Helping Hand Questions for CBAP

 A test plan is a document that describes the scope, objectives, strategy, and activities of testing a software product or system. A test plan is mandatory in most software development projects because it ensures that the software meets the quality standards and requirements of the stakeholders. A test plan also helps to identify and mitigate the risks, defects, and issues that may affect the software functionality, performance, usability, and security. A test plan is different from a communication management plan, which is a document that describes how the project information will be communicated to the stakeholders. A test plan is also different from a disaster recovery plan, which is a document that describes how the project will resume its operations in the event of a disaster or emergency. A test plan is not a procurement plan, which is a document that describes how the project will acquire the goods and services needed from external sources. References:

CBAP / CCBA Certified Business Analysis Study Guide, 2nd Edition, Chapter 9: Solution Assessment and Validation, page 329-330.

How to write a software requirement document (with template), paragraph 6

These testing methods should be mandatory for any software, paragraph 1

Software Testing Plan - Tutorialspoint, paragraph 1

A class model is a technique to represent the structure and behavior of the entities within a solution domain. It shows the attributes, operations, and relationships of the classes that define the entities. A class is a category or type of entity that has common characteristics and can perform certain functions. A class model helps to identify the entities, their properties, their behaviors, and their interactions for a solution. Entity Relationship is a technique to represent the data and information requirements of a solution. It shows the entities, attributes, and relationships of the data and information. An entity is a thing or object of interest that can be uniquely identified and has attributes that describe its properties. An entity relationship model helps to identify the data and information, their characteristics, their associations, and their constraints for a solution. Data dictionary is a technique to define and document the data and information elements of a solution. It provides a detailed description of each data and information element, such as its name, definition, format, type, source, owner, and usage. A data dictionary helps to standardize and clarify the data and information, their meaning, their structure, and their quality for a solution. CRUD matrix is a technique to analyze the alignment of the data and information elements with the business processes or functions of a solution. It shows the data and information elements and the business processes or functions that create, read, update, or delete them. A CRUD matrix helps to identify the data and information, their lifecycle, their dependencies, and their gaps for a solution. References: Class Model - iiba.org, Entity Relationship - iiba.org, Data Dictionary - iiba.org, CRUD Matrix - iiba.org

 A statement of work (SOW) is a narrative description of the work required for the project. It includes the project objectives, scope, deliverables, schedule, budget, quality standards, and acceptance criteria. It also defines the roles and responsibilities of the project team and the client, and the terms and conditions of the contract. A SOW is a formal document that establishes the agreement between the project provider and the project customer, and that guides the project execution and control12.

The other options are not correct. A. A contract work breakdown structure (CWBS) is a hierarchical decomposition of the contract deliverables into smaller and manageable components. It helps to define the scope, cost, and schedule of the contract, and to monitor and report the contract performance3. B. A work breakdown structure (WBS) is a hierarchical decomposition of the project work into smaller and manageable components. It helps to define the scope, cost, and schedule of the project, and to assign the work packages to the project team4. C. A contract statement of work (CSOW) is a document that describes the work to be performed by a contractor or a vendor under a contract. It is similar to a SOW, but it is more specific and detailed, and it is used for procurement purposes5. References:

What is a Statement of Work (SOW)? - Definition from WhatIs.com

Statement of Work: Definition & Examples - ProjectManager

Contract Work Breakdown Structure (CWBS) - AcqNotes

Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) - Project Management Institute

Contract Statement of Work (CSOW) - AcqNotes

 Functional decomposition is a technique that helps the business analyst understand the scope of the work by breaking down the scope into smaller work products. Functional decomposition is the process of identifying the high-level functions or capabilities of a solution and then dividing them into lower-level functions or sub-functions. This technique helps to create a hierarchical structure of the solution scope, which can be used to define the requirements, design the solution, and plan the project. Functional decomposition can also help to identify the dependencies, interfaces, and risks among the functions or sub-functions of the solution. References:

BABOK Guide v3, section 10.25, page 512-513

Solution Scope – An Insight, section 1.2, paragraph 2

Software Project Scope | Solution Scope in Business Analysis, paragraph 2