Laura’s CBAP Journey – Scheduling the Exam (Week 8)

I can’t believe it’s been 8 weeks since I announced my decision to sit for the CBAP. Thanks to all of your support and encouragement, it’s been an incredible journey so far.

But now I am at the point where the rubber hits the road. Literally. About two weeks ago, I sent the check in for my exam fee. I walked it down our little dirt road to the mail box, breathed in deep, dropped the letter in the box, and put up the flag. We’re not exactly in the country, but we are not in the city either. The mail truck going by is a rusted out old jeep, painted white. This being one of the first pieces of mail I sent from our new home and given my choice to use a recycled envelope instead of a nice clean new one, I had some lingering doubts about whether the check would arrive safely.

So every day I check to see if the check is cashed. Every day it’s not. Although the entire CBAP process is really well documented with timeline expectations, this is one piece that’s a little vague. So I’m actually not sure what to expect next.

Luckily, IIBA sends a confirmation email when they have received a check. I received that last week. And then earlier this week (about a week later) I received the email that’s now plaguing my inbox. This one is from the test center. It has every piece of information I need to schedule the exam. And given there are exam times just about every morning and afternoon from here to eternity, now it’s up to me to decide.

When do I sit for the exam?

• Morning or afternoon?
• Beginning of the week or end?
• September or October?