The correct answer is to conduct a feasibility study to evaluate trade-offs and present options. This approach is best because a feasibility study provides an objective, data-driven analysis of how Requirement X (legal deadline) and Requirement Y (user efficiency) interact under the tight timeline, allowing the business analyst to model scope adjustments, resource reallocation, or phased delivery. On the CAPM exam, this scenario tests your understanding of the BABOK® Guide’s principle that collaborative decision-making requires analysis over assumption—a common trap is to escalate to the sponsor immediately or force a compromise without evidence. Remember the memory tip: “Feasibility first, fight later”—always analyze trade-offs before making a call.
CAPM Business Analysis Frameworks Practice Question
This CAPM practice question tests your understanding of business analysis frameworks. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A business analyst is facilitating a requirements workshop for a new regulatory compliance system. Stakeholders disagree on the priority of two requirements: Requirement X (must meet legal deadline) and Requirement Y (improves user efficiency). The project sponsor insists on including both, but the timeline is tight. What is the best approach to resolve this conflict?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "best"
Why it matters: Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Conduct a feasibility study to evaluate trade-offs and present options.
Option D is correct because conducting a feasibility study allows the business analyst to objectively evaluate trade-offs between Requirement X (regulatory compliance) and Requirement Y (user efficiency) within the tight timeline. This approach provides data-driven options (e.g., scope adjustments, resource reallocation) to the project sponsor, enabling an informed decision without prematurely sacrificing either requirement or escalating unnecessarily. It aligns with the BABOK® Guide's principle of collaborative decision-making through analysis rather than assumption.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
Prioritize Requirement X because it is regulatory, and defer Requirement Y.
Why it's wrong here
This bypasses stakeholder input and may not be optimal.
✗
Escalate to the steering committee for a decision.
Why it's wrong here
Escalation without analysis is premature.
✗
Include both requirements and extend the project deadline.
Why it's wrong here
Extending deadline may not be feasible and bypasses conflict resolution.
✓
Conduct a feasibility study to evaluate trade-offs and present options.
Why this is correct
A feasibility study provides objective data to guide decision-making.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
PMI often tests the misconception that regulatory requirements must always be prioritized over user efficiency, but the trap here is that the best approach is to analyze trade-offs first (feasibility study) rather than making a unilateral decision or escalating prematurely.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
A feasibility study in business analysis involves assessing technical, operational, and schedule feasibility using techniques like cost-benefit analysis, risk assessment, and impact analysis. Under the hood, this often includes creating a traceability matrix to link requirements to regulatory mandates (e.g., GDPR Article 5) and user efficiency metrics (e.g., task completion time reduction), then running what-if scenarios to quantify trade-offs. In a real-world regulatory compliance system, deferring user efficiency could lead to non-compliance with usability standards (e.g., ISO 9241-11), while prioritizing both without analysis might cause missed legal deadlines and penalties.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A practitioner preparing for the CAPM exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Business Analysis Frameworks — This question tests Business Analysis Frameworks — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Conduct a feasibility study to evaluate trade-offs and present options. — Option D is correct because conducting a feasibility study allows the business analyst to objectively evaluate trade-offs between Requirement X (regulatory compliance) and Requirement Y (user efficiency) within the tight timeline. This approach provides data-driven options (e.g., scope adjustments, resource reallocation) to the project sponsor, enabling an informed decision without prematurely sacrificing either requirement or escalating unnecessarily. It aligns with the BABOK® Guide's principle of collaborative decision-making through analysis rather than assumption.
What should I do if I get this CAPM question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "best". Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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