Let's take a quick look at the synthesis questions. While you may see a few of these on your CBAP® or CCBA™ exam, you should not see very many of them. The majority of the questions folks seem to be facing on their exams fall into the more straightforward categories of question types: knowledge, comprehension, application and analysis.
Synthesis questions test your ability to relate facts and draw conclusions based upon the information you are given. This information may be straight from the BABOK® Guide, or it may be something you have learned from another source or your own experience as a business analyst. These questions can be challenging, and they require you to able to apply what you know versus just remember a fact or a definition. Here is an example of a synthesis question:
After reviewing the existing process to approve a new cell phone order, Ginger realized that the senior manager is not always available to manually approve the purchase. She documented the capabilities that facilitate a faster ordering approval process relative to the existing situation. She felt that the existing process was inefficient and that it needed to be changed. What would be an appropriate way for Ginger to express the cause of the current cell phone ordering delays?
A. Blame the manual process for the inefficiencies
B. State all of the facts in a neutral manner
C. Express opinions on how to fix the process
D. Insist that approvers adhere to strict deadlines
The correct (and best) answer to this synthesis style question is B. In the question, you are being asked to draw a conclusion based upon the specific scenario you have been provided with in the body of the question. Ginger is being asked to effectively use her underlying competencies as a business analyst to solve a problem. Her best choice is to confront the problem and lay out all the information for the decision makers to analyze and then decide what to do.
When you are reading your exam questions and answers, watch for too much information. Occasionally (as in the above example synthesis question statement) there is more information than is needed to answer the question correctly. Don’t let extra, unrelated information lead you to selecting an incorrect answer or to wasting too much time on a particular question.
Well, that's it for our quick look at synthesis questions. In future posts, we will spend a little time with the two remaining questions types: analysis and evaluation.
Happy test prep, everyone!
Susan
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