Free job simulation · AI and data
AI business analyst job simulation: use AI at work without trusting it blindly
An AI business analyst job simulation is a practical exercise in using AI for finance, HR and operations work with care. For a simulated logistics company you write testable requirements for an invoice assistant, build the business case, check AI output against its source, classify AI uses by risk and handle a data incident. It is practice, not employment, and needs no coding.
You join Tarnmere Digital Ltd (simulated company), a digital transformation consultancy in Sheffield. Days 1 to 5 are free, with about 10 h 25 min of tickets. Premium continues to day 20. It is practice, not employment.
Days 1 to 5 are free. You need a free account and no card. Create an account.
- Free days
- 1 to 5
- Free tickets
- about 10 h 25 min
- Project documents
- 9
- Certificate, optional
- £14.99
The project
You join Tarnmere Digital Ltd (simulated company)
Tarnmere Digital Ltd (simulated company) is a digital transformation consultancy in Sheffield. You help its team deliver a project for Hartwell Logistics Ltd, at Finance and HR shared services (programme ticket AIBA-212).
You are the junior business analyst on a programme to add an AI assistant to supplier invoice handling. The Senior Business Analyst gives you a brief, a draft PRD with mistakes in it, a timing sample, a test of 300 invoices and the client's AI policy. Over four weeks you measure the baseline, write testable requirements, answer a sponsor who wants 100 percent accuracy, check outputs against a contract, and handle payroll pasted into a public chatbot. Then you register AI uses by risk, draft a DPIA, review risks, advise on CV ranking, and find that a model update has broken the pilot's guardrail.
What you will do
- Measure a baseline, build the return on investment and write requirements with acceptance criteria for model behaviour
- Answer a sponsor who demands 100 percent accuracy with an error rate, a guardrail and a human check
- Check an AI output against a JSON contract and an AI summary against its source, and find the invented clause
- Classify AI uses by EU AI Act tier in plain words, draft a DPIA and review a risk register
- Handle payroll data pasted into a public chatbot, a CV ranking request and a model update that breaks a guardrail
The people you deal with
- Head of Business Analysiscompany
- Senior Business Analystcompany
- Delivery Managercompany
- Client Finance Directorclient
- Client Accounts Payable Leadclient
- Client HR Directorclient
- Client Data Protection Officerclient
- Client IT Security Leadclient
- Client Marketing Managerclient
The company, client and site are fictional. The people are fictional too.
Look inside
What the simulator looks like
The workplace, your tickets, the documents and the team chat, as a learner sees them.
Start in the workplace, with the team around you. 
Today: the morning email and your tickets for the day. 
Work: every ticket, by day, with its status. 
A ticket, written the way a colleague would write it. 
A project document with its number, revision and status. 
Ask a colleague. They are AI colleagues: they help you think, they do not hand out answers.
Screenshots from the simulator. Company, people and data are fictional. Portraits are AI-generated.
Meet the team
The colleagues you work with
You can read their messages and ask them questions. They are AI colleagues, clearly labelled. They help you think a ticket through; they do not hand out its answer.
- NPNia ProtheroHead of Business AnalysisSimulated colleague, company side
- TMTariq MahmoodSenior Business AnalystSimulated colleague, company side
- JRJemima RowntreeDelivery ManagerSimulated colleague, company side
- HZHamid ZaidiClient Data Protection OfficerSimulated colleague, client side
- GTGordon ThurlowClient Finance DirectorSimulated colleague, client side
- PMPrecious MutasaClient Accounts Payable LeadSimulated colleague, client side
- VSValerie StocktonClient HR DirectorSimulated colleague, client side
- EMElspeth MuirClient IT Security LeadSimulated colleague, client side
Fictional people. Portraits are AI-generated.
What you get
What you walk away with
Decide where AI pays in a finance process: baseline, testable requirements, risk, privacy and a business case.
What you produce
As-is process cost per invoice
Baseline analysis
Review comments on the product requirements document
Requirements review
User stories with acceptance criteria for model behaviour
Requirements
End-of-week status email with a RAG rating
Sponsor update
AI use register with risk tier and privacy assessment flag
Governance registerPremium
Impact note for a change request
Change controlPremium
Draft data protection impact assessment
Privacy assessmentPremium
Business case and delivery pack
CapstonePremium
Skills you practise
- Written communication
- Risk assessment
- AI governance and documentation
- Analysis and statistics
- Working with clients and stakeholders
- Data protection and privacy
- Planning and prioritising
- Reading specifications
Roles to look for
- AI Business Analyst
- Business Analyst (AI and Automation)
- AI Product Analyst
- Digital Transformation Analyst
178 live openings on the UK jobs board, checked 24 Oct 2026. See the jobs
Your proof
- A certificate anyone can verify. Optional, and included in Premium.
- An entry on your EDWartens profile under Work experience, marked as a job simulation.
- A work record with your skill scores, with Premium.
Free courses that go with it
What you can talk about at interview
- You can explain how you measured what an invoice costs today before suggesting any AI.
- You can describe how you turned a vague wish into acceptance criteria that can be tested.
- In Premium, you can walk through a privacy assessment, a risk register review and a go or no-go recommendation.
Day by day
Days 1 to 5, ticket by ticket
Self-paced. A day opens when you hand in the previous day's tickets. Every ticket is checked, and you see the model answer after it.
Day 1
about 1 h 50 min- Induction: our standards and the client's AI policyQuiz · 40 min
- The as-is process: what does an invoice cost today?Calculation · 1 h 10 min
Day 2
about 2 h 40 min- Review the PRD v0.6Document review · 1 h 20 min
- User stories with acceptance criteria for model behaviourWriting · 1 h 20 min
Day 3
about 1 h 55 min- "The assistant must be 100 percent accurate"Decision · 35 min
- How accurate is the assistant on the first 300 invoices?Calculation · 1 h 20 min
Day 4
about 1 h 50 min- Check eight assistant outputs against the JSON contractTable · 1 h 10 min
- "Payroll was pasted into a free chatbot. Please keep it between us."Decision · 40 min
Day 5
about 2 h 10 min- Check the AI summary of the expenses policyDocument review · 1 h 10 min
- End-of-week status to the sponsor, with a RAG ratingWriting · 1 h
Premium: days 6 to 20about 23 h 30 min more
After day 5 the project goes on with a change request, site work, faults, a handover and a capstone reviewed by an engineer.
Day 6
about 1 h 30 min- AI use register: tier and DPIA for ten usesTable · 1 h 30 min
Day 7
about 1 h 30 min- Return on investment and payback for the pilotCalculation · 1 h 30 min
Day 8
about 1 h 50 min- Impact note for change request CR-02Writing · 1 h 50 min
Day 9
about 1 h 30 min- Choose the confidence thresholdTable · 1 h 30 min
Day 10
about 1 h 40 min- Draft the data protection impact assessmentWriting · 1 h 40 min
Day 11
about 1 h 20 min- Review the AI risk registerDocument review · 1 h 20 min
Day 12
about 40 min- "A vendor can reject the bottom 60 percent of CVs automatically"Decision · 40 min
Day 13
about 1 h 20 min- Pilot results: the guardrail and the model update in week 6Calculation · 1 h 20 min
Day 14
about 1 h 10 min- Release notes and a regression check for model updatesWriting · 1 h 10 min
Day 15
about 1 h 20 min- Review the workflow around the assistantDocument review · 1 h 20 min
Day 16
about 2 h 20 min- Prioritise five new requests with RICETable · 1 h 10 min
- What does the assistant cost per invoice?Calculation · 1 h 10 min
Day 17
about 1 h 20 min- Stakeholder update and go/no-go recommendationWriting · 1 h 20 min
Day 18
about 4 h- Capstone: the business case and delivery packHand-in · 4 h
Day 19
about 1 h 10 min- One page for the accounts payable teamWriting · 1 h 10 min
Day 20
about 50 min- A conversation about your own workViva · 50 min
Real documents
The documents you will work with
Each one has a number, a revision and an approver, the way a project document does. You read them, check them and write your own.
AIBA-TKT-212
Ticket AIBA-212: supplier invoice capture assistant (opportunity brief)
Rev AOpportunity brief
AIBA-STD-001
Business analysis team standards for AI work (one page)
Rev BStandard
AIBA-POL-004
Hartwell Logistics: acceptable use of AI tools
Rev BClient policy
AIBA-PRD-001
Product requirements document v0.6: supplier invoice capture assistant
Rev 0.6PRD
AIBA-PRC-001
As-is process map and timing sample: supplier invoice handling
Rev AProcess map
AIBA-EVL-001
Extraction test set: results of the first test
Rev AEvaluation
AIBA-SPC-003
Output contract for the invoice assistant (JSON schema and rules)
Rev ASpecification
AIBA-POL-011
Hartwell Logistics: expenses and travel policy v3 (excerpt)
Rev 3Client policy
AIBA-SUM-001
AI-written summary of the expenses policy for the staff intranet
Rev AAI output
Documents that arrive in Premiumchange requests, records, handover
AIBA-REG-001
AI use register: what Hartwell Logistics is using or planning
Rev AAI use registerPremium
AIBA-CHG-002
Change request CR-02: credit notes and euro invoices
Rev AChange requestPremium
AIBA-PRD-001
Product requirements document v0.7: supplier invoice capture assistant
Rev 0.7PRDPremium
AIBA-DPI-001
DPIA working notes: invoice capture assistant
Rev 0.1DPIAPremium
AIBA-RSK-001
AI risk register v0.3
Rev 0.3Risk registerPremium
AIBA-PIL-001
Pilot monitoring: eight weeks
Rev APilot reportPremium
AIBA-WFL-001
Workflow specification v0.2: invoice intake and payment run
Rev 0.2Workflow specPremium
AIBA-PRI-001
Prioritisation: five requests added in one week
Rev APrioritisationPremium
AIBA-HOV-001
Business case and handover pack requirements
Rev AHandover indexPremium
Tools
In the industry, and here
| In the industry | Here |
|---|---|
| Ticket tracker, document editor and a prioritisation spreadsheet | Numbered tickets, documents with revisions and a RICE table in the inbox |
| Process mapping tool | A swimlane table and a timing file you analyse in your own spreadsheet |
| JSON schema validator and a no-code automation platform | A schema file, eight sample outputs and a workflow specification to review |
| Risk register, AI use register and DPIA template | Reviewed documents with owners, scores and plain-words guidance |
Standards
The standards the work follows
- CRISP-DM (business understanding)
- NIST AI RMF 1.0
- UK GDPR and the EU AI Act (plain words, not legal advice)
In the UK
The AI Business Analyst role in a UK setting
Who employs this kind of engineer: Consultancies, logistics, finance, housing, health and public sector teams introducing AI into their processes.
Where: Business analyst roles are advertised in every UK region, and many are hybrid or remote. This is context, not a statement about vacancies.
UK standards and regulations to know about
UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018
The rules for personal data. The ICO publishes guidance, including on AI and data protection.
ICO guidance on data protection impact assessments
When and how to assess a use of personal data that may be high risk.
Equality Act 2010
Relevant to uses such as ranking CVs, which can affect people with protected characteristics.
EU AI Act (plain words)
Applies to UK organisations that put AI systems on the EU market. The simulation explains the risk tiers in plain words and is not legal advice.
These are named so that you recognise them. A job simulation does not teach them as a qualification, the tasks use simplified data, and you should always read the current edition of anything you rely on.
Your proof, optional
A certificate you can verify
The free days are free. The graded, verifiable certificate is an optional extra, and it is included in Premium.
- A graded, verifiable certificate with your score and band
- A public verification page and QR code
- One-click add to LinkedIn as a licence or certification
- Issued by WARTENS LTD. It is a training certificate, not an accredited qualification, and the company is simulated
Optional: £14.99 including VAT, once you pass.
Job Simulation Certificate
Your name
completed the AI Business Analyst job simulation at Tarnmere Digital Ltd (simulated company). Your score and band are shown on the real certificate.
- Number
- EDW-JS-0000
- Issued by
- WARTENS LTD
Not an accredited qualification. A verification page and QR code are printed on the real certificate.
Prepare
Free courses and labs that get you ready
Linked from the tickets that need them. You can read them before you start.
Free courses
- AI Essentials for Work: ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Copilot
- Prompt Engineering for Engineers
- ISO 42001 and AI Governance
- AI for Project Managers: Planning, Risk and Reporting
- Excel for Engineers: Formulas, Data and Dashboards
- AI Agents and Workflow Automation with n8n
- Cybersecurity Fundamentals for Beginners
- Generative AI and LLM Foundations
A course that goes with this role
AI Module
A paid, self-paced course in AI and machine learning for industry: 83 lessons, 5 graded projects and career sessions. It is a separate product: you do not need it to finish the job simulation, and it does not lead to a job. The certificate is a certificate of completion, not a regulated qualification.
- Price
- £2,688 including VAT (£2,240 + VAT); or start with a £100 deposit
- Format
- Self-paced online, 12 months' access
About the AI Business Analyst role
Three desks, one project
The project is an AI assistant for supplier invoices, and it touches finance, HR and security. You start with the as-is process, working out what an invoice costs today, and write requirements with acceptance criteria for model behaviour.
Later work covers a CV ranking request from HR, an expenses policy summary and a payroll file pasted into a public chatbot. Different desks have different risks, and the same checks apply to all of them.
Reading each one as a separate ticket keeps the risks apart.
Spot the invented clause: auditing AI output
AI output looks confident even when it is wrong. You check eight assistant outputs against a JSON contract, and you check an AI-written summary of an expenses policy against the source to find the invented clause.
A sponsor demands that the assistant be 100 percent accurate. The expected reply is an error rate, a guardrail and a human check, not a promise. You measure accuracy on a first test set before you answer.
The rule of thumb to carry away is that every AI answer is a draft until someone has checked it against the source.
Data safety: what never goes into a chat tool
Personal and confidential data does not belong in a public tool. The project puts payroll data in a free chatbot and asks you to keep it quiet, which you must not do, and a data protection impact assessment to draft.
You classify ten AI uses by EU AI Act tier in plain words, and review a risk register. This is guidance on practice and not legal advice. UK GDPR, NIST AI RMF 1.0 and CRISP-DM business understanding frame the work.
The business case, the pilot and the go or no-go
A business analyst owns the case for doing the work at all. You build return on investment and payback, choose a confidence threshold, read pilot results where a model update in week six breaks a guardrail, and price the assistant per invoice.
You prioritise five new requests with RICE, review the workflow around the assistant, and end with a stakeholder update and a go or no-go recommendation. The capstone is a business case and delivery pack.
Each figure comes from the files in the pack, and the working is shown.
What to learn next
Next steps include a deeper course on prompts and evaluation, process mapping and spreadsheet analysis. The internships on AI for finance, HR and marketing apply the same ideas by function.
The linked free courses cover AI essentials for work, prompt writing and AI governance. The related roles are the data analyst and the project coordinator.
Keep the requirements, the AI use register and the go or no-go note. They show you can ask what could go wrong before anything is switched on, which is the habit employers want in people who bring AI into teams.
Keep going
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Content reviewed 19 Oct 2026; UK context added 21 Oct 2026. Practice, not employment.
Questions
Quick answers
What does an AI business analyst do?
They use AI tools to speed up analysis and reporting while checking accuracy, privacy and bias. Titles vary, so read the job description.
Can AI replace a business analyst?
AI automates parts of the work, such as drafting and summarising, but someone must frame the question and check the output. The simulation makes you do the checking.
How do I use AI tools safely at work?
Do not paste confidential or personal data into public tools, check numbers independently and keep a record of what you used. The simulation uses sample data with deliberate traps.
What AI tools do finance, HR and marketing teams use?
Commonly general chat assistants, spreadsheet assistants and business intelligence features. The simulation avoids brand claims and teaches checks that work in any tool.
Is the simulation free?
Days 1 to 5 are free to start. The certificate and Premium edition are optional, and the prices are shown on the page in your currency.
What is a hallucination and how do I catch it?
It is a confident wrong answer. Cross-check totals, dates and quotes against the source document, as the policy summary task asks you to.
What skills do I need to start?
Spreadsheet basics and clear writing. No coding is needed.
How do adjacent analyst roles pay in the UK?
There is no clean figure for an AI business analyst as a title. For a nearby role, UK advertisements for data analysts show a median salary of £45,000 for vacancies in the six months to 26 July 2026. This covers UK IT vacancies only.
Source: ITJobsWatch, Data Analyst (UK IT vacancies) (opens in a new tab), checked 19 Oct 2026.
Do I need to know AI or code?
No. This role is about requirements, evidence and judgement. The tasks are checked as numbers, decisions and writing, and a spreadsheet is enough for every calculation.
Is this a real company and a real assistant?
No. Tarnmere Digital and Hartwell Logistics are made-up, the suppliers are invented and the data is synthetic with planted problems. The documents, tickets and situations follow what a junior business analyst meets on a real AI programme.
Is the EU AI Act and data protection content legal advice?
No. It is a plain-words introduction for a junior analyst. In real work you ask your Data Protection Officer or a lawyer when a use is near a boundary, and the simulation teaches you to do that.
How long does it take?
The free week is about ten hours of work spread over five days. The full Premium edition runs over twenty working days and roughly thirty to forty hours, at your own pace.
What do I get at the end?
A work record with your scores by task and skill, which shows on your EDWartens profile under Work experience, marked as a job simulation.
Is the AI Business Analyst job simulation free?
Yes, to start. Days 1 to 5 are free. The certificate (£14.99) and the Premium edition (£53.99) are optional, and both prices include VAT.
Does it count as work experience?
No. It is a training project at a simulated company, not employment, an internship or a placement. A job simulation is a realistic training project at a simulated company. It is not employment, an internship or a work placement, and it is not a job offer. Hours are active hours the learner logged on EDWartens UK.
A job simulation is a realistic training project at a simulated company. It is not employment, an internship or a work placement, and it is not a job offer. Hours are active hours the learner logged on EDWartens UK.
Start the AI Business Analyst job simulation today
Days 1 to 5 are free. No card to start. Practice, not employment.