DAF Practice Test 13 — 15 Questions

Question 1

During a retrospective, the team notices they spend 30% of their time fixing defects in previously delivered code. Which Lean principle does this violate?

Accepted Answer

Build Quality In.. The 30% rework rate indicates defects are escaping into delivered code rather than being prevented at the source. The Lean principle 'Build Quality In' (derived from Lean manufacturing's jidoka/stop-the-line concept) requires embedding quality at each step so defects are caught immediately, not fixed later. Spending nearly a third of capacity on rework is the classic symptom of inspecting quality in at the end instead of building it in throughout.

Answer

Respect People.

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Optimize the Whole.

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Deliver Fast.

Question 2

What is the role of 'Governance' in DA?

Accepted Answer

To provide light, risk-based guidance. In DA, Governance provides light, risk-based guidance rather than heavy, prescriptive control. It ensures that teams operate within acceptable risk boundaries while still having the autonomy to tailor their Way of Working. Governance in DA is about enabling teams and providing oversight proportional to the risk and regulatory context, not about imposing rigid rules.

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To replace all leadership roles

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To impose strict, heavy rules

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To stop teams from working

Question 3

Which TWO of the following are core components of the Disciplined Agile 'Mindset'?

Accepted Answer

Optimize Flow.. The Disciplined Agile (DA) Mindset is built around a set of guiding principles and promises, and among its core principles are 'Optimize Flow' (option C) and 'Be Awesome' (option D). 'Optimize Flow' reflects DA's lean-influenced focus on improving the smooth, continuous delivery of value through the value stream rather than optimizing individual silos or resources. 'Be Awesome' captures DA's emphasis on delivering delightful, high-quality solutions and continuously improving both the product and the team's way of working. Options A and B are incorrect because DA explicitly avoids prescribing a single framework or body of knowledge — it is a pragmatic, choice-driven hybrid that tailors practices from Scrum, Kanban, SAFe, PMBOK, and others rather than strictly adhering to Scrum ceremonies or following the PMBOK guide exclusively. Option E is incorrect because DA does not mandate always choosing the newest technology; instead it advises choosing the simplest technology that fits the context and delivers value.

Answer

Strictly adhere to Scrum ceremonies.

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Follow the PMI PMBOK guide exclusively.

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Always choose the newest technology.

Question 4

Which TWO of the following are benefits of using the Disciplined Agile toolkit compared to a single framework like Scrum?

Accepted Answer

It provides a more comprehensive set of options.. Option C is correct because Disciplined Agile (DA) is explicitly designed as a hybrid toolkit that aggregates practices from Scrum, Kanban, SAFe, XP, Lean, and other sources, giving teams a broader and more comprehensive set of options than any single framework like Scrum can offer. Option E is correct because DA's core premise is context-sensitive process selection: teams use the DA tool kit and guided continuous improvement (GCI) to choose their WoW (Way of Working) based on their specific context—team size, compliance needs, distribution, and domain—rather than being locked into Scrum's prescribed roles, events, and artifacts. Option A is wrong because DA still requires project management disciplines such as planning, risk management, and governance; it does not eliminate them. Option B is wrong because no framework or toolkit can guarantee project success, and DA explicitly promotes empiricism and adaptation rather than guarantees. Option D is wrong because DA does not mandate faster delivery than Scrum; it aims to optimize flow and fitness for context, not to impose a fixed speed requirement.

Answer

It eliminates the need for any project management.

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It guarantees project success.

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It forces teams to deliver faster than Scrum.

Question 5

Which TWO of the following statements about 'Guided Continuous Improvement' (GCI) are correct?

Accepted Answer

It uses the DA toolkit to guide the selection of improvements.. Option B is correct because Guided Continuous Improvement (GCI) leverages the DA (Disciplined Agile) toolkit — its process goals, practices, and guided tailoring — to help teams deliberately choose which improvements fit their context rather than prescribing a single method. Option C is correct because GCI is built on the principle of small, incremental, evolutionary change: teams make modest adjustments, measure the results, and then decide whether to adopt, adapt, or abandon them, which reduces risk and sustains momentum. Options A, D, and E are incorrect: GCI is not limited to software engineering teams (it applies across the whole organization, including IT, operations, and business groups), it explicitly rejects a one-size-fits-all approach by allowing each team to improve in ways suited to its own situation, and it is a continuous, ongoing discipline rather than a one-time kickoff activity.

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It is only applicable to the software engineering team.

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It requires all teams to improve in the same way.

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It is a one-time activity at the start of a project.

Question 6

Which TWO of the following are key characteristics of a 'fit-for-purpose' Way of Working?

Accepted Answer

It is tailored to the team's unique context.. Option B is correct because a fit-for-purpose Way of Working is deliberately tailored to the team's unique context — its goals, constraints, culture, and ways of collaborating — rather than being imposed uniformly. Option E is correct because the whole point of a fit-for-purpose Way of Working is that it is outcome-driven: it is selected and shaped to help the team achieve its desired results, not to conform to an external standard. Option A is wrong because a one-size-fits-all Way of Working applied identically to every team ignores context and is the opposite of fit-for-purpose. Option C is wrong because copying competitors' practices assumes their context matches yours and does not guarantee fitness for your team's outcomes. Option D is wrong because a fit-for-purpose Way of Working is expected to evolve as the team's context and goals change, so it is not static.

Answer

It is the same for every team in the company.

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It is exactly what the organization's competitors are using.

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It requires no changes after it is set.

Question 7

Which TWO of the following are valid ways for an Agile team to improve their way of working (WoW)?

Accepted Answer

Experiment with new practices in a controlled way. Option B is correct because Agile teams improve their way of working through deliberate experimentation: trying a new practice on a small scale, measuring its effect, and inspecting and adapting based on the results, which is the essence of empiricism. Option D is correct because the retrospective is the dedicated Scrum/Agile event where the team regularly inspects how it works and identifies concrete improvements to apply in the next iteration, making it the primary mechanism for continuous WoW improvement. Option A is not valid because blindly copying another team's process ignores the team's own context, constraints, and empirical data, and best practices cannot simply be transplanted. Option C is not valid because Agile teams are self-managing and own their process; waiting for management to dictate processes contradicts self-organization and continuous improvement. Option E is not valid because adopting identical tools does not improve a team's way of working and may not fit the team's needs, since tools are enablers rather than the source of process improvement.

Answer

Copy the process of the highest-performing team in the company

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Wait for management to dictate new processes

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Use the exact same tools as other teams

Question 8

Which THREE are characteristics of a 'high-performing' Agile team?

Accepted Answer

Shared accountability for results. Option A (Shared accountability for results) is correct because high-performing Agile teams collectively own outcomes rather than siloing responsibility, which aligns with Agile principles of self-organizing teams. Option B (High trust among team members) is correct because trust enables open communication, psychological safety, and rapid collaboration, all essential for high performance. Option E (A focus on continuous improvement) is correct because Agile teams regularly inspect and adapt through retrospectives and iterative delivery to raise effectiveness. Option C is incorrect because Agile values responding to change over strict adherence to an initial plan. Option D is incorrect because Agile teams are self-organizing, not led by a leader who dictates every action.

Answer

Strict adherence to the initial plan

Answer

A leader who dictates every action

Question 9

Which THREE of the following are examples of organizational contexts that might influence your 'Choose Your WoW' decisions?

Accepted Answer

The regulatory environment.. Option B is correct because the regulatory environment directly shapes how a team must work — for example, compliance-heavy industries (finance, healthcare, government) require documented controls, audit trails, and formal approvals that constrain which practices and cadences a team can safely adopt. Option D is correct because organizational culture determines the appetite for experimentation versus predictability; a risk-averse culture favors more upfront planning and gated reviews, while an experimental culture tolerates iterative discovery and frequent change. Option E is correct because geographic distribution affects communication and coordination — co-located teams can rely on osmotic, face-to-face interaction, whereas distributed teams need deliberate tooling, time-zone-aware ceremonies, and more explicit documentation. Option A does not belong because a headquarters street address is a logistical detail with no bearing on how a team designs its way of working. Option C does not belong because the laptop brand is a procurement/hardware choice, not an organizational context that influences process or practice selection.

Answer

The office address of the company headquarters.

Answer

The brand of the team's laptops.

Question 10

Which TWO of the following are benefits of using the DA toolkit?

Accepted Answer

Increased transparency. Option A (Increased transparency) is correct because the DA (Disciplined Agile) toolkit makes decision points, process choices, and the rationale behind them explicit, so teams and stakeholders can see how work is governed and why a particular WoW (Way of Working) was selected. Option C (Improved alignment with business goals) is correct because DA's guided continuous improvement and goal-driven, context-sensitive approach ties process decisions to delivering value and achieving organizational objectives rather than enforcing a single prescribed method. Options B, D, and E are not benefits of DA: no toolkit can guarantee success, DA explicitly rejects one-size-fits-all standardization in favor of tailoring to context, and it does not eliminate meetings—it instead makes them more purposeful and effective.

Answer

Guaranteed success

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Standardization of all processes

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Elimination of all meetings

Question 11

Why does Lean emphasize 'Visible Management' for project boards?

Accepted Answer

It provides transparency that highlights issues without needing meetings.. Visible boards (like Kanban) allow everyone to see the status of the project, identifying bottlenecks and issues without needing a meeting.

Answer

It ensures the project looks good for visiting clients.

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It is required by the PMO software.

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It makes it easier for managers to track employees.

Question 12

When analyzing a Value Stream Map, what does an 'invisible' queue represent?

Accepted Answer

Work waiting in an inbox or system that is not explicitly tracked.. In a Value Stream Map, an 'invisible' queue represents work that is waiting in a system or inbox but is not explicitly tracked or visualized on the map — for example, emails sitting in a shared mailbox or tickets in an untracked backlog. These queues still consume cycle time and hide waste, which is why making them visible is a key goal of value stream mapping.

Answer

Future work that hasn't been started.

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Work that has been completed but not yet verified.

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The time spent in planning meetings.

Question 13

You are assessing team performance. Which DA concept emphasizes that there is no 'one size fits all' approach?

Accepted Answer

Context Counts. The DA concept 'Context Counts' emphasizes that there is no one-size-fits-all approach; teams must tailor their way of working to their specific context. This principle is central to DA, which rejects prescriptive methods and encourages teams to choose practices that fit their situation. Therefore, 'Context Counts' is the correct answer.

Answer

Enterprise Awareness

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Choice is Good

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Optimizing Flow

Question 14

Your team is currently struggling with high levels of work-in-process (WIP) that is causing delays. According to the Choose Your Way of Working (WoW) mindset, what is the first step you should take?

Accepted Answer

Analyze the 'Coordinate Activities' process goal and select a practice to limit WIP.. According to the Choose Your Way of Working (WoW) mindset, when facing high WIP, the first step is to analyze the 'Coordinate Activities' process goal and select a practice to limit WIP. This goal addresses how teams coordinate their work, and limiting WIP is a key strategy to improve flow and reduce delays. The team should then choose a practice, such as Kanban's WIP limits, to address the issue.

Answer

Stop all work until the backlog is re-prioritized.

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Ask management to hire more staff to handle the current WIP.

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Adopt a full Scrum framework immediately.

Question 15

Which TWO of the following are core pillars of a 'Disciplined Agile' mindset?

Accepted Answer

Be pragmatic. Option B (Be pragmatic) is correct because Disciplined Agile's core mindset explicitly includes 'Be pragmatic' as one of its guiding principles, encouraging teams to choose the approach that works best in their situation rather than dogmatically following one method. Option C (Context counts) is also correct because Disciplined Agile emphasizes that every team, organization, and problem is unique, so the choice of lifecycle, practices, and roles must fit the specific context. Option A is wrong because Disciplined Agile supports multiple lifecycles (Agile, Lean, Continuous Delivery, etc.), not only Scrum. Option D is wrong because Disciplined Agile values quality and sustainable delivery, not sacrificing quality for speed. Option E is wrong because DA is deliberately flexible and tailorable, not a rigid process guide to be followed precisely.

Answer

Always use a Scrum-based lifecycle

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Prioritize speed over quality

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Follow the process guide precisely