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

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)

Change control is a critical aspect of requirements management in business analysis. It ensures that changes to requirements are systematically evaluated, approved, and implemented without negatively impacting the project.

Key Considerations:

Change Control Definition: Change control is a formal process used to manage modifications to requirements, ensuring that changes are necessary, feasible, and aligned with project goals.

Version Numbering: While version numbering is part of documentation management, it is not the primary purpose of change control.

Preventing Changes: Change control does not prevent changes but ensures they are managed appropriately.

Tracing Requirements: Tracing requirements involves tracking their origin and impact, which is separate from managing changes.

Evaluation of Each Option:

A. A process to control version numbering:Version numbering is a documentation practice, not the purpose of change control.Conclusion: This is not correct .

B. A process to manage changes to requirements:This accurately describes change control as a structured approach to handling modifications to requirements.Conclusion: This is correct .

C. A process to ensure that changes cannot be made:Change control does not block changes but ensures they are managed effectively.Conclusion: This is not correct .

D. A process to trace requirements:Tracing requirements is a related but distinct activity focused on linking requirements to their source and impact.Conclusion: This is not correct .

Business processes are typically organised into a three-level hierarchy to manage complexity and provide a clear line of sight from strategy to execution. The standard levels, moving from the highest to the lowest level of detail, are:

Enterprise (or Value Chain): The highest level, showing the core business functions (e.g., "Sell Product," "Develop Product").

Event-Response (or End-to-End): The mid-level, showing the process triggered by a business event and concluding with an outcome (e.g., "Handle Customer Order").

Actor-Task (or Detailed/Procedure): The lowest level, showing the individual steps and actions taken by the actors to complete a process (e.g., "Check stock availability," "Package item").

Therefore, the three key levels that define this breakdown are Enterprise, event-response, actor-task.

(Reference: BCS Modelling Business Processes / BCS Business Analysis Practice – Business Process Hierarchy)

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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)

  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 .

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.

Scenario development (often linked to Use Case analysis) is a technique that uses narrative descriptions to explore how a business process or a proposed system feature will work. The process of creating a full scenario typically involves several steps: establishing the context, defining the main success scenario, and then exploring alternatives. The step where the handling of unusual conditions or outcomes is considered is Identify exception situations. Exceptions are the circumstances that cause the main path of a process or interaction to be interrupted or fail, and they represent unusual or undesirable deviations from the expected flow. These conditions, which could include error messages, data unavailability, or system failures, must be thoroughly analyzed and documented to ensure the proposed solution is robust and complete. This step is distinct from identifying the main tasks (A) or the normal flow sequence (B).

(Reference: BCS Requirements Engineering / BCS Business Analysis Practice – Scenarios and Use Cases)

A use case diagram is a visual representation of how users (or systems) interact with a system to achieve specific goals. Actors represent the entities (e.g., users or external systems) that expect to receive services from the system.

Key Elements of a Use Case Diagram:

Actors: Represent individuals or systems that interact with the system to achieve a goal.

System Boundaries: Define the scope of the system being modeled.

Users: While "users" may seem similar to actors, the term "actors" is the correct technical term in use case diagrams.

Entities: Entities typically refer to data objects or components, not those receiving services.

Evaluation of Each Option:

A. Actors:Actors are the correct element used to indicate those who expect to receive a service from the system.Conclusion: This is correct .

B. System boundaries:System boundaries define the scope of the system but do not represent those receiving services.Conclusion: This is not correct .

C. Users:While users may interact with the system, the correct term in use case diagrams is "actors."Conclusion: This is not correct .

D. Entities:Entities represent data objects or components, not those receiving services.Conclusion: This is not correct .

The Use Case Diagram is a conceptual model that shows the interaction between users (actors) and the required features (use cases) of the system. In an Agile context, use cases provide a high-level view of the system's intended functionality, which can be directly mapped to Epics and subsequently decomposed into lower-level User Stories. The use case diagram helps the team understand the scope and the user's interaction paths, making it an excellent visual tool for managing and breaking down the product backlog (of user stories) into manageable chunks. The other options are too technical (A, D) or focus only on object state (B).

(Reference: BCS Requirements Engineering / BCS Agile – Use Case Modelling and Product Backlog Management)

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 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 .

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.

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)

 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.

The Project Sponsor is the senior executive or manager who owns the project, champions it, secures funding, and holds ultimate accountability for the benefits. While they are the most important stakeholder and sign off on the requirements, they are typically NOT an active, day-to-day working member of the project team responsible for executing the Requirements Engineering activities. The Project Manager (A), Business Analyst (C), and Software Tester (D) are all core, active members of the project team with specific roles in managing, defining, and validating the requirements, respectively.

(Reference: BCS Requirements Engineering – Roles in Requirements Engineering)

Agile requirements validation ensures that requirements are clear, feasible, and actionable before they are implemented in an iteration. This aligns with Agile principles of delivering value incrementally and avoiding waste.

Key Considerations:

Accurate Estimation for Sprint Planning: While estimation is important, it is not the primary purpose of requirements validation.

Correctness of Backlog Items: Ensuring correctness is part of validation but applies to all backlog items, not just those allocated to an iteration.

Testing Requirements: Testing occurs during or after development, not as part of validation.

Readiness for Development: Validation ensures that requirements are well-defined, understood, and feasible before they are developed.

Evaluation of Each Option:

A. To ensure estimation for sprint planning is accurate:Estimation accuracy is important but not the primary purpose of validation.Conclusion: This is not correct .

B. To ensure any requirements added to the backlog are correct:Correctness applies to all backlog items, not just those allocated to an iteration.Conclusion: This is not correct .

C. To ensure that requirements allocated to an iteration have been tested:Testing occurs after development, not during validation.Conclusion: This is not correct .

D. To ensure any requirements allocated to an iteration are ready to be developed:This is the primary purpose of Agile requirements validation—to ensure requirements are clear, actionable, and feasible before development begins.Conclusion: This is correct .

Final Recommendation:

The purpose of Agile requirements validation is:

D. To ensure any requirements allocated to an iteration are ready to be developed.

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.)

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:

Gap analysis is a structured process used to identify the differences between the current state (as-is) and the desired future state (to-be). The first step in this process involves understanding the current situation.

Key Steps in Gap Analysis:

Assemble representations of the existing situation: This involves documenting the current state, including processes, systems, and capabilities.

Compare representations of the existing and target situations: After understanding the current state, it is compared with the desired future state to identify gaps.

Identify gaps to be addressed: Once gaps are identified, they are prioritized based on their impact and feasibility.

Consider possible actions to address the gaps: Finally, potential solutions or actions are developed to bridge the identified gaps.

Evaluation of Each Option:

A. Assemble representations of existing situation:Understanding the current state is the foundational step in gap analysis. Without this, there is no baseline for comparison.Conclusion: This is correct .

B. Consider possible actions to address the gaps:This is a later step in the process, not the first.Conclusion: This is not correct .

C. Compare representations of the existing and target situations:Comparison occurs after the current state has been documented.Conclusion: This is not correct .

D. Identify gaps to be addressed:Identifying gaps follows the documentation and comparison steps.Conclusion: This is not correct .

Final Recommendation:

The first step in the gap analysis process is:

A. Assemble representations of existing situation.

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 .