×

Quiz Session - Attempts With Random Questions

PMI-PBA Exam Questions

Page 1 of 25

1.

You are working on a project to redesign a company's website. To validate that the new design is visually appealing and easy to navigate, which technique would be most effective?

  • Develop an interactive prototype and conduct usability testing with potential users

  • Conduct a walkthrough of the design with the development team

  • Create a static mockup of the website and gather feedback from stakeholders

  • Perform a gap analysis comparing the new design to competitor websites

Correct answer: Develop an interactive prototype and conduct usability testing with potential users

An interactive prototype allows users to experience the website's navigation and design firsthand, providing valuable feedback on usability, visual appeal, and overall user experience. Usability testing with real users is crucial for identifying design flaws and potential improvements.

A walkthrough session with the development team is helpful for understanding the design but not for assessing user experience.

A static mockup doesn't allow users to interact with the design, limiting the feedback they can provide.

Gap analysis focuses on comparing features with competitors, not validating user experience.

2.

You are leading a post-implementation review of a complex enterprise business solution. Which stakeholders should be included to ensure a comprehensive evaluation?

  • Representative cross-section of stakeholders

  • Only the project team and the project sponsor

  • End-users and their direct supervisors

  • Senior executives and key decision-makers only

Correct answer: Representative cross-section of stakeholders

By engaging a diverse group of stakeholders, the solution's impact is assessed comprehensively. This is achieved through the valuable feedback offered from various viewpoints, ensuring a thorough evaluation of its effectiveness.

Neglecting the involvement of other important stakeholders and focusing only on the feedback of the direct project team and project sponsor can result in an evaluation that is either incomplete or potentially biased.

Focusing solely on end-users and their direct supervisors might not capture the broader organizational impact.

Compared to other stakeholders, senior executives and key decision-makers might lack a granular understanding of daily operations and usage patterns.

3.

In eliciting requirements for a new automated security gate business solution, you need to ensure that all potential data entities and their relationships are captured. Which model would be most helpful in this process?

  • Entity-relationship diagram

  • Process model

  • Event list

  • Wireframe

Correct answer: Entity-relationship diagram

Entity-relationship diagrams serve as a visual representation of data entities and their interconnections, forming the basis for database design. These diagrams ensure a holistic approach to data capture, facilitating the creation of a comprehensive database structure.

Process models focus on the flow of activities, not data entities and relationships.

Event lists outline occurrences that trigger actions within the system, not data structure.

Wireframes are visual representations of user interfaces, not data models.

4.

During a time crunch constraint within business analysis planning, you notice a conflict between a stated project objective to "increase efficiency by 10%" and another objective to "maintain current staffing levels." How do you address this conflict?

  • Facilitate a discussion with stakeholders

  • Prioritize the objective of increasing efficiency

  • Prioritize the objective of maintaining current staffing levels

  • Document the conflict in the risk register

Correct answer: Facilitate a discussion with stakeholders

Taking the time constraint into consideration, it’s still necessary to facilitate a discussion with stakeholders to explore options for achieving both objectives simultaneously or finding a compromise. Conflicts in objectives often require collaboration and creative problem solving. Engaging stakeholders in the discussion helps identify solutions that meet the overall project goals. Moving forward without addressing the issue can cause more problems during the lifecycle of the project that may outweigh the current time crunch issues.

In both cases, prioritizing one objective without considering the other oversimplifies the problem and could lead to unintended consequences.

Documenting the conflict without actively addressing it is a passive approach that could lead to problems later in the project.

5.

Which of the following is not a typical output of solution evaluation?

  • Updated project plan

  • Performance metrics and reports

  • Lessons learned documentation

  • Stakeholder satisfaction survey results

Correct answer: Updated project plan

The focus of solution evaluation is to measure the effectiveness and value of the deployed solution rather than making updates to the project plan.

Performance metrics and reports, lessons learned documentation, and stakeholder satisfaction survey results are all relevant to the input process of business solution evaluation. 

6.

When sharing the documented requirements for a new business solution product, which of the following is most likely to support collaboration and communication between stakeholders and the development team?

  • User stories

  • Technical specifications document

  • Formal requirements document

  • Business requirements document

Correct answer: User stories

Crafted in the voice of the customer, user stories are concise, easily digestible descriptions of a feature from an end-user perspective, making them easier for both technical and non-technical stakeholders to comprehend.

Technical specifications are often too detailed and difficult to understand for most stakeholders.

Formal requirements documents can be unyielding and difficult to update, hindering team collaboration.

Business requirements documents hone in on high-level needs rather than user-specific functionality.

7.

What is the primary benefit of adaptive tailoring when assessing the current state?

  • To fit specific contexts

  • To reduce project risks

  • To improve stakeholder engagement

  • To enhance project efficiency

Correct answer: To fit specific contexts

During current state needs assessment analysis, adaptive tailoring involves tailoring the assessment approach and methods to align with the specific needs, objectives, and constraints of the organization or project. This may include selecting particular data collection techniques, such as interviews, surveys, focus groups, or document reviews based on the nature of the project and the preferences of stakeholders.

Adaptive tailoring doesn’t solely center on reducing project risks or improving stakeholder engagement or project efficiency.

8.

Your organization is adopting a new compliance regulation that requires significant changes to existing requirements. What is your initial approach to managing these changes?

  • Conduct a comprehensive impact analysis to identify all affected requirements and processes

  • Update the traceability matrix to reflect the new compliance requirements

  • Inform all stakeholders about the new regulations and their impact on the project

  • Create a change request for each impacted requirement and follow the established change control process

Correct answer: Conduct a comprehensive impact analysis to identify all affected requirements and processes

Understanding the full extent of the impact is essential before taking any action. This allows for informed decision-making and prioritization.

Updating the matrix is important, but it's a step taken after the impact analysis.

Informing stakeholders is necessary, but you should first understand the impact to provide accurate information.

Change requests are initiated after the impact is understood and decisions are made.

9.

Who should be involved in defining acceptance criteria?

  • Key stakeholders and subject-matter experts

  • Only the project manager

  • Only the development team

  • The entire project team

Correct answer: Key stakeholders and subject-matter experts

Key stakeholders and subject-matter experts are the individuals who have the most knowledge about what constitutes a successful outcome. They can provide the expertise and insights needed to define meaningful and achievable acceptance criteria.

The project manager alone should not make this choice, as their role does not necessitate solitary decision-making.

The development team's involvement is crucial, but their primary responsibility lies in implementation rather than defining the success criteria.

The input of each team member is important, but the project team's key stakeholders and subject-matter experts hold the most significant viewpoints.

10.

While reviewing the business case for a new product launch, you identify a potential conflict between the proposed marketing strategy and the company's brand image. How should you address this concern?

  • Raise the concern with the project sponsor

  • Overlook the conflict

  • Proceed with the project

  • Suggest modifying the company's brand image

Correct answer: Raise the concern with the project sponsor

Alerting the project sponsor promotes open communication and ensures that potential risks and conflicts are addressed early in the planning process. It also demonstrates a proactive approach in identifying potential issues and collaborating with stakeholders to find the best solution.

Ignoring a potential conflict could lead to serious issues down the line, such as a negative impact on brand reputation or customer perception. It's the business analyst’s responsibility to proactively address such concerns.

Documenting the conflict is important, but it doesn't actively solve the problem. A potential conflict between marketing strategy and brand image could derail the project or negatively impact its outcomes if not addressed.

Modifying a company's brand image is a significant decision that requires careful consideration and may not be the most appropriate solution in this case. It's crucial to assess whether the proposed marketing strategy is truly in line with the company's overall goals and values before making such a drastic change.

11.

You've defined a business metric to measure the success of a new Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system. The metric is to "increase customer retention rate by 15% within one year." Which of the following is the best way to validate this metric's effectiveness?

  • Track the actual retention rate after the solution implementation 

  • Compare it to industry benchmarks and competitor performance

  • Ask the project sponsor for their opinion on the metric

  • Rely on the development team's estimation of the CRM's impact on retention

Correct answer: Track the actual retention rate after the solution implementation

Measuring the actual retention rate post-implementation will provide factual evidence to evaluate the system's effectiveness in achieving its intended goal.

Comparing outcomes to industry benchmarks and competitor performance may be helpful for context, but it doesn't directly validate the effectiveness of the metric for this specific project.

Seeking the project sponsor's perspective on the metric might be biased and not accurately represent the Customer Relationship Management's (CRM) real impact.

Relying on the development team's estimation of the CRM's impact on retention may not be the best solution, since some members of the team may not have the expertise to accurately assess the business impact.

12.

You are communicating a risk related to a requirement to the project manager. Which of the following is the most important piece of information to include in the initial communication?

  • Potential impact of the risk on project objectives 

  • Specific steps being taken to mitigate the risk

  • Historical data supporting the likelihood of the risk occurring

  • Requirement ID and a detailed description of the requirement

Correct answer: Potential impact of the risk on project objectives

The primary goal of risk communication is to convey the severity of the risk and its potential consequences to the project manager, so they can make informed decisions about how to address it. The other options are important details, but the impact is the most critical for the project manager to understand initially.

The specific steps being taken to mitigate the risk is important to know, but these can be communicated after the initial risk assessment is understood. Mitigation strategies might change as the situation evolves.

The historical data supporting the likelihood of the risk occurring is valuable for assessing the probability of the risk, but the impact is more crucial for immediate decision-making.

The requirement ID and a detailed description of the requirement provides context for the risk, but the project manager needs to know the impact first to prioritize action.

13.

What is a common technique used to elicit acceptance criteria from stakeholders?

  • Interviews

  • Brainstorming

  • Document analysis

  • Observation

Correct answer:  Interviews

Interviews provide a direct and focused way to engage stakeholders in discussions about their expectations and what they consider a successful outcome. This allows the business analyst to gather detailed and specific feedback for crafting acceptance criteria.

Brainstorming is an effective technique for generating a wide range of ideas, but it may not be the most efficient approach for identifying specific acceptance criteria.

Document analysis may offer partial insights, but it falls short in capturing the comprehensive range of stakeholder expectations.

Observation is useful for comprehending current operations but not for determining future results.

14.

What is the second step in the needs assessment process?

  • Determining the future state

  • Facilitate product roadmap development

  • Assemble business case

  • Conduct elicitation

Correct answer: Determining the future state

Occurring after the problem or opportunity has been identified, examining what the future state should look like helps the project team to define project goals and objectives. 

Facilitating product roadmap development, assembling the business case, and conducting elicitation take place much later in the process.

15.

Which of the following factors is one of the main causes of unfit business solution proposals for identified problems? 

  • Lack of data

  • Inexperienced project team

  • Virtual-only project team

  • Low-tech, high-touch business analysis tools

Correct answer: Lack of data

Lack of data is one of the main culprits that can wreak havoc in assessing needs for a business solution. Special care needs to be taken during the elicitation process (interviews, observation, surveys, document analysis, etc.) to gather pertinent information from stakeholders and historical artifacts that can help to define and inform business solution-based decision-making.

Inexperienced project teams is an issue to consider, but analysts and project managers can get ahead of this by practicing effective leadership and coaching during the process so business solution recommendations aren’t affected.

Virtual-only project teams should not be a major factor when analysts and project managers ensure all team members are properly informed and empowered with the tools they need to function in their roles.

Low-tech, high-touch business analysis tools are actually beneficial to project teams since they promote a higher level of engagement, team bonding, and learning, which results in better work production and outcomes. Examples of such tools are whiteboards, markers, large charts and graphs, and active listening.

16.

You are crafting a requirements management plan for a large-scale software implementation business solution. Which of the following is the most critical aspect to define early in the plan to ensure effective communication and alignment throughout the project?

  • Roles and responsibilities for eliciting, documenting, and approval

  • Detailed technical specifications for each requirement

  • Frequency and format of progress reports

  • Specific tools and techniques to be used for requirements traceability

Correct answer: Roles and responsibilities for eliciting, documenting, and approval

Clearly defining roles and responsibilities is crucial in the requirements process. It ensures that everyone involved has a clear understanding of their specific roles, accountabilities, and expectations. This reduces confusion, miscommunication, and potential conflicts. It also helps streamline the requirements process by establishing a structured framework.

Technical specifications are important, but they come later in the process.

Reporting is necessary, but it is not the most critical early aspect.

Tools and techniques can be adjusted as the project progresses; however, it is not the most crucial aspect of the process. 

17.

Which document details the range of the proposed business solution and its alignment with organizational needs?

  • Product scope statement

  • Business requirements document

  • Project charter

  • Stakeholder register

Correct answer: Product scope statement

The product scope statement defines the bounds of the business solution, including what’s in and out of scope.

The business requirements document consists of detailed requirements, not just high-level scope.

The project charter formally authorizes the project and provides direction for execution, but it doesn't focus on solution scope.

18.

A complex project is experiencing delays in several key deliverables due to unforeseen technical challenges. How should you communicate this status to the project manager and stakeholders?

  • Schedule a meeting with the project manager and key stakeholders to discuss the issues in detail

  • Send a group email summarizing the delays and potential impact

  • Create a detailed status report outlining the specific challenges, their root causes, and proposed solutions

  • Wait until the next schedule status meeting to update everyone on the situation

Correct answer: Schedule a meeting with the project manager and key stakeholders to discuss the issues in detail

A face-to-face meeting allows for open communication, clarifying questions, collaborative problem-solving, and to propose mitigation strategies, which is essential for complex issues.

An email might not convey the urgency and complexity of the situation.

A status report is helpful but might not be sufficient for in-depth discussion and decision-making.

Waiting for the next scheduled meeting could delay crucial decisions and actions.

19.

You are eliciting requirements for a new reporting system. Stakeholders have requested various types of reports with different data elements and formats. 

Which technique would be most effective for organizing and documenting these data requirements?

  • Data dictionary

  • Use case diagram

  • Requirements traceability matrix

  • Risk register

Correct answer: Data dictionary

A data dictionary provides a centralized repository for defining data elements, their formats, meanings, and relationships. It is the ideal tool for documenting the various data elements and their specifications for the reporting system.

Use case diagrams focus on user interactions, not the structure of data.

Requirements traceability matrices track relationships between requirements and other artifacts, not the details of data elements.

Risk registers document project risks, not data specifications.

20.

Which tool or technique is not usually used to find a root cause? 

  • SWOT analysis

  • Fishbone diagram

  • Pareto analysis

  • Interrelationship diagram

Correct answer: SWOT analysis

SWOT analysis is used to identify Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats linked to a project or business. Information gleaned can be used to better understand the context behind business problems, but it’s not usually used to identify the root causes of business issues and complications.

Fishbone diagrams, Pareto analysis, and interrelationship diagrams are all used to analyze and visually showcase causes and effects or root causes of problems that need solutions:

  • Fishbone diagrams offer insights into current situations and illuminate high-level causes that point to why problems are occurring.
  • Pareto analysis reveals the most impactful business irritants.
  • Interrelationship diagrams chart relational causes and effects for specific business issues. 
×