As seen in the tables below, the Certified Business Appraiser (CBA) designation from the Institute of Business Appraisers in one of the most difficult professional business valuation designations to attain. The 6 hour proctored exam consists of multiple choice questions, open ended questions, and report reviews. Additionally, two Comprehensive Demonstration Appraisal Reports are required (120-150 pages each), and are reviewed by the IBA's Qualifications Review Committee.

The above information and data is excerpted from “Explaining the Alphabet Soup. Business Appraisal Designations-What They Mean and How Difficult They Are to Obtain”, Paul Hyde, EA, CBA, BVAL, ASA, Business Appraisal Practice, Spring 2002.