Ladwp Systems Analyst Exam
Questions And Correct Answers
(Verified Answers) Plus Rationales
2026 Q&A | Instant Download Pdf
1. A systems analyst is gathering requirements for a new utility
customer information system. Which approach is most effective for
identifying differences between what users currently need and
what the existing system provides?
A. Increase server capacity
B. Replace the database immediately
C. Perform a gap analysis
D. Develop the user interface first
Answer: C.
Rationale: A gap analysis compares the current state with the desired
future state and identifies missing capabilities, process deficiencies,
and functional requirements. For a utility organization, this can reveal
gaps involving customer service, billing, outage communication, data
integration, reporting, and security. Increasing server capacity may
address performance but does not identify requirements gaps.
Replacing the database before understanding the problem is
premature, while designing the interface first can result in building
functionality that does not satisfy actual business needs.
2. Which requirement is the best example of a functional requirement
for a utility work-management application?
,A. The system shall allow supervisors to assign work orders to field
crews
B. The application shall have 99.9 percent availability
C. The application shall encrypt sensitive data
D. The system shall respond within two seconds
Answer: A.
Rationale: A functional requirement describes what the system must
do. Allowing supervisors to assign work orders is a specific system
function. Availability, encryption, and response time describe qualities
or constraints on how the system performs and are therefore
nonfunctional requirements. Distinguishing functional and
nonfunctional requirements helps analysts create complete
specifications and prevents important operational expectations from
being overlooked.
3. A stakeholder says, “The system needs to be user-friendly.” What
should the systems analyst do first?
A. Interpret user-friendly as a response time of less than one second
B. Remove the statement because it cannot be tested
C. Convert it directly into a database requirement
D. Ask clarifying questions and define measurable usability criteria
Answer: D.
Rationale: “User-friendly” is subjective and cannot be adequately
tested without clarification. The analyst should determine what users
mean, such as intuitive navigation, limited training requirements,
accessibility, consistent terminology, or a specified task-completion
rate. Measurable acceptance criteria can then be created. This
illustrates the analyst’s role in transforming vague stakeholder
expectations into clear, verifiable requirements.
, 4. In a context diagram, what does an external entity generally
represent?
A. A database table inside the application
B. A person, organization, or external system that interacts with the
system
C. An internal software module
D. A programming variable
Answer: B.
Rationale: A context diagram provides a high-level view of the system
and its interactions with external entities. External entities can include
customers, employees, regulatory organizations, payment providers,
geographic information systems, or other enterprise applications.
Internal tables and software modules belong inside the system
boundary and are not normally represented as external entities in a
context diagram.
5. Which SQL statement is primarily used to retrieve data from a
relational database?
A. SELECT
B. UPDATE
C. DELETE
D. ALTER
Answer: A.
Rationale: SELECT retrieves data from one or more tables or views.
UPDATE modifies existing rows, DELETE removes rows, and ALTER
changes database object definitions. A systems analyst does not
necessarily need to be a database administrator, but strong SQL
, knowledge is valuable for validating requirements, investigating data
problems, testing interfaces, and developing analytical queries.
6. A project team discovers that two systems use different customer
identification formats. What should the systems analyst investigate
first?
A. Whether the office printers use compatible drivers
B. Whether the application screens use the same colors
C. Whether a common data definition or transformation rule can
reconcile the identifiers
D. Whether additional employees should be hired
Answer: C.
Rationale: Different identifiers create a data integration and master-
data problem. The analyst should determine whether both systems
refer to the same business entity, identify authoritative sources,
document data definitions, and establish mapping or transformation
rules. Resolving the issue at the data-definition level is more reliable
than attempting to solve it through superficial interface changes.
7. Which technique involves observing employees while they
perform their normal duties?
A. Benchmarking
B. Prototyping
C. Brainstorming
D. Observation
Answer: D.
Rationale: Observation allows the analyst to see actual work practices
rather than relying entirely on what users remember or report. It can
uncover workarounds, undocumented procedures, manual
Questions And Correct Answers
(Verified Answers) Plus Rationales
2026 Q&A | Instant Download Pdf
1. A systems analyst is gathering requirements for a new utility
customer information system. Which approach is most effective for
identifying differences between what users currently need and
what the existing system provides?
A. Increase server capacity
B. Replace the database immediately
C. Perform a gap analysis
D. Develop the user interface first
Answer: C.
Rationale: A gap analysis compares the current state with the desired
future state and identifies missing capabilities, process deficiencies,
and functional requirements. For a utility organization, this can reveal
gaps involving customer service, billing, outage communication, data
integration, reporting, and security. Increasing server capacity may
address performance but does not identify requirements gaps.
Replacing the database before understanding the problem is
premature, while designing the interface first can result in building
functionality that does not satisfy actual business needs.
2. Which requirement is the best example of a functional requirement
for a utility work-management application?
,A. The system shall allow supervisors to assign work orders to field
crews
B. The application shall have 99.9 percent availability
C. The application shall encrypt sensitive data
D. The system shall respond within two seconds
Answer: A.
Rationale: A functional requirement describes what the system must
do. Allowing supervisors to assign work orders is a specific system
function. Availability, encryption, and response time describe qualities
or constraints on how the system performs and are therefore
nonfunctional requirements. Distinguishing functional and
nonfunctional requirements helps analysts create complete
specifications and prevents important operational expectations from
being overlooked.
3. A stakeholder says, “The system needs to be user-friendly.” What
should the systems analyst do first?
A. Interpret user-friendly as a response time of less than one second
B. Remove the statement because it cannot be tested
C. Convert it directly into a database requirement
D. Ask clarifying questions and define measurable usability criteria
Answer: D.
Rationale: “User-friendly” is subjective and cannot be adequately
tested without clarification. The analyst should determine what users
mean, such as intuitive navigation, limited training requirements,
accessibility, consistent terminology, or a specified task-completion
rate. Measurable acceptance criteria can then be created. This
illustrates the analyst’s role in transforming vague stakeholder
expectations into clear, verifiable requirements.
, 4. In a context diagram, what does an external entity generally
represent?
A. A database table inside the application
B. A person, organization, or external system that interacts with the
system
C. An internal software module
D. A programming variable
Answer: B.
Rationale: A context diagram provides a high-level view of the system
and its interactions with external entities. External entities can include
customers, employees, regulatory organizations, payment providers,
geographic information systems, or other enterprise applications.
Internal tables and software modules belong inside the system
boundary and are not normally represented as external entities in a
context diagram.
5. Which SQL statement is primarily used to retrieve data from a
relational database?
A. SELECT
B. UPDATE
C. DELETE
D. ALTER
Answer: A.
Rationale: SELECT retrieves data from one or more tables or views.
UPDATE modifies existing rows, DELETE removes rows, and ALTER
changes database object definitions. A systems analyst does not
necessarily need to be a database administrator, but strong SQL
, knowledge is valuable for validating requirements, investigating data
problems, testing interfaces, and developing analytical queries.
6. A project team discovers that two systems use different customer
identification formats. What should the systems analyst investigate
first?
A. Whether the office printers use compatible drivers
B. Whether the application screens use the same colors
C. Whether a common data definition or transformation rule can
reconcile the identifiers
D. Whether additional employees should be hired
Answer: C.
Rationale: Different identifiers create a data integration and master-
data problem. The analyst should determine whether both systems
refer to the same business entity, identify authoritative sources,
document data definitions, and establish mapping or transformation
rules. Resolving the issue at the data-definition level is more reliable
than attempting to solve it through superficial interface changes.
7. Which technique involves observing employees while they
perform their normal duties?
A. Benchmarking
B. Prototyping
C. Brainstorming
D. Observation
Answer: D.
Rationale: Observation allows the analyst to see actual work practices
rather than relying entirely on what users remember or report. It can
uncover workarounds, undocumented procedures, manual
