Which statement best reflects a common drawback of fixed-sequence development models like Waterfall?

Which statement best reflects a common drawback of fixed-sequence development models like Waterfall?

• A. They require complete and stable requirements before design
• B. They are highly adaptable to changing requirements
• C. They emphasize rapid iterative deployment
• D. They enable continuous user feedback during development

Answer: (A)

Fixed-sequence development models flow in a strict, linear order where each phase is finished before the next begins, and they assume requirements are known and stable from the start. Because of this, a key drawback is the need for complete and stable requirements before design. If requirements change later—which they often do in real projects—reworking earlier phases becomes costly, time-consuming, and disruptive to the schedule. This inflexibility also means feedback from users is less continuous, and opportunities to adapt are limited as the project progresses. Other statements describe characteristics of more iterative or agile approaches—being highly adaptable to changing requirements, emphasizing rapid iterative deployment, or enabling continuous user feedback during development—which don’t align with fixed-sequence models like Waterfall.

Fixed-sequence development models flow in a strict, linear order where each phase is finished before the next begins, and they assume requirements are known and stable from the start. Because of this, a key drawback is the need for complete and stable requirements before design. If requirements change later—which they often do in real projects—reworking earlier phases becomes costly, time-consuming, and disruptive to the schedule. This inflexibility also means feedback from users is less continuous, and opportunities to adapt are limited as the project progresses.

Other statements describe characteristics of more iterative or agile approaches—being highly adaptable to changing requirements, emphasizing rapid iterative deployment, or enabling continuous user feedback during development—which don’t align with fixed-sequence models like Waterfall.