BCS BAPv5 BCS Practitioner Certificate in Business Analysis Practice v5.2 Exam Practice Test

A PESTLE analysis is a technique for identifying and evaluating the political, economic, social, technological, legal and environmental factors that affect an organisation or project. It helps to assess the opportunities and threats that arise from the external environment. Therefore, options A and B are correct answers, as they are categories of factors that can be included in a PESTLE analysis for a small manufacturing company. They describe different aspects of the external environment that influence the company’s situation and prospects. Option A describes a legal factor, which is a factor related to laws, regulations, standards or policies that govern an organisation or project. An example of a legal factor is an amendment to the Data Protection Act, which affects how information about employees’ payroll can be held by an organisation. Option B describes an economic factor, which is a factor related to money, markets, trade or resources that affect an organisation or project. An example of an economic factor is a change in electricity usage calculation by an electricity provider, which affects how much electricity costs for an organisation. Option C is not a correct answer, as political is not a factor that has been discovered in the investigation for the PESTLE analysis. A political factor is a factor related to government, politics, power or conflict that affect an organisation or project. Option D is not a correct answer, as technological is not a factor that has been discovered in the investigation for the PESTLE analysis. A technological factor is a factor related to science, innovation, invention or discovery that affect an organisation or project. Option E is not a correct answer, as environmental is not a factor that has been discovered in the investigation for the PESTLE analysis. An environmental factor is a factor related to nature, ecology, climate or geography that affect an organisation or project.

The activity ‘monitor customer satisfaction’ would establish whether the KPI and its associated performance objective is being achieved, as it would involve collecting and analysing the data from the customer survey. The other activities are related to defining, agreeing or delivering customer satisfaction, but not measuring it. Therefore, option A is the correct answer.

A business rule is a statement that defines or constrains some aspect of a business situation or problem or its solution. It helps to ensure consistency and compliance with policies, regulations, standards or criteria within an organisation or project. Business rules can be classified into four types: external constraints, internal policies, external procedures and internal procedures. Therefore, option B is the correct answer, as it identifies which types(s) of business rule have been described in this extract respectively. External constraints are business rules that originate from outside an organisation or project and are beyond its control or influence. They help to ensure compliance with laws, regulations, standards or criteria imposed by external authorities or bodies. An example of external constraints in this extract is legislation ensuring protection for the most vulnerable people in our society can affect the criteria, as it originates from outside the local council and is beyond its control or influence. Internal policies are business rules that originate from within an organisation or project and are under its control or influence. They help to ensure alignment with objectives, strategies, values or principles established by internal decision makers or influencers. An example of internal policies in this extract is the criteria are agreed by the council housing committee, who meet on a regular basis and seek to ensure that the criteria continue to enable effective housing allocation, as it originates from within the local council and is under its control or influence. Option A is not a correct answer, as it does not identify which types(s) of business rule have been described in this extract respectively. Internal policies and internal procedures are not the types of business rule that have been described in this extract. Internal procedures are business rules that specify how an activity or task should be performed or delivered within an organisation or project. They help to ensure quality and consistency of performance or delivery within an organisation or project. There is no example of internal procedures in this extract. Option C is not a correct answer, as it does not identify which types(s) of business rule have been described in this extract respectively. External constraints and external procedures are not the types of business rule that have been described in this extract. External procedures are business rules that specify how an activity or task should be performed or delivered outside an organisation or project. They help to ensure compatibility and interoperability of performance or delivery with external parties or systems. There is no example of external procedures in this extract. Option D is not a correct answer, as it does not identify any type of business rule that has been described in this extract.

Kaplan and Norton’s balanced business scorecard is a strategic management tool that helps organisations to measure their performance across four perspectives: financial, customer, internal business process and learning and growth. The financial perspective focuses on how the organisation creates value for its shareholders and stakeholders. It includes measures such as revenue, profit, return on investment and cash flow. The customer perspective focuses on how the organisation meets the needs and expectations of its customers. It includes measures such as customer satisfaction, loyalty, retention and market share. The internal business process perspective focuses on how the organisation delivers its products and services to its customers. It includes measures such as quality, efficiency, productivity and innovation. The learning and growth perspective focuses on how the organisation develops its capabilities and competencies to achieve its goals. It includes measures such as employee skills, knowledge, motivation and empowerment. Therefore, option D is the correct answer, as financial measures have not been considered in the given list of key performance indicators. Option A is not correct, as learning and growth measures have been considered in the qualifications of production employees. Option B is not correct, as internal business process measures have been considered in the time to deliver orders for products and wastage in product production. Option C is not correct, as customer measures have been considered in consumer satisfaction with products.

 A partial CATWOE analysis of this situation from Imran’s perspective would identify Donald as the customer, Alan as the actor, and Imran as the owner. Donald is the customer because he is the beneficiary of FairCrops’ products and services. Alan is the actor because he is the one who implements FairCrops’ approach in the South American regions. Imran is the owner because he is the chief executive of FairCrops and has the authority to make decisions about its direction and purpose. Option A is the correct answer.

A workshop is a technique for conducting group discussions and activities with stakeholders to elicit, analyse, validate and prioritise their views and needs. It helps to facilitate effective communication and collaboration among stakeholders and resolve conflicts or issues. Therefore, option D is the correct answer, as a workshop would help the business analyst to resolve the conflict and gain a consensus among stakeholders who have different views after individual interviews. A workshop would help to bring together the conflicting stakeholders in one place and time and enable them to share and compare their views openly and constructively. A workshop would help to identify and address the sources and reasons of the conflict and find common ground and mutual understanding among stakeholders. A workshop would help to generate and evaluate different options or solutions that satisfy all or most of the stakeholder views and agree on the best one for further development and implementation. Option A is not a correct answer, as scenario analysis is not a technique for resolving conflict and gaining consensus among stakeholders who have different views after individual interviews. Scenario analysis is a technique for exploring how different scenarios or situations could affect the outcomes or impacts of an organisation or project. It helps to test the feasibility and desirability of different options or solutions under various circumstances or assumptions. Option B is not a correct answer, as questionnaire is not a technique for resolving conflict and gaining consensus among stakeholders who have different views after individual interviews. Questionnaire is a technique for collecting information from stakeholders by asking them predefined questions in written form. It helps to elicit quantitative or qualitative data from a large number of stakeholders in an efficient and consistent way. Option C is not a correct answer, as observation is not a technique for resolving conflict and gaining consensus among stakeholders who have different views after individual interviews. Observation is a technique for gathering information from stakeholders by watching them perform their tasks or activities in their natural environment. It helps to analyse how stakeholders work in practice and identify their implicit or tacit needs.

A SWOT analysis is a technique for identifying and evaluating the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats that affect an organisation or project. It helps to assess the internal and external factors that influence the performance and potential of the organisation or project. Therefore, option B is the correct answer, as a SWOT analysis would be the most valuable technique for enabling the organisation to fully explore the concerns and understand if any further intervention is required. A SWOT analysis would help to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the organisation’s current situation, such as the gaps in staff training, the state of the stores and warehouses, and the cash flow issues. It would also help to identify the opportunities and threats that arise from the external environment, such as the market trends, customer preferences, competitors’ actions, and regulatory changes. A SWOT analysis would provide a comprehensive picture of the organisation’s situation and help to prioritise the areas that need improvement or attention. Option A is not a correct answer, as a resource audit is a technique for identifying and evaluating the resources that an organisation has or needs to achieve its objectives. It helps to assess the availability and quality of the organisation’s resources, such as human, physical, financial and intangible resources. A resource audit would not be sufficient to fully explore the concerns and understand if any further intervention is required, as it would only focus on one aspect of the organisation’s situation and not consider the external factors that affect it. Option C is not a correct answer, as a PESTLE analysis is a technique for identifying and evaluating the political, economic, social, technological, legal and environmental factors that affect an organisation or project. It helps to assess the opportunities and threats that arise from the external environment. A PESTLE analysis would not be sufficient to fully explore the concerns and understand if any further intervention is required, as it would only focus on one aspect of the organisation’s situation and not consider the internal factors that affect it. Option D is not a correct answer, as Porter’s Five Forces model is a technique for analysing the competitive forces that shape an industry or market. It helps to assess the attractiveness and profitability of an industry or market by examining five forces: rivalry among existing competitors, threat of new entrants, threat of substitute products or services, bargaining power of suppliers, and bargaining power of buyers. Porter’s Five Forces model would not be relevant to fully explore the concerns and understand if any further intervention is required, as it would not address the issues that affect the organisation internally.

The elements of the POPIT model that need further investigation are people and process. This is because the staff members have raised concerns about the compatibility of the new automated system with the current process of handling parcels without barcodes or with obscured barcodes, as well as the impact of the system on their job security. These concerns relate to the people element, which covers the roles, skills, attitudes, and behaviors of the staff, and the process element, which covers the activities, tasks, and procedures involved in delivering a service or product. Option C is the correct answer.

The parts of the Business Change lifecycle that the business analyst will have supported are Realisation, Design and Implementation. Realisation is the phase where the benefits defined in the benefits plan are evaluated and measured. The business analyst will support this phase by assisting in the evaluation of the benefits (a). Design is the phase where the elements that will support the change are defined and developed. The business analyst will support this phase by leading requirements elicitation and clarification activities (b). Implementation is the phase where the change is embedded into the organisation and its processes. The business analyst will support this phase by delivering coaching, training and ongoing support for any changes to existing processes ©.

The end users are classified as high interest, low power on a power/interest grid. This is because they are directly affected by the new reporting tool and have a strong preference for not using it, but they do not have much authority or influence to change the project decision or outcome. Option A is the correct answer.

Marketing is primarily concerned with the 4Ps: product, promotion, price and place. These are the elements of the marketing mix that an organisation can control or adjust to influence customer demand and satisfaction. Therefore, option B is the correct answer, as it identifies which of these activities would reflect the business perspective of the Marketing Manager of the IoA. Option A identifies ‘b’ (upgrade the website), ‘d’ (register candidates) and ‘e’ (analyse website activity) as activities that would reflect the business perspective of the Marketing Manager of the IoA. These are incorrect examples of activities that would reflect the business perspective of the Marketing Manager of the IoA, as they are not related to any of the 4Ps. Option B identifies ‘a’ (agree new qualifications), ‘b’ (upgrade the website) and ‘e’ (analyse website activity) as activities that would reflect the business perspective of the Marketing Manager of the IoA. These are correct examples of activities that would reflect the business perspective of the Marketing Manager of the IoA, as they are related to some of the 4Ps. ‘A’ (agree new qualifications) is related to product, as it involves developing and offering new qualifications that meet customer needs and expectations. ‘B’ (upgrade the website) is related to promotion, as it involves improving and communicating the features and benefits of qualifications to potential customers. ‘E’ (analyse website activity) is related to place, as it involves monitoring and evaluating how customers access and purchase qualifications through online channels. Option C identifies ‘a’ (agree new qualifications), ‘c’ (recruit new examiners) and ‘d’ (register candidates) as activities that would reflect the business perspective of the Marketing Manager of the IoA. These are incorrect examples of activities that would reflect the business perspective of the Marketing Manager of the IoA, as ‘c’ (recruit new examiners) is not related to any of the 4Ps. Option D identifies ‘b’ (upgrade the website), ‘c’ (recruit new examiners) and ‘e’ (analyse website activity) as activities that would reflect the business perspective of the Marketing Manager of the IoA. These are incorrect examples of activities that would reflect the business perspective of the Marketing Manager of the IoA, as ‘c’ (recruit new examiners) is not related to any of the 4Ps.

The Operations Director for FlyMe is concerned about the market demand and profitability of the new business proposition. Therefore, she will be keen to ensure that the planning activities that address these concerns are discussed before the meeting ends. These activities are c and f, as they involve determining the demand amongst existing customers and defining the bundle pricing. These activities will help to assess the feasibility and viability of the new offering. Option A is the correct answer.

A prototype is a simplified version of a proposed system or product that can be used to demonstrate its functionality and usability to the stakeholders. A prototype can be useful for communicating changes that involve new technology or software, as it allows the users to interact with the system and provide feedback. Therefore, option D is the best choice, as it would allow the scheduling team to see how the new telephony software and online booking system would work and how they would affect their process. Option A is not a good choice, as a business process model is a graphical representation of the activities, inputs, outputs and resources involved in a business process. It would not show how the new software would work or how the team would be split. Option B is not a good choice, as a business activity model is a high-level view of the business activities that take place within an organisation. It would not show the details of the scheduling process or the new software. Option C is not a good choice, as POPIT is an acronym for People, Organisation, Process, Information and Technology. It is a framework for taking a holistic view of a business situation, but it is not a tool for communicating changes.

A cost is an expenditure or sacrifice incurred or expected to be incurred as a result of a business change. A benefit is an advantage or improvement that is gained or expected to be gained as a result of a business change. Costs and benefits can be classified as tangible or intangible, depending on whether they can be measured in monetary terms or not. Therefore, options B and D are correct answers, as they describe intangible costs and benefits that are not easily quantified or valued. Intangible costs include the temporary reduction in productivity due to the introduction of new business policies and processes. Intangible benefits include the enhancement of the company’s reputation as the market leader due to being the first to receive compliance certification. Option A is not a correct answer, as tangible costs are not described in the extract. Tangible costs are those that can be measured in monetary terms, such as the cost of purchasing new equipment or hiring new staff. Option C is not a correct answer, as tangible benefits are not described in the extract. Tangible benefits are those that can be measured in monetary terms, such as the increase in revenue or decrease in expenses.

A workshop is a technique for conducting group discussions and activities with stakeholders to elicit, analyse, validate and prioritise their views and needs. It helps to facilitate effective communication and collaboration among stakeholders and resolve conflicts or issues. Therefore, options B, D and E are correct answers, as they are possible reasons why Paul did not use a workshop to avoid delays. They describe different challenges or constraints that may prevent or limit the use of a workshop technique. Option B describes a challenge related to the geographical location of stakeholders. If the stakeholders are located in different time zones, it may be difficult or impractical to arrange a workshop that suits their availability and preferences. Option D describes a challenge related to the availability of stakeholders. If the key stakeholders have busy or conflicting schedules, it may be hard or impossible to organise a workshop that involves all of them at the same time. Option E describes a constraint related to the venue of the workshop. If a neutral venue is available for stakeholder discussions, it may be preferable or necessary to use it instead of a workshop, as it may reduce bias or influence from any stakeholder group. Option A is not a correct answer, as it is not a reason why Paul did not use a workshop to avoid delays. It describes an issue that may arise during a workshop, but not prevent or limit its use. If one stakeholder has a dominant personality, it may affect the dynamics and outcomes of the workshop, but it can be managed by using appropriate facilitation skills and techniques. Option C is not a correct answer, as it is not a reason why Paul did not use a workshop to avoid delays. It describes an objective that may be achieved by using a workshop, but not prevent or limit its use. If consensus from stakeholders needs to be established, it may be beneficial or essential to use a workshop, as it can help to reach a common understanding and agreement among stakeholders.

A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that identifies one seller’s good or service as distinct from those of other sellers. A brand perception is how customers and potential customers view a brand based on their experiences, associations and impressions. Therefore, option A is the best choice, as independent industry websites are likely to provide unbiased and reliable information on how customers perceive different brands in the market. They may also include customer reviews, ratings and feedback that can help measure customer satisfaction and loyalty. Option B is not a good choice, as the company website is likely to provide biased and selective information on its own brand that may not reflect how customers actually perceive it. It may also omit negative aspects or criticisms that could affect its image or reputation. Option C is not a good choice, as the company’s organisational structure is not relevant to its brand perception. It may show how the company is organised internally, but it does not indicate how customers view its products or services externally. Option D is not a good choice, as the company’s complaints procedures are not sufficient to measure its brand perception. They may show how the company handles customer issues or problems, but they do not capture how customers feel about its overall quality or value.

A business case is a formal written proposal that details the costs and benefits of a proposed business change or solution. It helps to justify and secure the approval and funding for a proposed business change or solution. Costs and benefits can be classified into two types: tangible and intangible. Therefore, option D is the correct answer, as it identifies which categories of costs and benefits are described in this extract respectively. Intangible costs are costs that have no physical existence and cannot be measured or quantified easily by human senses. Examples of intangible costs are reputation, image, morale etc. An example of intangible costs in this extract is significant investment in terms of software licenses and annual maintenance fees, which will not be negotiable until year four of the proposal, as it has no physical existence and cannot be measured or quantified easily by human senses. Tangible benefits are benefits that have physical existence and can be measured or quantified easily by human senses. Examples of tangible benefits are revenue, profit, market share etc. An example of tangible benefits in this extract is improved management information, in addition to the boost it will give to our image with our established customers, as it has physical existence and can be measured or quantified easily by human senses. Option A is not a correct answer, as it does not identify which categories of costs and benefits are described in this extract respectively. Tangible costs are costs that have physical existence and can be measured or quantified easily by human senses. Examples of tangible costs are equipment, materials, labour etc. There is no example of tangible costs in this extract. Intangible benefits are benefits that have no physical existence and cannot be measured or quantified easily by human senses. Examples of intangible benefits are satisfaction, loyalty, quality etc. There is no example of intangible benefits in this extract (although image could be considered as an intangible benefit). Option B is not a correct answer, as it does not identify which categories of costs and benefits are described in this extract respectively. Tangible benefits are benefits that have physical existence and can be measured or quantified easily by human senses. Examples of tangible benefits are revenue, profit, market share etc. An example of tangible benefits in this extract is improved management information, in addition to the boost it will give to our image with our established customers, as it has physical existence and can be measured or quantified easily by human senses. Intangible costs are costs that have no physical existence and cannot be measured or quantified easily by human senses. Examples of intangible costs are reputation, image, morale etc. An example of intangible costs in this extract is significant investment in terms of software licenses and annual maintenance fees, which will not be negotiable until year four of the proposal, as it has no physical existence and cannot be measured or quantified easily by human senses. Option C is not a correct answer, as it does not identify any category of cost or benefit that has been described in this extract.

 A vision statement is a concise and inspiring statement of what the organisation aspires to be in the future. It should reflect the organisation’s core values and purpose, and provide direction and motivation for its stakeholders. A vision statement should not be too specific or focused on the current state of the organisation, but rather on the desired future state. Therefore, option A is the best choice, as it expresses a clear and aspirational vision that aligns with the company’s mission of meeting or undercutting all its competitors’ prices. Option B is too narrow and does not capture the essence of the organisation’s purpose. Option C is too vague and does not indicate how the organisation will achieve its goal. Option D is too generic and does not differentiate the organisation from its competitors.

A competency is a combination of skills, knowledge and behaviours that enable a person to perform a task or role effectively and efficiently. Therefore, option D is the correct answer, as it describes the competencies required for this role based on the job advert. Business case development is a competency that involves creating and presenting a formal written proposal that details the costs and benefits of a proposed business change or solution. It helps to justify and secure the approval and funding for a proposed business change or solution. This competency is required for this role, as the job advert states that the business analyst will assist in the development of formal written proposals detailing the cost and benefit of proposed business initiatives. Investigation techniques is a competency that involves using a variety of methods to explore and define complex situations or problems within an organisation or project. It helps to elicit, analyse, validate and prioritise the views and needs of stakeholders and identify the root causes and effects of situations or problems. This competency is required for this role, as the job advert states that the business analyst should be able to use a variety of methods to explore and define complex situations. Business architecture is a competency that involves designing and modelling the structure and relationships of an organisation or project at a high level of abstraction. It helps to understand how an organisation or project operates, delivers value and achieves its objectives and outcomes. This competency is required for this role, as the job advert states that the business analyst should have experience of producing blueprints in terms of processes, management structures, culture and people. Option A is not a correct answer, as it does not describe all the competencies required for this role based on the job advert. Subject matter expertise is a competency that involves having in-depth knowledge and understanding of a specific domain or industry within an organisation or project. It helps to provide insights and guidance on the best practices and standards within a specific domain or industry. This competency is not required for this role, as the job advert does not state that the business analyst should have subject matter expertise in any specific domain or industry. Option B is not a correct answer, as it does not describe all the competencies required for this role based on the job advert. Domain knowledge is a competency that involves having general knowledge and understanding of a broad domain or industry within an organisation or project. It helps to provide context and background on the nature and scope of a domain or industry. This competency is not required for this role, as the job advert does not state that the business analyst should have domain knowledge in any broad domain or industry. Gap analysis is a competency that involves comparing current and desired situations or problems and identifying the differences or gaps between them. It helps to determine what changes or improvements are needed to bridge the gaps and achieve desired situations or problems. This competency is not required for this role, as the job advert does not state that the business analyst should have experience of gap analysis. Option C is not a correct answer, as it does not describe all the competencies required for this role based on the job advert. Requirements engineering is a competency that involves eliciting, analysing, specifying, validating and managing requirements for a system or product within an organisation or project. It helps to ensure that requirements are clear, complete, consistent, testable and traceable throughout the system or product lifecycle. This competency is not required for this role, as the job advert does not state that the business analyst should have experience of requirements engineering.

Planning activities are those that must be considered beforehand in order to complete the doing and enabling activities. They are usually related to defining or determining some aspects of the business. In this question, the activities c, d and e are planning activities, as they involve defining the skills sets of the consultants, agreeing on a marketing campaign, and running monthly open days. These activities are necessary to support the primary doing activity of delivering consultancy service. Option D is the correct answer.

A time based event is one that occurs at a regular or predetermined interval, such as monthly or quarterly. In this scenario, the printing of the monthly payslips is a time based event, as it happens every month. The notification from senior management is not an external or internal event, as it is not triggered by an external or internal stakeholder or situation. Therefore, option D is the correct answer.