FC0-U71 Software Development Concepts Practice Question
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?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap is defaulting to Agile or Scrum because they are modern and popular — but the exam signals 'fixed budget, fixed scope, well-understood requirements,' which is the textbook definition of when Waterfall is appropriate.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
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 analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Spiral
Why it's wrong here
Spiral suits large, high-risk projects needing repeated risk analysis across evolutionary releases; here requirements are already well-understood, so its risk-driven iterations add overhead without benefit. It is tempting because it handles changing scope, but this project has fixed scope and budget, which a predictive waterfall approach fits.
- ✗
Scrum
Why it's wrong here
Scrum delivers value through short sprints that welcome changing requirements, so it does not match a fixed-scope, fixed-budget project with requirements already understood. It is tempting because it is the dominant Agile framework, and would be correct where priorities shift frequently and scope is deliberately emergent.
- ✓
Waterfall
Why this is correct
Waterfall suits fixed budget, fixed scope and stable, well-understood requirements, because its sequential phases lock design before build begins. Agile's iterative re-planning assumes changing requirements, which this project explicitly lacks, so Waterfall's upfront baselining matches the stated constraints.
- ✗
Agile
Why it's wrong here
Agile embraces evolving requirements and iterative delivery, which conflicts with this project's fixed scope and fully understood requirements. It is tempting because Agile is widely adopted for app development, and would be correct where customer needs are unclear or expected to change during delivery.
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
This FC0-U71 question is part of Courseiva's 988-question bank — original exam-style content with full explanations and wrong-answer analysis, never real exam questions or exam dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official CompTIA exam blueprint
This FC0-U71 practice question is part of Courseiva's free CompTIA certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the FC0-U71 exam.