The purpose of this exam is to ensure that apprentices are able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of Software Development Methodologies as required by the IfATE standards, specifically:
The exam consists of 40 multiple-choice question which must be completed within 1 hour. The pass mark is 26/40 (65%).
The exam is currently taken remotely and you are required to install specific software on your computer to allow remote invigitation.
The exam marks are split as follows:
The purpose of the SDLC is to specify a set of steps to create a software end-product. It guides us in turning business requirements into operational IT systems.
The 7 stages of the SDLC are listed below.
Note that you will see variations of these terms on-line and in literature however these are the terms used by the BCS hence we will use these throughout this module.
The high level purpose of each stage is described below, we will discuss each stage in detail in future lessons.
| Stage | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Feasibility Study | Determine if the project is worthwhile |
| Requirements Analysis | Obtain the user requirements |
| Design | Design the system |
| Development | Write the code |
| Testing | Test the software |
| Implementation/Deployment | Deploy the software |
| Maintenance | Support the software |
Remember that your portfolio will need to evidence projects which cover all of the above stages of the software lifecycle (excluding Feasibility Study)
A feasibility study involves investigation and research to evaluate a project's potential for success.
The idea for a project can come from a number of different places.
For example, modern banking apps like Monzo and Starling introduced the ability to freeze a debit card via an app. Other banks saw this and reacted to the competition by implementing this same feature for their own customers. This is an example of a SDLC being driven by business needs.
Listen to this Dragon's Den pitch. Do you think the idea is feasible?
A feasibility study considers the following:
The financial feasibility is determined based on whether the benefits outweigh the costs of delivery.
Costs and benefits can be either:
Cost Benefit Analysis takes into account both the tangible and the non-tangible benefits, Return on Investment (ROI) only takes into account tangible benefits.
Return on Investment is calculated as follows:
ROI = Investment Gain / Investment Base
e.g. a property developer purchases a property valued at £400,000. Five years later, the developers sells the property for £600,000.
ROI = (600,000 – 400,000) / (400,000) = 0.5 or 50%
Cost-benefit is calculated as follows:
Cost-benefit = Benefit - Cost
Cost-benefit ratio is calculated as follows:
Cost-benefit = Benefits / Cost
If a project has a cost-benefit ratio greater than 1.0, the project is generally expected to deliver value.
Let's look at an example:
A new lane on the M4 is to be constructed. The costs and benefits of this road are as follows:
❓ What is the cost benefit
❓ What is the cost benefit ratio (rounded to 2 decimal places)?
Based on this, should the road go ahead?
Now, read a real live example of the Emergency Telehealth and Navigation programme cost benefit analysis
A Business Case document is created after the Feasibility Study and provides the justification for undertaking the project. It typically consists of the following sections:
Choose one of the following Feasibility Studies to review (no need to read it all, just the Executive Summary and table of contents)
Feasibility Study of the Network Rail southern connection to Heathrow Airport
Feasibility Study into the Establishment of a National Musical Instrument Fund
Now skim through a Business Case and see how this differs in structure to the Feasibility Study.
Now complete the following quizzes in Applied: