Total Interview Questions

Business Analyst Interview Questions and Answers:

1.Q:What kind if tools does a Business Analyst use commonly?

A: A Business Analyst uses many types of tools according to the environment in which he/she works. The most use are: MS-Office(Word),MS-Vision(used for diagram creation or to visualize concepts). Many corporations use a Rational Software but this has a high licensing cost so it is rare: for handling requirements Rational Requisite Pro is used and for handling changes Rational ClearCase/ClearQuest would be the best option. There is a certain advantage in using Ms-SharePoint or telelogic, also DOORS. Other tools which are useful in different circumstances like: Load Runner,Oracle,SQL and so on.

2.Q:What direction does a Business Analyst in his/her career?

A: In the IT domain a Business Analyst has many possible career paths. A common path would be to become a Lead Business Analyst then Project Manager which handles the whole cycle from inception to post –implementation and even system analysis or quality assurance analysis. Then the next big step would be Program Manager or PMO management, product Manager and then Directorship. Also good Business Analysts may follow the path of Customer Relationship Manager which is the first IT interface to a BU (Business Unit). Then next may be a Manager of Applications or Process management. From here we have many possibilities ahead like process re-engineering quality programs or enterprise process management programs (Six Sigma or ITIL). Having a SME is a great benefit for a company so these positions will always have a big role in a company; some Business Analysts occupy positions that only have a small reference to IT. The best ability for a Business Analyst is communication with people which will prove advantageous in diagrams or surveys. In a system like this not only the pieces of the system itself have a big importance but also the people that are involved in all areas of the system and this is what a Business Analyst must understand.

3.Q: Why is an Activity diagram so important?

A: An Activity diagram is meant for displaying the business system’s activity, the way the business flows and what actions are finished. Various company areas like accounting, HR or medical can access their own screens only, or their own permission to the system for instance the medical access only the medical screens because it’s restricted to that and so on. Activity diagrams displays various department activities and this is good for designers and coders.

4.Q:What documents have to be delivered by a Business Analyst?

A: The documents delivered by a Business Analyst are very important and they include functional and technical specification papers, business requirements documents or BRD, requirements traceability, use case diagrams and so on.

5.Q: Why do you thing you would fit better than others on the position of a Business Analyst?

A: Staying in a positive mood, being enthusiastic about what you say and specifying examples of your previous skills and experience on a similar position is the key to give a good answer to this inquiry. Past jobs that match the desired position have to be stated along with the software packages you are usually working with and what degree of knowledge you have with this software and which is the software in which you are a specialist.

6.Q: How is an entity relationship diagram different from a data model?

A: A data model can be for instance a normal database. The data model says about the way in which data is used or stored. A data model is split in three parts:

a)manipulation-refers to selection, updating and query of data using operators.

b)structural-the way in which data is composed.

c)integrity-the rules that control composition.

Enterprise relationship modeling or enterprise data model can be also named a semantic or a conceptual model splits in three:

a)relationship-the relation between two or more entities.

b)entity-an object.

c)attribute-each entity has them.

7.Q:Which quality procedures are handled usually by a Business Analyst?

A: The standard of quality established by organizations are: ITIL or Information Technology Infrastructural Library United Kingdom) and Six Sigma but these are not the case. Usually these would be the procedures: When the requirements are picked up the communication quality has to be extraordinary. The users normally are interested by the system functionality and they don’t really focus on the dream functionality or the functionality that would best fit them. This is where the Business Analyst comes into play to touch this aspect and find the exact requirements.

8.Q: What diagrams are familiar to a Business analyst?

A: The diagrams that a Business Analyst uses are: data flow, use case, entity relationship, class, state chart, collaboration, activity, sequence, deployment, component and so on. We can describe some of the most important as example:

Activity diagram-is used for sowing information for the each component individually, in the first phases of design and analysis.

Use case diagram-it’s all about the business environment.

Sequence diagram-the time sequence of object to object interactivity, in this way testers or developers can get a higher understanding of the system.

9.Q:What does a good management of documentation system mean?

A: A good one is the one including a good security system, the one that permits any type of modification, even of versions, authorization to some people only(also called rendition).

10.Q: How can we describe in detail a sequence diagram?

A: Being a part of the Unified Modeling language or UML, the sequence diagrams describe the entity to entity interaction and all the aspects of the transactions involved.  The various processes appear as vertical columns and line and arrows pointed on the receiver represent the interaction between processes. Right above an arrow body we find the message name and the events that take place since the process beginning and to its end arranged in a sequential order. Two entities can interact through both synchronous and asynchronous messages.  Synchronous means that a sender can wait for the receiver to terminate message processing, asynchronous means that the sender won’t wait. The symbol for a synchronous message is a filled arrowhead and an open arrow head represents an asynchronous message.  A sequence diagram describes in detail the transactions made between databases, actors, controllers and so on. It is used in the documentation process by Business Analysts, designers or architects, it is a simple method.

 

11.Q: What does UML mean?

A: Unified Model language or UML belongs to the object oriented software type and is a standard of modeling made by the Object Management Group or OMG, it is a language that encapsulates many diagrammatic displays for all levels of the software development process. It was developed as a normal platform for all members of a project like analysts, designers, end users, developers, or other people that have a crucial role in a project’s success. It is meant to be some sort of universal language that all these people can understand in their way, according to their role in the process. This language gives us the syntax for diagrams without mentioning the context of using them, the context will be added by the analyst or designer.

12. Q:Please describe each type of commonly used UML diagrams.

A:a)use case diagrams- they describe the interaction that actors have with system.

b)interaction diagrams- represents the interaction between various system objects.

c)activity diagrams- display the flow of the business and takes advantage of use cases just like data flow programs.

d)class diagrams-describe the characteristics and acting of the system classes.

e)sequence diagram- show the order in which the messages are sent and received by the system entities.

f)component diagrams- displays the types of system components what do they depend on.

g)deployment diagrams—displays the deployment components.

13. Q:What is the meaning of a GAP analysis?

A: The GAP analysis determines what difference is between what is required by the business and what can the system do to fit. It includes the documentation phase and the approval. It also means determining what difference is between the properties of two items and it also makes an evaluation of them. A GAP analysis also studies in what way two applications or systems are different.

14.Q:Is it true a Business Analyst has to directly enter in contact with clients and if it is, why?

A: Yes it true but not in all cases, it depends on the project, sometimes we have to directly approach a client, sometimes we can assemble a team to do this for us which will give us the requirements.

15.Q: In what way does use case relate to test case?

A: When a user has interaction with a software package, the user’s view is what a use case describes in order to help the software fit. The requirements of a system are described by use cases usually done in a document written in MS Word.  The test case is based on a use case in the way that it makes a detailed description about various scenarios exist when testing the software, no matter if the tests were successful or not. For instance a single use case can split into 10 test cases  which become a test script. While they can be made in MS Word, there is a better tool: Test Director.

16.Q: What can we understand from the terms low level and high level use cases?

A: High level use cases represent the whole business and when a division is made into small units, their outcome is called low level use cases.

17. In what circumstances do we have to use rational rose and also requisite pro?

A: Requisite pro is good for situations in which we make various modules for specific requirements for different functions and we put all in one sole document. Rational rose is for making business models in form of a visual presentation like low and high level use cases, different sorts of diagrams etc.

18. Q:What is actually SDD?

A: SDD means System Design Document, the role of a Business Analyst is as a middle layer for developers and business users, the developers will comprehend what requirements does the business have.

19.Q: What pluses and minuses has the method of screen mockups when the requirements are picked up?

A: If we respect the correct time for implementing screen mockups then it is good but if we do this early enough, it will just create problems. Business analysts should keep these things in mind:

a)Mockups have the advantage of making the clients or the business representatives receive the display of the system functionality (good for early identification of issues). But they must not be implemented too early because if tis happens the clients or the business representatives will tend to be screen designers.  For instance, they will not say that supporting “x” is what should be done, but they will say that capturing “y” and putting a button to “z” is the case.  The screen design will not have the required usability in this case. Also stating what controls are needed for the screen will mean getting far from the real things that the system is needing and the discussion will be on an useless subject.

b)When there is no list for supporting requirements at the screen mockup capture we will not know if a decision was caused by a requirement that was necessary or different other reasons. The analyst and the developers may not know if they can  erase or modify the screen feature without the loss of a precious requirement. This type of questions:”Is it necessary to control the current screen or we can receive data later?” remains without a valid answer especially if the project is complex.

c)The flow through a system  can’t be pictured just by screen mockups, usually analysts will add descriptions to the mockups about what will happen if the buttons are clicked or when different values are introduced in fields or dropdowns.

20.Q: During a project work, how are the rules of a business respected?

A: Every business process has its defined rules and there are very important. For instance the business rule of a credit card company is to verify the client’s income and credit score with the purpose of process preparation. If the two sub-processes will not be introduced by the process, and exceptions will be thrown. In the use case document or Functional Requirement Document, this information can be contained with the aid of process diagrams or use case diagrams.

 

21.Q: Hoe can basic flow be found  and what means determining basic flows for use cases?

A: For use cases, we can find the basic flow In Functional Requirement Documents and Business Requirement Documents because they are use cases made that were based on those requirements.

22.Q: How can we manage non feasible requirements?

A: It doesn’t matter if a requirement is feasible or not, A Business Analyst must do his/her job by speaking to the representatives of the business and explain the reason for which the requirement may not be feasible. The true requirement must be clarified and an explanation must be done regarding the limitations of a non-technical language, why it is not affordable and putting the question “Do we really need this?” while presenting the cost so the business representatives would take the best decision possible.

23.Q: Which obstacles or challenges have you met during your Business Analyst experience?

A: A Business Analyst is like bridge between the technical crew and the users, all the time he/she must assure support to both sides. Here are some of the big things that a Business Analyst faces the work process:

a)Because in a way of speaking they are the base of a project, the requirements must be seen crystal clear, gaps must be found and erased, otherwise big problems may arise later.

b)The Business Analyst must has to keep up with the evolution of technologies, software methodologies, different standards of documentation from the market, not only that he/she must know them , but they must be on top of the for being successful.

c)In his/her field of activity, a Business Analyst must be like an encyclopedia that makes regular updates to fit the present time.

 

24.Q:What problems does a Business Analyst encounter regarding requirements gathering?

A: Problems can be related to communication, different contradictions that will delay the work, sometimes we don’t have access to end users or they can have high instability, bad requirements etc.

25.Q:How do you make a report if this is the first time when you meet the SME?

A: First we must do a good research in the SME field, of course before the meeting takes place, then we should begin with the biggest problems that exist in the field or the latest breakthroughs, then we can ask the SME what would be their approach in resolving the issues.

Reference: Business Analyst Interview Questions

Reference: Business Analyst Interview Questions and answers 

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