Free IIBA ECBA Practice Exam with Questions & Answers

In Requirements Life Cycle Management, the task that extends the value of requirements beyond the current initiative is Maintain Requirements. This involves keeping requirements accurate, up to date, and available for reuse in future initiatives. Reusable requirements reduce the need for rework and improve organizational efficiency.

Exact Extract from BABOK® Guide v3 – Section 5.3: Maintain Requirements:

“The purpose of Maintain Requirements is to retain requirements accuracy and consistency throughout and beyond the change during the entire requirements life cycle and to support reuse where appropriate.”

Matrices in modeling formats are used to describe complex but uniform structures. They are particularly useful for breaking down and organizing complex requirements into a structured and understandable format. By inputting simple requirements into a matrix, business analysts can model requirements that are complex in nature but uniform in structure, such as those found in data dictionaries, gap analysis, and requirements traceability.

 The RACI Matrix is a tool used in business analysis to classify stakeholders according to their responsibility in a project. RACI stands for Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed. Each letter represents a level of task responsibility. The RACI Matrix clarifies the roles and responsibilities of stakeholders in a project, ensuring that everyone knows what is expected of them. This helps in avoiding confusion and overlapping of duties among stakeholders.

A data flow diagram illustrates the movement and transformation of data between externals (entities) and processes. The output from one external or process is the input to another. The data flow diagram also illustrates the temporary or permanent repositories (referred to as data stores or terminators) where data is stored within a system or an organization. The data defined should be described in a data dictionary.

In preparation for elicitation, a business analyst secures supporting material which is essential for the elicitation activities. This involves identifying and procuring all necessary information and resources that will be used during these activities. It includes gathering documents, systems information, historical data, and any other relevant materials that will support the elicitation process.

 In the context of business analysis, the sponsor is the type of stakeholder responsible for initiating the effort to define a business need. The sponsor is typically a senior executive or a key stakeholder who has the authority and responsibility to allocate resources and ensure that the project aligns with strategic business objectives. They play a critical role in the early stages of project development by defining the business need, which sets the direction for the project and guides the work of the business analyst.

This statement is the formal definition of business analysis as provided by the BABOK® Guide. It emphasizes the role of the business analyst in enabling change by understanding and defining what an organization needs and proposing solutions that deliver value.

BABOK® Reference – Introduction (Section 1.2):

“Business analysis is the practice of enabling change in an enterprise by defining needs and recommending solutions that deliver value to stakeholders.”

When a potential requirement is identified, the next logical step is to assess it. This assessment determines its validity, alignment with business objectives, and impact on other requirements. Only after a requirement is deemed valid and necessary will it be further maintained, prioritized, or traced.

BABOK® Reference – Task: Assess Requirements Changes (Section 5.4):

“Business analysts assess new, changing, or conflicting requirements to determine the impact on the solution and the organization.”

Decision making is a type of analytical thinking competency that involves clearly validating assumptions and measuring alternatives to arrive at optimal solutions. It supports the evaluation of trade-offs and selection among multiple options based on data, goals, constraints, and stakeholder input.

Key skills include:

Identifying decision criteria

Analyzing alternatives

Understanding impacts and risks

This competency is critical for business analysts as they often guide stakeholders through structured decision-making processes during requirements prioritization, solution assessment, and risk analysis.

BABOK® Reference:

Outlined in the Underlying Competencies section of the BABOK® Guide, under “Analytical Thinking and Problem Solving,” where decision making is emphasized for its importance in selecting the best course of action.

The main purpose of the “Approve Requirements” task in business analysis is to obtain agreement and approval on the requirements and designs from all stakeholders involved in the governance process. This step ensures that there is a shared understanding and commitment to the requirements, which is essential for the successful implementation of the solution. References: The information aligns with the standards and practices outlined in the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge (BABOK) and other learning resources provided by the International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA)123.