Functional Requirements
Functional requirements describe the specific behaviors, features, and capabilities a solution must provide, defining what the system should do in response to inputs or conditions.
Explanation
Functional requirements specify the actions, processing, and outputs a solution must deliver. They describe the "what" of the solution in concrete, observable terms. Examples include user authentication workflows, calculation rules, data entry validations, report generation capabilities, and notification triggers.
Functional requirements are typically documented using techniques such as use cases, user stories, process flows, and requirements specification documents. Each functional requirement should be written so that it can be independently verified through testing. A well-written functional requirement follows a structured format, such as "The system shall [perform action] when [condition] so that [benefit]."
On the CAPM exam, you need to distinguish functional requirements from non-functional requirements clearly. Functional requirements describe observable behavior and features. If a requirement describes what the system does in response to an action, it is functional. If it describes how well the system performs or a quality constraint, it is non-functional.
Key Points
- •Describe what the solution must do in terms of features, behaviors, and processing
- •Documented through use cases, user stories, and requirements specifications
- •Must be independently testable with clear acceptance criteria
- •A subcategory of solution requirements along with non-functional requirements
Exam Tip
If the requirement describes an action the system performs (e.g., "calculate," "generate," "send"), it is functional. If it describes a quality attribute (e.g., "within 2 seconds," "99.9% uptime"), it is non-functional.
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Topics
Non-Functional Requirements
Non-functional requirements describe the quality attributes, constraints, and performance standards a solution must meet, specifying how well the system should perform rather than what it should do.
Solution Requirements
Solution requirements describe the characteristics, features, and capabilities that a solution must possess to meet business and stakeholder requirements. They are divided into functional and non-functional requirements.
Elicitation Techniques (Business Analysis)
Elicitation techniques are structured methods used by business analysts to gather requirements and information from stakeholders, including interviews, workshops, observation, surveys, document analysis, prototyping, and brainstorming.
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