DAF Foundations OF Agile Practice Test 2 — 15 Questions

Question 1

When considering 'Continuous Feedback', what is the most effective approach?

Accepted Answer

Solicit feedback throughout the lifecycle from users and stakeholders. Feedback is most effective when it is frequent, actionable, and involves the right stakeholders.

Answer

Use automated dashboards as the only source of feedback

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Collect feedback only at the end of the project

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Limit feedback to the internal team members only

Question 2

What is the role of the 'Definition of Done' (DoD) in an agile project?

Accepted Answer

To create a clear, shared understanding of what constitutes a completed work item. The DoD provides a shared understanding of quality and completeness for an increment.

Answer

To replace the need for project manager oversight

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To tell the team how long a task should take

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To act as a contract for external vendors

Question 3

What is the primary objective of 'Iterative' development in a project?

Accepted Answer

To deliver working, tested functionality frequently. The primary objective is to deliver value in small, manageable increments.

Answer

To avoid all documentation

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To ensure the project manager has total control

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To allow the team to work on different projects simultaneously

Question 4

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

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Predictive planning is better for high-uncertainty projects

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Adaptive planning is always faster than predictive

Question 5

A team is using a 'Lean' approach. What is their primary goal?

Accepted Answer

To eliminate waste and optimize the flow of value. Lean's primary goal is to maximize customer value by eliminating waste and optimizing the flow of value through the system. In software development, this means removing activities that do not add value, reducing cycle time, and delivering value smoothly. Lean is not about working faster or replacing Agile practices; it is a mindset and set of principles that complement Agile.

Answer

To force team members to work faster

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To replace all agile practices with kanban

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To increase the number of team meetings

Question 6

Which of the following is an example of an 'Agile' practice?

Accepted Answer

Holding a Daily Stand-up meeting. A Daily Stand-up is a canonical Agile practice: a short, time-boxed ceremony where the team synchronizes, inspects progress, and adapts the plan. It embodies Agile principles like frequent communication, self-organization, and transparency. The other options describe predictive, command-and-control, or bureaucratic practices that are antithetical to Agile values.

Answer

Creating a detailed project plan for the next 2 years

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Requiring all changes to go through a formal committee

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Assigning tasks to individuals by the manager

Question 7

A team is transitioning to a 'Disciplined Agile' way of working. They need to handle 'Governance'. How is governance defined in DA?

Accepted Answer

Lightweight and integrated into the workflow. In Disciplined Agile, governance is defined as lightweight and integrated into the team's workflow, not as a separate, heavyweight control layer. It is a continuous, collaborative activity that ensures the team is doing the right thing in the right way, and it is owned by the team and its stakeholders. This makes governance compatible with agile delivery rather than opposed to it.

Answer

A set of strict, compliance-driven checkpoints

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Something that happens only during the final release

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The responsibility of a separate audit department

Question 8

A team is working on a project with high technical uncertainty. Which approach should they adopt?

Accepted Answer

Adopt an iterative approach with frequent spikes to learn. When a project faces high technical uncertainty, the most effective approach is to reduce that uncertainty through rapid, iterative learning. Option B advocates an iterative approach with frequent spikes—time-boxed investigations or prototypes—which directly addresses unknowns by testing assumptions early and often. This aligns with agile and lean principles, where uncertainty is managed by short feedback loops rather than rigid planning. By learning quickly, the team can adapt the plan based on empirical evidence, thereby reducing risk and increasing the likelihood of delivering value.

Answer

Follow the original plan strictly to reduce risk

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Outsource the uncertain parts of the project

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Delay the uncertain work until the end of the project

Question 9

What is the purpose of a 'Retrospective'?

Accepted Answer

To improve the team's way of working. Retrospectives are for team reflection and process improvement.

Answer

To critique individual performance

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To report progress to the stakeholders

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To plan the next set of features

Question 10

In Agile, what is a 'User Story'?

Accepted Answer

A description of a feature from the perspective of the user. A user story is a small, concise statement of a requirement from the user's perspective.

Answer

A detailed 50-page requirement document

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A technical specification of the database schema

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A formal contract signed by the customer

Question 11

Your organization is scaling Agile. What does Disciplined Agile suggest for scaling?

Accepted Answer

Choose a lifecycle that fits the specific needs of the teams. Disciplined Agile (DA) suggests that scaling Agile is not about adopting a single framework for all teams, but rather about choosing a lifecycle — such as Agile, Lean, Continuous Delivery, Program, or Hybrid — that fits the specific needs and context of the teams involved. This reflects DA's 'Choice is Good' principle and its recognition that different teams require different approaches.

Answer

Increase the size of individual teams to 50+ members

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Adopt a single framework like SAFe for all projects

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Standardize all teams to use the exact same process

Question 12

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 13

What is meant by 'Self-Organization' in a team context?

Accepted Answer

The team determines how to best accomplish the work assigned to them. Self-organization in an Agile team means the team has the authority and responsibility to determine how to best accomplish the work assigned to them — they decide on task breakdown, assignment, and approach. It does not mean the absence of leadership or structure; rather, it means the team self-manages its internal processes while remaining accountable to the organization. The team still operates within organizational boundaries and may have a coach or Scrum Master facilitating the process.

Answer

The team does not have a leader or a coach

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Team members work on whatever they want, whenever they want

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The team refuses to communicate with management

Question 14

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

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Reject the feature request until they are experts

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

Question 15

Your organization is struggling with 'Shadow IT'—teams buying their own software without oversight. What is the Disciplined Agile view on this?

Accepted Answer

Provide organizational guidance on standards while allowing for innovation. Disciplined Agile advocates for a balanced approach to Shadow IT, where the organization provides guidance on standards and governance while still allowing teams the flexibility to innovate. This means establishing clear guidelines for software procurement and usage, but not imposing rigid bans that stifle innovation. The goal is to enable teams to make informed decisions that align with enterprise objectives.

Answer

Fully decentralize all IT procurement decisions

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Force all teams to use legacy software only

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Ban all software purchases by individual teams