×

Quiz Session - Attempts With Random Questions

PMI-PBA Exam Questions

Page 7 of 25

121.

Which one of the following four charts is not typically used during needs assessment?

  • Flowchart

  • Bar chart

  • Pie chart

  • Gantt chart 

Correct answer: Flowchart

More commonly used in process mapping or to analyze workflow, flowcharts aren’t typically used during the needs assessment process. Information distilled from flow charts may indirectly inform business needs, but as a rule, the charts aren’t directly used to assess needs.

Bar, pie and Gantt charts are used in the needs assessment process to visually showcase data, illustrate needs and requirements, and highlight timelines to aid in prioritizing business needs.

122.

Which of the following is not a benefit of using user stories for requirements specification?

  • Provide a detailed technical specification of the solution

  • Encourage collaboration between the development team and stakeholders

  • Focus on delivering value to the end user

  • Flexible and adaptable to changing requirements

Correct answer: Provide a detailed technical specification of the solution

User stories are intentionally high level and focused on user needs, not technical implementation details. Those details are determined later in the design and development phases.

User stories are often created collaboratively in workshops, promoting shared understanding.

The so that clause in a user story emphasizes the value the user receives from the feature.

User stories can be easily modified or added as requirements evolve.

123.

When eliciting requirements from stakeholders with diverse backgrounds and expertise, what should you avoid doing?

  • Presume all stakeholders have the same level of technical knowledge

  • Use visual aids and diagrams to illustrate complex concepts

  • Tailor communication styles to accommodate different learning preferences

  • Summarize key points and decisions in plain language for everyone's understanding

Correct answer: Presume all stakeholders have the same level of technical knowledge

Stakeholders may have varying levels of technical expertise, and it isn’t prudent to assume each stakeholder has the same level of technical knowledge. Business analysts should adapt their communication to ensure everyone understands the requirements and their implications.

Visual aids can enhance understanding for both technical and non-technical stakeholders and should be used during eliciting requirements.

To facilitate successful communication with all stakeholders, customizing communication approaches to cater to diverse learning preferences is a prudent strategy.

Summarizing key points and decisions in plain language for everyone's understanding helps ensure clarity and avoids misunderstandings.

124.

A project team is struggling to reach consensus on the requirements baseline due to conflicting stakeholder interests. The project manager suggests using a technique where each stakeholder can assign a numerical value to each requirement based on its importance. 

What technique is the project manager proposing?

  • Prioritization matrix 

  • Multivoting

  • Delphi technique

  • Nominal group technique

Correct answer: Prioritization matrix

A prioritization matrix is a tool that allows stakeholders to assign numerical values to requirements based on criteria such as business value, urgency, and feasibility. This quantifies the relative importance of each requirement and helps facilitate discussions and consensus.

Multivoting is a simple voting process that doesn't involve assigning numerical values.

The Delphi technique is a method for gathering expert opinions through multiple rounds of questionnaires.

The Nominal group technique is a structured group discussion where participants generate and rank ideas.

125.

You are creating a system interface table to document the interactions between a new inventory management system and the company's existing accounting system. 

Which of the following information would not typically be included in a system interface table?

  • User interface design details

  • Data elements exchanged between systems

  • Frequency of data exchange

  • Communication protocols use

Correct answer: User interface design details

A system interface table focuses on the technical aspects of how two systems communicate, not the design of user interfaces.

The following are all included in a system interface table:

  • Understanding how systems interact relies heavily on the crucial information contained in data elements exchanged between them.
  • The timing and volume of data transfer are influenced by the rate at which data is exchanged.
  • The communication protocols employed establish the specific rules and mechanisms by which various systems interact and exchange information with one another.

126.

You are documenting the requirements for a new mobile app feature. You have written the following user story: 

"As a user, I want to be able to track my expenses, so I can stay within my budget."

Which of the following is the most completed and refined version of this user story?

  • "As a user, I want a visually appealing expense tracking feature that allows me to categorize expenses, set budgets, and receive alerts when I'm approaching my spending limits."

  • "As a user, I want to be able to track my expenses."

  • "As a user, I want to track my expenses by category and date, so I can see where my money is going and stay within my budget." 

  • "Develop an expense tracking feature."

Correct answer: "As a user, I want a visually appealing expense tracking feature that allows me to categorize expenses, set budgets, and receive alerts when I'm approaching my spending limits."

The correct response is the most completed and refined version of the user story because it includes the following:

  • Role: User
  • Goal: Track expenses
  • Benefit: Stay within budget
  • Details: Additional details about the desired functionality (categorization, budgets, alerts) that make the story more actionable for the development team.

A well-refined user story not only captures the essence of the requirement but also provides enough context and detail to guide the development and testing process effectively.

The statement, "As a user, I want to be able to track my expenses," lacks detail and doesn't explain the benefit to the user.

The statement, "As a user, I want to track my expenses by category and date, so I can see where my money is going and stay within my budget," provides more detail than the previous example but still lacks the full scope of the desired functionality.

The statement, "Develop an expense tracking feature,” is a task, not a user story. It doesn't express the user's perspective or the value they seek. 

127.

Your team is building a system that reacts to specific occurrences or stimuli, both from internal processes and the external environment. You need a structured way to record these occurrences, the conditions that lead to them, and the actions the system should take in response. 

Which tool would best facilitate this documentation?

  • Event list

  • CRUD matrix

  • Interaction matrix

  • Decision tree 

Correct answer: Event list

An event list is a comprehensive list of all possible events that can occur within a system, along with their associated triggers, conditions, and responses. It helps ensure that the system can handle all expected scenarios.

CRUD matrices focus on user permissions for data operations (Create, Read, Update, Delete), not system triggers and responses.

Interaction matrices show relationships and dependencies between system components or actors, not triggers and responses.

Decision trees help with decision-making based on different conditions but don't specifically capture and organize triggers and their corresponding actions.

128.

You discover a negative cost variance and a positive schedule variance during a post-implementation review of a new business solution for a banking system. What is the most likely explanation for this combination of variances?

  • Additional resources were brought in to accelerate the project timeline

  • The project team cut corners on quality to finish the project early

  • The project scope was reduced, leading to lower costs and faster completion

  • Initial cost estimates were inaccurate and underestimated the actual expenses

Correct answer: Additional resources were brought in to accelerate the project timeline

A negative cost variance means the project cost more than planned, while a positive schedule variance means the project finished ahead of schedule. This combination often suggests that additional resources were used to speed up the project, which would increase costs.

The project team's decision to compromise on quality to accelerate project completion might account for the favorable schedule variance. However, this approach is unlikely to result in a negative cost variance, as cutting corners typically leads to cost savings.

Reducing project scope often results in both positive cost and schedule variances, as it typically leads to decreased overall costs and swifter project completion.

Positive schedule variance and negative cost variance are not compatible with inaccurate initial cost estimates as the sole explanation.

129.

Your team has just completed drafting a set of detailed requirements for a new software system. To ensure the requirements are accurate and complete, what would be the most appropriate next step?

  • Conduct a peer review with subject-matter experts and stakeholders

  • Immediately begin developing the software based on the drafted requirements

  • Send the requirements document to the project sponsor for final approval

  • Create a risk burndown chart to track potential issues during development

Correct answer: Conduct a peer review with subject-matter experts and stakeholders

A peer review is the most appropriate next step after drafting requirements. It brings in subject-matter experts and stakeholders who can scrutinize the requirements for accuracy, completeness, and potential conflicts before development begins. This helps to identify and fix issues early on, saving time and resources later in the project.

Starting development without review risks building a system on faulty requirements.

Sponsor approval is important, but expert review should precede it.

A risk burndown chart tracks risk mitigation, not requirement quality.

130.

A project is following a Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) with multiple Agile release trains working concurrently. How should you approach traceability to ensure alignment and coordination?

  • Establish a central traceability repository

  • Create separate traceability matrices 

  • Rely on the release train engineer to manage traceability

  • Focus on tracing only the features and capabilities at the program level

Correct answer: Establish a central traceability repository

In a Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) environment, a central repository plays a vital role in ensuring consistency and visibility across all Agile release trains. This shared repository serves as a single source of truth for all requirements, enabling effective coordination and alignment throughout the Agile development process.

Separate matrices can lead to inconsistencies and make it difficult to track dependencies across Agile release trains.

The release train engineer plays a role, but the business analyst should take ownership of the overall traceability process and ensure collaboration across Agile release trains.

Tracing only high-level items can lead to gaps in traceability and missed dependencies at the lower levels.

131.

A stakeholder requests a change to a requirement that is already approved and baselined. What is the most appropriate action to take?

  • Follow the change control process to assess the impact and obtain approvals

  • Implement the changes immediately to satisfy the stakeholder's request

  • Inform the stakeholder that the change is not possible, as the requirement is baselined

  • Create a new requirement to accommodate the stakeholder's request

Correct answer: Follow the change control process to assess the impact and obtain approvals.

To manage modifications to established requirements, the standard procedure is to adhere to the change control process. This ensures that the impact of changes is properly understood and that all pertinent parties are involved in the decision-making process.

Implementing the change immediately could lead to scope creep, unintended consequences, and conflict with other stakeholders.

It is inaccurate to inform stakeholders that a change is impossible. Although a change may be challenging, it is not necessarily beyond reach. Organizations have change control processes in place to evaluate such situations, ensuring that potential changes are thoroughly assessed before being deemed impossible.

If the change is substantially distinct, creating a new requirement could be a remedy. However, following the change control procedure is still essential.

132.

A project involves the development of a complex system with multiple subsystems. What type of tool would you recommend to effectively track requirements and their dependencies across these subsystems?

  • Traceability management tool with hierarchical capabilities

  • Spreadsheet-based traceability matrix

  • Simple text document listing of requirements and their relationships

  • Visual modeling tool that can generate traceability diagrams

Correct answer: Traceability management tool with hierarchical capabilities

Complex systems with multiple subsystems require a robust traceability tool that can handle hierarchical relationships and dependencies between requirements. A requirements management tool specifically designed for this purpose would be the most suitable option.

Spreadsheets are suitable for simple projects but struggle with complex systems, lacking features for managing hierarchies, dependencies, and large data volumes.

Text documents are basic tools for documenting requirements, lacking features for visualization, analysis, and management of complex interdependencies. Maintaining and updating them as projects progress and requirements change becomes challenging.

Visual modeling tools help create architecture diagrams but lack features for requirement traceability, such as status tracking, test case linking, and change management.

133.

​What does a capability table display?

  • Business process capabilities

  • Project milestones

  • Stakeholder responsibilities

  • Technical specifications

Correct answer: Business process capabilities

The capability table is a working document that helps connect identified capabilities and requirements to potential solutions or initiatives. This alignment ensures that suggested solutions adequately address the identified needs and contribute to efficiently achieving the desired outcomes.

Project milestones, stakeholder responsibilities, and technical specifications are distinct from the capabilities outlined in a capability table.

Project milestones represent significant events or achievements in the project timeline, stakeholder responsibilities outline roles and accountabilities, and technical specifications define the technical requirements of a solution. Capability tables focus on specifically articulating functional requirements needed to support desired business capabilities.

134.

What does a capability framework provide insight into for business analysts during the needs assessment phase? 

  • Organizational competencies

  • Stakeholder needs 

  • Project team capabilities

  • Product requirements

Correct answer: Organizational competencies

Capability frameworks are tools that can be used to chart and document the strengths and weaknesses of a company or organization as well as create an eye-view into avenues for assessing how well organizational capabilities match up with business goals and objectives. Insights gleaned can also be used to improve resource allocation and work processes.

Stakeholder analysis provides information about stakeholder needs.

Project team capabilities are analyzed by reviewing Key Performance Indicator (KPI) measurements.

Analyzing product requirements occurs during the analysis stage and involves defining the requirements and stakeholder review. which is not related to capability framework activities. 

135.

A requirement for a mobile app has been successfully implemented. Which of the following is your responsibility in updating the requirement's status?

  • Notify stakeholders

  • Communicate the changes to the development team

  • Log the implementation details in the project plan

  • Create a new requirement for the next feature

Correct answer: Notify stakeholders

In the third task of the traceability and monitoring domain of business analysis, the core responsibility lies in managing the traceability matrix and keeping stakeholders informed. This involves accurately documenting changes in requirements and ensuring that all relevant parties are promptly notified. The objective is to maintain transparency, facilitate effective communication, and align all stakeholders with the evolving requirements of the project.

Communicating the change to the development team is important, but this is not the business analyst’s primary responsibility in this scenario.

Logging the implementation details in the project plan might be done, but it's not the central focus of updating the requirement status.

Creating a new requirement for the next feature is a separate task and not related to updating the current requirement's status.

136.

Your team is evaluating several potential solutions to address a business problem. As the lead business analyst, you are responsible for facilitating a decision-making process to select the most suitable solution. Which of the following techniques would be most appropriate for comparing and ranking the solutions based on predetermined criteria?

  • Decision matrix

  • SWOT analysis

  • Root cause analysis

  • Brainstorming

Correct answer: Decision matrix

A decision matrix, or decision table, is a tool used to evaluate and prioritize options based on a set of criteria. It allows you to systematically compare different solutions by assigning weights to the criteria and scoring each solution against those criteria. This helps to make a more objective and informed decision.

A SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) is used to assess the internal and external factors that can impact a project or decision, but it's not a decision-making tool itself.

Root cause analysis is used to identify the underlying causes of a problem, not to compare solutions.

Brainstorming is a technique for generating ideas, not for making decisions.

137.

Before initiating any business solution project, what should you create to compile and record the project's needs?

  • Requirements document

  • Kano analysis document

  • Business case document

  • Project charter

Correct answer: Requirements document

A requirements document contains the business problem or opportunity along with a comprehensive list of the business solution’s key features, which are compiled during the stakeholder elicitation process.  

The output of Kano analysis consists of a grid showcasing a group of product features from the customer perspective for viable option analysis.

A business case document features an outline of the business problem or opportunity, benefits and risks of the undertaking, projected costs, and impact information. Reviewing feasibility studies, historical documents, and hosting workshops are a few activities that provide an informed structure in which to build the business case. 

A project charter contains the objectives, work scope, stakeholders, and preliminary plans for a project. 

138.

In business analysis, what does identifying viable options involve?

  • Identifying and discovering feasible solutions

  • Selecting the most cost-effective solutions

  • Listing all potential solutions without evaluation

  • Relying solely on intuition for decision-making

Correct answer: Identifying and discovering feasible solutions

The key to identifying the best viable options encompasses evaluating solutions to determine their feasibility and desirability based on cost, technical practicality, stakeholder preference, and organizational relevance. Examining options against this list of criteria allows business analysts and their teams to make informed decisions and recommendations.

Investigating cost-effectiveness is one method to measure option feasibility, but it does not encompass all aspects of viability.

Listing all potential solutions without evaluation does not help in identifying the best viable options.

Relying only on intuition-based decision-making does not involve a comprehensive evaluation of options based on objective criteria.

139.

Which of the following is not a typical component of a well-written user story?

  • Technical implementation details

  • Acceptance criteria

  • User role

  • User goal

Correct answer: Technical implementation details

User stories focus on the what (user needs and goals) and not the how (technical implementation). Technical details are addressed later in the design and development phases.

Acceptance criteria define the conditions for a user story to be considered complete and meet the user's needs.

User role specifies who the user is and their perspective.

User goal describes what the user wants to achieve.

140.

You are working with stakeholders to understand and visualize user interactions with a new software business solution. Ultimately, you’d like to examine the relationships between different user stories and identify any gaps in functionality. Which of the following techniques would provide the best insights? 

  • Story mapping

  • Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)

  • Rolling wave planning

  • Product backlog

Correct answer: Story mapping

Story mapping helps visualize the user journey through a system, mapping user stories to different stages of the journey. It aids in identifying missing features or areas where user needs might not be fully met.

Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) involves decomposing project deliverables, not mapping user interactions.

Rolling wave planning helps to tackle phased planning, not user journey visualization.

Product backlog is a prioritized and refined list of business solution features, not a mapping tool for user flows.

×