Which of the following is NOT a phase of the System Development Life Cycle (SDLC)?

• A. Planning
• B. Analysis
• C. Deployment
• D. Maintenance

Answer: (C)

In many SDLC frameworks, the sequence is planning, gathering and analyzing requirements, designing, building (or developing), testing, and then supporting the system after it goes live. Deployment is often treated as the release or rollout activity that moves the system into operation, rather than a separate, distinct phase in the life cycle. Because of that, deployment isn’t always listed as its own phase; it’s commonly integrated with implementation/release activities. That’s why it’s considered not a standalone phase in some SDLC models.

Planning focuses the project’s goals, scope, and feasibility; Analysis (or Requirements) defines what the system must do; and Maintenance covers ongoing support, updates, and fixes after deployment. These fit clearly as phases in the SDLC, whereas deployment is sometimes viewed as the final rollout step tied to implementation.