DAF Practice Test 3 — 10 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.

Answer

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

Answer

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

Answer

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.