CCBA/CBAP prep questions & answers – Elicitation (1)

Question 1. You are hosting a collection of stakeholders from across the organization, to identify the ideas and attitudes about your company’s help desk. You want the stakeholders to honestly share their opinions about the help desk service so you can identify problems, solutions, and take actions to improve the service. What type of requirements elicitation activity is this?
 A. Stakeholder analysis
 B. Focus groups
 C. Workshop
 D. Root cause analysis

The correct answer is: B. Focus groups

 Explanation:

A focus group is a form of requirements elicitation activity where a group of stakeholders is gathered to share their opinions, ideas, and attitudes on a specific subject, in this case, the help desk service. The goal is to generate discussion, gather diverse viewpoints, and uncover problems and potential solutions.

Here’s why it’s not the other options:

– A. Stakeholder analysis: This refers to identifying and analyzing stakeholders to understand their influence, interests, and needs. It’s more about mapping who the stakeholders are and what their stakes are, not about gathering their direct feedback.

– C. Workshop: While a workshop is also a group-based activity, it typically involves a more structured, hands-on approach where participants work together to solve problems or create something collaboratively, rather than just discussing their views.

– D. Root cause analysis: This is a problem-solving technique used to identify the underlying causes of a problem. It’s typically done after issues have been identified, not to gather initial feedback from stakeholders.

In this scenario, you are gathering diverse feedback and opinions from stakeholders, which aligns with the definition of a focus group.

Question 2. Your boss has asked you to confirm Elicitation. What would you not demand from him?
 A. Requirement stated
 B. Stakeholder list and user roles
 C. Requirement unconfirmed
 D. Stakeholder concerns

In the context of elicitation, which refers to gathering requirements from stakeholders for a project, the correct answer is C. Requirement unconfirmed.

 Explanation:

– A. Requirement stated: This is something you’d expect from your boss, as gathering and stating requirements is the core of elicitation.

– B. Stakeholder list and user roles: This is essential for knowing whose input is needed during the elicitation process.

– C. Requirement unconfirmed: You wouldn’t ask for “unconfirmed requirements,” as the goal of elicitation is to confirm and clarify requirements.

– D. Stakeholder concerns: Understanding stakeholder concerns is vital for thorough requirements elicitation, so this is something you would ask for.

Thus, “requirement unconfirmed” is not something you should demand in the context of elicitation.

Question 3. It is critical that project requirements be
 A. Complete, Clear, Correct and Consistent
 B. Complete, Compatible, Correct, Coherent
 C. Complete, Concise, Compatible, and Consistent
 D. Clear, Compact, Consistent and Correct

The correct answer is A. Complete, Clear, Correct, and Consistent.

 Explanation:

– Complete: Requirements should be comprehensive, covering all aspects of what is needed for the project to avoid gaps.

– Clear: The language used should be unambiguous and easy to understand to prevent misinterpretation.

– Correct: The requirements must accurately represent what is necessary for the project and align with stakeholder expectations.

– Consistent: They should not contradict themselves or other project documents, ensuring coherence across the board.

Each of these attributes ensures that the requirements can serve as a solid foundation for project execution and success. Other options mix in terms like “compatible” or “coherent,” which are important, but the standard terms for good project requirements are those found in Option A.

Question 4. You are the business analyst for your organization and you are preparing to elicit the requirements for a new business opportunity. Which one of the following statements best describes the “prepare for elicitation” process?
 A. You need authority granted to you from your sponsor to utilize resources for the elicit requirements process
 B. You need to determine which elicitation techniques are needed for the requirements gathering technique
 C. You need to receive permission from functional management to interview and elicit requirements for the stakeholders
 D. You need to ensure all needed resources are organised and scheduled for conducting the elicitation activities

The correct answer is D. You need to ensure all needed resources are organized and scheduled for conducting the elicitation activities.

 Explanation:

The “prepare for elicitation” process involves ensuring that all logistics, resources, and stakeholders are properly organized and ready for the elicitation activities to take place. This includes:

– Scheduling meetings or interviews with stakeholders

– Coordinating resources such as tools, templates, or team members

– Selecting and preparing elicitation techniques such as workshops, surveys, interviews, etc.

While other options mention some related aspects, they are not comprehensive. For example:

– Option A refers to needing authority, but the core of preparation is more about logistics, not authority.

– Option B focuses only on selecting techniques, which is part of preparation but not the entire process.

– Option C talks about receiving permission, which may be necessary but is not the main focus of “preparing” for elicitation.

Hence, the best description of preparing for elicitation is ensuring resources are organized and activities are scheduled.

Question 5. ……………… details user interface requirements and integrates them with other requirements such as user cases, scenarios and business rules.
 A. Prototyping
 B. Data modelling
 C. Process modelling
 D. Decision analysis

The correct answer is A. Prototyping.

Explanation:

Prototyping is a method used to gather user interface (UI) requirements by creating a preliminary model (prototype) of the interface. This prototype allows stakeholders to visualize and interact with the UI, helping to refine and integrate other requirements such as use cases, scenarios, and business rules. Through prototyping, feedback is gathered early in the development process, ensuring that the UI meets user needs and aligns with business goals.

– Data modeling focuses on structuring and organizing data, rather than UI or process flows.

– Process modeling deals with mapping out the sequence of activities or workflows, but not specifically with UI design.

– Decision analysis is used to evaluate and make decisions based on different options, typically in a strategic context, not directly related to UI design.

Thus, prototyping is the method that best fits the requirement of integrating UI details with other business and user-related needs.

Question 6. You are the business analyst for your organization and are working on a solution that will connect several databases to a web application. You are concerned that the databases may not be operable with the software solution a programmer is recommending. What requirements elicitation technique can help you determine the interoperability of the software, the databases, and the web application?
 A. Benchmarking
 B. Interviews
 C. Interface Analysis
 D. Usage Considerations

The best requirements elicitation technique to determine the interoperability of the software, the databases, and the web application is C. Interface Analysis.

 Explanation:

– Interface Analysis is specifically focused on understanding how different components or systems (in this case, databases, software, and web application) interact with each other. It helps to analyze the inputs, outputs, and behaviors of each system involved and whether they can work together effectively. This makes it highly useful for assessing interoperability concerns, such as how databases will communicate with the software solution or web application.

– Benchmarking (A) involves comparing processes or performance metrics to industry standards, which wouldn’t directly address the technical compatibility between the components in this scenario.

– Interviews (B) are useful for gathering qualitative insights and opinions from stakeholders, but they may not provide the technical details needed to assess interoperability.

– Usage Considerations (D) would focus on how the end-users interact with the system but would not address the technical issues of how different components function together.

Thus, Interface Analysis is the most relevant technique to analyze system interoperability.

Question 7. James is leading a brainstorming session for his organization. He has asked the participants in this group to come up with at least three ideas for possible solutions to an identified problem. What is the problem with settling the goal as three ideas for possible solutions in this session?
 A. The goal should be to come up with as many solutions as possible, not just five ideas
 B. The goal should be to generate three ideas within a set time period
 C. The goal should be to include everyone’s input to the solutions.
 D. The goal should be to come up with the best solution for the problem, not three ideas.

The problem with James setting the goal as coming up with three ideas for possible solutions can be best understood by considering how brainstorming typically works. The correct answer is:

A. The goal should be to come up with as many solutions as possible, not just five ideas.

Explanation:

Brainstorming is designed to generate a wide range of ideas, encouraging participants to think creatively and expansively without restrictions. Setting a limit of three ideas could hinder creativity and may prevent the group from exploring more innovative or unconventional solutions. In effective brainstorming, the focus should be on quantity over quality initially, allowing participants to come up with as many ideas as possible. Once a wide range of options has been generated, the group can then evaluate and refine the best ones. By limiting the number of ideas to three, James might unintentionally stifle the creative process.

The other options can be dismissed for the following reasons:

– B. The goal should be to generate three ideas within a set time period: This adds a time constraint but does not address the issue of limiting the idea generation.

– C. The goal should be to include everyone’s input to the solutions: While it’s important to include everyone’s input, this is a separate issue from limiting the number of ideas generated.

– D. The goal should be to come up with the best solution for the problem, not three ideas: This suggests evaluating ideas too early, whereas brainstorming focuses first on idea generation without judgment.

Question 8. Organizational process assets, business need, requirement management plan, supporting materials and ……………. are inputs for conducting Elicitation.
 A. Scheduled resources
 B. Risk analysis
 C. Prioritized requirement
 D. Scope validation 

The correct answer is A. Scheduled resources.

 Explanation:

Elicitation is the process of gathering information and requirements from stakeholders to understand their needs and expectations for a project. The inputs for conducting elicitation include various assets and tools that help ensure the process is thorough and well-managed. Let’s break down the options:

1. Organizational process assets: These include guidelines, procedures, templates, and lessons learned from previous projects that can be used to facilitate elicitation.

2. Business need: This clarifies why the project is being undertaken and helps guide the elicitation process to ensure the requirements align with the business objectives.

3. Requirement management plan: This defines how requirements will be gathered, documented, and managed throughout the project lifecycle.

4. Supporting materials: These can include documents, contracts, agreements, and any other materials that provide context or detail that may help during the elicitation process.

5. Scheduled resources (A): This is the missing input. Having the right people (stakeholders, subject matter experts, etc.) available and scheduled for participation in elicitation activities is critical to ensure effective communication and information gathering.

 Why the other options are incorrect:

– B. Risk analysis: Risk analysis focuses on identifying potential risks, which isn’t directly tied to gathering requirements during elicitation.

– C. Prioritized requirement: This comes after elicitation when requirements are prioritized based on factors like business value, urgency, and feasibility.

– D. Scope validation: Scope validation occurs during the later stages of the project to ensure the completed work meets the project’s requirements and objectives, so it’s not an input for elicitation.

Thus, Scheduled resources (A) is the correct input for conducting elicitation.

Question 9. Composite data can be managed in the following ways except?
 A. Sequences
 B. Data Glossary
 C. Optional elements
 D. Repetitions

The correct answer is B. Data Glossary.

 Explanation:

Composite data refers to data that is composed of multiple components or elements. It can be structured in different ways, such as:

– A. Sequences: Composite data can be organized in a specific order or sequence, where the data elements follow a defined pattern.

– C. Optional elements: Some components in composite data may be optional, meaning that not every data element has to be present.

– D. Repetitions: Composite data can include repeated elements, where certain data elements can occur multiple times.

On the other hand, Data Glossary refers to a collection of terms and definitions used in data management but is not a way to manage or structure composite data. Therefore, this option is incorrect.

Question 10. You are a business analyst for Greyson and Sons and have been asked to determine what the most common complaints from their 50,000 customers regarding their Sale & Marketing platform are. Which elicitation technique would you most likely use with Greyson & Sons customers to complete the analysis?
 A. Interviews
 B. Focus Groups
 C. Surveys
 D. Prototyping

The most appropriate elicitation technique for determining the most common complaints from Greyson & Sons’ 50,000 customers would likely be C. Surveys.

 Here’s why:

1. Large Customer Base: Since there are 50,000 customers, a survey is the most scalable method for reaching a large audience efficiently. Surveys allow you to collect quantitative and qualitative data from a large number of people without requiring a lot of time or resources.

2. Structured Data: Surveys can be designed with specific questions to gather structured data, which makes it easier to identify patterns, trends, and common complaints.

3. Anonymity and Comfort: Customers might feel more comfortable sharing their concerns anonymously in a survey rather than in direct interviews or focus groups. This could lead to more honest and accurate feedback.

4. Cost and Time Efficiency: Compared to interviews and focus groups, surveys are more cost-effective and less time-consuming to distribute and analyze, especially when dealing with a large number of participants.

 Why the other options might be less suitable:

– A. Interviews: While interviews can provide in-depth insights, they are time-consuming and impractical for a large audience of 50,000 customers.

– B. Focus Groups: Focus groups are useful for gathering qualitative feedback but are limited to a smaller sample size, making them less effective for understanding the general concerns of such a large customer base.

– D. Prototyping: Prototyping is typically used for gathering feedback on new designs or features and is less relevant when the goal is to collect complaints about an existing system. 

Therefore, surveys are the best choice for gathering broad, representative feedback from a large customer base.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *