BCS Exams

The Role of BCS in IT Certification

The British Computer Society (BCS) operates differently from hardware and software vendors. Founded in 1957 and granted a Royal Charter in 1984, BCS functions as a professional body and learned society rather than a technology manufacturer. They represent over 60,000 IT professionals across 150 countries.

Because they do not sell cloud platforms or networking hardware, BCS certifications focus on methodology, governance, and role-specific frameworks. Their credentials validate how you approach IT projects rather than how well you configure a specific product. Over the last decade, candidates have taken more than 700,000 BCS exams globally. Earning a BCS certification often serves as a stepping stone toward Chartered IT Professional (CITP) status, a formal recognition of competence recognized throughout the UK and Commonwealth nations.

Business Analysis and Requirements

The BCS business analysis track remains one of the most recognized credential paths for analysts in the UK and Europe.

The entry point is the FCBA: BCS Foundation Certificate in Business Analysis (BH0-013). This exam tests core business analysis principles, including stakeholder management, process modeling, and business case development. It requires no prior experience and serves as a strict knowledge-based test. Candidates must demonstrate an understanding of strategic analysis techniques like PESTLE and SWOT, as well as the lifecycle of business change.

For those moving beyond the fundamentals, the RE18: BCS Practitioner Certificate in Requirements Engineering 2018 shifts the focus to practical application. Requirements engineering is a specific discipline within business analysis. The RE18 exam expects candidates to know how to elicit, document, and manage requirements throughout a project lifecycle. Hiring managers look for this specific credential when staffing software development teams, as it proves a candidate can translate business needs into technical specifications without ambiguity.

Software Testing Partnerships

BCS does not maintain its own isolated testing standards. Instead, it acts as a primary examination institute for global testing boards, most notably the International Software Testing Qualifications Board (ISTQB).

The ISEB-SWT2: ISTQB-ISEB Certified Tester Foundation Level (BH0-010) is the baseline credential for QA professionals. It covers test design techniques, static testing, and test management fundamentals. Passing this exam is a hard requirement for many testing roles, particularly in heavily regulated sectors like finance and healthcare where documentation and traceable test coverage are mandatory.

As testers advance, they specialize. The TM12: ISTQB-BCS Certified Tester Advanced Level- Test Manager (2012) targets professionals running testing departments. It evaluates your ability to estimate testing effort, manage risk, and align testing activities with broader business goals. Candidates must understand how to construct a test strategy that fits within different software development lifecycles, from sequential waterfall models to iterative agile approaches.

BCS also partners with the American Software Testing Qualifications Board (ASTQB). The ASTQB: ASTQB Certified Mobile Tester is one product of this arrangement. Mobile software testing requires distinct techniques to account for varying screen sizes, network conditions, sensor inputs, and operating system fragmentation. This exam verifies you understand those specific mobile constraints and can design test cases that account for them.

Project Management Frameworks

Beyond testing and analysis, BCS serves as an examination provider for Axelos, the organization behind the PRINCE2 methodology.

The PRF: PRINCE2 Foundation (PRF) tests your understanding of the PRINCE2 framework. It covers the seven principles, seven themes, and seven processes that define the methodology. PRINCE2 adoption is heavy in UK government and European enterprise environments. The Foundation exam requires you to recall terminology and understand the purpose of specific management products, such as the risk register or the project brief.

Earning these credentials provides a standardized vocabulary across departments. A tester holding an ISTQB certification and a project manager holding a PRINCE2 certification share a common understanding of project phases, defect severity, and risk management. This shared language reduces friction during software delivery, allowing cross-functional teams to resolve issues rather than argue over definitions.