Exam 1

For their new project to develop a point-of-sale system, the team creates an agile model in the form of a sample screen design of the system's user interface. What would an agile practitioner say is the primary benefit of this model? A. Achieving a highly polished designB. Discussing aspects of potential featuresC. Increasing the level of detailD. Creating a very accurate representation Hint: What level of effort should an agile team put into creating an agile model?

Correct Answer: B The primary value of an agile model is in the discussion and creation of the model, rather than the actual model. As a result, an agile model is barely sufficient rather than highly detailed.

Frequently integrating new and updated software code on an Agile project is called? A) Constant Integration B) Contiguous Integration C) Consistent Integration D) Continuous Integration

Correct Answer: D Continuous Integration is a technique used in Extreme Programming dictating that all updates to the application source code base be integrated and tested at least once per day.

Stakeholders want to understand what progress an agile team has made in their last iteration. What should stakeholders review to determine this information? A. The team's velocity chart B. The results of the spike C. Product backlog D. Fishbone slices Hint: Only one of the choices is related to tracking team performance.

Correct Answer: A A velocity chart shows the amount of value delivered in each iteration allowing the stakeholders to understand what progress the team has made during the iteration.

Which of the following behaviors should an agile coach avoid? A. Coordinating individual contributions B. Emphasizing business value delivery C. Taking the problem to the team D. Being invested in the team's overall performance HINT: There is a difference between "managing" vs. "coaching". There is also a difference in agile in how the individual vs. the team is treated.

Correct Answer: A An agile coach should move away from coordinating individual contributions, and instead coach the team to collaborate.

Often when implementing an Agile project for the first time in an organization, there is no historical data to determine the velocity of the first project iteration, so this velocity is really more of a 'guestimate' than an 'estimate'. Which term describes this type of velocity? A) Forecasted Velocity B) Estimated Velocity C) Terminal Velocity D) Cycle Velocity

Correct Answer: A Forecasted Velocity is an estimate of Agile project team velocity and is used when it is impossible or impractical to determine how many story points they will need to complete an iteration. This is commonly used on a new Agile project's first iteration since there is no historical data available to help estimate this velocity.

An agile team wants to determine the root cause of a recurring issue. Which method would an agile practitioner select to determine the root cause? A. Five Whys B. Kano C. MoSCoW D. Kanban Hint: Only one of the available choices is a tool that aims to get to the root cause of a problem. Two choices are prioritization models, and one choice is an agile method.

Correct Answer: A The 'Five Whys' analysis method has its origin with Toyota and works well for agile teams performing a root cause analysis during a retrospective.

In terms of the decomposition of requirements on an Agile project the artifact that contains release plans as its first level of decomposition is referred to as a? A) Product Roadmap B) Release Backlog C) Product Backlog D) Sprint Backlog HINT: This is the second Agile Artifact that is created during the Initial Strategy Meeting on an Agile Project.

Correct Answer: A The Product Roadmap is the second Agile Artifact that that is created during the Initial Strategy Meeting on an Agile Project. It is a visual timeline of major product features that support the Product Vision Statement, broken down into releases. This will enable the Initial Strategy Meeting attendees to see the 'big picture' of when these major product features will be developed and released over the life of the entire project.

An agile team needs to demonstrate a product increment at the end of every iteration. What should an agile practitioner recommend that the team do to make sure that they have adequate time to get prepared for the demonstration? A. Create a user story for conducting the demonstration B. Hire an external expert to handle the demonstration C. Track the task with a project management plan D. Delay the demonstration to the next iteration Hint: What guides the team works on?

Correct Answer: A The creation of a user story to demonstrate the product increment developed in the iteration allows the team to allocate dedicated time to get prepared for the demonstration.

specific to each iteration, which are referred to as "artifacts". All of the following are Agile iteration artifacts except: A) Iteration Vision Statement B) Iteration Backlog C) Iteration Plan D) Iteration Burnup Chart

Correct Answer: A The four main artifacts used in Agile project management and product development are the Iteration Plan, Iteration Backlog, Iteration Burndown Charts and Iteration Burnup Charts. The only type of "vision statement" used as an artifact in Agile is the Product Vision Statement. The "Iteration Vision Statement" is a completely fake term that we made up for this question.

Which of the following techniques is considered most effective when used as a method for project team members to generate ideas for solving problems or meeting open-ended challenges? A) Brainstorming B) Fist of Five C) Free-For-All D) Silent Idea Generation

Correct Answer: A There are three types of techniques that Agile project teams can use for solving problems or meeting open-ended challenges. These are Brainstorming, Free-For-All and Silent Idea Generation. Of these three techniques, Brainstorming is considered the most effective. Fist of Five is a technique used in Agile estimation.

Which of the following Agile meetings is used to synchronize an Agile project team's activities to ensure they are all working toward a common iteration goal? A) Daily Standup Meeting B) Iteration Review Meeting C) Iteration Planning Meeting D) Iteration Retrospective Meeting

Correct Answer: A When you think about the Agile Daily Standup Meeting, remember the term 'synchronize'. This Agile meeting is used to synchronize an Agile project team's activities to ensure they are all working toward a common iteration goal.

According to Lean Manufacturing, which of the following terms refers to a set of unfinished work that produces no business value? A) Work In Process B) Work in Transition C) Work In Stagnation D) Work In Progress HINT: Regardless of whether or not you are actively performing tasks for this work, it is still considered unfinished and will produce no business value until it is fully completed.

Correct Answer: A Work in Process is a Lean Manufacturing term that refers to the set of unfinished items being developed or waiting in the backlog that produce no business value until they are fully completed. Work in Progress is a more general term that is not specific to Lean Manufacturing and refers to any work for which you are actively performing tasks at any given moment.

What type of planning describes the technique of applying incremental delivery cycles to perform the work on an Agile project? A) Rolling Wave Planning B) Adaptive Planning C) Progressive Planning D) Incremental Planning HINT: This technique centers around the idea that it is easier to change your plans on an Agile project than it is to change the reality that surrounds and affects your Agile project.

Correct Answer: B Adaptive planning is a technique the employs iterative development cycles in order to produce incremental product deliverables and allows you to adapt your project plans based on the current reality that surrounds and affects your Agile project. Rolling Wave Planning is a form of Progressive Elaboration that focuses more on the near term plans and rolls into the longer term as more information becomes available about the project requirements. Progressive Planning and Incremental Planning are not terms associated with Agile product development.

Which of the following is an example of a continuous process improvement ceremony on an Agile Project? A) Release Planning Meeting B) Iteration Retrospective Meeting C) Product Demonstration Meeting D) Iteration Planning Meeting

Correct Answer: B Although Continuous Process Improvement should always be on the minds of all Agile project team members, the Iteration Retrospective Meeting is a formal ceremony used in Agile. This event is held at the end of each iteration where lessons learned during the iteration are reviewed, and specific plans of action are implemented during the very next iteration to prevent these issues from occurring again on the project.

What type of Agile contract allows the customer to terminate the contract at any time on the project if they do not see any added value? A) Agile Iteration Contract B) Agile Time and Materials Contract C) Agile Phased Development Contract D) Agile Early Termination Contract

Correct Answer: B An Agile Time and Materials contract allows the customer to terminate the contract at any time on the project if they do not see any added value.

On your Agile project you have just completed the creation of a potentially shippable product increment. The time it took to create this product increment is referred to as? A) Actual Time B) Cycle Time C) Lead Time D) Real Time

Correct Answer: B Cycle Time refers to the time it takes (from beginning to end) to complete the creation of a potentially shippable product increment.

Product defects reported by the customer that have escaped all software quality processes are called? A) Primary Defects B) Escaped Defects C) Secondary Defects D) Undetected Defects

Correct Answer: B Escaped Defects are those defects reported by the customer that have escaped all software quality processes, and are usually pointed out by the customer during the Iteration Review meeting.

The Value Stream Mapping process has four distinct steps. Which of the following is not a recommended step in the Value Stream Mapping process? A) Define the current state B) Describe the opportunity C) Identify the value stream target D) Depict the desired future state

Correct Answer: B The four distinct steps in the Value Stream Mapping process are (in order); 1) Identify the value stream target, 2) Define the current state, 3) Clarify the opportunity, and 4) Depict the desired future state. Describe the Opportunity is not a valid Value Stream Mapping process step.

One of the major tools and techniques used in Lean Software Development is value stream mapping. What is the primary purpose of value stream mapping? A) To improve business processes B) To identify and eliminate waste C) To ensure product quality D) To increase customer value

Correct Answer: B The single most important goal of using Value Stream Mapping is to identify and eliminate waste.

You are a Product Owner working on an agile software development project and you have brought all the Scrum team members together for the first Iteration Planning meeting. You read the user stories to the team, and they have provided estimates to complete these user stories. You have promised to leave them alone during the iteration to get the work done and they have agreed to complete the work 100% according to the definition of done. What is this an example of? A) Two-way communication B) Reciprocal commitment C) Bi-partisan agreement D) Emotional intelligence

Correct Answer: B This is an example of Reciprocal Commitment, where the Agile project team commits to delivering the specified functionality 100 % according the definition of done at the end of the iteration, and the product owner, organization and customer agree not to change priorities during the iteration and leave the team alone to "do the work".

In terms of the decomposition of requirements on an Agile project, the artifact that contains release plans as its first level of decomposition is referred to as a? A) Product Backlog B) Release Backlog C) Product Roadmap D) Release Roadmap

Correct Answer: C

A cross-functional agile team has experienced many disruptions in recent sprints since various members needed time off due to planned holidays and unplanned absences for personal reasons. What should the team have done differently? A. Increased specialization among team members B. Engaged in more planning C. Provided for more safety in estimates D. Shortened the sprint length during the project HINT: The scenario describes a repetitive pattern in which frequent disruptions cause change and uncertainty to the team performance.

Correct Answer: C On average through the course of all the sprints, some amount of time allocated for unplanned events (such as team taking time off) needs to be included as a safety in the team's estimates.

A new scrum team is looking to improve its process for their next project. Which approach would an agile practitioner say is most likely to help the team improve its process? A. Adopt the process used by the most successful team in the organization B. Tailor the process for the new project C. Focus on 'work not done' and reflection D. Consult with the scrum master and the project sponsor HINT: Look for the answer choice that represents one of the Agile Manifesto principles and one of the core agile practices.

Correct Answer: C Simplicity and reflection are core agile practices. Simplicity, "the art of maximizing the amount of work not done", is one of the Agile Manifesto principles. Reflection is in the center of iteration retrospectives aimed to improve the team's process and performance. Focusing on reflection and simplicity will most likely help the team improve its process, making this the best answer to the question asked.

In what year was the Declaration of Interdependence published? A) 2001 B) 2003 C) 2005 D) 2007 HINT: Do you remember when the Agile Manifesto was published? The correct answer is four years after that.

Correct Answer: C The Declaration of Interdependence was published four years after the Agile Manifesto in 2005 by a group of Agile practitioners to help implement guidelines set forth in the Agile Manifesto.

During what Agile meeting is a potentially shippable product increment shown to all interested stakeholders? A) Iteration Acceptance Meeting B) Iteration Planning Meeting C) Iteration Review Meeting D) Iteration Retrospective Meeting

Correct Answer: C The Iteration Review Meeting occurs at the end of the iteration where the development team presents the potentially shippable product component they have developed during the current iteration to all interested stakeholders.

What Agile role is sometimes referred to as 'the voice of the customer'? A) Scrum Master B) Development Team Lead C) Product Owner D) Project Manager HINT: Think about which of these roles has the closest and most frequent contact with the customer on an Agile project.

Correct Answer: C Think about which of these roles has the closest and most frequent contact with the customer on an Agile project. The Product Owner is responsible for bridging the gaps between the customer, business stakeholders, and the development team and is sometimes referred to as 'the voice of the customer'.

A project team is discussing the priorities associated with different project management methodologies. What would an agile practitioner say is the top priority? A. Working software and lean documentation B. Individuals and interactions and lightweight processes and tools C. Customer satisfaction through the delivery of valuable products D. Responding to change and progressive elaboration of plans Hint: Which of the available options reflects one of the twelve principles of the Agile Manifesto?

Correct Answer: C This answer choice most closely resembles the highest priority according to the Agile Manifesto which states, "Our highest priority is to satisfy the customer through early and continuous delivery of valuable software."

Which of the following is not a value stated in the Agile Manifesto? A) Individuals and interactions over processes and tools B) Working software over comprehensive documentation C) Customer communication over contract negotiation D) Responding to change over following a plan

Correct Answer: C This is a tricky question! Although each of these seems correct, one answer has been changed a bit from the actual words used in the Agile Manifesto. Answers "A", "B" & "D" are from the Agile Manifesto word for word. The actual words used in the Agile Manifesto for answer "C" are Customer "collaboration" over contract negotiation, rather than Customer "communication" over contract negotiation, and this is why "C" is the correct answer to this question.

An agile team lead has many years of experience and is a subject matter expert on the product that the team is building. How can the team lead best engage the team in solving a problem? A. Steer the team towards what the team lead knows is the best optionB. Consult the team on every decisionC. Encourage the team to experiment with different potential solutionsD. Engage the team in documenting the pros and cons of different solutions Hint: Which choice best enables the team to solve a problem?

Correct Answer: C To engage the team in solving problems, the team lead should create an open and safe environment, where the team members can experiment with different options without fear of being punished for mistakes they may make during this experimentation.

On your Agile projects there is sometimes undocumented knowledge or information that is only known by certain project team members, and is usually kept to themselves. What is the name of this type of knowledge? A) Common Knowledge B) Shared Knowledge C) Tacit Knowledge D) Tribal Knowledge

Correct Answer: C Undocumented knowledge or information that people keep to themselves on an Agile project team without wanting to share with the rest of the team is known as Tacit Knowledge.

What is the Agile term for the technique of creating a group of rules that govern how team members interact? A) Standard Operating Procedures B) Teaming Agreements C) Working Agreements D) Rules of Engagement HINT: Two of the possible answer choices refer to this technique but only one is an Agile Project Management term.

Correct Answer: C Working Agreements is an Agile Project Management term that refers to the standards that each Agile team defines (by consensus) to outline the specific rules for how the team will work together during the course of the project. They are normally considered a 'verbal contract', and should be displayed as an information radiator in the team's Commons space. These are sometimes referred to as Rules of Engagement on non-Agile projects. Teaming Agreements are contractual arrangements between two or more entities to form a partnership or joint venture for the duration of a project. Standard Operating Procedures are used in both Project Management and Organizational Management and are not specific to Agile.

When it comes to estimating the requirements on your Agile projects, there are three different "Sizing Units" that can be used to determine the size (referring here specifically to "Level of Effort") of your Agile project requirements (referring here specifically to "user stories"), and the specific tasks to meet those requirements. Which of the Following is not recognized as a "unit" that can be used for estimating the size of the requirements on your Agile project? A) Real time B) Relative size C) Ideal time D) Ideal size

Correct Answer: D "When it comes to estimating the effort to complete the requirements on your Agile projects, there are three different "Sizing Units" that can be used: Real Time, which is sometimes called Real Days or Actual Days. This refers to the actual time during each day that the team members are available and are productively working on specific Agile project tasks. Ideal Time, or Ideal Days, where you make the assumption that your Agile project team members will have no interruptions in their work, such as checking email or attending meetings, and will be 100% productive every hour of every day. Relative Size, which is the recommended "sizing unit" to use for requirements size estimation on your Agile project. This sizing unit allows you to estimate the "level of effort" a user story will take to complete, relative to the other user stories you will be performing on your Agile project. Ideal Size is not a recognized sizing unit for estimating the level effort of effort to complete an Agile project requirement."

All of the following are considered Agile Methods except? A) Adaptive Software Development B) Feature Driven Development C) Lean Software Development D) Test Driven Development

Correct Answer: D Adaptive Software Development, Feature Driven Development and Lean Software Development are all consider Agile methods. Test Driven Development is considered an Agile tool.

You are currently on an Agile project team developing a new bar code scanning device for a major drug store retailer and are currently creating user stories. One project team member is very strong-willed and is constantly trying to exert his influence over others to sway them to his way of thinking. This is an example of? A) Dominating B) Influencing C) Dictating D) Anchoring

Correct Answer: D Anchoring occurs when undue influence is exerted by an individual on an Agile project team to sway the other team members to their way of thinking.

Variance and Trend Analysis is a technique used on Agile projects to reduce risk. What type of Agile Risk Management is Variance and Trend Analysis considered? A) Organic Risk Management B) Organizational Risk Management C) Optimal Risk Management D) Overt Risk Management

Correct Answer: D Overt Risk Management is the implementation of risk management techniques on your Agile project to explicitly identify, track and create risk responses plans for project risks. Organic Risk Management is the amount of risk reduced on your project inherently by implementing Agile best practices. Organizational Risk Management and Optimal Risk Management are not terms recognized in Agile.

Extreme Programming (XP) defines four basic activities that are performed during the software development process. These include designing, coding, testing and ... ? A) Collaborating B) Leveling C) Communicating D) Listening

Correct Answer: D The four basic activities of XP that are performed during the software development process are: 1) Listening to the customer to determine what they want and also to your fellow development team members. 2) Designing the code based on your team's understanding of the requirements resulting from Listening to the customer and your team. 3) Coding because the end product of the development effort is based on programming the code. 4) Testing the code that has been programmed to deliver the highest quality code as close to bug-free as feasible.

Who is responsible for the creation and maintenance of the Product Roadmap? A) Project Manager B) Product Manager C) Scrum Master D) Product Owner

Correct Answer: D The primary responsibility of the Product Owner on an agile project is to represent the business, which includes the creation and maintenance of several Agile artefacts. The Product Owner is responsible for the creation of the Product Vision Statement, the creation and ongoing maintenance of the Product Roadmap, and the creation and ongoing maintenance of Product Backlog, which is commonly referred to as 'Product Backlog Grooming'.

Which of the following statements is not true with regard to user stories? A) They are stored in the Product, Release and Sprint Backlogs. B) They are the primary vehicles used in Agile to create project and product requirements. C) They should be written by the customer or customer proxy. D) They represent the smallest unit of work performed on an Agile project.

Correct Answer: D User stories are broken down into tasks, which represent the lowest form of work decomposition on an Agile project. Tasks can be assigned specific resources for their execution and can also have discreet hourly estimates assgned for their completion.

Emotional Intelligence is an extremely important interpersonal skill that each Agile team member should possess. In terms of the social awareness aspects of Emotional Intelligence, which of the following statements is true? A) Social Awareness is characterized by the use of self-confidence B) Social Awareness is characterized by the use of influence C) Social Awareness is characterized by the use of self-control D) Social Awareness is characterized by the use of empathy

Correct Answer: D When utilizing the interpersonal skill of Emotional Intelligence on an Agile project, Social Awareness is characterized by the use of empathy in order to understand the perspective of the person with whom you are interacting and communicating.