Group reporting and finance analysts
Management
- Requirement
- Awarded on the examination and 4 assessed workbooks of applied work.
- Written for
- Team leads and line managers
- Project and programme managers
- Business owners and department heads
- Requirement
- Awarded on the examination and 4 assessed workbooks of applied work.
- Written for
- Team leaders and supervisors stepping up
- Operations and process analysts
- Functional managers taking on operational scope
- Requirement
- Awarded on the examination and 4 assessed workbooks of applied work.
- Written for
- Procurement and purchasing officers
- Supply chain and operations professionals
- Finance and project staff moving into commercial roles
- Requirement
- Awarded on the examination, 6 assessed workbooks of applied work and 3 years' relevant professional experience (2 with a relevant degree), confirmed by a named referee, with a signed undertaking to the Code of Professional Conduct.
- Written for
- Early-career compliance and risk staff
- Operations and finance professionals moving into compliance
- Managers accountable for compliance in smaller organisations
- Requirement
- Awarded on the examination and 4 assessed workbooks of applied work.
- Written for
- Digital marketers who learned on the job
- Career changers and graduates entering digital marketing
- Owners and managers who answer for marketing spend
Technology
- Requirement
- Awarded on the examination, 6 assessed workbooks of applied work and 3 years' relevant professional experience (2 with a relevant degree), confirmed by a named referee, with a signed undertaking to the Code of Professional Conduct.
- Written for
- Compliance and risk professionals
- IT and data leaders
- Consultants and project professionals
- Requirement
- Awarded on the examination and 4 assessed workbooks of applied work.
- Written for
- Business and data analysts moving into AI work
- Project, product and delivery leads on AI initiatives
- IT professionals and consultants broadening into AI
- Requirement
- Awarded on the examination and 4 assessed workbooks of applied work.
- Written for
- Working analysts formalising their skills
- Career changers entering analytics
- Managers and specialists who commission analysis
- Requirement
- Awarded on the examination and 4 assessed workbooks of applied work.
- Written for
- Knowledge workers and administrators
- Early-career and transitioning professionals
- Team leads and process owners
Become a member
Membership is open to anyone working in, or preparing for, one of the four fields, and members pay less for every certification.
Join CBARead the standards
What competent practice in each discipline consists of, domain by domain.
The CBA Standards