BCS PC-BA-FBA-20 BCS Foundation Certificate in Business Analysis V4.0 Exam Practice Test

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)

The Business Change Lifecycle encompasses multiple stages, including alignment, analysis, design, implementation, and realisation. The role of a business analyst (BA) is versatile and can span across all these stages, depending on the project's needs.

Key Considerations:

Involvement Across All Stages: A business analyst can contribute to every stage of the lifecycle, from identifying business needs during alignment to ensuring benefits realization post-implementation.

Implementation Focus: While BAs are often heavily involved in implementation, their role is not limited to this stage.

Realisation Stage: BAs may also be involved in the realisation stage to validate that the intended benefits have been achieved.

Alignment Stage: Business analysis plays a critical role in aligning project objectives with organizational goals.

Evaluation of Each Option:

A. A business analyst can be involved at every stage in the lifecycle:This is true; BAs can contribute across all stages of the lifecycle.Conclusion: This is correct .

B. The business analyst is involved more heavily during the implementation stage of the lifecycle than any other stage:While BAs are often active during implementation, their involvement is not restricted to this stage.Conclusion: This is not correct .

C. The business analyst would not be involved in the realisation stage of the lifecycle:BAs can play a role in validating benefits realization, so this statement is false.Conclusion: This is not correct .

D. Business analysis does not take place in the alignment stage of a business change:Alignment involves understanding business needs and objectives, which is a core BA responsibility.Conclusion: This is not correct .

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)

The Business Analysis Service Framework (BASF) identifies six core services provided by a business analyst. These services span the lifecycle of a business change initiative and focus on analysis and enablement activities. The six services are: Situation Investigation and Problem Analysis, Feasibility Assessment and Business Case Development, Business Process Improvement, Requirements Definition, Requirements Management, and Business Change Deployment. The service Solution design and development (which involves the technical building of the IT system) is a distinct project activity typically performed by solution architects and developers and, while the BA collaborates with them closely, it is not one of the core Business Analysis services as defined in the BASF.

(Reference: BCS Foundation Certificate in Business Analysis / BCS Business Analysis Practice – Business Analysis Service Framework (BASF))

To identify the stakeholder groups represented in the scenario, we need to analyze the relationships and roles described:

Stakeholder Groups in the Scenario:

Owner:The two founders of AlpineTrails, who each own 50% of the business, are clearly stakeholders as owners. They have a vested interest in the success of the business and its partnerships.

Partner:WalkNation is described as a partner organization that collaborates with AlpineTrails to offer special holidays for its members. This partnership involves shared responsibilities (marketing and booking by WalkNation, holiday organization by AlpineTrails).

Supplier:AlpineTrails books hotels, transport, and equipment to create bespoke holidays. These entities (hotels, transport providers, equipment suppliers) are suppliers to AlpineTrails and play a critical role in delivering the holidays.

Manager:While managers may exist within AlpineTrails, they are not explicitly mentioned in the scenario. Therefore, this group is not represented.

Competitor:Competitors are not mentioned or implied in the scenario, so this group is not represented.

Evaluation of Each Option:

A. Owner:The two founders of AlpineTrails are explicitly described as owners.Conclusion: This is a relevant stakeholder group .

B. Partner:WalkNation is explicitly described as a partner.Conclusion: This is a relevant stakeholder group .

C. Supplier:Hotels, transport, and equipment providers are implicitly described as suppliers.Conclusion: This is a relevant stakeholder group .

D. Manager:Managers are not explicitly mentioned in the scenario.Conclusion: This is not a relevant stakeholder group .

E. Competitor:Competitors are not mentioned or implied in the scenario.Conclusion: This is not a relevant stakeholder group .

The true statements about formal observation are b and d. Formal observation is when a business analyst watches an individual or group perform their work. Statement (b) is true as observing the environment directly helps the analyst understand the physical business environment and how it influences the work. Statement (d) is true because observation is particularly effective for identifying tacit knowledge (unspoken or unwritten rules, shortcuts, or skills) that the worker may take for granted or find difficult to articulate during an interview. Statement (a) is false as observation is a passive technique, not suitable for actively negotiating or resolving conflicts, which is better suited for workshops or interviews. Statement (c) is false as observation does not actively engage a wide range of stakeholders to obtain buy-in.

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

Scenario analysis is an investigation technique used to explore and evaluate potential future scenarios or situations. It helps stakeholders understand how different factors might impact a business area or process.

Key Characteristics of Scenario Analysis:

Broad View: Scenario analysis provides a comprehensive understanding of the business area by considering multiple possible outcomes.

Prototyping Basis: The insights gained from scenario analysis can inform the development of prototypes.

Tacit Knowledge Identification: By exploring real-world scenarios, it helps uncover implicit knowledge embedded in business practices.

Testing Scripts: Scenario analysis is not directly involved in preparing test scripts, which are typically created during the testing phase.

Evaluation of Each Option:

A. Provides a broad view of the business area under investigation:Scenario analysis evaluates multiple possibilities, offering a broad perspective.Conclusion: This is true .

B. Provides a basis for developing subsequent prototypes:Insights from scenario analysis can guide prototype development.Conclusion: This is true .

C. Helps identify tacit knowledge used in business practice:Exploring scenarios uncovers hidden knowledge and practices.Conclusion: This is true .

D. Helps prepare the scripts that will be used to test the delivered solution:Preparing test scripts is part of testing activities, not scenario analysis.Conclusion: This is false .

  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 .

The Business Readiness Assessment is a key activity conducted during the Implementation or Business Change Deployment stage of the project. Its primary purpose is to determine whether the target business areas, including the People, Organisation, and Processes, are sufficiently prepared to accept the business change and begin operating the new solution in the 'To Be' state. This involves checking factors such as whether staff have been trained, new processes are documented, communication has been effective, and necessary resources are in place. This assessment informs the 'Go/No Go' decision for the system's launch, ensuring a smooth transition to the new way of working.

(Reference: BCS Business Analysis Practice – Business Change Deployment, Business Readiness)

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)

===========

Kaplan and Norton's Balanced Business Scorecard is a strategic framework that evaluates organizational performance across four key perspectives: Financial, Customer, Internal Business Processes, and Learning and Growth . To determine which area has not been considered, we need to map the provided KPIs to these perspectives.

Mapping the KPIs:

The time to deliver orders for products:This relates to operational efficiency and falls under the Internal Business Process perspective.

Consumer satisfaction with products:This directly measures customer experience and falls under the Customer perspective.

Wastage in product production:This also relates to operational efficiency and falls under the Internal Business Process perspective.

The qualifications of production employees:This measures employee capabilities and development, falling under the Learning and Growth perspective.

Evaluating Each Perspective:

Financial:None of the provided KPIs address financial performance, such as revenue, profitability, or cost management.Conclusion: This perspective has not been considered .

Customer:Consumer satisfaction with products is a clear indicator of the Customer perspective.Conclusion: This perspective has been considered.

Internal Business Process:Both "time to deliver orders" and "wastage in production" relate to internal processes.Conclusion: This perspective has been considered.

Learning and Growth:The qualifications of production employees indicate employee development, which aligns with this perspective.Conclusion: This perspective has been considered.

Final Recommendation:

The Financial perspective has not been considered in the company’s KPIs.

The Iterative (or Agile) lifecycle model is specifically designed to deal with changing requirements and a rapid pace of change. Unlike linear models like Waterfall or the V model, which expect requirements to be fixed early, the iterative model delivers the solution in a series of repeated cycles (iterations/sprints). This approach embraces the reality that requirements will change as stakeholders learn more about the evolving product and the business environment shifts. It explicitly incorporates frequent feedback loops and allows for the adaptation of requirements throughout the project, making it the most flexible and suitable model for unstable or complex environments.

(Reference: BCS Requirements Engineering – Lifecycle Models, Agile/Iterative)

A RACI chart (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed) is a tool used to clarify roles and responsibilities in a project or process. Each role in the chart has a specific meaning:

Key Definitions:

Responsible: The person or role responsible for performing the task or completing the work.

Accountable: The person ultimately answerable for the task's completion and outcomes.

Consulted: Individuals or roles who provide input or expertise before decisions are made or tasks are completed.

Informed: Individuals or roles who need to be kept updated on progress or outcomes.

Evaluation of Each Option:

A. Responsible:The "Responsible" role is assigned to the person or team performing the task.Conclusion: This is correct .

B. Accountable:The "Accountable" role ensures the task is completed but does not necessarily perform the task.Conclusion: This is not correct .

C. Consulted:The "Consulted" role provides input or advice but does not perform the task.Conclusion: This is not correct .

D. Informed:The "Informed" role receives updates but is not involved in task execution.Conclusion: This is not correct .

Final Recommendation:

The category assigned to the role or person performing the task is:

A. Responsible.

A formal Requirements Validation Review (or walkthrough/inspection) is conducted to ensure the requirements are correct, complete, and meet the business need before sign-off. The review group typically includes the Business Owner (A) to ensure correctness, the Solution Architect (C) and Developers to check technical feasibility, and the Tester (D) to ensure testability. The Project Manager (B) is usually the facilitator or organiser of the review process and is responsible for project delivery, but they are NOT usually a technical reviewer of the document content itself, as their direct involvement could compromise the impartiality of the review, which is focused on quality assurance, not project schedule.

(Reference: BCS Requirements Engineering – Requirements Validation Techniques)

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 .

When developing options for a business change, the business analyst must consider a range of solution types, which often fall into categories to ensure all possibilities are explored. While the exact naming conventions can vary, the following three core types are commonly considered and often named as:

Basic (or "Do Minimum") option: A low-cost, minimal-effort option to address the problem without major change (often including the "Do Nothing" or "Do Nothing Different" option for comparison).

Extended (or "Do Something" option): The preferred or main option, representing the full-scale, major change recommended to achieve the business objectives.

Executive (or "Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS)") option: An option based on purchasing an existing system or service, rather than custom-building a solution.Exhaustive option is NOT a standard or recognised category of business change option within the BCS syllabus.

(Reference: BCS Business Analysis Practice – Business Case, Identifying Options)

===========

The Stakeholder Wheel (or Stakeholder Interest Groupings) is a model used to categorize stakeholders in the strategic analysis phase, particularly for external environment analysis. This technique groups stakeholders based on their primary relationship to the organisation. The key groups included in the stakeholder wheel are Suppliers, Customers, Competitors, Partners, Owners (Shareholders), Regulators/Government, Media, and Employees/Trade Unions. Based on the options provided, the group that contains three valid, distinct categories from this standard model is Regulators, Auditors, Owners. While 'Auditors' can be considered part of the 'Regulators' or 'Owners' (depending on their role), and 'Owners' are often Shareholders, this option best reflects the high-level external interest groups used for broad strategic categorization compared to the internal focus of B or the mixed categories of A and C. The inclusion of Regulators and Owners is essential for any strategic stakeholder analysis.

(Reference: BCS Business Analysis Practice – Stakeholder Analysis, Stakeholder Wheel)

A process model is a visual representation of a business process or workflow, showing how activities are performed and how they relate to one another. It is commonly used in business analysis to understand, analyze, and improve processes.

Key Characteristics of a Process Model:

Graphical Representation: Process models visually depict workflows and subprocesses, making them easier to understand.

Cost Differences: Cost analysis is not the primary purpose of a process model.

Job Descriptions: Process models focus on workflows, not individual job roles.

Software Features: Informal descriptions of software features are unrelated to process modeling.

Evaluation of Each Option:

A. A graphical representation of a business process or workflow and its related sub-processes:This accurately describes the purpose and nature of a process model.Conclusion: This is correct .

B. The cost differences between how a customer currently does something and how they would like to do something:Cost differences are analyzed separately and are not part of process modeling.Conclusion: This is not correct .

C. The detailed job description of the work to be performed by an individual:Job descriptions are documented separately and are not part of process modeling.Conclusion: This is not correct .

D. An informal, detailed, description of a software system feature derived from an end user's perspective:This describes user stories or feature descriptions, not process models.Conclusion: This is not correct .

To identify the generic business improvement strategy that involves eliminating redundant tasks, we need to analyze each option:

Key Considerations:

Change task sequence: This strategy involves reordering tasks to improve efficiency but does not necessarily eliminate redundancy.

Simplification: This strategy focuses on streamlining processes by removing unnecessary or redundant tasks, making workflows more efficient.

Redefine boundary: This strategy involves changing the scope or boundaries of a process, which may or may not involve eliminating redundant tasks.

Bottleneck removal: This strategy targets specific constraints or bottlenecks in a process but does not focus on eliminating redundant tasks.

Evaluation of Each Option:

A. Change task sequence:Changing the order of tasks does not inherently eliminate redundancy.Conclusion: This is not correct .

B. Simplification:Simplification directly involves identifying and removing redundant or unnecessary tasks to streamline processes.Conclusion: This is correct .

C. Redefine boundary:Redefining boundaries changes the scope of a process but does not specifically target redundancy.Conclusion: This is not correct .

D. Bottleneck removal:Removing bottlenecks addresses constraints but does not focus on eliminating redundant tasks.Conclusion: This is not correct .

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:

When documenting risks in a business case, it is essential to follow structured processes to ensure risks are appropriately identified, analyzed, and managed. Let’s evaluate each option again based on best practices outlined in the BCS Business Analysis Framework and other methodologies:

Key Considerations:

Risk Documentation: Risks must be recorded systematically to ensure they are visible, actionable, and traceable.

Ownership of Risks: Assigning ownership ensures accountability and clarity about who is responsible for monitoring and mitigating each risk.

Risk Management Lifecycle: The process typically involves identification, documentation, assessment, ownership assignment, and response planning.

Evaluation of Each Option:

A. Create a RAID log

A RAID log (Risks, Assumptions, Issues, and Dependencies) is a widely used tool in business analysis and project management for capturing and managing risks systematically.

It provides a centralized repository for tracking risks, assumptions, issues, and dependencies, ensuring that risks are documented comprehensively and transparently.

This aligns with best practices for risk management and is a critical first step in ensuring risks are appropriately recorded.

Conclusion: This is a must-do action.

B. Document the source of each risk

While documenting the source of each risk can provide valuable context, it is not a mandatory or primary step in the initial documentation phase.

Sources of risks are often identified during risk analysis or root cause analysis, which occurs after risks have been recorded.

Although useful, this step is secondary to creating a RAID log and assigning ownership.

Conclusion: This is not the most critical action at this stage.

C. Identify an owner for each risk

Assigning ownership for each risk is a fundamental part of risk management. Without clear ownership, risks may remain unmonitored or unaddressed.

Ownership ensures accountability and helps streamline communication and decision-making regarding risk mitigation strategies.

According to the BCS Business Analysis Framework , identifying risk owners is a key responsibility during the risk documentation process.

Conclusion: This is a must-do action.

D. Provide justification for each countermeasure identified

Justifying countermeasures is part of the risk response planning phase, which occurs after risks have been documented, assessed, and prioritized.

At this stage, John’s focus should be on identifying and recording risks, not on evaluating or justifying solutions.

Conclusion: This is not relevant at the documentation stage.

E. Impact assessment of each countermeasure identified

Similar to option D, impact assessments for countermeasures are conducted during the risk response planning phase, not during the initial documentation phase.

This step is premature and does not align with the immediate need to document risks.

Conclusion: This is not relevant at the documentation stage.

Final Recommendation:

Based on the BCS Business Analysis Framework and industry best practices, the two most appropriate actions for John are:

Create a RAID log (to systematically document risks).

Identify an owner for each risk (to ensure accountability and clarity).

These steps ensure that risks are appropriately recorded and managed, laying the foundation for effective risk management.

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 .