Which of the following is a phase of the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC)?

• A. Initiation
• B. Planning
• C. Testing
• D. Deployment

Answer: (A)

The main concept here is identifying the starting phase of the SDLC, where the project is defined, justified, and authorized to proceed. In the initiation phase, you establish the project's purpose, high-level goals, stakeholders, and the business case. You assess feasibility and risk at a high level and obtain approval to move forward. This sets the direction and boundaries for everything that follows and ensures resources are invested only if the project aligns with business objectives. After initiation, the next steps are planning (lock down detailed requirements, schedules, and resources), then design, development, testing, deployment, and maintenance. So starting the project with initiation makes it the best answer because it represents the essential kickoff that enables all later SDLC activities.