BCS Level 4 Module in Software

Developer
Sample Paper A
Record your surname / last / family name and initials on the answer sheet.

Sample paper only consisting of 40 questions in total across:

• 20 knowledge questions that include a range of question types such as multiple
choice, multiple response and fill in the blanks – 1 mark awarded for each question.
• 4 scenario-driven situational judgement assessments each with 5 questions
designed to test knowledge, skills and behaviours that include a range of question
types such as multiple choice, multiple response, fill in the blanks and ordering
question types – 1 mark awarded for each question.

A number of possible answers are given for each multiple choice or multiple response
question, indicated by either A B C or D (up to E in the skills scenarios). A number of other
questions will require you to re-order a list or fill in the blanks. Your answers should be
clearly indicated on your answer sheet.

Pass mark is 26/40

Distinction is 34/40
Time allowed: 90 Minutes

Copying of this paper is expressly forbidden without the direct approval of BCS,
The Chartered Institute for IT.

This is a United Kingdom government regulated qualification which is administered and

approved by one or more of the following: Ofqual, Qualifications Wales, CCEA Regulation
or SQA.

Copyright © BCS 2022 Page 0 of 24

BCS Level 4 Module in Software Developer
Version 1.2 March 2022
 1 Which of the following is the PRIMARY role of the Software Development
Lifecycle (SDLC)?

Select ONE of the following.

A SDLC is a method for outsourcing software development.

B SDLC provides a structured approach to software development.
C SDLC prevents the development of large, complex software systems.
D SDLC enables software development to take place in isolation.

2 The assessment of a range of business factors to establish if a project SHOULD

be undertaken, is completed at which stage of the Software Development
Lifecycle?

Select ONE of the following.

A Design.
B Implementation.
C Development.
D Feasibility.

3 Which of the following are assessed when conducting a feasibility study?

Select all that apply.

A Business constraints.
B Technical constraints.
C Financial constraints.
D Maintenance constraints.

4 Which of the following WOULD be a reason for a Technical Support department

to liaise with software developers before a new system goes live?

Select ONE of the following.

A To be made aware of workarounds for known issues.

B To be granted access to a documentation repository.
C To provide details of the user's security credentials.
D To arrange for the system deployment to production.

Copyright © BCS 2022 Page 1 of 24

BCS Level 4 Module in Software Developer
Version 1.2 March 2022
 5 Which of the following document(s) does the software tester create?

Select all that apply.

A GANTT chart.
B Software validation plans and scripts.
C Use case diagrams.
D Change management plan.

6 Which of the following describes the function of design patterns?

Select ONE of the following.

A They encourage testing early in development.

B They enable rapid requirements engineering.
C They represent the best software processes.
D They reuse successful software approaches.

7 In software development, what is TYPICALLY meant by authentication?

Select ONE of the following.

A The ability for users to identify themselves to a system.

B Making code more obscure to protect it from being stolen.
C A way by which individual users are given permissions.
D A standard process used to check the skills of developers.

8 Which of the following would TYPICALLY occur in a penetration test?

Select all that apply.

A A measurement of the average loading time for a web page.

B A test of the password policy.
C An attempt at an SQL injection attack.
D A social engineering attack against the service desk.

9 Software is the deliverable from which stage of the SDLC?

Select ONE of the following.

A Testing.
B Development.
C Planning.
D Maintenance.

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Copyright © BCS 2022
BCS Level 4 Module in Software Developer
Version 1.2 March 2022
 10 In the context of a software development project, which of the
following BEST describes the MAIN responsibility of a Product Owner??

Select ONE of the following.

A Maximise the value of the delivered product.

B Manage the development team.
C Manage application infrastructure.
D Market the product to investors.

11 Non-functional testing methods evaluate non-functional requirements of software

applications, i.e. how the system operates and performs against certain
requirements.

Enter the CORRECT blank option from the list below to match each definition.
Performance testing, Compatibility testing, Security testing, Usability testing.

A The method that checks system responsiveness and stability under a particular
workload is ___________.
B The method that reveals vulnerabilities that may compromise the protection of
data is ___________.
C The method that evaluates ease of use by end users and fitness for purpose is
___________.
D The method that tests how the product operates with other software and
hardware is __________.

12 Which of the following is NOT a benefit of using design patterns?

Select ONE of the following.

A Providing tested, proven development templates.

B Enable consideration of issues that may not become visible until later in the
implementation.
C Improving code readability for coders who are familiar with the patterns.
D Providing specific solutions to a known problem that is unlikely to re-occur.

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Copyright © BCS 2022
BCS Level 4 Module in Software Developer
Version 1.2 March 2022
 13 Which of the following risks WOULD exist if security was not built into an
application?

Select ONE of the following.

A The application will have bugs and run slowly.

B The application source code could be stolen.
C The application would pose a risk to users.
D The application will not be permitted online.

14 Which of the following statements CORRECTLY describe algorithms?

Select all that apply.

A Algorithms are a set of instructions for achieving goals.

B Algorithms may be decomposed into component parts (procedures), each of
which itself contains an algorithm.
C A single problem may be solved by several different algorithms.
D Different algorithms for the same task will have the same performance
characteristics.

15 Which of the following BEST describes the adapter pattern in software design?

Select ONE of the following.

A It allows an object to expose a different interface.

B It encapsulates the logic involved in choosing an appropriate class.
C It allows two processes to run concurrently.
D It mutates an object's instance variables.

16 What are the MAIN purposes of using naming conventions in software

development?

Select all that apply.

A Reduce ambiguity.
B Increase security.
C Increase readability.
D Increase discoverability.

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Copyright © BCS 2022
BCS Level 4 Module in Software Developer
Version 1.2 March 2022
 17 Which statement CORRECTLY describes the purpose of the Software
Development Lifecycle?

Select ONE of the following.

A A mechanism for deploying operational IT systems.

B A way of capturing customer and user requirements.
C A set of steps by which software can be produced.
D A measure of how long a piece of software is viable.

18 Which stage of the Software Development Lifecycle seeks to model the users’
requirements?

Select ONE of the following.

A Code development.
B Design.
C Feasibility.
D Implementation.

19 Use cases are a deliverable at the end of which stage of the Software
Development Lifecycle?

Select ONE of the following.

A Feasibility.
B Analysis.
C Development.
D Implementation.

20 Which of the following is within the scope of the Code Development phase of the
Software Development Lifecycle?

Select ONE of the following.

A Unit testing.
B Defect tracking.
C Risk analysis.
D Paper prototyping.

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Copyright © BCS 2022
BCS Level 4 Module in Software Developer
Version 1.2 March 2022
Scenario 1:
You are employed as a software developer by an organisation who are looking for solution
to automate their staff scheduling, to maximise their payroll budget while being considerate
of each individuals contracted hours, site opening hours, colleague availability and peak
working times.

21 In order to establish the desired functionality of the solution, which of the following
would be the MOST suitable action to begin with?

Select ONE of the following.

A Schedule a meeting with the Business analyst to discuss requirements.

B Schedule a meeting with the project sponsor to discuss their vision.
C Study the business case.
D Arrange a meeting with the other developers to scope a solution.
E Create a flowchart to represent all of the processes within the solution.

22 Following a consultation with staff members about the new scheduling tool, the
following problems, constraints or considerations have been raised.

Match the issues with the correct category.

ISSUES: CATEGORY:
A Working time directive. []
Data protection.
B Colleague shift preferences. []
Family and caring responsibilities.
C Naming conventions. []
Secure development practises.
D Colleague calendar sharing and []
accuracy.
Holiday request notice period.

CATEGORIES:
1. Business processes
2. Cultural
3. Professional standards
4. Legal

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Copyright © BCS 2022
BCS Level 4 Module in Software Developer
Version 1.2 March 2022
 23 In order to ensure that a solution is viable, you must conduct a feasibility study.
Which of the following factors must be considered as part of this study?

Select all that apply.

A Technology.
B Finances.
C Operational viability.
D Stakeholder buy-in.
E Value perception.

24 When operating with an Agile development approach, select the CORRECT order
in which to complete these activities.

A [ ] Retrospective activity.
B [ ] Diagram requirements for initial sprint.
C [ ] Establish the MVP.
D [ ] Define the features of the solution.
E [ ] Commence first sprint.

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Copyright © BCS 2022
BCS Level 4 Module in Software Developer
Version 1.2 March 2022
 25 A flowchart has been created to demonstrate the process of scheduling an
available employee for a given shift, to be reviewed with the technical architect.

Which of the following is NOT demonstrated by this flowchart?

Select ONE of the following.

A Employees who are unavailable will not be scheduled for a shift.

B Employees may be scheduled for a shift greater than their contracted hours.
C Employees may not be scheduled for a shift greater than their contracted hours.
D Staff availability is ascertained through their calendars.

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Copyright © BCS 2022
BCS Level 4 Module in Software Developer
Version 1.2 March 2022
Scenario 2:
You have been contracted as a software developer by a management agency
representing a musician, who would like you to build a tool to allow fans to upload videos
of themselves performing to a media player embedded on the musician’s website after
going through a robust moderation process.

26 In order to establish the desired functionality of the solution, which of the following
would be the MOST suitable action to begin with?

Select ONE of the following.

A Schedule a meeting with the agency to establish their specific requirements.

B Mock up a solution to present to stakeholders.
C Familiarise yourself with the existing website.
D Schedule time with the musician to understand the types of videos that fans will
upload.
E Assess the feasibility of the project.

27 Users who pay for a "VIP Membership" to the website have been asked for their
input on the proposed new feature. The following problems, constraints or
considerations have been raised.

Match the issues with the correct category.

ISSUES: CATEGORY:
A Data protection. []
Copyright and licensing.
B Suitability of uploads for global []
audiences.
Typical users of the website.
C Secure development. []
The competence of the development
team.
D Monitoring the age of the performer(s) []
in uploads.
Managing explicit content.

CATEGORIES:
1. Professional standards
2. Cultural
3. Ethical responsibilities
4. Legal

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Copyright © BCS 2022
BCS Level 4 Module in Software Developer
Version 1.2 March 2022
 28 As part of your feasibility study, you have been analysing the costs associated
with sourcing and implementing the required solution, and if the current website
architecture would allow for such a solution. Which of the following areas have
been assessed?

Select all that apply.

A User experience.
B Impact of not implementing the solution.
C Operational implementation.
D Technical feasibility.
E Financial viability.

29 You have been advised to undertake the development in a linear manner.

CORRECTLY order the following steps.

A [ ] Test the solution.

B [ ] Deploy the solution.
C [ ] Define the features of the complete solution.
D [ ] Design the solution.
E [ ] Commence build.

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Copyright © BCS 2022
BCS Level 4 Module in Software Developer
Version 1.2 March 2022
 30 A flowchart has been created to demonstrate the video age verification and
moderation process to be reviewed with the technical architect.

Select ONE item on the flowchart which represents a process which has already
been established.

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Copyright © BCS 2022
BCS Level 4 Module in Software Developer
Version 1.2 March 2022
Scenario 3:
You are employed in an organisation who would like to implement a bespoke solution for a
ticketing system, for use by the IT support team. They are a small team, responsible for
the queries generated by a field-based team, spread across the country. The system
should be used to log, prioritise and trace all queries throughout the resolution process.

31 In order to establish the desired functionality of the solution, which of the following
would be the MOST suitable action to begin with?

Select ONE of the following.

A Schedule a meeting with the requirements engineer to discuss requirements.

B Schedule a meeting with a sample of the end users to discuss their needs.
C Study the business case.
D Arrange a meeting with the rest of the development team to scope a solution.
E Create a series swim lane diagrams to model each of the processes within the
solution.

32 A consultation with the IT service desk team and a sample of end users has taken
place and the following issues, suggestions or considerations have been raised.

Match the issues with the correct category.

ISSUES: CATEGORY:
A Data protection. []
Identity fraud.
B Allowing remote access to company []
devices.
C Secure development practices. []
Sharing solutions for common
problems.
D Concerns around queue jumping. []
Service level agreement for resolution
turnaround.

CATEGORIES:
1. Security
2. Business processes
3. Professional standards
4. Legal
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Copyright © BCS 2022
BCS Level 4 Module in Software Developer
Version 1.2 March 2022
 33 As part of your feasibility study, you have analysed the existing hardware, storage
limitations and scalability of your intended solution. Which area of feasibility have
you investigated?

Select ONE of the following.

A Technical viability.
B Stakeholder engagement.
C Return on investment.
D Financial resources.
E Operational implementation.

34 Upon completion of the first sprint, a retrospective activity shall take place, to
reflect upon the sprint. Which of the following factors WOULD you discuss during
this activity?

Select all that apply.

A What went well.

B Project budget tracker.
C What could be improved in the next sprint.
D Start, stop, continue activities.
E Questions from team members.

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Copyright © BCS 2022
BCS Level 4 Module in Software Developer
Version 1.2 March 2022
 35 A flowchart has been created to demonstrate the process for closing a completed
ticket, to review with the process owner.

Select the area of the diagram which shows no action is required of live tickets,
less than 30 days old.

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Copyright © BCS 2022
BCS Level 4 Module in Software Developer
Version 1.2 March 2022
Scenario 4:
You have been contracted as a software developer by an online learning platform who
host content from various training providers, for a maintenance fee. They have tasked you
with developing a software solution for gathering and collating feedback from as many
users as possible, throughout their learning journey. Currently, feedback is obtained by
contacting a random, small sample of users via telephone upon completion of their course.

36 In order to establish the desired functionality of the solution, which of the following
would be the MOST suitable action to begin with?

Select ONE of the following.

A Mock up a solution to present to stakeholders.

B Assess the feasibility of the project by assessing the existing feedback process.
C Familiarise yourself with the existing website.
D Schedule a meeting with the online learning platform team to establish their
requirements.
E Create a flowchart to represent all of the processes within the solution.

37 Following a consultation with staff members about the new scheduling tool, the
following problems, constraints or considerations have been raised.

Match the issues with the correct category.

ISSUES: CATEGORY:
A Data Protection. []
Copyright and licensing.
B Anonymity. []
Unwanted contact.
C File naming conventions. []
Secure development practices.
D Registering course completions. []
Poor feedback follow-up.

CATEGORIES:
1. Legal
2. Ethical
3. Professional standards
4. Business processes

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Copyright © BCS 2022
BCS Level 4 Module in Software Developer
Version 1.2 March 2022
 38 One of your peers has conducted a feasibility study to assess the practicalities of
implementing the solution. However, the output of the study is excessive and too
many factors appear to have been considered. Which of the following SHOULD
NOT be included in the feasibility study?

Select all that apply.

A Technical viability.
B Financial viability.
C Operational implementation.
D Customer experience.
E Return on investment.

39 You have been advised to undertake the development in a linear manner.

CORRECTLY order the following steps.

A [ ] Design the solution.

B [ ] Test the solution.
C [ ] Deploy the solution
D [ ] Commence build.
E [ ] Define the features of the complete solution.

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Copyright © BCS 2022
BCS Level 4 Module in Software Developer
Version 1.2 March 2022
 40 A flowchart has been created to demonstrate the process for following up on low
customer feedback scores, to be confirmed with the business analyst.

Which of the following statements is incorrectly represented in the flowchart?

Select ONE of the following.

A The feedback survey is sent to users upon completion of a course.

B A user who does not provide feedback shall receive a follow up call.
C A user who provides feedback score of greater than 3/5 does not require a follow
up call.
D Feedback with a score greater than 3/5 shall be accepted.

End of Paper

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Copyright © BCS 2022
BCS Level 4 Module in Software Developer
Version 1.2 March 2022
 BCS Level 4 Module in Software Developer
Answer Key and Rationale

Question Answer Explanation / Rationale Syllabus

Section
1 B Software Development Life Cycle adds 1.1
structure and a consistent approach to the
development of software solutions.

2 D The feasibility stage helps one to understand 1.2

whether a project is technically, financially and
operationally possible.

3 A,B,C Maintenance is not considered as part of this 1.3

study.

4 A Technical support should be made aware of 2.1

common/likely issues and how to resolve them
prior to launch.

5 B, C The creation of A and D should be the 2.2

responsibility of other roles in the project team.

6 D Design patterns can improve the speed of 5.3

development, by repurposing designs which
have proven to be successful in similar projects.

7 A Authentication ensures the identity of the user is 6.3

known.

8 C and D The other activities would not be classed as 10.2

penetration testing, although they may be
undertaken at other times.

9 B Software is classed as a deliverable at this 1.4

stage, with maintenance, etc coming thereafter.

10 A The Product Owner is responsible for the value 2.2

– real and perceived – of the product.

11 See Performance testing checks system 10.2

explanation responsiveness and stability under a particular
workload.

Security testing reveals vulnerabilities that may

compromise data protection.

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BCS Level 4 Module in Software Developer
Version 1.2 March 2022
 Question Answer Explanation / Rationale Syllabus
Section
Usability testing evaluates ease of use by end
users and fitness for purpose.

Compatibility testing tests how the product

operates with other software and hardware.

12 D Using design patterns is a reusable solution to 5.3

commonly occurring problems, therefore would
provide no value if the problem does no re-
occur.

13 C Building security into an application does not 6.3

increase the risk of bugs, slow speed or the
source code being stolen. Applications without
security however do pose risks to users in terms
of unauthorised access to sensitive data.

14 A,B,C Different algorithms may complete the same 7.1

task however will not have the same
performance characteristics.

15 A By allowing an object to expose a different 5.3

interface, adapter pattern enables classes to
work together that could not otherwise because
of incompatible interfaces.

16 A, C, D Use of appropriate naming conventions enable 6.3

readability by third party applications and
developers; clarity is enhanced, particularly
where ambiguity may be present; and locating
of files is facilitated.

17 C Software Development Lifecycle is a process 1.1

that defines the stages in the development of
software for delivering a high-quality product
from inception to retirement.

18 B During the design stage, requirements and 1.2

details of the design are discussed with the
user(s) in order to support a successful
outcome. The feasibility study assesses the
measure of suitability of the development
process prior to modelling the user
requirements. Code development cannot start
until the design is agreed and it would be too

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Copyright © BCS 2022
BCS Level 4 Module in Software Developer
Version 1.2 March 2022
 Question Answer Explanation / Rationale Syllabus
Section
late to model requirements at the
implementation stage.
19 B Use cases are used during the analysis stage to 1.4
identify, clarify and organize system
requirements.
20 A 1.3
21 A Establishing and discussing the requirements 2.1, 2.2
would take place before any other development
activity from these options, as the requirements
would need to be understood before a solution
could be planned.

22 See WTD and DP are legal requirements. Working 6.2, 6.3

explanation preferences and individual responsibilities are
not legally required, but they do influence
business culture. Updating calendars and
following the holiday request process are not
legally required but they are expected business
processes. Naming conventions and developing
in a secure manner are expectations of an IT
professional.

23 A, B, C A feasibility assessment would always include 1.2, 1.3

those three elements. Value perception and
stakeholder buy-in may be measured in other
areas.

24 See Logically in an Agile development environment, 3.4, 4.1,

explanation the desired features of the solution would be 4.3
established, and from this an MVP could be
derived. The requirements for the first sprint
would be established and then undertaken, with
retrospective activity last, to reflect and make
improvements.

1. Define the features of the solution.

2. Establish the MVP.
3. Diagram requirements for initial sprint.
4. Commence first sprint.
5. Retrospective activity.

25 B The flowchart would prevent a colleague being 9.1

assigned a shift longer than their contracted
hours, demonstrated by the decision diamond.

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Copyright © BCS 2022
BCS Level 4 Module in Software Developer
Version 1.2 March 2022
 Question Answer Explanation / Rationale Syllabus
Section
26 A Establishing and discussing the requirements 2.1,2.2
would take place before any other development
activity from these options, as the requirements
would need to be understood before a solution
could be planned.

27 See Data protection and copyright are legal issues. 6.2,6.3

explanation The suitability of the uploaded content (post
moderation) may not align with the values of all
cultures and even website users. The
management of explicit content and the age of
the performers in the music videos would be an
ethical concern, but not necessarily legal.
Secure development of the solution and
competence of the developers are professional
standards issues.

28 D, E This cost would be considered under the 1.2,1.3

financial elements of a feasibility study, and the
architecture of the current offering would be
technical.

29 See Logically in a waterfall development 3.4, 4.1,

explanation environment, the stages of development would 4.3
be completed in order as per the SDLC, with no
iterations or MVP.

1. Define the features of the complete

solution.
2. Design the solution.
3. Commence build.
4. Test the solution.
5. Deploy the solution.
6.
30 ‘Appropriate The notation used identifies the Appropriate 9.1
Content Content Guidance as a pre-existing process.
Guidance’ item

31 A Establishing and discussing the requirements 2.1,2.2

would take place before any other development
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Copyright © BCS 2022
BCS Level 4 Module in Software Developer
Version 1.2 March 2022
 Question Answer Explanation / Rationale Syllabus
Section
activity from these options, as the requirements
would need to be understood before a solution
could be planned.

32 See DP and identify fraud risks are legal issues. 6.2, 6.3
explanation Remotely accessing devices and restricting
access to particular functions are security
measures. Secure dev and sharing knowledge
and good professional standards. Ensuring all
requests go through the ticketing process and
agreeing an SLA are business processes.

33 A There areas would be categorised as technical 1.2,1.3

in a feasibility assessment.

34 A,C,D,E Budget would not generally be discussed as 3.4, 4.1,

part of a sprint retrospective. 4.3

35 ‘End’ oval The ‘End’ oval shows that tickets under 30 days 9.1
old do not require any further action.

36 D Establishing and discussing the requirements 2.1,2.2

would take place before any other development
activity from these options, as the requirements
would need to be understood before a solution
could be planned.

37 See Protecting the anonymity of the user and 6.2,6.3

explanation ensuring unwanted contact are avoided are
ethical concerns. File naming conventions and
dev practises relate to professional IT
standards. Data protection and copyright issues
are legal concerns, and course completions and
feedback rely on business processes.

38 CX and ROI would be measured in other areas. 1.2,1.3

D,E

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Copyright © BCS 2022
BCS Level 4 Module in Software Developer
Version 1.2 March 2022
 Question Answer Explanation / Rationale Syllabus
Section

39 See Logically in a waterfall development 3.4, 4.1,

explanation environment, the stages of development would 4.3
be completed in order as per the SDLC, with no
iterations or MVP.

1. Define the features of the complete

solution.
2. Design the solution.
3. Commence build.
4. Test the solution.
5. Deploy the solution

40 B If the user does not provide feedback, the 9.1

process end, as shown by the ‘End’ oval.

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Copyright © BCS 2022
BCS Level 4 Module in Software Developer
Version 1.2 March 2022