Mobile App Design Risk Assessment & Management 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An app team learns that their primary target demographic (teens) is subject to COPPA regulations. Failing to comply creates which type of risk?
- Reputational and legal/regulatory risk (Correct answer)
- Technical debt risk
- Server scalability risk
- App store ranking risk
Correct answer: Reputational and legal/regulatory risk
Non-compliance with COPPA for apps targeting children under 13 creates legal risk (fines, lawsuits) and reputational risk (loss of user trust).
Question 2: A risk's 'likelihood' is rated 4/5 and its 'impact' is rated 2/5. Its risk score using multiplication is:
- 2
- 6
- 8 (Correct answer)
- 10
Correct answer: 8
Using the standard risk scoring formula (likelihood × impact), 4 × 2 = 8, placing this risk in a moderate priority category.
Question 3: A team builds a mobile app that can function offline and sync data when connectivity resumes. This design decision mitigates which risk?
- Security vulnerability risk
- Network connectivity risk (Correct answer)
- OS compatibility risk
- App store rejection risk
Correct answer: Network connectivity risk
Offline-first architecture with sync capabilities directly mitigates network connectivity risk by ensuring the app remains functional without internet access.
Question 4: When a key developer leaves mid-project, the team's ability to deliver is compromised. This scenario is an example of:
- Technical risk
- Resource/personnel risk (Correct answer)
- Market risk
- Legal risk
Correct answer: Resource/personnel risk
Resource or personnel risk refers to the threat that key team members leaving or becoming unavailable will impact the project's ability to deliver.
Question 5: Which document formally captures the team's agreed-upon risk tolerance thresholds and escalation procedures for a mobile app project?
- Product requirements document (PRD)
- Risk management plan (Correct answer)
- Sprint retrospective notes
- App store submission checklist
Correct answer: Risk management plan
A risk management plan defines the team's approach to risk, including tolerance levels, assessment methods, responsibilities, and escalation paths.
Question 6: An e-commerce app fails to load product images on slow 3G connections, causing users to abandon purchases. This was a foreseeable risk. Which area of risk assessment did the team neglect?
- Legal compliance review
- Performance risk under constrained network conditions (Correct answer)
- App store guideline review
- Localization testing
Correct answer: Performance risk under constrained network conditions
Performance risk assessment should include testing under constrained network conditions (low bandwidth, high latency) typical of real-world mobile usage.
Question 7: A risk owner is assigned in a risk register. What is the primary responsibility of this role?
- Writing all the code related to the risk
- Monitoring the risk and ensuring mitigation actions are executed (Correct answer)
- Approving the app store submission
- Conducting all user testing for the affected feature
Correct answer: Monitoring the risk and ensuring mitigation actions are executed
A risk owner is accountable for monitoring a specific risk and ensuring that planned mitigation actions are tracked and carried out.
Mobile App Design Risk Assessment & Management 5
An app team learns that their primary target demographic (teens) is subject to COPPA regulations.
Failing to comply creates which type of risk?