FC0-U71 Software Development Concepts Practice Test 2 — 15 Questions

Question 1

A software development team is adopting agile practices. Which TWO of the following are common characteristics of agile methodologies? (Select TWO.)

Accepted Answer

Iterative development with short cycles. Option B is correct because agile methodologies, such as Scrum and Extreme Programming, deliver work in short, repeating iterations (typically 1–4 week sprints) that produce a potentially shippable increment each cycle, rather than progressing through one long sequential pass. Option C is correct because it reflects one of the four values in the Agile Manifesto, which explicitly states a preference for 'responding to change over following a plan,' allowing teams to adapt scope and priorities as requirements evolve. Option A is incorrect because sequential phases (requirements→design→implementation) describe the waterfall model, which agile explicitly contrasts with its iterative and incremental approach. Option D is incorrect because agile embraces emergent and evolving scope rather than fixing the full scope at the start, which is characteristic of plan-driven/waterfall contracts. Option E is incorrect because agile values 'working software over comprehensive documentation,' favoring lightweight, just-enough documentation over exhaustive artifacts at each phase.

Answer

Sequential phases (requirements→design→implementation)

Answer

Fixed scope defined at the start

Answer

Comprehensive documentation at each phase

Question 2

A developer is writing pseudocode for a program that calculates the average of a list of numbers. Which THREE of the following are valid components that would likely appear in the pseudocode? (Select THREE.)

Accepted Answer

Initialize sum to 0. Initializing a variable (like sum) to a starting value (0) is a fundamental step in accumulation algorithms. Without this initialization, the sum would contain an undefined or garbage value, leading to incorrect results. This is a standard practice in pseudocode and real programming languages alike.

Answer

Define a class named Calculator

Answer

Execute SQL query to retrieve numbers from database

Question 3

During the SDLC, testing is performed at different levels. Which TWO of the following are recognized levels of testing? (Select TWO.)

Accepted Answer

Integration testing. Integration testing (C) is a recognized level of testing in the SDLC, sitting between unit and system testing, where individual modules are combined and tested as a group to verify interfaces and interactions between components. Unit testing (D) is also a recognized level, focusing on verifying the smallest testable parts of an application, such as individual functions or methods, in isolation. These two are standard levels in the classic testing hierarchy (unit, integration, system, acceptance). Maintenance (A) is an SDLC phase that follows deployment, not a testing level. Code review (B) is a static verification technique or peer-review activity, not a defined test level. Deployment (E) is a release/implementation phase, not a testing level.

Answer

Maintenance

Answer

Code review

Answer

Deployment

Question 4

A development team is building a new mobile app. The project has a fixed budget and scope, and the requirements are well-understood from the start. Which software development methodology would be most appropriate for this project?

Accepted Answer

Waterfall. Waterfall is most appropriate when requirements are well-understood, scope is fixed, and the budget is fixed — exactly the conditions described. Its sequential phases (requirements, design, implementation, testing, deployment) suit projects where change is minimal and predictability is valued.

Answer

Spiral

Answer

Scrum

Answer

Agile

Question 5

A developer writes the following pseudocode for a process that finds the largest number in a list:

SET max = first element
FOR each number in list
   IF number > max THEN
      SET max = number
   END IF
ENDFOR
OUTPUT max

What programming concept does this pseudocode represent?

Accepted Answer

Algorithm. The pseudocode describes a step-by-step procedure for solving a problem — finding the maximum value in a list — which is the definition of an algorithm. It specifies a finite sequence of operations (initialize max, iterate, compare, update) that transforms input into output. This is a classic linear-search maximum algorithm with O(n) time complexity.

Answer

API

Answer

Data structure

Answer

Flowchart

Question 6

A software company uses a development model where work is divided into 2-week sprints. Each sprint begins with a planning meeting, includes daily standups, and ends with a review and retrospective. A product owner prioritizes features, and a scrum master facilitates the process. Which methodology is being used?

Accepted Answer

Scrum. Scrum is an agile framework that uses sprints, daily standups, sprint reviews, and specific roles (product owner, scrum master, development team).

Answer

Kanban

Answer

Waterfall

Answer

Extreme Programming (XP)

Question 7

During a sprint retrospective, the team identifies that too many bugs are being discovered late in the development cycle. They decide to introduce a practice where developers write tests for individual functions before coding the functions themselves. This approach is an example of:

Accepted Answer

Unit testing. Writing tests for individual functions before writing the functions themselves is the definition of unit testing, and doing so before coding is specifically test-driven development (TDD). Unit tests isolate the smallest testable pieces of code (functions, methods) to verify correctness. This matches the scenario's focus on individual functions and early bug detection.

Answer

User acceptance testing

Answer

Integration testing

Answer

System testing

Question 8

A developer writes code to store a collection of employee names in a structure that allows adding names at the end and removing names from the front, following a first-in-first-out (FIFO) order. Which data structure is the developer implementing?

Accepted Answer

Queue. A queue is a linear data structure that follows First-In-First-Out (FIFO) order, where elements are added at the rear (enqueue) and removed from the front (dequeue). This exactly matches the requirement of adding names at the end and removing them from the front.

Answer

Tree

Answer

Array

Answer

Stack

Question 9

A developer needs to visually represent the logic of a program, including decisions (yes/no branches) and processes. Which tool should the developer use?

Accepted Answer

Flowchart. A flowchart is a diagram that visually represents the step-by-step logic of a program using standardized symbols, including diamonds for decisions (yes/no branches) and rectangles for processes. Because the developer needs a visual representation that includes decision branches and processes, a flowchart is the correct tool. Flowcharts are commonly used in the design phase before coding to map control flow clearly.

Answer

Data dictionary

Answer

Algorithm

Answer

Pseudocode

Question 10

A company's IT department is deploying a new payroll system. Before the system goes live, a group of employees from the accounting department test the system to ensure it meets their requirements and is usable. This type of testing is known as:

Accepted Answer

User acceptance testing. User acceptance testing (UAT) is performed by end users or business stakeholders to confirm that the system meets their real-world requirements and is usable before go-live. In this scenario, accounting employees testing the payroll system against their own needs is the textbook definition of UAT. It is the final validation step before production deployment.

Answer

System testing

Answer

Unit testing

Answer

Integration testing

Question 11

A team of developers is working on a large project with multiple features. They use a version control system. One developer creates a new branch to develop a feature, while other developers continue working on the main branch. After completing the feature, the developer wants to combine the changes from the feature branch back into the main branch. What version control operation should be performed?

Accepted Answer

Merge. The correct operation is 'Merge' (D), which combines the changes from the feature branch into the main branch. In Git, merging integrates the commit history of two branches, preserving the feature's work while incorporating it into the target branch. This is the standard workflow for bringing a completed feature back into the main line of development.

Answer

Pull request

Answer

Fork

Answer

Commit

Question 12

A mobile app needs to display weather data from an online service. The app sends HTTP requests and receives responses in JSON format. This communication is made possible by a set of rules and protocols that allow the app and the service to interact. This set of rules is called a(n):

Accepted Answer

API. An API (Application Programming Interface) is a set of rules and protocols that allows different software applications to communicate with each other. In this scenario, the mobile app uses HTTP requests to interact with the weather service's API, which defines the endpoints, request formats, and JSON response structures. The API abstracts the underlying service implementation, enabling standardized data exchange.

Answer

Data structure

Answer

SDLC

Answer

Algorithm

Question 13

A developer is trying to find why a program is producing incorrect output. The developer runs the program with a debugging tool, sets a breakpoint at a specific line, and examines the values of variables at that point. Which debugging technique is being used?

Accepted Answer

Breakpoint inspection. The developer is using breakpoint inspection, a debugging technique where execution is paused at a specific line of code (the breakpoint) to examine variable values at that exact moment. This allows the developer to inspect the program's state without stepping through each subsequent line, directly identifying why incorrect output occurs.

Answer

Code review

Answer

Step-through execution

Answer

Logging

Question 14

A software development team is in the process of gathering requirements from stakeholders, identifying project scope, and creating a project plan. After this phase, they will move to analyzing requirements in detail. In which phase of the SDLC is the team currently working?

Accepted Answer

Planning. The team is gathering requirements, identifying scope, and creating a project plan, which are all activities of the Planning phase in the SDLC. The Analysis phase follows Planning and involves detailed requirement analysis, not the initial gathering and scoping. Therefore, option D is correct.

Answer

Analysis

Answer

Design

Answer

Implementation

Question 15

A developer is creating a cloud-based application that needs to authenticate third-party services before allowing access to its API. The developer decides to use a method where each third-party service receives a unique key that must be included in each API request. This method is known as:

Accepted Answer

API key authentication. API key authentication issues a unique key to each third-party service, which is then included in every API request (typically in a header or query string) so the server can identify and authorize the caller. This matches the scenario exactly: unique keys per consumer, presented on each request. It is a lightweight, stateless credential mechanism distinct from user-session or delegated-authorization models.

Answer

Session-based authentication

Answer

Basic authentication

Answer

OAuth