Which statement best captures one of the two most important objectives for requirements gathering?

• A. Ensure an adequate and consistent backlog of requirements to keep the team working
• B. Ensure that requirements are valuable and consistent with the customer needs
• C. Ensure that each requirement is assigned to a specific sprint in the project
• D. Ensure all implementation details are defined

Answer: (C)

The central idea being tested is that requirements gathering should focus on delivering value to the customer and aligning with their actual needs. The statement that emphasizes ensuring requirements are valuable and consistent with customer needs is the strongest because it ties everything back to what the customer will use and benefit from. When requirements reflect true value and alignment, teams can prioritize effectively, validate that what’s being built solves the right problems, and set meaningful acceptance criteria.

Planning to assign each requirement to a specific sprint is a planning decision more than a fundamental aim of discovery. It can prematurely constrain what is discovered during elicitation and disrupt flexible prioritization as understanding evolves. Meanwhile, insisting that all implementation details be defined during requirements gathering is unrealistic and leads into design work; requirements should describe outcomes and needs, not the exact technical how-to. Focusing on building a robust backlog of sheer quantity can also hide the real goal, which is delivering what matters to the customer.

So, the statement that centers on value and alignment with customer needs best captures the essential purpose of requirements gathering.