DAF Practice Test 2 — 30 Questions

Question 1

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 2

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 3

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 4

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 5

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

Answer

The latest software tools

Answer

Their internal team dynamics

Question 6

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 7

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

Answer

Identifying stakeholders and their needs

Answer

Closing out the project and archiving documentation

Question 8

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

Answer

Standardized Documentation

Answer

Stop Agile Adoption

Question 9

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 10

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.

Question 11

Which layer of the DA framework is responsible for aligning team efforts with the overall enterprise strategy?

Accepted Answer

Portfolio Management. In the Disciplined Agile framework, Portfolio Management is the layer that connects enterprise strategy to the work of delivery teams by selecting, prioritising, and funding initiatives. It ensures that team efforts roll up to strategic goals rather than operating in isolation. The other layers address team-level or awareness concerns, not strategic alignment.

Answer

Team Level

Answer

Enterprise Awareness

Answer

Governance

Question 12

A team is transitioning from a traditional project management approach to Disciplined Agile. Which mindset shift is most critical for the team to embrace during their first iteration?

Accepted Answer

Focusing on delivering high-value, working software early and often. The core of Disciplined Agile is the pragmatic shift towards value delivery over rigid adherence to process, emphasizing a 'choose your way of working' approach.

Answer

Eliminating all documentation throughout the lifecycle

Answer

Strict adherence to the project charter

Answer

Reducing the team size to improve velocity

Question 13

A team is working on a complex project with multiple dependencies. Which process goal is most relevant for managing these?

Accepted Answer

Coordinate Activities.. The 'Coordinate Activities' process goal is specifically designed to address the coordination of work across teams, dependencies, and shared resources. In a complex project with multiple dependencies, this goal ensures that activities are aligned, dependencies are managed, and communication flows effectively. It provides the practices and guidance needed to synchronize work across team boundaries.

Answer

Grow Team Members.

Answer

Improve Team Velocity.

Answer

Produce Potentially Consumable Solution.

Question 14

A team is having trouble delivering value because they lack clear roles. Which DA process goal addresses role definition?

Accepted Answer

Form Team. In Disciplined Agile, the 'Form Team' process goal explicitly addresses establishing the team's structure, including defining roles, responsibilities, and working agreements. When a team lacks clear roles, the Form Team goal is the correct DA process goal because it covers team formation activities such as identifying needed skills, assigning roles, and establishing how the team will operate. This is distinct from coordination, risk, or scope goals.

Answer

Coordinate Activities

Answer

Address Risk

Answer

Explore Initial Scope

Question 15

When two team members disagree on the 'best' practice, how should the team resolve it according to DA?

Accepted Answer

Try one, then the other, and see which works better in their context.. Disciplined Agile advocates for an empirical, context-driven approach to resolving disagreements. Rather than defaulting to authority or seniority, the team should try one practice, then the other, and evaluate which works better in their specific context. This aligns with DA's principle of 'Choice is Good' and its emphasis on guided continuous improvement through experimentation and feedback.

Answer

Avoid both and do nothing.

Answer

The project manager decides.

Answer

Follow the most senior person's suggestion.

Question 16

Which TWO are common 'Agile' ceremonies?

Accepted Answer

Retrospective. Retrospective (A) is a core Agile ceremony held at the end of each iteration/sprint, where the team inspects how it worked and identifies improvements to apply in the next sprint. Sprint Planning (E) is also a standard Scrum/Agile ceremony that occurs at the start of every sprint to define the sprint goal and select the backlog items the team will deliver. Both are recurring, team-level events that support iterative delivery and continuous improvement. In contrast, budget approval (B) and weekly executive status reporting (D) are governance/reporting activities rather than Agile ceremonies, and a one-time project planning meeting at the start (C) reflects a traditional waterfall approach, not the recurring planning cadence of Agile.

Answer

Budget approval meeting

Answer

Project planning meeting (held once at the start)

Answer

Weekly status report to executives

Question 17

A stakeholder wants to change the scope mid-iteration. How should the team respond?

Accepted Answer

Discuss the impact and decide whether to incorporate it now or later. In agile/iterative delivery, scope changes mid-iteration are handled through collaborative impact assessment rather than unilateral action. The team should evaluate the change's effect on the iteration goal, capacity, and commitments, then decide with the product owner whether to incorporate it now (swapping equivalent work) or defer it to the backlog for a future iteration. This preserves the iteration's integrity while remaining responsive to stakeholder needs, which is the core of agile's 'welcome changing requirements' principle.

Answer

Accept the change and immediately stop current work

Answer

Refuse the change immediately

Answer

Ignore the stakeholder and finish the original work

Question 18

Your team is experiencing 'context switching' due to frequent interruptions. Which Lean-inspired action is most appropriate?

Accepted Answer

Implement 'focus time' where interruptions are restricted.. Context switching from frequent interruptions destroys flow and increases cycle time, a form of Lean waste (muda). Implementing protected 'focus time' where interruptions are restricted directly addresses the root cause by allowing uninterrupted work, consistent with Lean's respect for people and flow efficiency. This is a low-cost, team-driven countermeasure.

Answer

Ask the team to work longer hours.

Answer

Require team members to answer emails immediately.

Answer

Increase the number of daily meetings.

Question 19

A team has a very high lead time. They notice that work sits in a 'Pending Approval' state for 80% of the total time. What should they do?

Accepted Answer

Implement automated approvals for low-risk changes.. The bottleneck is the approval wait state, which consumes 80% of lead time — a classic queue/wait problem, not a capacity problem. Automating approvals for low-risk changes removes the human queue entirely for a defined class of work, directly shrinking the largest contributor to lead time. This aligns with DevOps/DORA guidance: reduce batch size and manual gates, and reserve human approval for changes that genuinely carry risk.

Answer

Report the delay to management.

Answer

Conduct more frequent approval meetings.

Answer

Increase the number of approvers to speed up the process.

Question 20

During a project, the team realizes the initial plan is no longer viable due to market changes. What should they do?

Accepted Answer

Update the plan and pivot the strategy accordingly. Agile teams embrace change and pivot based on empirical evidence and feedback.

Answer

Wait for the end of the year to reassess

Answer

Ask the stakeholders to force the team to continue

Answer

Stick to the original plan to show commitment