AAC Exam Guide: 85 Questions, Four Domains, Fees, Renewal

The AAC exam is the Agile Analysis Certification (AAC) from the International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA). It has 85 scenario-based multiple-choice questions, a 2-hour limit, remote proctoring, and four weighted domains: Agile Mindset (30%), Strategy Horizon (10%), Initiative Horizon (25%), and Delivery Horizon (35%) [1, 2]. IIBA recommends two to three years of agile analysis experience, but it requires none [2].

Last verified: October 2026.

AAC exam at a glance

The AAC exam tests competency in business analysis work done in an agile context, and it is aligned with the Agile Extension to the BABOK Guide, version 2 [1]. The table collects the facts from IIBA's own pages.

The exam content is defined by the Agile Extension, a guide IIBA developed with the Agile Alliance [3]. Version 2 came out on 7 August 2017 and introduced three planning horizons: Strategy, Initiative, and Delivery [4]. The exam adds a fourth domain, Agile Mindset, on top of those three [1].

One caution on fees. The exact total depends on your account and membership status. IIBA's page does not print a simple member and non-member split, and an editorial explainer reports $250 for members and $405 for non-members [10]. Check the price in your own IIBA account before you plan a budget. Third-party pages also differ on renewal rules, so use the handbook, which states the annual CDU requirement [2].

What the AAC exam tests

The AAC exam tests four domains, and the weights tell you where the questions are. A domain is a block of competencies that the exam blueprint scores together. Multiplying the official weights by 85 questions gives about 26, 9, 21, and 30 questions per domain (my own arithmetic, not an IIBA figure) [1].

Agile Mindset is the guide's view of how an analyst thinks and behaves in agile work. The Agile Extension describes both the mindset and the practices that help teams use continuous feedback and quick learning [3]. Read our piece on mapping agile principles to horizons to see how principles connect to the later domains.

The three horizons split decisions by their reach. Strategy covers decisions that affect the whole organization. Initiative covers decisions that affect one initiative. Delivery covers decisions about delivering the solution [3]. Delivery carries the largest weight, so a candidate who works day to day in a Scrum or Kanban team starts with a natural advantage. For a closer look at how the horizons differ, see Agile Extension horizons: strategy vs delivery.

Strategy has only 10% of the weight. That is a small block, but it is the one that many delivery-focused analysts have the least practice with, so a short, focused study session on it is a cheap way to protect your score.

How hard is the AAC exam: what candidates say

Candidates who write about the exam describe it as moderate and scenario-driven, and the evidence is thin. IIBA publishes no pass mark and no pass rate, so nobody outside IIBA can quote one [2, 5]. What exists is a small set of personal accounts, most of them written in 2019, so treat them as impressions and not as measurements.

A consultant who already held the Certified Business Analysis Professional (CBAP) credential studied for a few weeks, a period he describes as significantly shorter than his CBAP preparation. He said the exam tests how concepts fit together in real contexts, and that he had plenty of time [5]. A candidate holding several project and agile credentials wrote that the exam was easier than others she had taken. She called the questions "scenario lite," finished in almost 90 minutes, and said the remote proctoring was harder than the content [6].

A training provider that sells IIBA courses rates the AAC as moderate and the CBAP as higher [8]. That rating comes from a vendor, so weigh it as an opinion. The same article counts about 1,000 certified people, while an independent reference page reports that IIBA counted 3,213 AAC recipients as of 26 July 2026 [8, 9]. When sources disagree on a number, prefer the one that cites IIBA and carries a date.

Two limits apply to all of this. First, the candidates above had the CBAP or several other certifications, which makes it easier for them to read scenario questions. Second, none of these accounts is a survey. If you have little agile experience, expect the exam to feel harder than they describe, because one author says a few years of agile work make it significantly easier [5].

Common reasons people struggle

No published data lists why candidates fail, so the patterns below come from the accounts above and from the exam format itself.

1. Treating the exam as a Scrum test. One author praises the exam for being methodology agnostic, with its focus on mindset, horizons, and techniques across agile approaches [5]. Answers that rely on one framework's vocabulary can miss what the question asks.
2. Skipping techniques you never used. The same author needed outside examples for a couple of techniques he had not applied before [5]. A technique you know only by name is a risk in a scenario question.
3. Ignoring the two smaller horizons. The weights show that Strategy and Initiative together hold 35% of the questions [1].
4. Losing time to proctoring setup. One candidate spent about 30 minutes on a browser security setting before the exam began [5]. Another found it hard to read without moving her lips or looking away [6]. Training providers advise a backup internet connection, a working camera, and an early start [11].
5. Studying alone with no practice questions. The consultant says that in hindsight he would join a study group and write his own sample questions [5].

How to prepare for the AAC exam

Start with the official material and keep the plan short. IIBA's own guidance tells candidates to read the Agile Extension before taking the self-assessment [12]. IIBA members get a free PDF copy of the Agile Extension, and the guide is also sold as a PDF in the IIBA store [3, 12]. One candidate calls it relatively short and the only document that needs significant study time [6]. A practitioner blog also recommends it to analysts who work in agile and notes that it is much shorter than the main BABOK Guide [7].

A practical order:

1. Read the Agile Extension once for the structure: mindset, then the three horizons, then the techniques.
2. Take IIBA's self-assessment and sample questions to find weak domains [1].
3. For each technique you have never used, find one worked example outside the guide, and write down when you would use it.
4. Practice with scenario questions and explain each wrong option in your own words.
5. Rehearse the exam setup: camera, microphone, internet, and a quiet room.

If you want practice with a technique the guide covers, story mapping and big-picture planning is a good place to start. To place AAC next to other agile credentials before you commit, read agile certifications compared.

Is the AAC worth it

The AAC is worth it when you do business analysis in an agile setting and want a documented signal of that skill. The value is real but limited, and one independent reference page states the limit directly: the principal limitation is the distinction between tested understanding and verified delivery experience [9]. The same page notes that some job postings list the AAC as preferred or desired, which shows relevance to particular vacancies and not a profession-wide requirement [9].

Compared with the CBAP, the AAC needs no hour log and targets analysts earlier in their careers. An editorial explainer describes it as a good option for people with fewer prerequisites [10]. A vendor comparison suggests it for analysts who do not yet meet CBAP eligibility, and for CBAP holders who want to show agile skills [8].

Read how job ads describe the analyst role in BABOK definition vs real job ads, and look at impact mapping for a technique that sits between the Strategy and Initiative horizons. The decision is yours: the credential supports a case, but projects and results carry more weight than any certificate.

FAQ

How many questions are on the AAC exam?

The AAC exam has 85 multiple-choice, scenario-based questions. You have 2 hours to finish them, and the exam is delivered online with a remote proctor [1, 2].

What is the passing score for the AAC exam?

IIBA does not publish a passing score in the handbook. You see a pass or fail result on screen when the exam ends [2].

Do I need work experience to take the AAC exam?

No. The handbook states that there is no work experience requirement. IIBA recommends two to three years of experience in business analysis work in an agile context [2].

What does the AAC exam cost?

IIBA's page shows "$405 or Less" and displays member pricing after you log in. Prices can change without notice, and a rewrite carries a separate fee [1, 2].

How do I keep the AAC credential?

Credential holders must earn and record 20 Continuing Development Units each year in the BA Development Log [2].

What should I study for the AAC exam?

Study the Agile Extension to the BABOK Guide, version 2, which the exam is aligned with. Then use IIBA's self-assessment and sample questions to check each of the four domains [1, 12].

Sources

1. IIBA: Agile Analysis Certification
2. IIBA: Agile Analysis Certification Handbook, May 2026
3. IIBA: Agile Extension to the BABOK Guide
4. IIBA and Agile Alliance press release: Agile Extension version 2, August 2017
5. Practitioner account: reflections on studying and passing the IIBA-AAC, 2019
6. Candidate account: my IIBA-AAC journey, 2019
7. Practitioner blog in Polish on the Agile Extension and the AAC, 2019
8. Training provider: CBAP vs AAC comparison, August 2026
9. Independent reference page: IIBA-AAC credential directory, September 2026
10. Editorial explainer on the IIBA-AAC, updated April 2026
11. Training provider: AAC preparation process and tips, October 2025
12. IIBA: Agile Analysis Certification guide (PDF)