Business Continuity Planning Practice Exam

About Business Continuity Planning

Business continuity planning (BCP) is the process involved in creating a system of prevention and recovery from potential threats to a company. The plan ensures that personnel and assets are protected and are able to function quickly in the event of a disaster. The BCP is generally conceived in advance and involves input from key stakeholders and personnel.

BCP involves defining any and all risks that can affect the company's operations, making it an important part of the organization's risk management strategy. Risks may include natural disasters—fire, flood, or weather-related events—and cyber-attacks. Once the risks are identified, the plan should also include:

•    Determining how those risks will affect operations
•    Implementing safeguards and procedures to mitigate the risks
•    Testing procedures to ensure they work
•    Reviewing the process to make sure that it is up to date

BCPs are an important part of any business. Threats and disruptions mean a loss of revenue and higher costs, which leads to a drop in profitability. And businesses can't rely on insurance alone because it doesn't cover all the costs and the customers who move to the competition. Business Continuity Planning has gained immense popularity across the globe resulting in huge demand for certified professionals.

Why is Business Continuity Planning important?
Preparedness is the key to mitigating risks, avoiding disaster when possible, and having a plan in place to cope and recover when unavoidable setbacks occur. Here are a few reasons why this form of planning is so important

•    Complete Inventory - A continuity plan requires you understand all of your assets and resources, and how they might be compromised. This information could come in handy, not only during the planning process, but also in a disaster scenario event.
•    Analyze Threats - Creating a business continuity plan gives you the opportunity to pinpoint and assess all kinds of threats, to determine how best to prevent them or alternately, recover.
•    Plan for the Worst - It is always best to have a contingency plan in place should the worst-case scenario occur. When you suffer a data breach, a fire, a flood, a power outage, a flu epidemic, or other serious setbacks beyond your control, having a business continuity plan in place could help to ensure continued operations and minimize potential losses.

Business Continuity Planning certified professionals, executives and managers are in high demand in companies across the globe.

Who should take the Business Continuity Planning Exam?
•    Business continuity managers
•    Business continuity engineers and professionals
•    Risk specialists
•    Business continuity consultants
•    Management system auditors
•    Business owners
•    People involved in business continuity and disaster recovery related activities
•    IT Support Technicians and IT Managers who are working in any size of organisation

Knowledge and Skills required for the Business Continuity Planning

Specific skills are needed to excel in career of business continuity planning which includes analytical bent of mind and quick learning skills.

Business Continuity Planning Practice Exam Objectives

Business Continuity Planning exam focuses on assessing your skills and knowledge in concepts and application of disaster management or business continuity planning.

Business Continuity Planning Practice Exam Pre-requisite

There are no prerequisites for the Business Continuity Planning exam. Candidates who are well versed  in disaster management or business continuity planning can easily clear the exam.

Business Continuity Planning Certification Course Outline

1. Identify Requirements for Plan Development.
1.1 Determine scope for BC plan
1.2 Define Roles and Responsibilities for Plan Development
1.3 Create action plans / checklists for Plan Development
1.4 Review, evaluate and recommend tools e.g. planning software, database(s)
1.5 Develop templates to acquire information on processes, technology matrices and flowcharts
1.6 Recommend and Develop Plan Development procedures, which includes:
1.7 Identify, document and agree upon key phases/timetable for plan development.
1.8 Identify high probability incidents/events as per organization.
1.9 Define severity criteria.

2. Design Framework for Plan Development.
2.1 Plan designs and structures
2.2 Select and implement agreed upon planning tools based on evaluation process.
2.3 Allocate tasks and responsibilities to plan development teams
2.4 Define Table of Contents with framework details

3. Identify the Process to support the plan.
3.1 Establish procedures to transition from emergency response to business continuity plan.
3.2 Create an action plan for assessing damage
3.3 Recovery site activation
3.4 Process continuity
3.5 Define restoration strategy
3.6 Identify continuity functions
3.7 Develop specific procedures for each continuity function
3.8 Develop specific procedures to support operational plans
3.9 Document processes and procedures for voice communications recovery plans
3.10 Document processes and procedures for data communications recovery
3.11 Draft the Plans

4. Publish completed plan.
4.1 Ensure required tasks are completed for plan implementation
4.2 Publish and distribute plan

Exam Format and Information
Certification name – Business Continuity Planning Certification
Exam duration – 60 minutes
Exam type - Multiple Choice Questions
Eligibility / pre-requisite - None
Exam language - English
Exam format - Online
Passing score - 25
Exam Fees  - INR 1199