Which of the following is the BEST indication that a software development project is on track to meet its completion deadline?

The best indication that a project is on track is the successful completion of critical, late-stage milestones within the planned schedule. User acceptance testing (UAT) is one of the final phases before implementation. Successfully identifying and addressing issues discovered during UAT prior to the original go-live date demonstrates that the project has progressed through development and earlier testing phases on time and is effectively managing the final pre-deployment activities. This provides tangible evidence of progress and readiness, unlike planning or communication activities, which do not reflect the project's actual status.

A. This is an essential early-stage planning activity. Completing it does not guarantee that subsequent development and testing phases will remain on schedule.

B. Documenting due dates is part of the initial project plan. It represents the intended schedule, not the actual progress against that schedule.

D. Communicating a go-live date is a project management task, not an indicator of progress. The project could be significantly behind schedule despite this communication.

1. ISACA

CISA Review Manual

27th Edition (2019)

Domain 3: Information Systems Acquisition

Development

and Implementation

Section 3.4.5 Testing. This section details the different levels of testing

positioning User Acceptance Testing (UAT) as the final phase of testing to ensure the system is acceptable to the end users before it is placed into production. Successful resolution of UAT issues is a critical gate for implementation

making it a key indicator of project readiness and adherence to schedule.

2. ISACA

CISA Review Manual

27th Edition (2019)

Domain 2: Governance and Management of IT

Section 2.6 Project Management. This section emphasizes the importance of monitoring and controlling project performance by measuring progress against the project plan. The successful completion of a major milestone like UAT is a primary metric for assessing whether a project is on track.

3. McConnell

S. (2004). Code Complete: A Practical Handbook of Software Construction (2nd ed.). Microsoft Press. Chapter 20

"The Software-Quality Landscape." While not an ISACA-specific source

this foundational software engineering text is widely used in university curricula. It discusses the importance of late-stage testing (like UAT) in validating software quality and readiness for release. The rate of defect discovery and resolution during this phase is a key indicator of project health and proximity to completion.