• 80 questions

PMI PBA Practice Test

Unofficial business analysis questions in the five domains of PMI's exam content outline, needs assessment to evaluation.

In a RACI matrix, which single role answers in the end for whether a task succeeds or fails?

Pick an answer, then press Check answer. Then you see Correct or Not quite, with the reason. Keys: A to D pick, Enter checks.

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Exam mode: 50 questions, 60 minutes.

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Unofficial practice questions, not affiliated with the Project Management Institute (PMI). Bank checked October 9, 2026.

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All 80 questions

Needs assessment 14

  • A business analyst studies a business problem and weighs several inputs to help develop an effective solution. Which domain of the exam is this work? PMI, PMI-PBA Examination Content Outline: Domain 1, Needs Assessment (18%), domain description.
  • A new system costs $120,000 and is expected to save $40,000 a year. What is its payback period? PMI, PMI-PBA Examination Content Outline: Domain 1, Needs Assessment (18%), Task 2 (valuation tools and techniques). Wikipedia, "Payback period".
  • A study sets what a business is doing now beside what it aims to do later. What is this study called? PMI, PMI-PBA Examination Content Outline: Domain 1, Needs Assessment (18%), Task 1. Wikipedia, "Gap analysis".
  • A team asks why a defect happened, then asks why again of each answer. What is the goal of this technique? PMI, PMI-PBA Examination Content Outline: Domain 1, Needs Assessment (18%), Task 1 (root cause analysis). Wikipedia, "Five whys".
  • An analyst estimates the strengths and weaknesses of several options, setting the value of each against its cost. Which technique is this? PMI, PMI-PBA Examination Content Outline: Domain 1, Needs Assessment (18%), Task 2 (valuation tools and techniques). Wikipedia, "Cost–benefit analysis".
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Needs assessment, continued

  • By the exam content outline, a business problem or opportunity is defined or reviewed in order to produce what? PMI, PMI-PBA Examination Content Outline: Domain 1, Needs Assessment (18%), Task 1.
  • By the exam content outline, why are stakeholders identified during needs assessment? PMI, PMI-PBA Examination Content Outline: Domain 1, Needs Assessment (18%), Task 4.
  • In a RACI matrix, which single role answers in the end for whether a task succeeds or fails? PMI, PMI-PBA Examination Content Outline: Domain 1, Needs Assessment (18%), Task 4 (stakeholder analysis). Wikipedia, "Responsibility assignment matrix".
  • In a SWOT analysis for a proposed product, a strong rival about to enter the market belongs under which heading? PMI, PMI-PBA Examination Content Outline: Domain 1, Needs Assessment (18%), Task 1 (problem and opportunity analysis techniques). Wikipedia, "SWOT analysis".
  • In force-field analysis, which two kinds of forces are set against each other? PMI, PMI-PBA Examination Content Outline: Domain 1, Needs Assessment (18%), Task 2 (valuation tools and techniques). Wikipedia, "Force-field analysis".
  • In the Kano model, which kind of feature do customers expect and take for granted? PMI, PMI-PBA Examination Content Outline: Domain 1, Needs Assessment (18%), Task 5 (stakeholder values). Wikipedia, "Kano model".
  • On a fishbone (Ishikawa) diagram, what is shown at the head of the fish? PMI, PMI-PBA Examination Content Outline: Domain 1, Needs Assessment (18%), Task 1 (root cause analysis). Wikipedia, "Ishikawa diagram".
  • What does a business case capture? PMI, PMI-PBA Examination Content Outline: Domain 1, Needs Assessment (18%), Task 1. Wikipedia, "Business case".
  • What is a persona? PMI, PMI-PBA Examination Content Outline: Domain 1, Needs Assessment (18%), Task 4 (stakeholder analysis). Wikipedia, "Persona (user experience)".

Planning 18

  • A business analyst sets up the requirements management plan and the approach to tracing, change handling, document control and acceptance criteria. Which domain of the exam is this work? PMI, PMI-PBA Examination Content Outline: Domain 2, Planning (22%), domain description.
  • By the exam content outline, how are business metrics and acceptance criteria defined during planning? PMI, PMI-PBA Examination Content Outline: Domain 2, Planning (22%), Task 6.
  • By the exam content outline, methods for document control are selected to set a standard for what? PMI, PMI-PBA Examination Content Outline: Domain 2, Planning (22%), Task 5.
  • By the exam content outline, methods for requirements change control are selected so that standard protocols can be built into which plan? PMI, PMI-PBA Examination Content Outline: Domain 2, Planning (22%), Task 4.
  • By the exam content outline, what does defining a strategy for requirements traceability establish? PMI, PMI-PBA Examination Content Outline: Domain 2, Planning (22%), Task 2.
  • By the exam content outline, which of these does developing a requirements management plan identify? PMI, PMI-PBA Examination Content Outline: Domain 2, Planning (22%), Task 3.
  • By the exam content outline, why does the analyst study the business case and the project's aims and objectives when planning? PMI, PMI-PBA Examination Content Outline: Domain 2, Planning (22%), Task 1.
  • In configuration management, what is a baseline? PMI, PMI-PBA Examination Content Outline: Domain 2, Planning (22%), Task 4 (change control). Wikipedia, "Baseline (configuration management)".
  • In planning poker (estimation poker), why do team members keep their cards face down and reveal them together? PMI, PMI-PBA Examination Content Outline: Domain 2, Planning (22%), Task 3 (estimating tools and techniques). Wikipedia, "Planning poker".
  • In which development approach is each phase completed before the next is started, with progress flowing largely one way? PMI, PMI-PBA Examination Content Outline: Domain 2, Planning (22%), Task 3 (project methodologies and how they affect requirements). Wikipedia, "Waterfall model".
  • On a project with a change control board, what does the board do? PMI, PMI-PBA Examination Content Outline: Domain 2, Planning (22%), Task 4 (change control). Wikipedia, "Change control board".
  • On an agile project, what is the product backlog? PMI, PMI-PBA Examination Content Outline: Domain 2, Planning (22%), Task 3 (backlog management). Wikipedia, "Product backlog".
  • What does version control do for a set of requirements documents? PMI, PMI-PBA Examination Content Outline: Domain 2, Planning (22%), Task 5 (version control tools and techniques). Wikipedia, "Version control".
  • What is a key performance indicator used for? PMI, PMI-PBA Examination Content Outline: Domain 2, Planning (22%), Task 6 (business metrics). Wikipedia, "Performance indicator".
  • What is a service-level agreement? PMI, PMI-PBA Examination Content Outline: Domain 2, Planning (22%), Task 6 (measurement tools and techniques). Wikipedia, "Service-level agreement".
  • What is the purpose of a change control process? PMI, PMI-PBA Examination Content Outline: Domain 2, Planning (22%), Task 4 (change control). Wikipedia, "Change control".
  • Which description fits requirements management? PMI, PMI-PBA Examination Content Outline: Domain 2, Planning (22%), Task 3. Wikipedia, "Requirements management".
  • Which word completes the SMART criteria for a goal or objective: specific, ____, assignable, realistic and time-bound? PMI, PMI-PBA Examination Content Outline: Domain 2, Planning (22%), Task 6 (business metrics). Wikipedia, "SMART criteria".

Analysis 28

  • A business analyst elicits, analyzes, decomposes, specifies and validates the requirements for a product. Which domain of the exam is this work? PMI, PMI-PBA Examination Content Outline: Domain 3, Analysis (35%), domain description.
  • A panel of experts answers questionnaires in rounds. After each round a facilitator shares an anonymized summary, and the experts may revise their answers. Which technique is this? PMI, PMI-PBA Examination Content Outline: Domain 3, Analysis (35%), Task 3 (decision-making tools and techniques: Delphi technique). Wikipedia, "Delphi method".
  • After brainstorming, a team sorts a large number of ideas into groups by their natural relationships. Which tool is this? PMI, PMI-PBA Examination Content Outline: Domain 3, Analysis (35%), Task 2 (analytic tools and techniques). Wikipedia, "Affinity diagram".
  • An acceptance criterion is written as Given, When, Then. What does each part state, in that order? PMI, PMI-PBA Examination Content Outline: Domain 3, Analysis (35%), Task 8 (acceptance criteria, for example given-when-then). Wikipedia, "Behavior-driven development".
  • An analyst follows a claims clerk through a working day and watches how the work is really done. Which elicitation technique is this? PMI, PMI-PBA Examination Content Outline: Domain 3, Analysis (35%), Task 1 (elicitation tools and techniques: observation). Wikipedia, "Job shadow".
  • An order can be placed, paid, shipped or cancelled, and may pass between these conditions only in set ways. Which model shows this best? PMI, PMI-PBA Examination Content Outline: Domain 3, Analysis (35%), Task 2 (data analysis tools: state diagram). Wikipedia, "State diagram".
  • By the exam content outline, accepted or deferred requirements are allocated by weighing scope, schedule, budget and resource limits against the value proposition. What does this create? PMI, PMI-PBA Examination Content Outline: Domain 3, Analysis (35%), Task 4 and Task 5.
  • By the exam content outline, evaluating product options and capabilities determines which three outcomes for requirements? PMI, PMI-PBA Examination Content Outline: Domain 3, Analysis (35%), Task 3.
  • By the exam content outline, requirements are captured with supporting details. Which two details does it give as examples? PMI, PMI-PBA Examination Content Outline: Domain 3, Analysis (35%), Task 1.
  • By the exam content outline, requirements specifications are written so that the requirements communicated are what? PMI, PMI-PBA Examination Content Outline: Domain 3, Analysis (35%), Task 6.
  • By the exam content outline, which of these are ways to validate requirements? PMI, PMI-PBA Examination Content Outline: Domain 3, Analysis (35%), Task 7.
  • Each participant gets a limited number of stickers to place on the options they favor. Which technique is this? PMI, PMI-PBA Examination Content Outline: Domain 3, Analysis (35%), Task 4 (prioritization tools and techniques). Wikipedia, "Dot-voting".
  • From whose point of view is a user story written? PMI, PMI-PBA Examination Content Outline: Domain 3, Analysis (35%), Task 6 (requirements specifications: user stories). Wikipedia, "User story".
  • In a brainstorming session, when are the ideas assessed? PMI, PMI-PBA Examination Content Outline: Domain 3, Analysis (35%), Task 1 (elicitation tools and techniques). Wikipedia, "Brainstorming".
  • In MoSCoW prioritization, what does the W stand for? PMI, PMI-PBA Examination Content Outline: Domain 3, Analysis (35%), Task 4 (prioritization tools and techniques). Wikipedia, "MoSCoW method".
  • In the INVEST mnemonic for a good backlog item, what does the N stand for? PMI, PMI-PBA Examination Content Outline: Domain 3, Analysis (35%), Task 6 (requirements specifications: user stories). Wikipedia, "INVEST (mnemonic)".
  • In the nominal group technique, what happens first? PMI, PMI-PBA Examination Content Outline: Domain 3, Analysis (35%), Task 3 (decision-making tools and techniques). Wikipedia, "Nominal group technique".
  • "Returning customers get no credit check." What is this statement an example of? PMI, PMI-PBA Examination Content Outline: Domain 3, Analysis (35%), Task 2 (business rule analysis). Wikipedia, "Business rule".
  • "The system must return search results within two seconds." What kind of requirement is this? PMI, PMI-PBA Examination Content Outline: Domain 3, Analysis (35%), Task 6 (requirements types). Wikipedia, "Non-functional requirement".
  • What does a data-flow diagram show, and what does it leave out? PMI, PMI-PBA Examination Content Outline: Domain 3, Analysis (35%), Task 2 (process modeling: data flow diagrams). Wikipedia, "Data-flow diagram".
  • What does a decision table specify? PMI, PMI-PBA Examination Content Outline: Domain 3, Analysis (35%), Task 2 (business rule analysis tools: decision table). Wikipedia, "Decision table".
  • What does a use case describe? PMI, PMI-PBA Examination Content Outline: Domain 3, Analysis (35%), Task 6 (requirements specifications: use cases). Wikipedia, "Use case".
  • What is a data dictionary? PMI, PMI-PBA Examination Content Outline: Domain 3, Analysis (35%), Task 2 (data modeling). Wikipedia, "Data dictionary".
  • What is a focus group? PMI, PMI-PBA Examination Content Outline: Domain 3, Analysis (35%), Task 1 (elicitation tools and techniques). Wikipedia, "Focus group".
  • What is a software prototype? PMI, PMI-PBA Examination Content Outline: Domain 3, Analysis (35%), Task 7 (validate requirements: prototypes). Wikipedia, "Software prototyping".
  • Which diagram defines the boundary between a system and its environment and shows the outside entities that interact with it? PMI, PMI-PBA Examination Content Outline: Domain 3, Analysis (35%), Task 2 (interface analysis). Wikipedia, "System context diagram".
  • Which question sums up validation, as opposed to verification? PMI, PMI-PBA Examination Content Outline: Domain 3, Analysis (35%), Task 7 (validate requirements). Wikipedia, "Verification and validation".
  • Why do writers on requirements prefer the word "elicitation" to "gathering"? PMI, PMI-PBA Examination Content Outline: Domain 3, Analysis (35%), Task 1. Wikipedia, "Requirements elicitation".

Traceability and monitoring 12

  • A business analyst keeps watch on requirements through their life cycle, records their progress and reports their status to stakeholders. Which domain of the exam is this work? PMI, PMI-PBA Examination Content Outline: Domain 4, Traceability and Monitoring (15%), domain description.
  • By the exam content outline, a traceability artifact captures each requirement's status, its sources and what else? PMI, PMI-PBA Examination Content Outline: Domain 4, Traceability and Monitoring (15%), Task 1.
  • By the exam content outline, monitoring requirements through their lifecycles ensures that which supporting artifacts are produced, reviewed and approved? PMI, PMI-PBA Examination Content Outline: Domain 4, Traceability and Monitoring (15%), Task 2.
  • By the exam content outline, the analyst communicates requirements status to keep the project manager and other stakeholders informed of what? PMI, PMI-PBA Examination Content Outline: Domain 4, Traceability and Monitoring (15%), Task 4.
  • By the exam content outline, what is tracking requirements in a traceability artifact meant to give evidence of? PMI, PMI-PBA Examination Content Outline: Domain 4, Traceability and Monitoring (15%), Task 1.
  • By the exam content outline, when a change to a requirement is assessed, to what is it compared? PMI, PMI-PBA Examination Content Outline: Domain 4, Traceability and Monitoring (15%), Task 5.
  • By the exam content outline, why is a requirement's status updated as it moves through its lifecycle states? PMI, PMI-PBA Examination Content Outline: Domain 4, Traceability and Monitoring (15%), Task 3.
  • Requirements traceability is the ability to follow the life of a requirement in which direction? PMI, PMI-PBA Examination Content Outline: Domain 4, Traceability and Monitoring (15%), Task 1 (requirements traceability tools and techniques). Wikipedia, "Requirements traceability".
  • What does a burndown chart plot? PMI, PMI-PBA Examination Content Outline: Domain 4, Traceability and Monitoring (15%), Task 4 (reporting tools and techniques). Wikipedia, "Burndown chart".
  • What does change impact analysis identify? PMI, PMI-PBA Examination Content Outline: Domain 4, Traceability and Monitoring (15%), Task 5 (impact analysis). Wikipedia, "Change impact analysis".
  • What is a traceability matrix? PMI, PMI-PBA Examination Content Outline: Domain 4, Traceability and Monitoring (15%), Task 1 (requirements traceability tools and techniques). Wikipedia, "Traceability matrix".
  • What is scope creep? PMI, PMI-PBA Examination Content Outline: Domain 4, Traceability and Monitoring (15%), Task 5 (change control). Wikipedia, "Scope creep".

Evaluation 8

  • A business analyst assesses how far the delivered solution meets the requirements and the business need. Which domain of the exam is this work? PMI, PMI-PBA Examination Content Outline: Domain 5, Evaluation (10%), domain description.
  • A survey asks 200 customers how likely they are to recommend a new service. 110 are promoters, 50 are passives and 40 are detractors. What is the net promoter score? PMI, PMI-PBA Examination Content Outline: Domain 5, Evaluation (10%), Task 4 (valuation techniques: net promoter score). Wikipedia, "Net promoter score".
  • By the exam content outline, the deployed solution is evaluated to determine how well it meets what? PMI, PMI-PBA Examination Content Outline: Domain 5, Evaluation (10%), Task 4.
  • By the exam content outline, the solution's test evidence (results, reports and the rest) are validated against what? PMI, PMI-PBA Examination Content Outline: Domain 5, Evaluation (10%), Task 1.
  • By the exam content outline, what does stakeholder sign-off on the developed solution allow? PMI, PMI-PBA Examination Content Outline: Domain 5, Evaluation (10%), Task 3.
  • By the exam content outline, why are the solution's gaps and deltas analyzed and communicated? PMI, PMI-PBA Examination Content Outline: Domain 5, Evaluation (10%), Task 2.
  • What is acceptance testing for? PMI, PMI-PBA Examination Content Outline: Domain 5, Evaluation (10%), Task 1 (validation tools: user acceptance testing). Wikipedia, "Acceptance testing".
  • Which is the most rigorous form of peer review of a work product? PMI, PMI-PBA Examination Content Outline: Domain 5, Evaluation (10%), Task 2 (verification methods: inspection, walk-through, desk checking, peer review). Wikipedia, "Software inspection".

How this list was compiled: Our own questions, written to the PMI Professional in Business Analysis (PMI-PBA) Examination Content Outline that PMI publishes (https://www.pmi.org/-/media/pmi/documents/public/pdf/certifications/professional-business-analysis-exam-content-outline.pdf, read 2026-10-09): Needs Assessment 18%, Planning 22%, Analysis 35%, Traceability and Monitoring 15%, Evaluation 10%. The bank holds 14, 18, 28, 12 and 8 questions. 28 questions rest on the outline's own domain descriptions and task statements. The other 52 each rest on a technique the outline lists under Knowledge and Skills, read on 2026-10-09 in the Wikipedia article named under the question. Licence: Questions, choices and explanations are original work of this site.

How it works

This free PMI-PBA practice test has 80 questions of our own, spread over the five domains of PMI's exam content outline. It is unofficial and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by the Project Management Institute (PMI).

Read the full guide

Five domains

PMI's Examination Content Outline weights Needs Assessment at 18%, Planning 22%, Analysis 35%, Traceability and Monitoring 15% and Evaluation 10%. This bank holds 14, 18, 28, 12 and 8 questions.

Quarter length, real pace

PMI's certification page, read October 9, 2026, gives 200 questions in 240 minutes. Exam mode draws 50 of ours in 60 minutes.

Two kinds of question

28 questions rest on the outline's own task statements: what a task is for and which domain it belongs to. The other 52 ask about a technique the outline lists, from MoSCoW to the traceability matrix.

  • Every task in the outline ends with its purpose, after the words "in order to". Learn the purposes: they tell the domains apart.
  • Analysis is the largest domain at 35%: elicitation, modeling, prioritization, specification and validation.
  • PMI's page allows up to three attempts at the exam within one year.

Questions and answers

How many questions are on the PMI-PBA exam?

200 questions in 240 minutes, by PMI's certification page. The content outline says 175 are scored and 25 are pretest questions, spread through the domains, that do not count in the score.

Is there a PMI-PBA certification study guide?

PMI publishes the Examination Content Outline free: five domains with their tasks, and 40 knowledge and skills. It says candidates will want the current PMBOK Guide among their references and should also read other current books on business analysis.

Is there a PMI-PBA needs assessment practice test?

Yes: 14 of the 80 questions here are on Needs Assessment, 18% of the exam. They cover problem and opportunity analysis, the business case, valuation techniques and stakeholders. Pick Needs assessment under Start from to practice them alone.

Who can take the PMI-PBA exam?

PMI lists three routes: a secondary degree with 60 months of business analysis work in the last 8 years, a bachelor's degree with 36 months, or a GAC accredited degree with 24 months. Each needs 35 contact hours of education.

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