UC - Underlying Competencies

Question 1

What does Trustworthiness requires?

Answer 1

Trustworthiness requires that the business analyst engage with the stakeholder’s needs, not the stakeholder’s desires, and that the business analyst must honestly address issues when they occur.

Question 2

What are the measure(s) of successful decision making?

Answer 2

There are four measure(s) of successful decision making:

• Confidence of the participants in the decision-analysis process that a decision is correct.
• New information or alternatives that cause a decision to be revisited are genuinely new and not simply overlooked.
• Decisions are effective in addressing the underlying problem.
• The impact of uncertainty and new information when making decisions can be effectively assessed.

Question 3

What is system thinking?

Answer 3

system thinking is understanding how the people, processes and technology within an organization interact in relationships and patterns to create a system as a whole.

Question 4

What are the measure(s) of successful system thinking?

Answer 4

There are three measures of successful system thinking

• Understanding of how a change to a component affects the system as a whole.
• Identification of reinforcing and compensating feedback loops.
• Understanding of how systems adapt to external pressures and changes.

Question 5

What is Personal organization?

Answer 5

This is part of managing one’s time as a business analyst. Effective time management requires effective prioritization, elimination of procrastination, and clarity of goals and expectations.

Question 6

What is the difference between business knowledge and industry knowledge?

Answer 6

Business Knowledge: an understanding of fundamental business principles and best practices, in order to ensure that they are incorporated into and supported by solutions.

Industry Knowledge: an understanding of the industry that their organization is in so that they may understand new challenges that may be posed by competitive moves, and which solutions have proven effective elsewhere.

Question 7

In addition to identifying and proposing alternative, how can a business analyst be effective in promoting creative thinking in others?

Answer 7

By asking question and challenging assumptions:
Concepts generated by Creative thinking should be innovative and appropriate to the situation. In addition to identifying and proposing alternatives, the business analyst can be effective in promoting creative thinking in others by asking questions and challenging assumptions.

Question 8

What are the measure(s) of successful Learning?

Answer 8

There are three measures of successful Learning

• Agreement by stakeholders that analysis models effectively and completely describe the domain.
• Identification of related problems or issues from multiple areas in the domain.
• Rapid absorption of new information or new domains.

Question 9

James engages in comparisons and tradeoffs between similar and dissimilar options which will result in which of the following:
Select one:
a. Cost Benefit Analysis.
b. Tradeoff Diagram
c. Decision Making

Answer 9

c. Decision Making
8. 1.2 A decision is required whenever it becomes necessary to select an alternative or approach from two or more options. Decision analysis includes gathering information relevant to a decision, breaking down the information relevant to a decision, making comparisons and tradeoffs between similar and dissimilar options, and identifying the option that is most desirable.

Question 10

Standard techniques such as ________, _________ and setting priorities are among the common approaches to ______________. Which set of terms below best completes this sentence?
Select one:
a. Action plans,Notes, Effective time management
b. Action plans,To-do lists, Effective prioritization
c. Action lists,To-do plans, Priority management
d. Action plans, To-do lists, Effective time management

Answer 10

d. Action plans, To-do lists, Effective time management
8. 2.2.2 Effective time management requires effective prioritization, elimination of procrastination, and clarity of goals and expectations. Standard techniques such as action plans, to-do lists and setting priorities are among the common approaches to effective time management.

Question 11

Jeanette, the BA working on the project, makes sure that reasons for the solution decision are clearly articulated and understood by stakeholders. This helps her gain the trust and respect of stakeholders. What quality does she exhibit here?
Select one:
a. Ethical behavior
b. Communication 
c. Hard work
d. Learning

Answer 11

a. Ethical behavior

BABOK 8.2.1.3. A business analyst must be able to behave ethically in order to earn the trust and respect of stakeholders, and be able to recognize when a proposed solution or requirement may present ethical difficulties.

Question 12

Selected solutions meet the defined objectives. What quality would a BA exhibit here?
Select one:
a. Analytical thinking
b. Goal setting
c. Outcome thinking 
d. Problem solving

Answer 12

d. Problem solving

BABOK 8.1.4.3. It is important that selected solutions meet the defined objectives and solve the underlying problem.

Question 13

Asma, the lead BA working on the project, has created a presentation for the stakeholder that draws a picture of what the final outcome solution will look like. It also shows at a glance the key benefits of the solution. What kind of learners is Asma targeting?
Select one:
a. Operations 
b. Kinesthetic
c. Auditory
d. Visual

Answer 13

d. Visual

BABOK 8.4.2.2. Visual people learn best through the presentation of visual guides and models.

Question 14

What modeling tools support the creation of executable models?
Select one:
a. Clear Quest Incorrect
b. Blaze Advisor
c. Clear Case
d. Savvion BPMS

Answer 14

d. Savvion BPMS

BABOK 8.6.2.2. Modeling tools facilitate the conversion of the model into an executable form, either by use of a proprietary engine for executing the model or by generating application code which can be enhanced by a developer. The tool will verify compliance with the notation. Some modeling tools support the creation of executable models, such as business process management systems (which allow for the creation of executable process models) and business rules management systems (which allow for the enforcement of captured business rules). Savvion is one such tool.

Question 15

What statement about e-mails is NOT true?
Select one:
a. They are used only for responding to queries immediately.
b. They are used when stakeholders need a long-term record of a discussion.
c. They are used when stakeholders are remotely located.
d. They are generally effective for long-term storage or retention of information.

Answer 15

d. They are generally effective for long-term storage or retention of information.

BABOK 8.6.1.2

Discussion is fine but not retention/storage

Question 16

You are working as a Business Analyst and playing the role of a “requirements teacher.” You have to ensure that the requirements which you communicated have been well understood and retained. Your preparation should reflect considerations for:
Select one:
a. Experience level in terms of number of years for each of the students.
b. Best practices or methods.
c. Visual learners, auditory learners, kinesthetic learners.
d. I.Q. of each student

Answer 16

c. Visual learners, auditory learners, kinesthetic learners.

BABOK 8.4.2. Teaching requires an understanding of how people learn and the ability to use this understanding to effectively facilitate the learning experience. A business analyst must be aware of different learning styles, including visual learners, auditory learners, and kinesthetic learners.

Question 17

Which one of the following is NOT an effectiveness measure for learning?
Select one:
a. Identification of related problems or issues from multiple areas in the domain.
b. Identification of reinforcing and compensating feedback loops.
c. Rapid absorption of new information or new domains.
d. Agreement by stakeholders that analysis models effectively and completely describe the domain.

Answer 17

b. Identification of reinforcing and compensating feedback loops.

BABOK 8.1.3.3. This is not an effectiveness measure for learning.

Question 18

What is Solution Knowledge?

Answer 18

Familiarity with the range of commercially available solutions or suppliers can assist with the identification of possible alternatives.

Business analysts can use their understanding of existing solutions in order to identify the most effective means of implementing a change.

Question 19

What is Organization Knowledge?

Answer 19

Organization knowledge is an understanding of the business architecture of the organization that is being analyzed. It includes an understanding of the business models that the organization (that is, how the organization generates profits or otherwise accomplishes its goals), the organizational structure that is in place, the relationships that exist between business units, and the persons who occupy key stakeholder positions.

Question 20

What is Industry Knowledge?

Answer 20

Industry knowledge is the understanding of the competitive forces that shape an industry.
It requires that the business analyst understand the various customer segments that the industry services and the demographic or other characteristics common to that segment.
An understanding of major trends impacting the industry will help shape business requirements.

Question 21

What is Business Knowledge?

Answer 21

Business principles are those characteristics that are common to all organizations with a similar purpose and structure, whether or not they are in the same industry.

Business analysts require an understanding of fundamental business principles and best practices, in order to ensure that they are incorporated into and supported by solutions.

Question 22

The basic types of conflict (team conflict) in team?

Answer 22

The basic types of conflict are emotional and cognitive.

Emotional conflict stems from personal interactions,

while cognitive conflicts are based upon disagreements on matters of substantive value or impact on the project or organization.