← Years 9–10 Creating Digital Solutions

Prioritising requirements

Ranking requirements as must-have, should-have or nice-to-have so the most important needs are built first, and trade-offs are made when time or budget is limited.

Part of: 9-10 Digital Technologies: Defining and decomposing problems — Module 19, QCE Digital Solutions Unit 1 — Understanding Digital Problems — Module 41, QCE Digital Solutions Unit 1 — User Experiences and Interfaces — Module 29, QCE Digital Solutions Unit 2 — Data-Driven Problems and Solution Requirements — Module 36, QCE Digital Solutions Unit 3 — Interactions Between Users, Data and Digital Systems — Module 127

Understanding Prioritising requirements in Years 9–10 Creating Digital Solutions

What it does: A reminder is useful and valued by users, but the app still works without it, so it ranks below must-have and above nice-to-have. The team gives up a lower priority feature (badges) to protect the must-have feature (login) when resources run short. Must-haves are essential. When time or budget is limited, nice-to-haves are cut before must-haves. Prioritising works within constraints. Resources are limited, so the most valuable needs come first. Nice-to-have items improve the experience but are not needed for the solution to work, so they are built last or cut. Requirements should be ranked by importance to the core purpose. Saving data should be priority 1 and the mascot should be nice-to-have.

Common mistakes: The app cannot work without paying for an order, so it is a must-have. It should be 'Must: Pay for an order'. Fun avatars are decoration and the quiz works without them, so they are a nice-to-have. It should be 'Nice: Fun avatars'.

Class: _____________________  ·  Name: _____________________  ·  Date: _________

Free printable worksheet with full answer key — or add this module to a class and your students practise it interactively.

🖨 Print worksheet + answer key Add Prioritising requirements to a class →

This module's key terms are also in a printable crossword (Modules 6–132) and word search (Modules 6–132).

Take this worksheet further — free with Cloodit

Each concept is reinforced from every angle — learned, then applied, then tested.

Learning
Duo
A school canteen app must let students place an order. Which priority is this?
Must-haveNice-to-have
Matches
Priority 1: animated mascot. Priority 2: saving user data
↓
A nice-to-have feature (mascot) is ranked above a must-have (saving data), so the most important need is built later
Applying
Meanings
Term
prioritising requirements
Meaning
Ranking requirements as must-have, should-have or nice-to-have so the most important needs are built first, and trade-offs are made when time or budget is limited.
Practice
Must-have: Students can order and pay online
Testing
Gaps
Users must log in to use the app:
Check Answer
Spots
1App: Canteen ordering
2Nice: Pay for an order

Cloodit turns curriculum-aligned coding content into journeys students work through one biome at a time.

The 'Narwhal' badge — Unicorn Coder, one of Cloodit's 106 collectible badges
Students earn collectable badges

Over 100 of them, across seven natural biomes.

Study Buddy
Students build a real study resource

Turns their work into revision material ready for Flash Cards and Exam study.

Diamond Dash — one of Cloodit's live, competitive Sprint games
Students lock in with Sprints

Live, competitive practice for the start of the lesson or a teacher-led lesson finisher.

A Cloodit certificate of achievement, ready to personalise and print
Custom printable certificates

Honour your top performers, or encourage a student who's trying hard — ready to print in seconds.

Add to class →

Quick Questions

1. A school canteen app must let students place an order. Which priority is this?
A. Must-have ✓
B. Nice-to-have
Without ordering, the app does not solve the problem at all, so it is a must-have. Must-haves are built first.
2. Which statement about must-have requirements is correct?
A. The solution fails without them, so they are built first ✓
B. They can be dropped first if time runs short
Must-haves are essential. When time or budget is limited, nice-to-haves are cut before must-haves.
3. A study planner app could let users pick a dark mode theme. Which priority fits best?
A. Must-have
B. Nice-to-have ✓
Dark mode is a bonus. The planner still works without it, so it is a nice-to-have.
4. Which describes a should-have requirement?
A. Essential, because the solution cannot work without it
B. Important and adds a lot of value, but the solution still works without it ✓
Should-haves are important but not critical. They are built after the must-haves if there is time and budget.
5. Your team has two weeks left and the budget is almost gone. What should you do?
A. Finish the must-haves and drop some nice-to-haves ✓
B. Add every nice-to-have and leave a must-have unfinished
This is a trade-off. When resources are limited, you give up lower-priority requirements to protect the most important ones.

Match the Pairs

Must-have: students can log in securely → A requirement the solution cannot work without, so it is built first
Nice-to-have: dark mode theme → An extra feature that adds value but is dropped first if time or budget runs out
Should-have requirements are important and add real value, but the solution can still work without them for now → Should-have: send a reminder before homework is due
A trade-off means giving up one requirement to keep within limited time or budget so higher priorities are finished → Budget cut: drop 'nice-to-have' badges to finish 'must-have' login
Priority 1: animated mascot. Priority 2: saving user data → A nice-to-have feature (mascot) is ranked above a must-have (saving data), so the most important need is built later
Everything is a must-have, so nothing gets cut → Labelling every requirement as must-have means no real prioritising or trade-offs happen when time or budget is limited

Key Term

prioritising requirements
Ranking requirements as must-have, should-have or nice-to-have so the most important needs are built first, and trade-offs are made when time or budget is limited.

Fill in the Blanks

1. Users must log in to use the app: must-have
Hint: Type the priority level for a requirement the solution cannot work without.
2. Dark mode is a bonus feature: nice-to-have
Hint: Type the lowest priority level, for extras that are pleasant but not needed.
3. Feature: Email reminders Important but not vital: should-have
Hint: Type the middle priority level, for important needs that are not essential.
4. Budget is low, so we make trade-offs
Hint: Type the term for giving up one feature to keep another when resources are limited.
5. Rank: must-have > should-have > nice-to-have
Hint: Type the priority level that sits between the highest and lowest.

Spot the Error

Question 1
A App: Canteen ordering
B Nice: Pay for an order
C Should: Save favourite meals
D Nice: Dark mode theme
Line B — The app cannot work without paying for an order, so it is a must-have. It should be 'Must: Pay for an order'.
Question 2
A Project: Quiz website
B Must: Students can log in
C Should: Show scores
D Must: Fun avatars
Line D — Fun avatars are decoration and the quiz works without them, so they are a nice-to-have. It should be 'Nice: Fun avatars'.
Question 3
A Order: Nice, Should, Must
B 1. Build all Must items
C 2. Then add Should items
D 3. Nice items only if time
Line A — The most important requirements are built first. The order should be Must, Should, Nice, not the reverse.
Question 4
A Sprint 1: Must-have items
B Sprint 2: Should-have items
C Sprint 3: Must-have items
Line C — Must-have items are built in Sprint 1. The last sprint is for nice-to-have items, so it should read 'Sprint 3: Nice-to-have items'.
Question 5
A Time is short: trade-off
B Rank all requirements
C Drop Nice-to-have items first
D Drop Must-have items next
Line D — In a trade-off you protect the must-have items and cut the lowest priority items. It should be 'Protect Must-have items'.

Student with a class code? Join your class →