Advanced study plan

30 sessions for senior BA practice

Plan for 60–75 minutes per session; take rest or catch-up days as needed. Each session combines short lessons, applied work and recall. At five sessions a week, this is about six weeks. The final exam session takes about 90 minutes.

20 minRead and take notes

30 minApply the ideas to the case

10 minRecall and reflect

Take each chapter quiz when scheduled and review every explanation. The ungraded capstone is a self-reviewed portfolio exercise; taking all eight chapter quizzes unlocks the separate 30-question final exam.

Daily schedule

Day 1
Senior scope and strategic outcomes
Read chapter 1 lessons on senior accountability and strategy. Map one strategic objective to a measurable outcome and a change hypothesis.
Day 2
Operating model and capabilities
Study operating models, capabilities and value streams. Sketch how reconciliation moves from statement receipt to exception resolution.
Day 3
Roadmap and chapter quiz
Study proportionate analysis and roadmaps. Add dependencies and decision gates to the case, take chapter 1 quiz and review explanations.
Day 4
Stakeholder strategy
Read chapter 2 on stakeholder mapping. Identify decision-makers, frontline experts, control owners and affected groups across three regions.
Day 5
Executive discovery
Draft a one-page executive pre-read. Practice questions that clarify outcomes, constraints, decisions and trade-offs.
Day 6
Ambiguity and chapter quiz
Test one risky hypothesis, facilitate a disagreement and record decision rights. Take chapter 2 quiz and review explanations.
Day 7
Compare solution options
Read chapter 3 on options and architecture partnership. Compare improve-current, shared-service and phased-replacement options.
Day 8
Quality, controls and data
Define measurable performance, availability, access, audit and exception-handling needs. Sketch a source-to-report data flow.
Day 9
Rules and chapter quiz
Write a decision table for matching and overrides. Trace one outcome to a requirement and test; take chapter 3 quiz.
Day 10
Business architecture
Read chapter 4 on capabilities, value streams and current-state evidence. List data needed to compare regions fairly.
Day 11
Target operating model
Define future roles, processes, systems, information and controls. Validate a regional variation with a plausible business reason.
Day 12
Transitions and chapter quiz
Create two intermediate states with entry/exit criteria and rollback needs. Take chapter 4 quiz and review explanations.
Day 13
Governance
Read chapter 5 on decision forums and decision records. Decide what teams can choose and what requires sponsor or control-owner approval.
Day 14
Dependencies and risk
Map data feeds, identity, ledger and control dependencies. Add triggers, response owners and escalation paths.
Day 15
Portfolio delivery and chapter quiz
Align work across teams using shared outcomes and evidence. Review scope-change impacts; take chapter 5 quiz.
Day 16
Business case
Read chapter 6 and compare cost, benefit, risk and time to value for two options. List the assumptions that could change your recommendation.
Day 17
Benefits map and baseline
Connect outputs to changed capabilities and outcomes. Define a baseline population, formula, period and data source.
Day 18
Ownership and chapter quiz
Assign business owners, targets and review dates to benefits. Run a sensitivity check; take chapter 6 quiz.
Day 19
Readiness and adoption
Read chapter 7. Identify adoption risks by region and define observable readiness criteria.
Day 20
Communication and training
Write role-based messages and a realistic training scenario for normal work and exceptions.
Day 21
Coaching and chapter quiz
Create a mentoring plan for an analyst and propose one lightweight practice standard. Take chapter 7 quiz.
Day 22
Senior interview stories
Read chapter 8. Draft STAR stories for strategy, ambiguity, conflict, governance, value and mentoring.
Day 23
Executive recommendation
Prepare a one-page decision brief with options, evidence, risks, assumptions, owner and next steps.
Day 24
Integrated case and chapter quiz
Complete the capstone from problem framing through options, target model, roadmap and benefits. Use the checklist and take chapter 8 quiz.
Day 25
Capstone: frame and discover
Assemble the strategic fit, measurable problem, stakeholder map, decision rights and evidence plan.
Day 26
Capstone: shape the solution
Add current/target states, credible options, quality needs, controls, integration and transition choices.
Day 27
Capstone: plan delivery
Add a roadmap, governance, dependencies, risk responses, pilot criteria and fallback plan.
Day 28
Capstone: prove value
Add a benefits map with baselines, targets, sources, owners and review dates. Check assumptions and evidence.
Day 29
Mock interview
Present the case in five minutes, then practice follow-ups about cost, risk, controls, regional variation and what you would change.
Day 30
Final exam and self-review
Take the 30-question senior final exam. Review missed answers and self-review the decision pack for evidence, traceability, owners, risks and measurable value. Allow 90 minutes.