What If? Analysis assumes?

• A. An event has occurred with potential major positive or negative impacts and explains how it could have happened and its consequences.
• B. The event is impossible and will not occur.
• C. Only positive outcomes will occur and are guaranteed.
• D. It assumes events will never have significant impacts.

Answer: (A)

What If? analysis asks you to treat a hypothetical event as if it could happen and to map out how it might unfold. It explores plausible causes, the chain of events that could lead to the scenario, and the range of consequences that could follow, including both major positives and major negatives. This approach is about understanding potential futures, not certainties, so it looks at what could occur and how significant impacts could arise, helping with planning, risk assessment, and decision-making.

That’s why this choice fits best: it centers on an event with potential major impacts and on explaining how it could have happened and what its consequences would be. It’s not about declaring something impossible, guaranteeing only positive outcomes, or assuming no significant effects.