Is trial planning required for every clearance issued?

• A. Not required
• B. Required
• C. Required only for emergencies
• D. Required for certain sectors

Answer: (B)

Trial planning ensures there is a concrete, documented plan for testing, resources, responsibilities, acceptance criteria, and rollback steps before a clearance is issued. This step is essential for every clearance because it verifies that the clearance won’t introduce unanticipated risks, confirms that testing will be thorough, and creates an auditable record showing how safety and compliance requirements will be met. Without planning for each clearance, you risk missed issues, inconsistent results, and gaps in accountability.

Saying it isn’t required would skip a key control in risk management, while limiting planning to emergencies would ignore the need for standardization and preparedness in routine clearances. Limiting planning to certain sectors would leave other areas exposed to avoidable risk. Therefore, trial planning is required for every clearance.