How do you write a good user story and its acceptance criteria?
What the interviewer wants to hear
- Format: as a user, I want, so that
- Focus on user value, not technical tasks
- Small and independent (INVEST)
- Acceptance criteria clear and testable, often Given/When/Then
Model answer
I write user stories in the format as a type of user, I want some goal, so that I get some benefit. For example, as a policyholder, I want to download my policy document from the app, so that I can share it with a hospital quickly. The so that part is important because it explains the value and helps the team find good solutions. I check the story against INVEST: independent, negotiable, valuable, estimable, small and testable. Then I write acceptance criteria, usually in Given, When, Then form. For example: given a logged-in policyholder with an active policy, when they tap download, then the latest PDF opens. I also cover edge cases, like expired policies. I refine stories with developers and testers before the sprint.
Can you answer it under time pressure?
Take a timed easy round and get scored on every answer.
More easy Business Analyst questions
- What does a business analyst do?
- What techniques do you use to gather requirements?
- Explain functional and non-functional requirements with examples.
- What is process mapping and why is it useful?
- What is the difference between a business analyst and a product owner?
- How do you prepare for a stakeholder interview?
- What makes a requirement good?
- What is the difference between a use case and a user story, and when would you use each?
- What are the main documents or artefacts a business analyst produces?