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CPRE practice questions

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Question 1Requirements Engineering (CPRE training content; official domain breakdown not stated in source)

In requirements engineering, which characteristic distinguishes a requirement from a mere wish or goal statement?

  1. It is verifiable and can be checked against the delivered system Correct answer.
  2. It is written in natural language
  3. It is expressed by a senior stakeholder
  4. It is documented in a project charter

Explanation

A requirement is a statement of a capability or condition that must be met and that can be verified against the system. Wishes and goals are broader aspirations that are not directly testable, so verifiability is the defining distinction.

Question 2Requirements Engineering (CPRE training content; official domain breakdown not stated in source)

A team writes: 'The system shall allow the administrator to export reports.' Which requirement type does this statement represent?

  1. A functional requirement Correct answer.
  2. A constraint
  3. A quality (non-functional) requirement
  4. A business goal

Explanation

The statement describes a specific capability the system must provide, namely exporting reports for the administrator. That is the defining shape of a functional requirement. Quality requirements instead describe how well a function is performed.

Question 3Requirements Engineering (CPRE training content; official domain breakdown not stated in source)

Which statement is a well-formed quality requirement?

  1. The system shall have a modern interface.
  2. The system should be fast and reliable.
  3. The system shall confirm each order within 2 seconds for 95% of requests under peak load. Correct answer.
  4. The system shall be user friendly at all times.

Explanation

A quality requirement must name a measurable property, a target value, and the conditions under which it is assessed. Only the option with a response time, a percentile, and a load condition satisfies all three.

Question 4Requirements Engineering (CPRE training content; official domain breakdown not stated in source)

Which activity belongs to requirements elicitation rather than to requirements documentation?

  1. Assigning identifiers to each requirement
  2. Conducting a structured interview with domain experts Correct answer.
  3. Baselining the requirements document
  4. Formatting the specification according to a template

Explanation

Elicitation is the process of discovering requirements from stakeholders and other sources. Interviewing domain experts is a classic elicitation technique, whereas formatting, identifying, and baselining are documentation and management activities.

Question 5Requirements Engineering (CPRE training content; official domain breakdown not stated in source)

During a workshop, stakeholders from sales and operations give contradictory statements about order approval. What is the most appropriate next step for the requirements engineer?

  1. Select the statement from the more senior stakeholder
  2. Facilitate a negotiation to reach an agreed, justified resolution Correct answer.
  3. Defer the topic and exclude it from the specification
  4. Record both statements and let the developers choose later

Explanation

Conflicting stakeholder needs must be resolved through negotiation and documented rationale so the specification reflects an agreed position. Deferring the decision to developers or to hierarchy leaves the conflict unresolved and risks rework.

Question 6Requirements Engineering (CPRE training content; official domain breakdown not stated in source)

Which document is typically the result of agreeing on scope at a high level before detailed specification begins?

  1. A code review checklist
  2. A deployment plan
  3. A vision and scope document Correct answer.
  4. A test case specification

Explanation

A vision and scope document captures the business problem, stakeholders, and the boundary of the intended solution. It is produced early to align stakeholders before detailed requirements are elaborated.

Question 7Requirements Engineering (CPRE training content; official domain breakdown not stated in source)

A requirement states: 'The system shall comply with the GDPR.' How should a requirements engineer treat this statement?

  1. Refine it into concrete, verifiable obligations the system must satisfy Correct answer.
  2. Delete it because it is not a functional requirement
  3. Move it to the test plan without further analysis
  4. Accept it unchanged as a complete requirement

Explanation

Regulatory references are legitimate sources of requirements but are too coarse to verify directly. They must be decomposed into specific, testable obligations such as data retention limits or consent handling.

Question 8Requirements Engineering (CPRE training content; official domain breakdown not stated in source)

Which technique is most appropriate for observing how users actually perform a task that they find hard to articulate?

  1. A focus group
  2. Apprenticeship or observation Correct answer.
  3. A questionnaire survey
  4. Document analysis

Explanation

Observation, sometimes called apprenticeship, lets the requirements engineer watch real work and uncover tacit knowledge users cannot easily describe. Surveys and focus groups rely on users' own articulation of their work.

Question 9Requirements Engineering (CPRE training content; official domain breakdown not stated in source)

What is the primary purpose of a use case diagram in requirements modeling?

  1. To specify database schemas
  2. To depict actors and the system functions they interact with Correct answer.
  3. To show the internal class structure of the software
  4. To measure code coverage

Explanation

A use case diagram models the boundary of the system, the actors outside it, and the use cases representing services the system offers them. It communicates functional scope rather than internal design.

Question 10Requirements Engineering (CPRE training content; official domain breakdown not stated in source)

A specification uses the term 'account' to mean a billing entity in one section and a login identity in another. Which quality characteristic of requirements is violated?

  1. Prioritization
  2. Consistency Correct answer.
  3. Feasibility
  4. Completeness

Explanation

Consistency requires that terms and statements do not contradict each other across the specification. Using one term for two different concepts creates ambiguity and inconsistency that will confuse designers and testers.

Question 11Requirements Engineering (CPRE training content; official domain breakdown not stated in source)

Which pair of requirements is in direct conflict?

  1. R1: The system shall support English. R2: The system shall support German.
  2. R1: The system shall log all user actions. R2: The system shall encrypt stored passwords.
  3. R1: The system shall export to PDF. R2: The system shall export to CSV.
  4. R1: The system shall allow anonymous browsing. R2: The system shall require login before any page is shown. Correct answer.

Explanation

Two requirements conflict when satisfying one makes the other impossible. Anonymous browsing and mandatory login before any page cannot both hold, so these requirements are contradictory.

Question 12Requirements Engineering (CPRE training content; official domain breakdown not stated in source)

What does tracing a requirement forward to design elements and test cases primarily enable?

  1. Faster compilation of the code
  2. Reduction of the number of stakeholders
  3. Impact analysis and verification coverage Correct answer.
  4. Automatic generation of user manuals

Explanation

Forward traceability links requirements to the artifacts that realize and verify them, so teams can assess the impact of changes and confirm each requirement is covered by tests. It does not affect compilation or stakeholder count.

Question 13Requirements Engineering (CPRE training content; official domain breakdown not stated in source)

Which criterion is most useful when prioritizing requirements with the MoSCoW method?

  1. The alphabetical order of requirement identifiers
  2. The business value delivered within a fixed timebox Correct answer.
  3. The number of words in each requirement statement
  4. The order in which requirements were elicited

Explanation

MoSCoW separates must-have, should-have, could-have, and won't-have requirements according to value and necessity within a delivery timebox. Prioritization is driven by value and urgency, not by elicitation order or document formatting.

Question 14Requirements Engineering (CPRE training content; official domain breakdown not stated in source)

A requirements baseline is established. What does this mean for subsequent changes?

  1. Changes require rewriting the entire specification
  2. Changes must be made through a defined change control process Correct answer.
  3. Changes are forbidden permanently
  4. Changes can be made freely without documentation

Explanation

A baseline is an agreed, frozen version that serves as a reference point, but it does not forbid change. Alterations after baselining are routed through a defined change control process with impact assessment and approval.

Question 15Requirements Engineering (CPRE training content; official domain breakdown not stated in source)

Which review form is characterized by authors and reviewers examining a document together in a structured meeting with defined roles?

  1. An automated spell check
  2. A desk check by a single colleague
  3. A user acceptance test
  4. An inspection Correct answer.

Explanation

A formal inspection is a structured, team-based review with assigned roles such as moderator and recorder and a defined process. It is more rigorous than informal desk checks or automated tooling.

Question 16Requirements Engineering (CPRE training content; official domain breakdown not stated in source)

Which statement best describes the role of a glossary in a requirements specification?

  1. It records the test results for each requirement
  2. It replaces the need for a data model
  3. It defines domain terms so all readers share one meaning Correct answer.
  4. It lists the project schedule milestones

Explanation

A glossary establishes agreed definitions for domain and project terms, reducing ambiguity and misinterpretation across stakeholders. It supports, but does not replace, models and other specification content.

Question 17Requirements Engineering (CPRE training content; official domain breakdown not stated in source)

A requirement reads: 'The system shall respond quickly when the user clicks search.' Which improvement makes it verifiable?

  1. Replace 'quickly' with 'within 1 second for 90% of queries' Correct answer.
  2. Add the phrase 'as soon as possible'
  3. Change 'shall' to 'may'
  4. Move the requirement to the glossary

Explanation

Verifiability requires a measurable criterion and the conditions of measurement. Replacing the vague adverb with a numeric target and a percentile makes the requirement testable.

Question 18Requirements Engineering (CPRE training content; official domain breakdown not stated in source)

In a goal-oriented approach, how does a goal differ from a requirement?

  1. A goal is always expressed as a test case
  2. A goal is only used in agile projects
  3. A goal expresses an intention to be achieved, which requirements refine into system obligations Correct answer.
  4. A goal cannot be linked to stakeholders

Explanation

Goals capture why a system is needed and what stakeholders intend to achieve. Requirements are the more concrete, verifiable obligations derived from those goals and assigned to the system.

Question 19Requirements Engineering (CPRE training content; official domain breakdown not stated in source)

Which notation is designed specifically for modeling the behavior of a single object over its lifetime in response to events?

  1. A context diagram
  2. A state machine diagram Correct answer.
  3. An entity-relationship diagram
  4. A work breakdown structure

Explanation

A state machine models the states an object can occupy and the events that trigger transitions between them. Entity-relationship diagrams model data, context diagrams show system boundaries, and work breakdown structures decompose project work.

Question 20Requirements Engineering (CPRE training content; official domain breakdown not stated in source)

A stakeholder says the new system 'must be like the old one but better.' What is the most effective elicitation response?

  1. Escalate the stakeholder to the project sponsor
  2. Accept the statement as a complete requirement
  3. Ask concrete questions about which behaviors to keep, change, or drop Correct answer.
  4. Assume the old system's documentation is sufficient

Explanation

Vague comparative statements must be decomposed into specific behaviors and attributes through targeted questioning. Probing what should be retained, altered, or removed converts an aspiration into elicitable requirements.

Question 21Requirements Engineering (CPRE training content; official domain breakdown not stated in source)

Which situation most clearly indicates scope creep in a requirements project?

  1. A requirement is clarified using the glossary
  2. New features are added repeatedly without change control or schedule adjustment Correct answer.
  3. A test case is derived from an existing requirement
  4. A stakeholder reviews a draft specification

Explanation

Scope creep is uncontrolled expansion of agreed scope, typically through unmanaged additions that are not assessed against time, cost, and impact. Clarification and review are normal, controlled activities.

Question 22Requirements Engineering (CPRE training content; official domain breakdown not stated in source)

What distinguishes a non-functional requirement from a constraint?

  1. A non-functional requirement applies only to hardware, while a constraint applies only to software
  2. A non-functional requirement is always optional, while a constraint is mandatory
  3. A non-functional requirement specifies a quality attribute of the system, while a constraint restricts how the solution may be built Correct answer.
  4. A constraint is written only in code, while a non-functional requirement is written in prose

Explanation

Quality requirements describe how well the system performs its functions, such as performance or security. Constraints limit the solution space, for example by mandating a platform, standard, or regulatory rule.

Question 23Requirements Engineering (CPRE training content; official domain breakdown not stated in source)

A team must specify requirements for a safety-critical medical device. Which approach best supports the needed rigor?

  1. Rely on informal user stories only
  2. Document requirements only after the code is complete
  3. Combine structured specification with traceability, formal review, and hazard-driven analysis Correct answer.
  4. Skip validation to save time

Explanation

Safety-critical systems demand rigorous specification, bidirectional traceability, formal reviews, and analysis of hazards and risks. These practices make requirements auditable and ensure safety obligations are verified.

Question 24Requirements Engineering (CPRE training content; official domain breakdown not stated in source)

Which practice best supports requirements reuse across a product line?

  1. Avoiding a common glossary to keep products distinct
  2. Storing requirements only in email threads
  3. Writing every requirement from scratch for each product
  4. Organizing requirements into a structured, parameterized repository with variability points Correct answer.

Explanation

Reuse requires requirements to be captured in a structured, searchable form with explicit variability so they can be adapted per product. A shared glossary further supports consistent interpretation across the line.

Question 25Requirements Engineering (CPRE training content; official domain breakdown not stated in source)

An analyst writes requirements as 'The user shall be able to view the invoice.' Which weakness does this statement most exhibit?

  1. It describes a user action rather than a system obligation and omits conditions and outcomes Correct answer.
  2. It is too long to be understood
  3. It is a constraint rather than a requirement
  4. It contains a measurable performance target

Explanation

Phrasing requirements around what the user can do can obscure the system's responsibility and often omits preconditions, triggers, and expected outcomes. A stronger form states what the system shall do, under which conditions, and with what result.

Question 26Requirements Engineering (CPRE training content; official domain breakdown not stated in source)

In requirements engineering, what does a stakeholder register primarily record?

  1. The approved list of functional requirements for the next release
  2. The identified stakeholders, their roles, interests, influence, and contact points Correct answer.
  3. The technical architecture components affected by each requirement
  4. The estimated cost of each requirement change request

Explanation

A stakeholder register is an elicitation-support artifact that captures who the stakeholders are, what they care about, how influential they are, and how to reach them. It guides planning of elicitation activities and communication. It is not a requirements list, cost log, or architecture document.

Question 27Requirements Engineering (CPRE training content; official domain breakdown not stated in source)

Which characteristic of a single requirement is described by the term 'atomic'?

  1. It expresses exactly one condition or capability that cannot be split further Correct answer.
  2. It can be verified by a single test case without decomposition
  3. It is written using the word 'shall' rather than 'should'
  4. It has been approved by all stakeholders in a baseline

Explanation

Atomicity means the requirement states one thing only, so it cannot be meaningfully divided into separate requirements. This supports precise prioritization, tracing, and verification. Verifiability, baselining, and modal verbs are separate quality concerns.

Question 28Requirements Engineering (CPRE training content; official domain breakdown not stated in source)

Which elicitation technique is specifically designed to bring together representatives who may hold conflicting views so that differences are surfaced and negotiated?

  1. A facilitated workshop with key stakeholder groups Correct answer.
  2. Silent observation of users at their workplace
  3. Document analysis of existing manuals
  4. Reviewing competitor product brochures

Explanation

A facilitated workshop assembles stakeholders with different perspectives so that conflicts and assumptions become visible and can be negotiated in one session. Document analysis, observation, and competitor review gather information but do not by design confront divergent stakeholder positions.

Question 29Requirements Engineering (CPRE training content; official domain breakdown not stated in source)

What is the main purpose of a requirements management plan?

  1. To record the meeting minutes of the requirements review
  2. To define how requirements will be elicited, documented, traced, prioritized, and changed Correct answer.
  3. To describe the internal software design of the system
  4. To list every requirement with its acceptance test

Explanation

A requirements management plan defines the agreed approach and conventions for handling requirements throughout the lifecycle, including identification, traceability, prioritization, and change control. It is a process and governance artifact rather than a requirements list or design document.

Question 30Requirements Engineering (CPRE training content; official domain breakdown not stated in source)

Which statement correctly describes the relationship between a requirement and a constraint?

  1. A constraint restricts the solution space, while a requirement states a capability or property the system must have Correct answer.
  2. Every constraint is a non-functional requirement and vice versa
  3. Constraints are recorded only after requirements have been baselined
  4. A constraint is a requirement that has not yet been approved

Explanation

Constraints are boundary conditions imposed on the solution, such as mandated technology, budget, or regulatory rules, and they limit how requirements may be realized. Requirements describe desired capabilities or qualities. The two categories overlap in practice but are not identical.

Question 31Requirements Engineering (CPRE training content; official domain breakdown not stated in source)

Which artifact establishes the agreed meaning of domain terms so that requirements authors and readers interpret them consistently?

  1. The risk register
  2. The test plan
  3. The domain glossary Correct answer.
  4. The traceability matrix

Explanation

A domain glossary defines the project-specific meaning of terms so that all stakeholders share one interpretation. This prevents ambiguity such as the same word being used for two different concepts. Traceability matrices, risk registers, and test plans serve other purposes.

Question 32Requirements Engineering (CPRE training content; official domain breakdown not stated in source)

In the Volere template, which section captures the rationale for why a requirement exists?

  1. The customer satisfaction rating
  2. The fit criterion
  3. The requirement number
  4. The originator and justification fields Correct answer.

Explanation

Volere-style requirement cards record who raised the requirement and why, which preserves rationale for later prioritization and change decisions. Fit criteria address verification, satisfaction ratings express value, and numbering supports identification.

Question 33Requirements Engineering (CPRE training content; official domain breakdown not stated in source)

What distinguishes a functional requirement from a non-functional requirement?

  1. Functional requirements are written by users, while non-functional requirements are written by developers
  2. Functional requirements describe what the system does, while non-functional requirements describe qualities or constraints on how it does it Correct answer.
  3. Functional requirements are verified by inspection, while non-functional requirements are verified by testing
  4. Functional requirements are mandatory, while non-functional requirements are optional

Explanation

Functional requirements specify behavior, inputs, outputs, and capabilities, whereas non-functional requirements specify quality attributes and constraints such as performance, security, or usability. Authorship and verification method vary independently of this distinction.

Question 34Requirements Engineering (CPRE training content; official domain breakdown not stated in source)

A requirement states: 'The order entry screen shall allow the clerk to save an order as a draft before validation.' Which requirement type is this?

  1. A quality attribute requirement
  2. A constraint
  3. A business goal
  4. A functional requirement Correct answer.

Explanation

The statement describes a specific behavior the system must offer, namely saving an order in a draft state, so it is functional. Quality attributes describe how well a function is performed, constraints restrict the solution space, and goals express higher-level intentions.

Question 35Requirements Engineering (CPRE training content; official domain breakdown not stated in source)

An analyst must elicit requirements from 200 geographically dispersed customers with limited budget and time. Which technique combination is most appropriate?

  1. Full-day workshops with every customer present
  2. Analysis of the legacy source code only
  3. Structured questionnaires followed by targeted interviews with a representative sample Correct answer.
  4. Ethnographic observation of each customer's workplace

Explanation

Questionnaires scale cheaply to a large dispersed population, and follow-up interviews with a representative sample clarify and deepen the responses. This balances coverage with depth under budget and time limits. Workshops with everyone and observation of each site are prohibitively expensive, and code analysis alone misses stakeholder needs.

Question 36Requirements Engineering (CPRE training content; official domain breakdown not stated in source)

A stakeholder insists on a requirement that conflicts with a regulatory constraint. What is the most appropriate next step for the requirements engineer?

  1. Rewrite the constraint so that both statements appear satisfied
  2. Implement the requirement and address the regulation during testing
  3. Silently drop the requirement to avoid conflict
  4. Record the conflict, document both positions, and escalate to the appropriate decision authority Correct answer.

Explanation

Conflicts must be made explicit, documented with rationale, and resolved by the party with authority to decide, since the analyst should not unilaterally choose. This preserves traceability of the decision. Altering the constraint or deferring the conflict hides a risk that may be unacceptable.

Question 37Requirements Engineering (CPRE training content; official domain breakdown not stated in source)

Which traceability link is most useful for assessing the impact of a proposed change to a single requirement?

  1. Links from the requirement to its source stakeholders and to dependent design and test artifacts Correct answer.
  2. Links from the project schedule to the budget
  3. Links from the risk register to the issue log
  4. Links from the glossary to the data dictionary

Explanation

Change impact analysis relies on tracing a requirement backward to its origin and rationale and forward to the artifacts that realize and verify it. This shows who must be consulted and what must be revised. Schedule, glossary, and risk links do not reveal the affected requirement relationships.

Question 38Requirements Engineering (CPRE training content; official domain breakdown not stated in source)

A team uses a requirements attribute scheme. Which attribute most directly supports deciding which requirements to implement in the first release?

  1. Priority Correct answer.
  2. Requirement identifier
  3. Version number
  4. Author name

Explanation

Priority expresses relative importance or urgency and is the attribute used to select and order requirements for a release. Version, author, and identifier support identification and management but do not by themselves indicate what to build first.

Question 39Requirements Engineering (CPRE training content; official domain breakdown not stated in source)

A requirement is written as: 'The system shall process payments.' Which quality defect is most evident?

  1. It is not atomic because it contains two verbs
  2. It is not traceable to a stakeholder
  3. It is too vague to be verifiable Correct answer.
  4. It violates a regulatory constraint

Explanation

The statement gives no measurable criterion for what counts as processing a payment, so no test can determine whether it is satisfied. The dominant defect is lack of verifiability through vagueness. Traceability and atomicity may also need attention, but the clearest defect here is ambiguity.

Question 40Requirements Engineering (CPRE training content; official domain breakdown not stated in source)

Which practice most improves the effectiveness of a formal requirements inspection?

  1. Providing reviewers with checklists and sufficient preparation time before the meeting Correct answer.
  2. Focusing the session on spelling and formatting corrections
  3. Distributing the document shortly before the meeting without preparation guidance
  4. Inviting only the author's immediate team to reduce coordination effort

Explanation

Inspection effectiveness depends on reviewers preparing individually against defined checklists before the meeting, which raises defect detection. Late distribution without guidance and homogeneous review teams reduce the diversity of perspectives. Formatting focus misses substantive defects.

Question 41Requirements Engineering (CPRE training content; official domain breakdown not stated in source)

Which prioritization situation best justifies using the Kano model rather than simple ranking?

  1. The team must assign each requirement to a developer
  2. The team needs a strict ordered list of requirements for a single sprint
  3. The team must estimate development effort for each requirement
  4. The team wants to understand how satisfying or dissatisfying specific features are perceived by customers Correct answer.

Explanation

The Kano model classifies features by how their presence or absence affects customer satisfaction, distinguishing must-be, performance, and attractive attributes. Simple ranking, effort estimation, and work assignment are different concerns that Kano analysis does not address.

Question 42Requirements Engineering (CPRE training content; official domain breakdown not stated in source)

What is the primary function of a use case's main success scenario?

  1. To define the database schema supporting the use case
  2. To list all possible exceptions and error conditions
  3. To describe the typical sequence of interactions that achieves the actor's goal Correct answer.
  4. To specify the non-functional performance targets of the system

Explanation

The main success scenario, sometimes called the happy path, describes the normal sequence of steps by which the actor's goal is achieved. Exceptions are captured in alternative or exception flows, while performance targets and data schemas belong to other artifacts.

Question 43Requirements Engineering (CPRE training content; official domain breakdown not stated in source)

A project adopts a model-based requirements approach using SysML. Which element is used to express a requirement and its properties in that notation?

  1. A requirement diagram with requirement blocks Correct answer.
  2. A class diagram with inheritance
  3. A state machine diagram
  4. A deployment diagram

Explanation

SysML provides a requirement diagram and requirement stereotypes that capture requirement text, identifiers, and relationships such as containment, derive, satisfy, and verify. Class, state machine, and deployment diagrams model structure or behavior rather than requirements as first-class elements.

Question 44Requirements Engineering (CPRE training content; official domain breakdown not stated in source)

Which situation best demonstrates that an elicitation session achieved shared understanding rather than mere information collection?

  1. The analyst leaves the session with a longer list of requirements than before
  2. Every participant receives a copy of the meeting agenda
  3. The session is recorded and transcribed verbatim
  4. Participants agree on the meaning of key terms and confirm the documented requirements reflect their intent Correct answer.

Explanation

Shared understanding is evidenced when stakeholders confirm that documented requirements and terminology match their intent. A longer list, a transcript, or an agenda shows activity but not agreement about meaning. Confirmation of intent is the decisive indicator.

Question 45Requirements Engineering (CPRE training content; official domain breakdown not stated in source)

In goal-oriented requirements engineering, what is the purpose of refining a goal into sub-goals and requirements?

  1. To decompose an abstract intention into concrete, assignable, and verifiable objectives Correct answer.
  2. To replace the requirements specification with a project plan
  3. To reduce the number of stakeholders involved
  4. To eliminate the need for acceptance testing

Explanation

Goal refinement breaks an abstract intention into finer objectives until they can be assigned to agents and satisfied by concrete requirements. It connects high-level intent to implementable specifications. It does not reduce stakeholders, replace specifications, or remove the need for testing.

Question 46Requirements Engineering (CPRE training content; official domain breakdown not stated in source)

A requirements engineer must select a technique to determine how a legacy system is actually used before replacing it, where existing documentation is known to be outdated. Which approach is most defensible?

  1. Interview only senior managers about their expectations
  2. Run a survey asking users what features they would like
  3. Rely on the outdated documentation as the authoritative source
  4. Combine observation of real usage with interviews of operators and analysis of system logs Correct answer.

Explanation

When documentation is unreliable, triangulating observation, operator interviews, and log analysis reconstructs actual usage from complementary evidence. Relying on stale documents propagates error, manager-only interviews miss operational detail, and wish-list surveys do not reveal current practice.

Question 47Requirements Engineering (CPRE training content; official domain breakdown not stated in source)

A requirement set contains: R1 'The report shall be generated within 2 seconds for up to 10,000 records', and R2 'The report shall be generated within 30 seconds for up to 10,000 records.' What is the most accurate characterization?

  1. They are duplicates because they concern the same report
  2. They are complementary and both can be implemented as stated
  3. They are contradictory because they specify incompatible performance targets for the same condition Correct answer.
  4. They are non-functional requirements that need no resolution

Explanation

Both statements impose different time limits on the same report under the same load condition, so they cannot both hold. This is a direct conflict requiring negotiation to a single agreed target. They are not complementary, duplicates, or safely left unresolved.

Question 48Requirements Engineering (CPRE training content; official domain breakdown not stated in source)

An organization wants to reuse requirements across several products in a product line. Which structuring approach best supports this?

  1. Documenting requirements only at the level of individual customer projects
  2. Separating common, variable, and product-specific requirements with explicit variation points Correct answer.
  3. Removing all optional requirements to simplify the specification
  4. Writing each product's requirements independently and merging them later

Explanation

Product-line reuse depends on distinguishing common requirements shared across products from variable ones, with explicit variation points that define how products may differ. Independent writing, removing options, and project-level documentation all work against systematic reuse.

Question 49Requirements Engineering (CPRE training content; official domain breakdown not stated in source)

A safety-critical system requires evidence that each safety requirement is satisfied. Which combination of practices provides the strongest basis for this evidence?

  1. A requirements list ordered by implementation sequence
  2. Bidirectional traceability from hazards to safety requirements and to verification results Correct answer.
  3. A single review meeting at the end of the project
  4. Verbal confirmation from the lead engineer

Explanation

Safety assurance requires demonstrating that each hazard is addressed by requirements and that those requirements are verified, which demands bidirectional traceability to verification evidence. A single late review, verbal confirmation, and implementation ordering do not provide auditable evidence.

Question 50Requirements Engineering (CPRE training content; official domain breakdown not stated in source)

During a change control board review, a requested change is assessed as low effort but affects a safety requirement. What is the most appropriate decision basis?

  1. Approve it because the implementation effort is low
  2. Assess impact on safety, traceability, and verification before deciding, regardless of effort Correct answer.
  3. Defer it to the developer who owns the affected module
  4. Reject it automatically because safety requirements are frozen

Explanation

Change decisions must weigh impact on safety, affected artifacts, and required re-verification, not merely implementation effort. Low effort does not imply low risk, automatic rejection ignores legitimate improvements, and deferring to a developer bypasses the change authority.