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PMI-ACP · Question #337

A change made to the internal structure of software that makes it easier to understand and cheaper to modify but does not change its observable behavior is referred to as:

The correct answer is D. Refactoring. Refactoring is the disciplined practice of restructuring existing code - improving its internal design, readability, and maintainability - without altering its external, observable behavior. It is a core XP and agile engineering practice. A Spike is a time-boxed research or…

Submitted by kwame.gh· Apr 18, 2026Continuous Improvement

Question

A change made to the internal structure of software that makes it easier to understand and cheaper to modify but does not change its observable behavior is referred to as:

Options

  • AA Spike
  • BTechnical debt
  • CA User Story
  • DRefactoring

How the community answered

(28 responses)
  • A
    7% (2)
  • B
    4% (1)
  • D
    89% (25)

Explanation

Refactoring is the disciplined practice of restructuring existing code - improving its internal design, readability, and maintainability - without altering its external, observable behavior. It is a core XP and agile engineering practice. A Spike is a time-boxed research or prototyping effort to resolve uncertainty. Technical Debt refers to the accumulated cost of shortcuts and deferred improvements in code. A User Story is a requirement expressed from a user's perspective. The key distinguishing phrase in the question is 'does not change observable behavior,' which is the defining constraint of refactoring.

Topics

#Refactoring#Technical practices#Code quality#Continuous improvement

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