Best Guide to answer Interview Questions for a Business Analyst Position

Briony Ranasinghe -

As a business analyst, you have a comprehensive skill set from analyzing business needs to liaising with stakeholders. So, you need to have a wide range of technical and soft skills, and learning how to answer common interview questions will help you to show them off. So, here is our guide to the 10 most common interview questions for business analysts and how to answer them.  

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1. What is the role of a Business Analyst?

You need to know how to define your role in the organization, especially because a business analyst has many duties. By asking you to define the role, the interviewer is asking you what you are proficient in.  

Sample Answer

The business analyst maps out the business processes and finds the areas for improvement. In addition, they liaise with various stakeholders to ensure that the relevant members are appraised of all the necessary steps to make the business a success.

2. What tools are you familiar with?

As a BA, there is certain software that you need to have a knowledge of to do your job effectively. Answer this question in a way that shows that you have technical skills that are necessary for your work.  

Sample Answer

I am most familiar with the common software tools. I have a knowledge of how to use the MS Office Suite from my previous workplaces. In addition, at my current employment, I use SQL for my work, so I have a working knowledge of this software as well.

3. Describe your typical approach to a project

Your process is important for a company to know if you can work with your co-workers in an effective way as a project is broken into several stages. It also allows companies to see how you achieve deliverables at the end of the project.  

Sample Answer

For me, client satisfaction is paramount. So, I like to create a workplan based on the client’s expectations. To do this, I look at the available data and design the structure which would be needed to follow to meet the client requirements.

4. What is your risk management process?

This is a very technical question, and you need knowledge and experience to answer this question. A risk management process is important to ensure the smooth running of the project and analytics, and by asking this question companies learn about their employees' level of preparedness. 

Sample Answer

I like to follow the standard process of identifying, analyze, plan and take action in risk management as that is the most straightforward means. At a previous workplace, this strategy was very useful as it helped me to figure out why a successful company was not operating at peak level.

5. Have you ever handled any changes to requirements?

This is something that can happen, and companies would like to know whether you are prepared to handle such instances. Questions like these also let hiring managers learn a lot about your temperament and whether you are the best fit for the job.

If you can answer this question, it’s best to use the S.T.A.R. method in your answer but if you have not, just saying no is not enough. You should explain how you would handle such a situation in this instance. 

Sample Answer

I have experience with clients' changing requirements. At a previous workplace, while we were coming to the close of a project, the client came in and asked us to fulfill a new requirement. While trying to figure out how to accommodate this request, I realized that looking at the changes, the project would not be able to fulfill another requirement. I immediately reported this to our manager, and she contacted the client and explained the situation to them.

6. How do you decide that you have gathered all the requirements?

This is a question that will come to the more senior business analysts who have experience in the field. The company will want to know how well you have learned to identify the requirements.  

Sample Answer

There are several criteria that I believe need to be fulfilled for me to decide that the requirements have been gathered. Chief among these is approval from the business users and stakeholder agreement.

7. Do you have any technical skills?

Some companies expect their employees to know how to use software and other tools to help them in their work. It is a great way for an interviewer to gauge whether or not you will need extensive training when they ask this question in an interview. If you have experience with a specific tool mentioned in the job post, be sure to highlight it in your answer. 

Sample Answer

I have had experience using SQL. My previous workplace used it to conduct day-to-day operations and therefore I have had to learn it as well. I also attended a course to further my knowledge of it.

8. Can you explain data findings to a co-worker who is not familiar with business analysis?

This is more to do with checking if you are a good communicator or not. As a business analyst, you will have to present your findings to other people and other teams. Some may not understand your data or your findings, so it will be your job to explain it to them and companies will want to know if you can do a good job.  

Sample Answer

For me, explaining my findings to co-workers is an important part of my job so that they can understand my recommendations. I usually try to present it graphically on a PowerPoint presentation as I believe that it is the best way to make people understand. But I also invite people to ask questions so that I am sure they are aware of all the findings.

9. Was there a time you failed to meet a deadline? How did you handle it?

Sometimes you fail or fall behind on a project, and that’s ok. What matters is how you choose to deal with the situation, which is what the interviewer is asking here. Did you learn from it? Did you manage to resolve the issue? Or did you completely fall apart and since learn what to do? 

Sample Answer

At one of my previous workplaces, there was an error in the planning stage and one of the requirements wasn’t completed by the deadline. As a result, we completely overshot it and had to request an extension to complete the requirement. To make sure that such a scenario does not happen again, I insist that my team and I review every single aspect from the planning stage together twice.

10. How do you manage pre-implementation and post-implementation problems?

Problems tend to crop up at various times in a project. But problem-solving is one of the most important skills that a business analyst can have and this question should be treated seriously by you. Try giving an example of a time that you managed these problems for a more in-depth answer. 

Sample Answer

I don’t believe that I can stop problems from occurring during a project, but I do try to limit them as much as possible. For a post-implementation problem, I have found that the best way to limit problems is to be as thorough as possible in the planning stage so that the project can run smoothly.

Now go on and wow that interviewer. Or check out our interview tips page for more great ways to answer interview questions. And for more helpful career advice, check our career guides blog.