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Exam Review

Key Facts: Systems Architect Examination Exam

7,500 JPY

Exam fee (tax included)

IPA スケジュール、手数料など

60/100 + Rank A

A-1/A-2/B-1 cutoff and B-2 essay rank

IPA 試験要綱 Ver.5.6

30 + 25 MCQ

Official A-1 and A-2 item counts

IPA システムアーキテクト試験

Level 4

IT Skill Standards (ITSS) ranking

IPA システムアーキテクト試験シラバス（レベル4）

Japan's national ITSS Level 4 systems-architect exam, run by IPA for METI. Fee 7,500 JPY (tax included); Japanese CBT with MCQ, descriptive, and essay papers. This bank is independent English MCQ study, not an official translation.

Sample Systems Architect Examination Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to review concepts for the Systems Architect Examination exam. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1In IPA system-evaluation terminology, RASIS groups five quality facets used when judging a computer system. Which set matches RASIS?
A.Reusability, Agility, Scalability, Interoperability, Simplicity
B.Redundancy, Authentication, Synchronization, Isolation, Snapshotting
C.Reliability, Availability, Serviceability, Integrity, Security
D.Response time, Accuracy, Saturation, Idle time, Slack
Explanation: RASIS is the IPA/common-exam mnemonic for Reliability (信頼性), Availability (可用性), Serviceability (保守性), Integrity (保全性), and Security (安全性). Architects use it when setting evaluation criteria for system operation, not as a product-selection brand name.
2A server's reliability log shows a mean time between failures (MTBF) of 2,000 hours and a mean time to repair (MTTR) of 8 hours. What does the 2,000-hour MTBF represent?
A.The average operating time from the end of one repair until the next failure
B.The average clock time to restore service after a failure is detected
C.The guaranteed calendar lifetime printed on the hardware warranty
D.The maximum allowed downtime in the service level agreement
Explanation: MTBF (平均故障間隔) is the average operating interval between failures. Combined with MTTR it yields availability: MTBF / (MTBF + MTTR). It is not a contractual downtime cap and not the repair duration.
3A disk subsystem has MTBF = 1,990 hours and MTTR = 10 hours. Using availability = MTBF / (MTBF + MTTR), what is the subsystem's availability?
A.90.00%
B.99.50%
C.99.00%
D.99.95%
Explanation: Availability = 1,990 / (1,990 + 10) = 1,990 / 2,000 = 0.995, which is 99.50%. The 10-hour MTTR is the fraction of the 2,000-hour cycle spent repairing.
4Two independently failing devices are placed in series: the system runs only when both devices run. Each device has availability 0.99. What is the system availability?
A.0.9999
B.0.9900
C.1.9800
D.0.9801
Explanation: In a series reliability block, system availability is the product of the unit availabilities: 0.99 × 0.99 = 0.9801. Series composition lowers availability below that of either unit.
5Two identical units operate in a redundant parallel configuration. The system is up if at least one unit is up. Each unit's availability is 0.99, failures are independent, and switchover is treated as instantaneous and certain. What is the system availability?
A.0.9801
B.0.9900
C.0.9999
D.0.4950
Explanation: For a 1-out-of-2 parallel block, unavailability is the product of the unit unavailabilities: (1 − 0.99) × (1 − 0.99) = 0.0001. System availability is 1 − 0.0001 = 0.9999 (99.99%). This is the standard IPA redundant-pair calculation when failover is assumed perfect.
6When selecting a redundant hardware configuration, how do IPA system-configuration notes distinguish a dual system (デュアルシステム) from a duplex system (デュプレックスシステム)?
A.A dual system keeps a cold spare powered off, while a duplex system stripes disks without parity
B.A dual system runs the same processing on two units and compares the results, while a duplex system uses a primary (主系) and a standby (従系) and switches over on failure
C.A dual system is only valid for batch windows, while a duplex system is only valid for Web systems
D.The two names are interchangeable IPA labels for any two-node cluster
Explanation: A dual system executes the same work on two units and collates outputs, which mainly improves integrity (error detection). A duplex system assigns a current (主系) and standby (従系) path and switches on failure, which mainly improves availability. IPA syllabi list both as distinct system configurations.
7A storage array is configured as RAID 0 (striping) across four disks. Which statement is correct?
A.Usable capacity is the sum of the disks, and a single disk failure loses the entire striped set
B.Usable capacity is half of the disks because every block is mirrored
C.One disk is reserved exclusively for parity, so three disks remain for data
D.Two disks may fail without data loss because dual parity is stored
Explanation: RAID 0 stripes data for throughput and uses the full sum of disk capacities. It has no mirroring and no parity, so any disk failure destroys the array. IPA storage notes contrast this with RAID 1 (mirroring) and RAID 5/6 (parity).
8Five 2 TB disks are configured as RAID 5 (distributed parity). Ignoring filesystem overhead, what usable capacity does the array present?
A.10 TB
B.2 TB
C.6 TB
D.8 TB
Explanation: RAID 5 stores the equivalent of one disk of parity distributed across the set, so usable capacity is (n − 1) × disk size = (5 − 1) × 2 TB = 8 TB. The array can survive one disk failure.
9Eight 600 GB disks are configured as RAID 10 (striped mirrors). Ignoring overhead, what usable capacity does the array present?
A.4,800 GB
B.2,400 GB
C.3,600 GB
D.600 GB
Explanation: RAID 10 is a stripe of mirrored pairs. Half the raw capacity stores mirrors, so usable capacity is (8 / 2) × 600 GB = 2,400 GB. The set can survive one failure in each mirrored pair, unlike RAID 0 of the same eight disks.
10An M/M/1 server receives an average of 40 requests per second. Mean service rate is 50 requests per second. What is the server utilization ρ?
A.0.44
B.1.25
C.0.80
D.0.20
Explanation: For M/M/1, utilization ρ = λ / μ = 40 / 50 = 0.80 (80%). Utilization must be less than 1 for a stable queue. Mean queue length then grows as ρ / (1 − ρ).

About the Systems Architect Examination Exam

The Systems Architect Examination (システムアーキテクト試験, SA) is Japan's national ITSS Level 4 exam for engineers who define requirements and architecture for information systems. IPA administers it for METI. The 2026 fee is 7,500 JPY (tax included). Candidates sit Japanese CBT: 30 common MCQs, 25 specialist MCQs, two of three descriptive cases, and one essay. A pass requires 60 of 100 on A-1, A-2, and B-1 plus Rank A on B-2. OpenExamPrep publishes 100 independent English multiple-choice study questions on the published syllabus. This bank is not an official translation, not a 2026 CBT item clone, and not a substitute for Japanese essay practice.

Exam sponsor: 独立行政法人情報処理推進機構 (IPA / Innovation Platform Agency, Japan) under the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI). The requirements and fees below concern the certification or admission exam, separate from our free practice resources.

Assessment

Japanese CBT in the FY2026 first-half (前期) window. Subject A group and Subject B group are reserved on separate days. Multi-stage scoring applies. Paper sittings are a special measure only.

Time Limit

A-1 50 min; A-2 40 min; B-1 90 min; B-2 120 min, with A group and B group on separate 2026 CBT days.

Passing Score

60 of 100 on A-1, A-2, and B-1, plus Rank A on B-2. IPA may adjust numeric cutoffs if difficulty requires it.

Exam / Certification Fees

7,500 JPY (tax included).

Exam sponsor website

Fees, eligibility, and exam policies can change. Confirm them with the exam sponsor before applying or paying.

Official sources

Our practice resources: topics covered

We aim to reflect publicly available exam outlines and topic information in our study resources. Coverage, format, and difficulty may differ from the actual exam, and we cannot guarantee that every detail is accurate or current. Confirm exam requirements, fees, and policies with the official exam sponsor.

25% of this local practice set

Common IT knowledge (Subject A-1)

Shared advanced-exam knowledge. IPA does not publish SA domain percentages.

25% of this local practice set

Requirements and business modeling

Requirements analysis and modeling that turn business needs into system scope.

30% of this local practice set

Architecture and system design

Architecture styles, integration, packages, and technology trade-offs.

20% of this local practice set

Quality, security, and evaluation

Quality attributes, security design, and evaluation of system effectiveness.

Preparing for the Systems Architect Examination Exam

What You Need to Know

  • Passing score: 60 of 100 on A-1, A-2, and B-1, plus Rank A on B-2. IPA may adjust numeric cutoffs if difficulty requires it.
  • Assessment: Japanese CBT in the FY2026 first-half (前期) window. Subject A group and Subject B group are reserved on separate days. Multi-stage scoring applies. Paper sittings are a special measure only.
  • Time limit: A-1 50 min; A-2 40 min; B-1 90 min; B-2 120 min, with A group and B group on separate 2026 CBT days.
  • Exam / certification fees: 7,500 JPY (tax included). Official sources

Using Our Practice Resources

  • Work through all 100 available questions
  • Review every answer and explanation
  • Track weak areas and revisit them
  • Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

Systems Architect Examination: Suggested Study Strategy

1Practice architecture trade-offs (availability vs cost, package vs custom) as decision items, then write Japanese essays from IPA past papers.
2Keep NFRs (performance, security, operability) in every design question.
3Do not invent unofficial architecture frameworks; stay inside IPA syllabus vocabulary and common industry terms the syllabus uses.
4A-1 is shared with other advanced exams; specialist A-2/B topics decide the credential.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the passing score for the SA examination?

IPA requires at least 60 of 100 on Subjects A-1, A-2, and B-1, and Rank A on essay Subject B-2 (試験要綱 Ver.5.6). Multi-stage selection applies.

How is the 2026 examination structured?

Japanese CBT in the spring window: A-1 30 MCQs/50 min, A-2 25 MCQs/40 min, B-1 3 descriptive/90 min (answer 2), B-2 2 essays/120 min (answer 1). A group and B group are on separate days.

Does this bank replace the essay paper?

No. Official B-2 is a Japanese essay graded to Rank A. This bank is independent English MCQ study, not an official translation or essay simulation.

Are these OpenExamPrep practice questions official IPA exam questions?

No. IPA administers the official Japanese examination. This bank is independent study on published syllabus topics.

Is the exam changing after 2026?

IPA states that the current examination system ends with the FY2026 (令和8年度) administration and that a new examination system is planned from FY2027, following the METI/IPA review of the exam-division structure. FY2026 is also the year every division moved to CBT, and IPA no longer publishes live CBT questions. This practice set is built from the current published syllabus, so confirm IPA's 試験制度の見直し page before planning a sitting beyond FY2026.