MK1 SWE PREP EXAM 2026 REVISION NOTES
AND STRUCTURED SOFTWARE ENGINEERING
OVERVIEW GUIDE
◉ Which model maps each development phase to a corresponding
testing phase? Answer: V-Model
◉ Which methodology is risk-driven and repeats planning + risk
analysis cycles? Answer: Spiral
◉ In Scrum, who owns and prioritizes the Product Backlog? Answer:
Product Owner
◉ In Scrum, what event is used to inspect the increment with
stakeholders? Answer: Sprint Review
◉ In Scrum, what event is used to improve team process? Answer:
Sprint Retrospective
◉ Kanban primarily optimizes what two things? Answer: Flow
efficiency and cycle time (using WIP limits)
,◉ Incremental development means what? Answer: Delivering the
system in smaller functional pieces over time
◉ Iterative development means what? Answer: Repeatedly refining
and improving the same solution
◉ DevOps emphasizes what core idea? Answer: Development and
operations collaboration with automation/CI-CD
◉ Which principle means "hide unnecessary detail"? Answer:
Abstraction
◉ Which principle means "split system into manageable parts"?
Answer: Modularity
◉ High cohesion means what? Answer: A module's responsibilities
are closely related
◉ Low coupling means what? Answer: Modules have minimal
dependencies on each other
◉ What does DRY stand for? Answer: Don't Repeat Yourself
◉ What does KISS stand for? Answer: Keep It Simple, Stupid
, ◉ What does YAGNI stand for? Answer: You Aren't Gonna Need It
◉ Why is traceability important in software engineering? Answer: It
links requirements to design, code, and tests for verification
◉ Name the 4 classic team stages (Tuckman). Answer: Forming,
Storming, Norming, Performing
◉ Which team stage usually has the most conflict? Answer: Storming
◉ What is role clarity in a team? Answer: Clear ownership of
responsibilities and decisions
◉ What is psychological safety? Answer: A team climate where
people can speak up without fear
◉ One key benefit of diverse personalities on a team? Answer:
Better problem-solving from multiple perspectives
◉ What is a common fix for recurring team miscommunication?
Answer: Define communication cadence, channels, and decision
rules
AND STRUCTURED SOFTWARE ENGINEERING
OVERVIEW GUIDE
◉ Which model maps each development phase to a corresponding
testing phase? Answer: V-Model
◉ Which methodology is risk-driven and repeats planning + risk
analysis cycles? Answer: Spiral
◉ In Scrum, who owns and prioritizes the Product Backlog? Answer:
Product Owner
◉ In Scrum, what event is used to inspect the increment with
stakeholders? Answer: Sprint Review
◉ In Scrum, what event is used to improve team process? Answer:
Sprint Retrospective
◉ Kanban primarily optimizes what two things? Answer: Flow
efficiency and cycle time (using WIP limits)
,◉ Incremental development means what? Answer: Delivering the
system in smaller functional pieces over time
◉ Iterative development means what? Answer: Repeatedly refining
and improving the same solution
◉ DevOps emphasizes what core idea? Answer: Development and
operations collaboration with automation/CI-CD
◉ Which principle means "hide unnecessary detail"? Answer:
Abstraction
◉ Which principle means "split system into manageable parts"?
Answer: Modularity
◉ High cohesion means what? Answer: A module's responsibilities
are closely related
◉ Low coupling means what? Answer: Modules have minimal
dependencies on each other
◉ What does DRY stand for? Answer: Don't Repeat Yourself
◉ What does KISS stand for? Answer: Keep It Simple, Stupid
, ◉ What does YAGNI stand for? Answer: You Aren't Gonna Need It
◉ Why is traceability important in software engineering? Answer: It
links requirements to design, code, and tests for verification
◉ Name the 4 classic team stages (Tuckman). Answer: Forming,
Storming, Norming, Performing
◉ Which team stage usually has the most conflict? Answer: Storming
◉ What is role clarity in a team? Answer: Clear ownership of
responsibilities and decisions
◉ What is psychological safety? Answer: A team climate where
people can speak up without fear
◉ One key benefit of diverse personalities on a team? Answer:
Better problem-solving from multiple perspectives
◉ What is a common fix for recurring team miscommunication?
Answer: Define communication cadence, channels, and decision
rules
