Certified Business Analysis Professional (CBAP) Practice Test

Open-ended questions play a crucial role in effective questioning during requirements elicitation because they encourage more elaborative and descriptive responses from stakeholders. Unlike closed or leading questions, which might limit the scope of the answers, open-ended questions allow participants to express their thoughts, feelings, and insights in a way that may uncover valuable information that the business analyst might not have anticipated. This fosters a more collaborative environment where stakeholders feel comfortable sharing their perspectives and can lead to a richer understanding of requirements.

Additionally, using open-ended questions helps to explore the underlying needs, motivations, and challenges that stakeholders may be experiencing, thereby providing deeper insights into the requirements needed to fulfill their needs. This approach can often lead to discovering nuanced details that would otherwise remain hidden if more restrictive questioning techniques were employed.