> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.medcrypt.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.medcrypt.com/msi/get-started/answer-guided-questions.md).

# Answer guided questions

Guided questions are the things about your device that MSI couldn't settle from its documents, phrased as questions for you to answer. Each answer updates the threat model straight away, so answering them is the quickest way to make your results more accurate.

## Before you begin

* Your organization's plan must include Threat Modeling.
* Select a device. Questions belong to the selected device and its current version.
* The device needs a threat model. Questions are generated from it, so a device with no threat model shows **No threat-model session yet**. A threat model starts automatically when you [create a device from documents](/msi/get-started/create-your-first-device.md).

## Open your questions

In the sidebar, under **Activities**, select **Guided Questions**. The badge on this item shows how many open questions the selected device has.

You can also answer questions one at a time from the **Guided Questions** card on the [dashboard](/msi/get-started/understand-your-dashboard.md).

At the top of the page you'll see:

* **Open questions:** questions still waiting for an answer.
* **Answered:** questions with a recorded answer. Select **Review or revise answers** to see them.
* **Threats the open questions affect:** how many threats your answers would change.

Questions are listed with the most consequential first. If MSI is still creating questions, you'll see **Generating questions**. You can leave and come back later; it finishes in the background.

## Understand a question

Each question card explains why it's being asked. It shows where the question came from, such as **Not in your documents** (MSI found nothing on this) or **Inferred by analysis** (MSI inferred it from the design, but no document states it).

Select **Show details** to see what the question is about and which threats, assets and assumptions your answer affects.

## Answer a question

Most questions offer these choices:

| Choice             | What it does                                                                                                                                                                                                              |
| ------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Yes**            | Confirms the statement. If the question names a control, the card tells you, for example: "Yes records the control … against 3 threats." If MSI needs you to name the control, a form asks **Which control covers this?** |
| **No**             | Records that the device doesn't have it. For a control question, this records the gap.                                                                                                                                    |
| **I don't know**   | Records that the answer is unknown. This is an answer, not a skip: the threats it affects are marked as provisional.                                                                                                      |
| **Skip for now**   | Moves past the question without recording anything. It comes back the next time you load the page.                                                                                                                        |
| **Not applicable** | Marks the question as not relevant to your device. You must give a reason.                                                                                                                                                |

Some questions ask you to choose from a list instead. Pick the option that matches your device, or select **None of these describe my device** and describe the actual configuration. Then select **Record answer**.

Questions that ask how your device does something take a written answer. Describe it under **Your answer** and select **Record answer**, or select **None on this path** if no such mechanism exists.

{% hint style="info" %}
If a question doesn't make sense, select the report icon on the card (its tooltip reads "Tell us this question doesn't make sense") to open **Report this question**. This flags the question's wording without answering it.
{% endhint %}

## Revise an answer

Answers are never final. To change one:

1. Select the **Answered** tab.
2. Find the question and select **Revise**.
3. Choose a new answer. To keep the existing one, select **Keep current answer**.

Some questions are answered from your documents. These show which document the answer came from and the quote it rests on. You can revise these too.

To undo a **Not applicable** decision, select the **Not applicable** tab, find the question and select **Reinstate**.

## Ask a teammate to answer

If someone else knows the answer, assign the question to them. Select **Unassigned** on the card, choose a teammate under **Who should answer this?**, describe what you need under **What do you need?** and select **Send**. Their reply appears on the question and in their **My Work** list. See [Assign work and track My Work](/msi/assign-work-and-track-my-work.md).

## Answer many questions at once

To collect answers from people outside MSI, use a spreadsheet:

1. Select **Bulk answer**.
2. Under **1. Download the open questions**, select **Download workbook**. The workbook has one row per open question, with a dropdown of the answers each question accepts. The people filling it in don't need an MSI account.
3. Under **2. Upload it back**, select the filled-in .xlsx workbook. MSI shows you what each row says before applying anything. Rows left blank stay open.
4. Select **Apply answers**.

## Filter the list

* **Tabs:** **All**, **To answer**, **Answered** and, when there are any, **Not applicable**. Each tab shows its count.
* **Assignee:** show questions **Assigned to me**, **Unassigned** or assigned to a specific teammate.
* **Show lower-impact questions:** questions that affect two or fewer threats are hidden by default. Turn this on to include them.
* If you've skipped questions, select **skipped — show again** to bring them back.

## Next steps

* [Triage risks in the Risk Register](/msi/review-your-threat-model/triage-risks-in-the-risk-register.md): review the threats your answers changed.
* [Review and correct device knowledge](/msi/review-and-correct-device-knowledge.md): fix device facts at the source.
* [Ask MSI a question](/msi/get-started/ask-msi.md): get help deciding how to answer.