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ISEB-SWTINT1 · Question #44

Scenario 1 A computerised system is being created to monitor the life support system on board a submarine. It monitors air quality, water supplies and temperature. This system will be supplied and…

The correct answer is C. Oxygen levels may reach dangerously low levels. Product risk means a risk that the system itself could malfunction or cause harm - essentially asking "what goes wrong with the product?" Option C is correct because dangerously low oxygen levels represent a direct consequence of the air quality management system failing to…

Test Management

Question

Scenario 1 A computerised system is being created to monitor the life support system on board a submarine. It monitors air quality, water supplies and temperature. This system will be supplied and maintained by SubsInc. SubsInc uses the V-model for software development and conducts four levels of testing, from unit through to operational and site acceptance testing. Two key risks identified for the air quality system are: 1. If the percentage of oxygen in the air falls too low, personnel may suffocate 2. If the concentration of carbon dioxide in the air rises too high, the air may become toxic. To address these risks, the requirement specification for this system includes the following requirements: R1) Oxygen must be replaced as it is consumed. R2) Carbon dioxide must be removed from the air. These requirements must be reflected in the functional, technical and program specification documents. You are a newly recruited test manager. A risk register has been produced with the following additional risks identified. Which one is a product risk associated with the air quality management system?

Options

  • AThe system required to monitor oxygen levels may be more expensive than those required to
  • BSubsInc may need to recruit extra developers and testers to deliver the project on time.
  • COxygen levels may reach dangerously low levels.
  • DExtreme temperatures may lead to heat exhaustion of personnel.

How the community answered

(36 responses)
  • A
    3% (1)
  • B
    8% (3)
  • C
    75% (27)
  • D
    14% (5)

Explanation

Product risk means a risk that the system itself could malfunction or cause harm - essentially asking "what goes wrong with the product?" Option C is correct because dangerously low oxygen levels represent a direct consequence of the air quality management system failing to fulfil its core requirements (R1 and R2). If the system doesn't work correctly, this is precisely the harm that results - making it a risk about the product's behavior.

A is wrong because cost overruns for monitoring equipment are a project risk (budget/procurement concern), not a risk about how the system performs.

B is wrong because needing to recruit extra staff is a project risk relating to resourcing and schedule delivery, with no bearing on the product's functionality.

D is wrong because heat exhaustion from extreme temperatures is a risk associated with the temperature monitoring subsystem, not the air quality management system - the question asks specifically about air quality.

Memory tip: Split risks into two buckets - "project going wrong" (budget, staff, deadlines) vs. "product going wrong" (system misbehaves, harms users). If the risk describes something a user could suffer because the software failed, it's a product risk.

Topics

#product risk#risk identification#safety-critical systems#risk analysis

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