DAF Practice Exam 2 — 20 Questions

Question 1

A new project team is struggling to choose between a Scrum-based approach and a Lean-based approach. Which Disciplined Agile principle should the coach emphasize to help them decide?

Accepted Answer

Context counts.. 'Context counts' is one of the foundational Disciplined Agile principles: the right way of working depends on the situation — team size, culture, regulatory environment, product complexity, and customer needs. Rather than dogmatically choosing Scrum or Lean, the coach should guide the team to fit the method to their context using DA's goal-driven, choice-based approach. This is the essence of DA's 'choice is good' philosophy.

Answer

Let the senior project manager decide the methodology.

Answer

Always choose Lean as it is inherently superior to Scrum.

Answer

Follow the Scrum Guide strictly to ensure consistency.

Question 2

A team is frustrated by 'rework'. Which Lean practice helps address this at the source?

Accepted Answer

Building quality in through practices like TDD and automated testing.. Lean addresses rework by preventing defects at the point of creation rather than detecting them later. Building quality in through Test-Driven Development (TDD) and automated testing shifts verification left, so defects never enter the codebase in the first place. This eliminates the root cause of rework — defective work products flowing downstream — instead of merely measuring or containing it.

Answer

Assigning a dedicated person to track defects.

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Reducing the scope of the project.

Answer

Increasing the testing phase duration.

Question 3

Which of these is a key 'Agile' value?

Accepted Answer

Responding to change over following a plan. The Agile Manifesto explicitly states 'Responding to change over following a plan' as one of its four core values. This value acknowledges that in complex product development, requirements and understanding evolve, so the ability to adapt to changing circumstances is more valuable than rigid adherence to an upfront plan. The other three values in the Manifesto are: individuals and interactions over processes and tools, working software over comprehensive documentation, and customer collaboration over contract negotiation.

Answer

Comprehensive documentation over working software

Answer

Following processes over individuals and interactions

Answer

Contract negotiation over customer collaboration

Question 4

A team is transitioning to a 'Lean' lifecycle. What is the most likely change they need to make?

Accepted Answer

Focus on continuous flow. Lean lifecycle is built around the principle of continuous flow — moving work through the value stream in small batches with minimal wait states, handoffs, and inventory. A team transitioning to Lean must therefore restructure how work moves, reducing batch sizes and eliminating queues so value is delivered steadily rather than in large, infrequent releases.

Answer

Increase batch sizes

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Add a project manager

Answer

Require more documentation

Question 5

Which THREE criteria are important to consider when selecting a delivery lifecycle in DA?

Accepted Answer

Project team size. In Disciplined Agile (DA), the delivery lifecycle is chosen based on context factors, and three of the options listed are genuine criteria: C (Project team size) matters because larger teams need more coordination and ceremony, favoring a more structured lifecycle such as a continuous delivery or lean lifecycle, while small teams can use lighter approaches; D (The level of uncertainty) is critical because high uncertainty favors an exploratory/agile lifecycle like Lean or Agile, whereas low uncertainty suits a more predictive or continuous delivery approach; and E (Technical complexity) is important because complex technical solutions may require more architecture, integration, and validation, influencing whether a continuous delivery, exploratory, or lean lifecycle fits best. Options A (The preferred color of the workspace) and B (The office location of the stakeholders) are not DA lifecycle selection criteria, as workspace color is irrelevant and stakeholder location is at most a minor environmental factor, not one of the core criteria for choosing a delivery lifecycle.

Answer

The preferred color of the workspace

Answer

The office location of the stakeholders

Question 6

Your organization is transitioning to a more agile governance model. Which approach should you adopt to ensure effective decision-making?

Accepted Answer

Lean Governance. Lean Governance focuses on risk-based oversight rather than bureaucratic checklists.

Answer

Command and Control

Answer

Ad-hoc Decision Making

Answer

Full Documentation

Question 7

A team is experiencing 'analysis paralysis' during the initial phase of their project. Which Disciplined Agile strategy is best to move forward?

Accepted Answer

Implement 'Just-in-Time' planning to reduce upfront analysis. Disciplined Agile suggests 'Evolutionary' approaches, where the team performs just enough planning to start, then adapts.

Answer

Extend the sprint duration to allow more time for analysis

Answer

Switch to a full Kanban system without any planning

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Mandate a strict waterfall phase gate review

Question 8

When planning, what is the difference between 'Predictive' and 'Adaptive' planning?

Accepted Answer

Adaptive planning evolves as the project progresses based on feedback. Predictive planning is upfront and detailed, while adaptive is rolling-wave and iterative.

Answer

Predictive planning is not allowed in Disciplined Agile

Answer

Predictive planning is better for high-uncertainty projects

Answer

Adaptive planning is always faster than predictive

Question 9

A team has been asked to implement a new feature. They don't know the technology stack well. What is the most 'disciplined' approach?

Accepted Answer

Perform a 'Spike' to explore the technology. Conducting a 'Spike' allows the team to research the technology before committing to a delivery plan.

Answer

Commit to the feature immediately and learn as they build

Answer

Reject the feature request until they are experts

Answer

Ask management to assign an expert to do the work for them

Question 10

What is the primary benefit of 'Standardized Work' in a Lean environment?

Accepted Answer

It creates a baseline for improvement.. Standardized work provides a consistent baseline, which is necessary for measuring the impact of improvements (Kaizen).

Answer

It reduces the need for skilled workers.

Answer

It eliminates the need for team collaboration.

Answer

It makes the work boring and repetitive.

Question 11

You notice your team's velocity is inconsistent. How should you apply the 'Optimize Flow' principle?

Accepted Answer

Identify and remove bottlenecks. The 'Optimize Flow' principle in Disciplined Agile is about making value move smoothly through the system by finding and eliminating constraints. When velocity is inconsistent, the correct response is to identify bottlenecks — the constraint that limits throughput — and remove or relieve them, which stabilizes flow. This aligns with Lean's theory of constraints and the DA guidance to optimize the whole system rather than local efficiencies.

Answer

Add more team members

Answer

Increase WIP limits

Answer

Stop all meetings

Question 12

What does a cumulative flow diagram (CFD) help a team visualize?

Accepted Answer

The stability and distribution of work in progress.. A cumulative flow diagram plots the count of work items in each workflow state over time, so the vertical thickness of each band shows work in progress (WIP) in that state. This lets a team see whether WIP is stable or ballooning, where bottlenecks form, and how evenly work is distributed across the flow. It is a core Lean/Agile flow metric, not a people or budget tool.

Answer

The specific team member assigned to each ticket.

Answer

The total budget remaining for the project.

Answer

Individual team member performance.

Question 13

Which DA concept describes the idea that teams should be able to choose their own way of working?

Accepted Answer

Choose Your WoW.. 'Choose Your WoW' (Way of Working) is a core Disciplined Agile principle stating that every team is unique and should tailor its process, practices, and lifecycle to its own context rather than being forced into a single mandated method. DA explicitly rejects one-size-fits-all frameworks and instead offers a toolkit from which teams select and evolve their approach. This is why the concept is named 'Choose Your WoW' — it captures team-level autonomy within enterprise guardrails.

Answer

Standardized Agile.

Answer

Command and Control.

Answer

Managed Delivery.

Question 14

What is the primary benefit of 'Small Batch Sizes' in software development?

Accepted Answer

Faster feedback loops and reduced risk.. Small batch sizes reduce the amount of work in progress between steps, which shortens the time to get feedback and limits the blast radius of any single change. Faster feedback lets teams detect defects, misalignments, and market shifts earlier, while smaller changes are easier to test, review, and roll back — directly reducing delivery risk. This is a foundational lean/DA principle (Little's Law and flow efficiency).

Answer

More time to attend meetings.

Answer

Lower total cost of labor.

Answer

Less documentation required.

Question 15

When applying 'Enterprise Awareness', what is the most important consideration for a team?

Accepted Answer

Alignment with broader enterprise objectives. Enterprise Awareness in Disciplined Agile emphasizes that teams should consider the broader organizational context when making decisions. The most important consideration is alignment with enterprise objectives, ensuring that team goals and activities contribute to the overall strategic direction of the organization. This alignment helps avoid sub-optimization and ensures that teams deliver value that matters to the enterprise.

Answer

Their own speed

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The latest software tools

Answer

Their internal team dynamics

Question 16

Which TWO of the following are 'Lean' concepts applied in DA?

Accepted Answer

Elimination of waste. Option C, elimination of waste, is a core Lean concept: Lean defines value from the customer's perspective and systematically removes non-value-adding activities (muda) such as waiting, handoffs, rework, and partially done work, which in DA (Disciplined Agile) translates into streamlining ceremonies, artifacts, and governance. Option E, optimizing the flow of value, is likewise central to Lean thinking: it emphasizes making value flow smoothly through the delivery pipeline by limiting work in progress, reducing batch sizes, and pulling work rather than pushing it, which DA applies through its value stream and continuous improvement guidance. The unmarked options do not belong: A (mandating a fixed-price contract) is a contractual/commercial constraint, not a Lean principle, and Lean favors adaptive, value-driven agreements; B (forcing long hours) contradicts Lean's respect for people and sustainable pace, and overwork increases defects and waste; D (maximizing the number of features in a release) is output-focused rather than value-focused and conflicts with Lean's aim of delivering only what the customer values while minimizing waste.

Answer

Mandating a fixed-price contract

Answer

Forcing team members to work long hours

Answer

Maximizing the number of features in a release

Question 17

A project is currently in the 'Construction' phase of the Disciplined Agile lifecycle. What is the main focus?

Accepted Answer

Building, testing, and verifying the solution. The Construction phase is where the team builds the solution in a series of iterations.

Answer

Establishing the initial team vision

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Identifying stakeholders and their needs

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Closing out the project and archiving documentation

Question 18

You are working in a regulated environment. Which aspect of DA allows you to maintain compliance while staying agile?

Accepted Answer

Disciplined Agile Governance. Disciplined Agile Governance is the aspect of DA that enables teams to satisfy regulatory and compliance obligations while remaining agile. It embeds lightweight, scalable governance practices directly into the way of working rather than bolting them on as separate control gates. This lets regulated teams demonstrate fitness-for-purpose and auditability without sacrificing the ability to inspect and adapt.

Answer

External Audits

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Standardized Documentation

Answer

Stop Agile Adoption

Question 19

Which TWO of the following are potential side effects of failing to address bottlenecks in a process?

Accepted Answer

Increased lead time for all items in the system.. Option B is correct because a bottleneck caps the throughput of the entire process, so work-in-progress queues up in front of the constrained step and every item—regardless of priority—spends longer waiting, which directly increases lead time (Little's Law: WIP = throughput × lead time). Option D is correct because unaddressed bottlenecks force people to constantly expedite, context-switch, and absorb schedule pressure at the constrained resource, which raises stress levels and is a well-documented driver of burnout. Option A is wrong because bottlenecks typically create friction and blame between teams rather than improving collaboration. Option C is wrong because a bottleneck delays all items, including high-priority ones, unless explicit prioritization mechanisms are introduced. Option E is wrong because bottlenecks usually increase costs through overtime, expediting, and delayed delivery, not reduce them.

Answer

Improved team collaboration.

Answer

Faster delivery of high-priority items.

Answer

A natural reduction in project costs.

Question 20

What is a 'Pull' system in Lean?

Accepted Answer

Work is initiated only when there is available capacity.. A Pull system in Lean means work is initiated only when there is available capacity — downstream processes 'pull' work from upstream only when they are ready to process it. This contrasts with a Push system where work is forced onto the team regardless of capacity. Pull systems prevent overproduction, reduce WIP, and expose bottlenecks, making them foundational to Just-In-Time (JIT) delivery.

Answer

Work is pushed by management to the team.

Answer

Work is completed as fast as possible regardless of quality.

Answer

Work is assigned based on seniority.