IPA IP 2025 Question 24
A question IPA Japan published in 令和7年度 ITパスポート試験 公開問題 問24, translated into English. ITPEC is based on the same exams.
Which of the following is the most appropriate description concerning RPA?
Explanation
Software robots take over the routine office work of white-collar workers — RPA, Robotic Process Automation.
RPA software is taught the steps a person performs on a PC (opening screens, copying data from one application to another, entering slips, checking values) and then repeats them automatically, faster and without typing errors. It suits rule-based, repetitive, high-volume work. Because the robot works through the applications' own screens as a person does, the existing systems need no changes.
Answer (d)
Why not others:
- •(a) — outsourcing part of the business to an external organization so the company can focus its resources is BPO (Business Process Outsourcing)
- •(b) — hardware robots that assemble and transport in a factory are FA (factory automation) with industrial robots; the robot in RPA is software
- •(c) — users managing and operating systems on their own initiative is EUC (End User Computing)
Key rule: RPA = software robots doing routine PC work; FA = physical robots on the factory floor; BPO = handing a business process to an outside organization; EUC = users building and running their own systems.
Business Industry · AI-written, may contain errors
This question comes from the past questions IPA Japan publishes, translated into English by ITPEC Practice. ITPEC Practice is an independent study tool and is not affiliated with IPA or ITPEC. See the original paper (PDF) or Report an issue.