Which symbol represents an Event-Based Gateway?

• A. Diamond with a circle
• B. Diamond with a circle and pentagon inside
• C. Diamond with an X
• D. Diamond with a star

Answer: (B)

Event-based gateways are the point in a process where the next path depends on which event happens first. In BPMN this is shown as a diamond with both a circle and a pentagon inside. The circle marks that the routing is driven by events, while the pentagon inside reinforces the event-based nature. The gateway sits and waits for one of several events (like a message arrival or a timer) and then follows the path associated with the event that occurs first, canceling the other possible paths. This distinguishes it from other gateways, such as the Exclusive Gateway (which uses an X and routes based on a condition rather than an event), or symbols that aren’t standard event-based notations.