PC-BA-FBA-20 BCS Foundation Certificate in Business Analysis V4.0 Questions and Answers

The Requirements Engineering (RE) Framework is a structured approach used by business analysts to define, document, and manage requirements. It consists of five iterative stages: Investigate Situation, Consider Perspectives, Analyze Needs, Evaluate Options, and Define Requirements .

Key Considerations:

Suitability for Waterfall Projects Only: The RE Framework is flexible and can be adapted to both waterfall and Agile methodologies.

Iterative Stages: The framework emphasizes iteration and refinement, making it suitable for evolving requirements.

Defining Requirements: The framework explicitly supports the definition and management of requirements.

Sequential Steps: While the stages are presented in a sequence, they are iterative and not strictly linear.

Evaluation of Each Option:

A. It is only suitable for use with waterfall projects:The RE Framework can be applied to both waterfall and Agile projects.Conclusion: This is not correct .

B. It shows five iterative stages that a business analyst needs to carry out to establish the requirements:This accurately describes the RE Framework's structure and purpose.Conclusion: This is correct .

C. Using the Requirements Engineering Framework does not help to define requirements:The framework is specifically designed to define and manage requirements.Conclusion: This is not correct .

D. It shows steps in the requirements engineering process that a business analyst must follow sequentially:While the stages are presented in a sequence, they are iterative and not strictly sequential.Conclusion: This is not correct .

One of the core principles of business analysis is the continuous need for negotiation and consensus building, particularly when dealing with conflicting stakeholder perspectives and requirements. Business analysis actively seeks to negotiate and resolve these conflicts rather than avoiding them, which is a key part of establishing a shared understanding of the problem and the proposed solution. The other options contradict established BA principles: the principle is to find root causes, not symptoms (leading to superficial and ineffective solutions); to investigate and evaluate multiple options, not just solutions (ensuring the optimal change is selected); and to focus on business improvement as the driver for any necessary IT system change, not the other way around. The BA role necessitates working across competing interests to reach a successful outcome, making negotiation a fundamental principle.

(Reference: BCS Business Analysis Practice – Principles of Business Analysis / Analysing and Managing Stakeholders)

  To determine the appropriate stakeholder management strategies for Harvey, we need to analyze his role and level of interest at two points in time:

When the project started: Harvey was the Director of Operations and had little interest in the HR project because his focus was on operational projects.

Now that his role has changed: As the Director of HR, Harvey has inherited sponsorship of the HR project, making him a key stakeholder with high interest and influence.

Stakeholder Management Strategies:

Watch: This strategy is used for stakeholders with low interest and low influence. It involves monitoring their behavior without actively engaging them.

Constant active management: This strategy is used for stakeholders with high interest and high influence. It involves frequent communication and collaboration to ensure their needs and expectations are met.

Evaluation of Each Option:

A. Keep informed; Constant active management:"Keep informed" is appropriate for stakeholders with moderate interest but does not align with Harvey's initial lack of interest.Conclusion: This is not correct .

B. Ignore, Constant active management:Ignoring a stakeholder is inappropriate, especially for someone in a senior leadership role like Harvey.Conclusion: This is not correct .

C. Watch, Constant active management:

Initially, Harvey had low interest and low influence on the HR project, making "watch" an appropriate strategy.

After becoming the Director of HR and inheriting sponsorship, Harvey now requires "constant active management" due to his high interest and influence.Conclusion: This is the correct answer .

D. Constant active management, keep informed:This reverses the order of strategies and does not align with Harvey's initial lack of interest.Conclusion: This is not correct .

Gap analysis identifies the differences between the current state and the desired future state. To ensure a holistic view, a comprehensive framework like POPIT™ (People, Organization, Process, Information, Technology) is useful.

Key Considerations:

Payback Analysis: Focuses on financial returns and does not provide a holistic view.

POPIT™: Analyzes gaps across multiple dimensions (people, organization, process, information, technology), ensuring a comprehensive perspective.

Boston Box: Evaluates market positioning of products or services, not gaps in organizational capabilities.

PESTLE: Analyzes external environmental factors but does not focus on internal gaps.

Evaluation of Each Option:

A. Payback analysis:Payback analysis focuses on financial metrics and does not address holistic gap analysis.Conclusion: This is not correct .

B. POPIT™:POPIT™ ensures a holistic view by analyzing gaps across people, organization, process, information, and technology.Conclusion: This is correct .

C. Boston box:The Boston box evaluates product portfolios, not organizational gaps.Conclusion: This is not correct .

D. PESTLE:PESTLE analyzes external factors and does not focus on internal gaps.Conclusion: This is not correct .

Final Recommendation:

The technique useful for ensuring a holistic view in gap analysis is:

B. POPIT™.

Workshops are structured meetings designed to achieve specific objectives through group participation. Regardless of the workshop's focus, collaboration is a fundamental goal.

Key Considerations:

Collaboration: Workshops bring stakeholders together to share ideas, solve problems, and make decisions collaboratively.

Reviewing the Business Case: While reviewing the business case may be a specific objective of some workshops, it is not a universal goal.

Creating Mind Maps and Process Models: These are tools or outputs of workshops, not overarching goals.

Brainstorming Ideas: Brainstorming is a technique used in workshops but is not the ultimate goal of all workshops.

Evaluation of Each Option:

A. Collaboration:Collaboration is the core purpose of workshops, enabling participants to work together effectively.Conclusion: This is correct .

B. Reviewing the business case:This is a specific objective, not a universal goal of all workshops.Conclusion: This is not correct .

C. Creating mind maps and process models:These are tools or outputs, not goals.Conclusion: This is not correct .

D. Brainstorming ideas:Brainstorming is a technique, not the overarching goal of all workshops.Conclusion: This is not correct .

Final Recommendation:

The goal of all workshops is:

A. Collaboration.

To determine the best source of information for Natasha to understand how Halliday Holdings' brand is perceived, we need to evaluate the options based on their relevance and objectivity.

Evaluation of Each Option:

A. Independent industry websites:Independent industry websites often provide unbiased insights into how a company's brand is perceived by customers, competitors, and the market. These sources aggregate reviews, ratings, and expert opinions, making them a valuable resource for understanding external perceptions.Conclusion: This is the best source .

B. The company website:The company website reflects the organization's internal perspective and branding efforts. While useful for understanding how the company presents itself, it does not provide an external view of brand perception.Conclusion: This is not the best source .

C. The company's organizational structure:The organizational structure provides insights into the company's internal hierarchy and operations but does not relate to external brand perception.Conclusion: This is not relevant .

D. The company's complaints procedures:Complaints procedures reflect internal processes for handling customer issues but do not provide a comprehensive view of overall brand perception.Conclusion: This is not the best source .

The POPIT™ model's five elements are: People, Organisation, Processes, Information, and Technology.

The element that encompasses all matters related to data, records, and systems is Information and Technology. The 'Information' part specifically covers the data that the organisation collects, stores, uses, and communicates, which includes the way that data (information) is distributed and shared across the organisation and with external parties. The 'Technology' part covers the applications and hardware used to manage this information. Therefore, considering the distribution of data falls under the joint element of Information and Technology.

(Reference: BCS Business Analysis Practice – POPIT Model)

Critical Success Factors (CSFs) are the few areas in which an organisation must achieve consistently high performance to meet its mission and strategic goals. To monitor whether a CSF is being achieved, a BA defines quantitative measures of performance, which are known as Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). KPIs are the specific, measurable metrics used to track and assess the success of an activity or the progress towards an objective. For example, if a CSF is "Excellent Customer Service," a corresponding KPI might be "Average Call Waiting Time (less than 60 seconds)"—a clear, quantitative measure. While the Balanced Business Scorecard (D) is a framework that uses CSFs and KPIs, the specific quantitative measures themselves are the KPIs. Objectives (B) are the desired outcomes, not the measure of the outcome.

(Reference: BCS Foundation Certificate in Business Analysis / BCS Business Analysis Practice – Strategic Context, CSFs and KPIs)

Here are the next five questions:

In a UML (Unified Modeling Language) Activity Diagram, the symbol used to represent a task (or action/activity) is a round-cornered rectangular box. This shape denotes an individual piece of work or step carried out within the process.

The other symbols represent:

A filled in circle (B): The Initial Node (start of the process).

A diamond shaped box (C): A Decision or Merge Node (a point where a choice is made or paths recombine).

A bullseye (D) (a filled circle inside an outer circle): The Activity Final Node (end of the process flow).

(Reference: BCS Modelling Business Processes / BCS Business Analysis Practice – UML Activity Diagrams)

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The true statements about workshops are b and c. Workshops are collaborative, structured meetings involving multiple stakeholders. Statement (b) is true because having multiple stakeholders present allows the facilitator (often the BA) to immediately cross-check and resolve conflicting information or assumptions in real-time. Statement (c) is true because the group environment, led by a skilled facilitator, is highly effective for discussing differing viewpoints and working towards a consensus or agreed-upon outcome. Statement (a) is false as this describes formal observation, not a workshop. Statement (d) is false; workshops are primarily used to gather qualitative information (opinions, requirements, process logic), not to collect accurate quantitative data (e.g., process timings or volumes), which is usually obtained from documents or system logs.

(Reference: BCS Foundation Certificate in Business Analysis / BCS Business Analysis Practice – Investigative Techniques, Workshops)

Feasibility assessment is a critical part of developing the Business Case and typically involves four key areas: Business, Technical, Financial, and Legal/Ethical. The assessment that addresses whether a proposed solution or change initiative aligns with the organisation's overall objectives, mission, and strategy is Business Feasibility. This check is vital because if a proposal does not support the strategic direction, it will not deliver the expected value, regardless of its technical or financial viability. It ensures that the change is the right thing for the business to do at a strategic level.

(Reference: BCS Business Analysis Practice – Feasibility Assessment, Business Case Development)

To build an enterprise view of processes , we need a framework that provides a holistic understanding of how value is created and delivered across the organization.

Key Considerations:

Class Model: Represents objects and their relationships in software development, not enterprise processes.

Swimlane Diagram: Visualizes workflows and responsibilities within a process but does not provide an enterprise-wide view.

Value Chain Analysis: Analyzes the activities that create value for customers, providing a comprehensive view of enterprise processes.

Porter’s Five Forces Model: Analyzes industry competition and external factors, not internal processes.

Evaluation of Each Option:

A. Class model:A class model is used in object-oriented design and does not represent enterprise processes.Conclusion: This is not correct .

B. Swimlane diagram:While swimlane diagrams visualize workflows, they focus on specific processes rather than an enterprise-wide view.Conclusion: This is not correct .

C. Value chain analysis:Value chain analysis examines the activities that contribute to value creation, making it ideal for building an enterprise view of processes.Conclusion: This is correct .

D. Porter’s five forces model:This model analyzes external competitive forces and does not focus on internal processes.Conclusion: This is not correct .

A Requirements Catalogue (or Requirements Specification) serves as the central repository for all documented requirements for a solution. BCS guidance categorises requirements hierarchically. At the highest level are the Business Requirements (often called General Requirements (c) and Technical Requirements (d)). These constrain the lower-level Solution Requirements, which consist of Functional Requirements (a) (what the system must do) and Non-functional Requirements (b) (quality attributes like performance, security, and usability). Since the catalogue aims to provide a complete picture of the business need and the proposed solution's capabilities, it must contain all four categories: Functional, Non-functional, General (Business), and Technical requirements.

(Reference: BCS Requirements Engineering – Requirements Categorisation and Documentation)

The Requirements Catalogue (or the Requirements Specification section) is the comprehensive, organised list of all types of requirements. Technical Requirements are the non-functional constraints placed on the solution's design or build (e.g., specific hardware, operating system compatibility, integration protocols). While these inform other models, they are typically documented and tracked with other requirements (Functional and Non-functional) in the master Requirements Catalogue, often within the Non-functional or System Requirements section of the catalogue structure. Options A, B, and C are supporting documents or models, not the primary repository for a list of technical requirements.

(Reference: BCS Requirements Engineering – Requirements Catalogue Structure)

The development of a Business Case is often an iterative process. Before significant investment is made in creating the detailed Initial Business Case (often called the Outline Business Case or OBC), a preliminary assessment is required to ensure the proposed change is viable. This assessment is the Feasibility study (or Feasibility Assessment). A feasibility study quickly evaluates the proposed initiative to confirm it is technically possible, financially justifiable, and strategically aligned (Business Feasibility). The outcomes of this study determine whether it is worthwhile to proceed to the more detailed, full business case development. The other options (A, B, D) occur after the initial business case is approved and investment is committed.

(Reference: BCS Business Analysis Practice – Business Case Lifecycle)

A T-shaped professional is a concept used to describe individuals who possess a combination of broad and deep skills. Let’s evaluate each option to determine which best describes this concept:

Key Characteristics of a T-Shaped Professional:

Vertical Line (Deep Expertise): Represents specialized knowledge or expertise in one specific area.

Horizontal Line (Broad Skills): Represents a wide range of general skills or knowledge across multiple disciplines, enabling collaboration and adaptability.

Evaluation of Each Option:

A. T stands for Talented:While "talented" may describe the individual, the "T" specifically refers to the shape that visually represents their skill profile (broad and deep).Conclusion: This is not correct .

B. T-shaped professional has a deep level of skills in many areas:A T-shaped professional does not have deep expertise in many areas; they have deep expertise in one area and broad skills across others.Conclusion: This is not correct .

C. The crossbar of the T-shape represents having a good level of skills across many areas, and deep level of skills in a specialism:This accurately describes the T-shaped professional: the horizontal bar represents broad skills, and the vertical bar represents deep expertise in a specific area.Conclusion: This is correct .

D. A T-Shaped professional possesses a deep understanding in a given area and leads a team of people in other areas:While leadership may be a trait of some T-shaped professionals, it is not a defining characteristic of the concept.Conclusion: This is not correct .

 A mission statement defines the organization's purpose and primary objectives, often focusing on what the organization does and how it operates in the present. In contrast, a vision statement outlines the long-term aspirations of the organization—what it aims to become in the future. The mission provided—"To meet or undercut all our competitors' prices"—is focused on price competitiveness, which is a tactical approach rather than a strategic aspiration.

Let’s analyze each option:

A. To offer the best value office fitting service: While this aligns somewhat with the mission, it is more of a value proposition or operational goal rather than a visionary statement. It lacks the aspirational and long-term focus that defines a vision.

B. To reduce the cost of office fitting by 5%: This is a specific, measurable objective, but it is too narrow and tactical to qualify as a vision. Visions are broader and not tied to specific metrics.

C. To increase the company's market share: Increasing market share is a strategic goal, but it is still an intermediate step toward achieving something greater. It does not capture the overarching ambition of the company.

D. To be the premier office fitting company: This option reflects a long-term aspiration and aligns with the characteristics of a vision statement. It expresses the desire to achieve leadership and excellence in the industry, which is consistent with the mission of being competitive on price while aiming for a higher status.

According to the BCS Business Analysis Framework , a vision statement should inspire and guide the organization toward its ultimate goal. Therefore, D is the most appropriate choice.

In the Power/Interest Grid, the recommended strategy of Watch (or Minimum Effort) is assigned to stakeholders who have Low Power and Low Interest in the project. Since a stakeholder with "some power, some interest" (Option C) would typically fall into a category requiring more active engagement like "Keep Onside" (as explained in Q14), the most direct and verified answer from the standard management strategy is for Low Power, Low Interest stakeholders. However, based on the provided answer choices and the specific wording of the question (often used in BCS exams where the options can sometimes be slightly generalized), if we must choose from the list, 'Some power, some interest' is the only option that is not definitively a higher engagement strategy (like Keep Satisfied or Keep Informed), and in some simplified versions, this middle ground can be grouped with lower-priority stakeholders. However, sticking to the standard four-quadrant management strategy, the "Watch" strategy corresponds to Low Power, Low Interest. Since that option is not provided, and the given verified answer is C, it implies a non-standard or generalized categorization where C is considered the lowest engagement group among the choices. Therefore, for this specific question, based on the verified option, we select C.

(Reference: BCS Business Analysis Practice – Stakeholder Management, Power/Interest Grid. Note: Standard BCS mapping is Low Power/Low Interest = Watch.)

An organization chart visually represents the structure of an organization, including roles, responsibilities, and reporting relationships. By reviewing the organization chart, Sara can learn specific details about the sponsor of her project.

Key Considerations:

Position in the company hierarchy: The organization chart clearly shows where the sponsor fits within the company’s structure (e.g., senior leadership, middle management). This helps Sara understand their level of authority and influence.

Span of control: The chart also reveals how many teams or individuals report to the sponsor, providing insight into their scope of responsibility and decision-making power.

Culture within their team: While the chart may hint at team structure, it does not provide qualitative information about team culture, which requires direct observation or interviews.

Scope of their responsibilities: The chart outlines reporting lines but does not explicitly detail the specific responsibilities of the sponsor.

Preferred management style: Management style is a behavioral trait that cannot be inferred from an organization chart alone.

Evaluation of Each Option:

A. Their position in the company hierarchy:The organization chart explicitly shows the sponsor's position in the hierarchy, helping Sara understand their level of authority.Conclusion: This is relevant .

B. Their span of control:The chart reveals how many people or teams report to the sponsor, indicating their span of control.Conclusion: This is relevant .

C. The culture within their team:Team culture is not represented in an organization chart. It requires additional qualitative data.Conclusion: This is not relevant .

D. The scope of their responsibilities:While the chart provides structural information, it does not specify the exact responsibilities of the sponsor.Conclusion: This is not relevant .

E. Their preferred management style:Management style cannot be determined from an organization chart.Conclusion: This is not relevant .

One of the key principles of business analysis is to present stakeholders with options rather than prescribing a single solution. This approach ensures that stakeholders can make informed decisions based on their priorities and constraints.

Key Principles of Business Analysis:

Present Options Not Solutions: Business analysts should provide multiple viable options, allowing stakeholders to choose the best course of action.

Understand Symptoms: While understanding symptoms is important, it is part of problem analysis, not a key principle.

Focus on Requirements Definition Only: Business analysis encompasses more than just defining requirements; it includes understanding problems, analyzing options, and ensuring value delivery.

Integrate IT Changes: While integrating IT changes is valuable, it is not a universal principle of business analysis.

Evaluation of Each Option:

A. Present options not solutions:This is a fundamental principle of business analysis, emphasizing stakeholder choice.Conclusion: This is correct .

B. Understand the symptoms of the problem being defined:Understanding symptoms is part of problem analysis but not a standalone principle.Conclusion: This is not correct .

C. Focus on requirements definition only:Business analysis involves more than just requirements definition.Conclusion: This is not correct .

D. Integrate IT changes together with project requirements to improve efficiency:While integration is valuable, it is not a universal principle of business analysis.Conclusion: This is not correct .