CPSA Risk Management and Technical Debt 2

Question 1

What is an Architecture Fitness Function as described by Ford, Parsons, and Kua?

Accepted Answer

An automated check that verifies whether the system continues to meet a specific architectural characteristic

Answer

Fitness functions are automated tests or checks that continuously verify that the architecture conforms to defined characteristics, catching erosion early.

Question 2

How should an architect PRIORITIZE which technical debt to address first?

Accepted Answer

Address debt that poses the highest risk to quality attributes and is in frequently changed areas

Answer

Prioritizing debt in hot spots — code areas that change frequently and carry high risk — maximizes the return on debt repayment effort.

Question 3

What does Conway's Law state, and why is it relevant to architectural risk?

Accepted Answer

Organizations tend to design systems that mirror their own communication structures, creating a risk of misaligned architecture

Answer

Conway's Law warns that team communication structures shape the architecture, so poor organizational design can become an architectural risk.

Question 4

What is the Strangler Fig pattern and how does it relate to managing architectural risk?

Accepted Answer

A refactoring technique where new functionality is built alongside a legacy system until the old system can be safely retired

Answer

The Strangler Fig pattern reduces the risk of replacing legacy systems by gradually migrating functionality to a new system while the old one continues to operate.

Question 5

Which of the following BEST describes 'architecture drift'?

Accepted Answer

A gradual unplanned deviation from intended architectural decisions due to local developer choices

Answer

Architecture drift occurs when developers make local decisions that cumulatively move the system away from the intended design without explicit approval.

CPSA Exam Practice Test

CPSA Exam Practice Test

CPSA Risk Management and Technical Debt 2