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ITIL 4

IIBA-AAC domains and horizons explained


Outline of the four domains and planning horizons tested on the IIBA-AAC Agile Analysis Certification exam.

Direct answer

The IIBA-AAC exam covers four domains, each reflecting a planning horizon or mindset competency that shapes how agile business analysis work is applied in practice. Questions are distributed across Agile Mindset, Strategy Horizon, Initiative Horizon, and Delivery Horizon. This reflects the Agile Extension to the BABOK® Guide framework.


What the AAC domains represent

Domains are categories of knowledge and task contexts used in the IIBA-AAC exam to assess competency in agile analysis.

  • Agile Mindset: principles and values that guide agile analysis behaviors Strategy Horizon: decisions that affect organizational direction and value focus Initiative Horizon: activities linking strategy to workable increments Delivery Horizon: work with delivery teams to realize value in increments

Domain breakdown and focus areas

Each domain has a unique emphasis within the agile business analysis lifecycle and corresponds to weightings in the exam blueprint.

Agile Mindset (30%)
foundation of agile values, behaviors and principles that support analysis work
Strategy Horizon (10%)
link analysis to organizational goals and priorities
Initiative Horizon (25%)
translate strategy into features and work options
Delivery Horizon (35%)
work with teams to break down work, deliver increments and review outcomes

How domains differ from one another

The domains span from mindset to actionable work contexts with increasing focus on delivery and iteration detail.

DomainPrimary focus
Agile MindsetValues, principles and continuous learning context
Strategy vs DeliveryStrategy addresses why and what; Delivery addresses how and when

Common mistakes when studying domains

These reflect typical misunderstandings about the AAC domains.

  • Treating domains as unrelated instead of interlinked contexts Ignoring the weight differences when planning study time Equating Initiative Horizon tasks to Delivery Horizon tasks Focusing only on definitions without scenario application

Readiness signals and rules

These if/then rules help assess when you are prepared to practice domain application.


Summary and next steps

Review the Agile Extension to the BABOK Guide domain descriptions, practice scenarios mapped to each domain, and use domain weightings to plan study effort.

FAQs about IIBA-AAC domains