SSM Practice
When should a dependency be raised as a program risk? When it must be accepted When it can be resolved When an Enabler can fix it
When it must be accepted
When is a Feature hypothesis fully evaluated? When the fieature has been deployed to production When the Customer uses the Feature in production When the Feature is accepted by Product Management When the Feature's return on investment has been realized
When the Customer uses the Feature in production
When is iteration planning completed? When story analysis is complete When the team commits to the plan When iteration goals are defined When the team capacity is determined
When the team commits to the plan
Which statement is true about teams? Products are more robust when individuals on teams have specific skill sets Changes in team composition do not impact productivity Teams are more productive than the same number of individuals Agile Teams can manage daily interruptions
Teams are more productive than the same number of individuals
When looking at a program board at the end of program increment (Pl) planning, what does it mean when a feature is placed in a team's swim lane with no strings? That the feature can be completed by that team independently That it has dependencies on teams in other Agile release trains (ARTs) or Solution Trains That the team has been assigned, but the feature' uépendencies have not been identified yet That the team has not broken the feature into stories yet and has not identified dependencies
That the feature can be completed by that team independently
Which demo is performed in the IP Iteration? The PI System Demo The demo from all the Agile Release Trains' Iterations The demo from the teams' final Iterations The integrated demo from the Agile Release Train's final lteration
The PI System Demo
Who is responsible for prioritizing the Iteration backlog? The Product Management team The Product Owner The Agile Team The Scrum Master
The Product Owner
The recommended structure for writing User Stories is? As a..., When..., Then... As a..., l want..., So that... Given..., When...., Then...
As a..., l want..., So that...
Communicating the Vision to the Agile Release Train during Program Increment Planning supports which SAFe Core Value? Transparency Program Execution Alignment
Alignment
What is a recommended time horizon of the Solution Roadmap? 2 or more years 2-4 years 1-3 years
1-3 years
Features are sized or split to fit what duration? A Program Increment An lteration A release
A Program Increment
Which three attributes summarize DevOps? (Choose three.) Combined deployment and release A mindset A set of technical practices A high performing DevOps team Strong organizational structure A culture
A mindset A set of technical practices A culture
What foundational issue most often leads to team dysfunction? Fear of conflict Absence of trust Weak Lean-Agile leadership Lack of commitment
Absence of trust
What is enabled by the key components of the Continuous Delivery Pipeline? End-to-end testing Accelerated release of value Predictable release cadence
Accelerated release of value
When does the Plan-Do-Check-Adjust cycle occur in scrum? Across all scrum events In the daily stand-up As part of the lteration retrospective At the lteration review
Across all scrum events
How can Product Management leverage market rhythms? Improve the scheduling of Program Increment Planning Improve the prioritization of Features Adjust the delivery of Features to better meet market needs
Adjust the delivery of Features to better meet market needs
How often should a system demo occur? After every release After the end of each program increment (Pl) After every iteration After every other iteration
After every iteration
What is the main reason why some teams never reach Stage 4 (Performing) in the stages of high performing teams? Because leadership is spontaneous Because no one guides them Because there are conflicts Because the team is not structured correctly
Because no one guides them
How do Business Owners quantify the value of Pl Objectives? By forecasting return on investment (ROI) By assigning business value scores By calculating earned value (EV)
By assigning business value scores
How does an effective Scrum Master help the team improve on their journey towards technical excellence? By focusing on the importance of Built-in Quality By allowing defects to be resolved in the IP Iteration By mandating pair work By setting clear time boxes for Iteration planning
By focusing on the importance of Built-in Quality
How does the Scrum Master provide the most value to the team? By scheduling critical scrum events By removing impediments for the team By ensuring timeboxes are kept during team meetings By facilitating discussions between the Product Owner and the team
By removing impediments for the team
Product Management is expected to collaborate in planning the amount of upcoming Enabler work by establishing what? Capacity allocation Completed Epic acceptance criteria Team Backlog prioritization
Capacity allocation
The business must depend on the team for what in order to do any meaningful planning? A cross-functional skill set Commitment to the plan Measurements Team capabilities
Commitment to the plan
The team is struggling to agree on the Story point sizing of a new User Story. The Product Owner was previously a related domain expert and feels the team is wasting time. What should she do? Suggest the team stop the sizing of the User Story and add it to the next lteration as-is Continue to support the team's decision on sizing Instruct the Scrum Master to resize the Story
Continue to support the team's decision on sizing
When should Agile Teams make time for innovation? Continuously throughout the Program Increment At a consistent time each day during the Iteration When there are Enabler Stories in the Backlog
Continuously throughout the Program Increment
The SAFe definition of DevOps includes which concept? Well-defined handoffs between Dev and Ops Clear separation of responsibilities between Dev and Ops Culture
Culture
What is the primary focus of an Operational Value Stream? Delivering end-user value Lowering operational costs Improving business operations
Delivering end-user value
How do SAFe Continuous Delivery Pipeline activities map to the teams' work each Iteration within the Program Increment (PI)? Each Iteration in the Pl, teams are exploring, integrating, deploying, and potentially releasing new value Early lterations focus on exploring, the later Iterations focus on integrating and deploying, and releasing Each Iteration in the PI, teams are exploring, integrating, deploying, but releasing only occurs at the end of the PI
Each Iteration in the Pl, teams are exploring, integrating, deploying, and potentially releasing new value
An effective Scrum Master is a team-based servant leader who helps the team do what? Understand and operate within Lean Budgets Manage the team's own backlog Develop better and more specialized skill sets Embrace relentless improvement through Iteration retrospectives
Embrace relentless improvement through Iteration retrospectives
Which type of Enabler does a System Architect review during a System Demo? Enabler Stories Enabler Features Enabler Capabilities Enabler Epics
Enabler Stories
Which two behaviors should a Scrum Master represent as a coach? (Choose two.) Encourage the team to learn from their mistakes Set long-term goals for the team Lay out the team's plan for the iteration Provide subject matter expertise Focus on deadlines and technical options
Encourage the team to learn from their mistakes Set long-term goals for the team
When estimating stories, what is the Scrum Master's key responsibility? Ensure everyone on the team participates Provide information about customer needs Limit discussion to manage timeboxes Ensure the team gives accurate estimates
Ensure everyone on the team participates
Product Management has content authority for the Program Backlog including: the Vision, the Roadmap, driving the Pl Objectives, and what else? Managing risk, helping to ensure value delivery, and driving continuous improvement Working with business stakeholders and Solution and System Architects to implement holistic technology across Value Streams Establishing Features and benefit hypotheses
Establishing Features and benefit hypotheses
Becoming a coach requires a shift from old behaviors to new ones. What are three examples of new coaching behaviors? (Choose three.) Fix problems for the team Drive toward specific outcomes Facilitate team problem-solving Ask the team for the answer Focus on deadlines Focus on business value delivery
Facilitate team problem-solving Ask the team for the answer Focus on business value delivery
What is the Scrum Master's role in team breakout #1? Resolve dependencies with other teams Create mitigation plans for each risk Facilitate the coordination with other teams for dependencies Raise team level risks
Facilitate the coordination with other teams for dependencies
What is one responsibility of a SAFe Scrum Master? Estimating the size and complexity of the work Running system and solution demos Developing and communicating the program vision and roadmap Facilitating an effective team breakout session during Pl Planning
Facilitating an effective team breakout session during Pl Planning
What are two critical areas that differentiate Agile from waterfall development? (Choose two.) Fast feedback Face-to-face interaction Incremental delivery of value Staggered integration Architectural Runway
Fast feedback Incremental delivery of value
In the SAFe work item hierarchy, Epics are decomposed into what? Stories Features Capabilities
Features
Which statement is true about the SAFe backlog model? Features are in the Program Backlog Capabilities are in the Program Backlog Stories are in the Solution Backlog
Features are in the Program Backlog
What are personas? Descriptions of actual target customers or users Fictional representations of target customers or users Key end-users the Product Owner leverages for managing the backlog
Fictional representations of target customers or users
Becoming a coach requires a shift from old behaviours to new ones. What are three examples of old behaviours? (Choose three.) Fixing problems for the team Focusing on deadlines Asking the team for the answers Facilitating team problem solving Driving toward specific outcomes Focusing on business value delivery.
Fixing problems for the team Focusing on deadlines Driving toward specific outcomes
What is a characteristic of an effective Scrum Master? Understands customer needs Gives open, honest opinions As a technical expert Removes all conflict
Gives open, honest opinions
What does assigning business value to a team's Pl Objectives influence? How to achieve objectives How teams plan the implementation How the Kanban work in process limits are set
How teams plan the implementation
In the first step of SAFe's Continuous Delivery Pipeline, Product Owners and Product Managers do what activity? Hypothesize on what would create value to their Customers Ensure the architecture team has sufficient capacity Prioritize the backlog
Hypothesize on what would create value to their Customers
What is a benefit of capacity allocation? It ensures all value streams in the portfolio are appropriately funded It ensures different types of backlog items are not compared against one another It enables more effective time tracking
It ensures different types of backlog items are not compared against one another
Which statement is true about WSJF? It includes cost of delay and the unit of size It identifies minimum economic outcomes The item with the highest cost of delay is prioritized first
It includes cost of delay and the unit of size
Why is the problem-solving workshop more effective than traditional lessons learned documents? Collaboration over documentation is a key recommendation of the Agile Manifesto Workshops are more engaging than document writing It makes improvements actionable through backlog items for the next Program Increment
It makes improvements actionable through backlog items for the next Program Increment
What are two outputs of Iteration Planning? (Choose two.) PI Objectives Iteration backlog Program Backlog Team Backlog Iteration goals
Iteration backlog Iteration goals
Scrum Masters help remove impediments, foster an environment for high-performing team dynamics, and what else? Form and re-form teams Continuously deliver value Estimate stories Lead team efforts in relentless improvement
Lead team efforts in relentless improvement
SAFe is based on four primary bodies of knowledge which include Agile development, systems thinking, DevOps, and what type of product development? Iterative product development Adaptive product development Incremental product development Lean product development
Lean product development
During PI Planning, which two tasks are part of the Scrum Master's role in the first team breakout? (Choose two.) Manage the timebox Be involved in the Program Backlog refinement and preparation Facilitate the coordination with other teams for dependencies Review and reprioritize the Team Backlog as part of the preparatory work for the second team breakout Provide clarifications necessary to assist the team with their Story estimating and sequencing
Manage the timebox Facilitate the coordination with other teams for dependencies
What is a strategy a Product Owner can use during Program Increment Planning to minimize dependencies? Change the definition of done Reprioritize Epics Move Stories on their team's backlog to another team
Move Stories on their team's backlog to another team
What is an innovation and planning (IP) iteration anti-pattern? Plan innovation spikes or hackathons to occur during the IP iteration Plan work for the IP iteration during program increment (PI) planning Use the IP iteration for infrastructure improvements Leave the IP iteration empty of work as an estimating guard band
Plan work for the IP iteration during program increment (PI) planning
When should a Product Owner (PO) develop preliminary Iteration Goals? Prior to iteration planning During PI Planning During backlog refinement
Prior to iteration planning
When should a Product Owner (PO) develop preliminary Iteration Goals? Prior to iteration planning During Pl Planning During backlog refinement
Prior to iteration planning
During Pl Planning, who owns Feature priorities? Release Train Engineer Product Management Business Owner Solution Architect/Engineer
Product Management
Which function is responsible for ensuring that the Agile Release Train has the Program Vision and Backlog needed to successfully engage in Program Increment Planning? Product Management Product Owner Release Train Engineer
Product Management
Who provides Agile Release Train context and Vision during Pl Planning? Business Owner Product Management Product Owner
Product Management
What is included in the Inspect and Adapt agenda? System Demo Program backlog refinement Quantitative and qualitative measurement
Quantitative and qualitative measurement
Which statement is true about estimating and forecasting the Portfolio Backlog? Refinement is necessary when estimating the effort needed to implement an Epic WSJF is used to assign Epics to Value Streams Feature estimates are rolled up into Epic estimates
Refinement is necessary when estimating the effort needed to implement an Epic
A Product Owner is noticing that overall quality is starting to degrade. What might they do to address the problem? Add a QA lteration to address quality issues Reinforce the definition of done Allocate more capacity to Enablers
Reinforce the definition of done
What does an effective Scrum Master help the team with? Team metrics Relentless improvement Risk mitigation Deploying work
Relentless improvement
Which meeting should the Scrum Master attend (not facilitate)? Scrum of scrums Daly stand-up lteration review PO sync
Scrum of scrums
In the SAFe work item hierarchy, Features are decomposed into what? Capabilities Tasks Stories
Stories
Which job role is a good candidate for becoming a Product Owner? Scrum Masters Subject matter experts UX experts
Subject matter experts
An organization is conducting their first Program Increment Planning session, and the new teams are asked to provide their capacity. Which action is part of the initial capacity planning process? Add the points for all the recently completed Features and use that as a baseline for future capacity Subtract one point for every team member's vacation day, public holiday, or training day Compare final team capacity across all teams and make individual team adjustments
Subtract one point for every team member's vacation day, public holiday or training day
Scrum Masters are effective by using scrum methods, supporting SAFe principles and practices, and what else? Writing stories and enablers Supporting delivery using Agile practices Managing architectural runway Serving as a customer proxy
Supporting delivery using Agile practices
Product Management works primarily with which other role to define and maintain nonfunctional requirements? Product Owners Solution Management System and Solution Architect/Engineering
System and Solution Architect/Engineering
What does transparency mean in a scrum environment? Team members must immediately share any and all feedback with each other The team is constantly improving its process The process is visible to all stakeholders Development and Operations teams work together
The process is visible to all stakeholders
What is a common reason why a team is unable to estimate a story? The story lacks acceptance criteria The story does not include a role The team does not understand the tasks related to the story The team has no experience in estimating
The story lacks acceptance criteria
Who commits to the Iteration goals at the end of Iteration planning? The team The Product Owner The Solution Owner The Scrum Master
The team
Which of the following should always attend an Agile Team's Iteration Review? The team's Product Owner All Business Owners The Release Train Engineer
The team's Product Owner
What happens to improvement items identified during the Iteration Retrospective? They are given to the Scrum Master who resolves them They are ROAMed with the rest of the risks They are entered as Stories in the Team Backlog
They are entered as Stories in the Team Backlog
Effective Scrum Masters apply which coaching behavior? They coordinate individual contributions They encourage the team to learn from their mistakes They drive the team toward specific outcomes They act as a subject matter expert
They encourage the team to learn from their mistakes
Which statement is true about nonfunctional requirements? They are split into Features and acceptance criteria is established They stay in the Portfolio Backlog until implementation capacity is available They operate as constraints on the design of the system
They operate as constraints on the design of the system
Why do teams have an Iteration retrospective? To iterate on Stories To evaluate Metrics To adjust and identify ways to improve To identify acceptance criteria
To adjust and identify ways to improve
What is one way Kanbans are used in SAFe? To manage queue length To manage runway cadence To manage Program Increment (Pl) Objectives
To manage queue length
Iteration Goals serve what purpose? To align team members to a common purpose To define the what, the how, and the how much To set preliminary PI Objectives
To align team members to a common purpose
What is the purpose of Iteration Goals? To hold the team accountable to their Pl Objectives To summarize the business outcomes an Agile Team intends to achieve during the Program Increment (PI) To align the team members and the Product Owner to the mission
To align the team members and the Product Owner to the mission
What is the primary purpose of PO sync? To assess progress of the Program Increment and adjust scope and priority as needed To align with the scrum of scrums participants on the status of the Program Increment To build objectives for the Program Increment
To assess progress of the Program Increment and adjust scope and priority as needed
Why is a confidence vote held at the end of program increment (Pl) planning? To hold the teams accountable if the Agile release train (ART) does not deliver on its commitment To build shared commitment to the plan To remove the risks for the Pl To ensure the business owners accept the plan
To build shared commitment to the plan
What is the purpose of a Program Epic? To aligning multiple Agile Release Trains to a common objective To capture Agile Release Train initiatives that cannot be completed in a single Program Increment To align Strategic Themes to portfolio investments
To capture Agile Release Train initiatives that cannot be completed in a single Program Increment
When working with an Agile Team, what is expected from Product Management? To provide the iteration goals to the team To prioritize the team backlog To define the technical software specifications To clarify the scope of feature work
To clarify the scope of feature work
Why is it important for a Scrum Master to be a servant leader? To drive the team to succeed To help the team become high-performing To provide team structure To coach the team in effective engineering practices
To help the team become high-performing
How are the 5 Whys used? To define acceptance criteria for a Story To coach a team through powerful questions To brainstorm ideas To identify a root cause(s) of a problem
To identify a root cause(s) of a problem
What is a primary responsibility of Business Owners in Program Increment (Pl) Planning? To establish the Pl budget To set the business context To ensure that team members plan all of their priorities
To set the business context
What are two anti-patterns for the IP Iteration? (Choose two.) To wait for the IP Iteration to fix defects To plan work for the IP lteration during P Planning To ensure all Stories and teams' Pl plans are completed prior to the IP Iteration To minimize lost capacity when people are on vacation or holidays To allow for sufficient capacity in the Program Roadmap
To wait for the IP Iteration to fix defects To plan work for the IP lteration during P Planning
What are two common PI Planning anti-patterns? (Choose two options.) Stories are created for the Iterations Too much time is spent prioritizing Features Too much time is spent analyzing each Story The team decides which changes need to happen and when Scrum Masters who work with multiple teams do not have time for their teams
Too much time is spent analyzing each Story Scrum Masters who work with multiple teams do not have time for their teams
What is an input to the Program Increment Planning process that highlights how Product Management plans to accomplish the Vision? Top ten Features Program board Business context
Top ten Features
What is the recommended duration of an Iteration in SAFe? Four weeks Three weeks Two weeks Six weeks
Two weeks
What is one example of a servant leader behavior pattern? Thinks about the day-to-day activities Focuses on individual task Metrics Understands and empathizes with others Uses authority rather than persuasion when necessary
Understands and empathizes with others
What is an example of Scrum Master servant leader behavior? Uses persuasion instead of authority Strives to create a conflict-free environment Focuses on the day-to-day team activities Keeps their opinions to themselves
Uses persuasion instead of authority
How does SAFe handle the 'fear of conflict' team dysfunction? Reviews results at the end of every iteration Uses scrum to create a safe environment for conflict Avoids discussion of disagreements Has teams engage in retrospectives
Uses scrum to create a safe environment for conflict
When is one time a Scrum Master may be a participant rather than a facilitator? During team breakout sessions at Pl Planning When using ad hoc teams for Inspect and Adapt When the Agile Release Train does not require any team coordination If the entire team is present during the daily stand-up
When using ad hoc teams for Inspect and Adapt
Which principle of the Agile Manifesto is most aligned with conducting a System Demo? The best way to convey information is a face-to-face conversation Working software is the primary measure of progress Welcome changing requirements, even late in development
Working software is the primary measure of progress
How might a Product Owner support a Continuous Delivery Pipeline that fully automates deployments with no manual compliance steps? Review and accept Stories as they are completed Identify Stories that are cleared for automatic delivery during Iteration Planning Write Feature toggles to control which Stories are released
Write Feature toggles to control which Stories are released
Which statement is true about scrum? lt is an ideal method for static design requirements lt is a team-based framework lt is a Lean system engineering technique lt is a set of technical software practices
lt is a team-based framework
Which Agile Team event supports relentless improvement? Inspect and Adapt lteration Review lteration Retrospective
lteration Retrospective
What is the name of the event where all team members determine how much of the team's backlog they can commit to delivering during an upcoming Iteration? Backlog refinement Solution planning lteration planning Solution Demo
lteration planning