DAF · domain
Foundations OF Lean
Practise Disciplined Agile Foundations (DAF, PMI-authorized, replaces the retired DASM) (DAF) Foundations OF Lean practice questions — original exam-style scenarios with answer choices, explanations, and analysis of common mistakes.
Focused practice
Practice Foundations OF Lean questions
Scored sessions drawing only from this domain — pick a length below.
Start 20-question practice test →What this domain covers
What to know about Foundations OF Lean
Foundations OF Lean questions test whether you can apply the concept in context, not just recognise a definition.
How the topic appears in realistic exam-style scenarios.
Which detail in the question changes the correct answer.
How to eliminate plausible but wrong options.
How to connect the question back to the wider exam objective.
Watch out for
Common Foundations OF Lean exam traps
- ▸Answering from memory before reading the full scenario.
- ▸Missing a constraint such as cost, availability, security, scope or command context.
- ▸Choosing a broad answer when the question asks for the most specific fix.
- ▸Ignoring why the wrong options are tempting.
Question index
All Foundations OF Lean questions (54)
Click any question to see the full explanation, or start a practice session above.
What is the primary benefit of 'Standardized Work' in a Lean environment?
Medium2What is the primary purpose of 'Little's Law' in Lean?
Medium3Which THREE of the following represent ways to reduce handoffs?
Medium4Your organization uses a large 'Project Management Office' to approve every change. How does this affect flow according to Lean principles?
Hard5What does 'Kaizen' represent in a Lean context?
Easy6Which THREE of the following strategies help in 'Optimizing the Whole'?
Hard7Which TWO of the following are potential side effects of failing to address bottlenecks in a process?
Hard8Why does Lean advocate for 'Small Batch Sizes'?
Medium9You are trying to improve flow in a cross-functional team. How does 'T-shaped' skill development support this?
Hard10Why does a 'Push' system often lead to lower quality?
Medium11During a retrospective, the team notices they spend 30% of their time fixing defects in previously delivered code. Which Lean principle does this violate?
Easy12If you have a 'bottleneck', how does increasing local efficiency at a non-bottleneck step affect the system?
Hard13Which THREE of the following are considered 'Waste' in the context of Lean software development?
Hard14What is the primary Lean motivation for 'deferring commitment' until the last responsible moment?
Medium15You are managing a process where work consistently stalls at the 'Testing' stage. What is the most effective way to address this bottleneck?
Medium16When applying the Lean principle of 'Optimize the Whole', what should you avoid doing?
Hard17When a team is using a 'Kanban' system, what is the best way to determine if WIP limits are too high?
Hard18When applying the principle of 'Optimize the Whole', how should you view a 'specialized' sub-team?
Medium19Which of the following is an example of 'Inventory' waste in software development?
Easy20Why does Lean emphasize 'Visible Management' for project boards?
Medium21In a Lean environment, how do you handle a 'non-value-add but necessary' activity?
Hard22What does a cumulative flow diagram (CFD) help a team visualize?
Easy23Your organization wants to transition to a 'Pull' system. What is the most important prerequisite?
Hard24If you observe a high rate of 'blocked' items on your Kanban board, what is the most appropriate action?
Medium25Which TWO of the following are primary benefits of limiting Work-in-Progress (WIP)?
Medium26Which of the following is considered 'Waste' (Muda) in a software development process?
Easy27When a team is 'swarming', what are they doing?
Medium28When analyzing a Value Stream Map, what does an 'invisible' queue represent?
Hard29Which of these is the best definition of 'Value' in Lean?
Easy30Which of these is a symptom of 'Overprocessing'?
Easy31A team is frustrated by 'rework'. Which Lean practice helps address this at the source?
Medium32Your team is experiencing high WIP levels during the development phase. Which Lean technique should you apply first to identify the primary cause of this congestion?
Medium33You notice that the team's 'Cycle Time' is increasing despite no change in the amount of work. What should you investigate?
Medium34You are identifying 'non-value-add' work in your process. What is the most important first step?
Medium35Your team is struggling with 'gold plating' (adding unnecessary features). How does this affect the value stream?
Hard36You observe that a team often waits for external approvals, causing significant lead time delays. How should you apply Lean thinking to mitigate this?
Hard37A team discovers that their cycle time is highly variable. What is the most likely culprit from a Lean perspective?
Medium38Which TWO of the following are common types of 'Waste' (Muda) that teams should look for?
Easy39What is the relationship between 'Flow' and 'Value' in Lean?
Medium40How should a team handle an 'emergency' request in a Kanban system that is already at its WIP limit?
Hard41Which is a common symptom of a 'bottleneck' in a Lean workflow?
Easy42What is the primary Lean goal of reducing the number of handoffs between specialized teams?
Medium43Which of the following best describes the 'Respect for People' principle?
Easy44Which TWO of the following are common pitfalls of 'Push' systems?
Medium45Which THREE of the following are foundational Lean thinking principles?
Easy46Which THREE of the following actions support the Lean principle 'Build Quality In'?
Medium47Which TWO of the following are essential components of a successful Value Stream Mapping session?
Medium48What is the primary benefit of 'Small Batch Sizes' in software development?
Easy49What is a 'Pull' system in Lean?
Easy50A team has identified 'task switching' as a primary source of waste. What is the most effective Lean practice to address this?
Medium51Your team is experiencing 'context switching' due to frequent interruptions. Which Lean-inspired action is most appropriate?
Medium52A 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?
Medium53What is the primary Lean goal of 'Visual Management'?
Medium54A team has high 'wait time' between code completion and code review. How should they address this using Lean principles?
HardOther domains
All DAF exam domains
Frequently asked questions
- What does the Foundations OF Lean domain cover on the DAF exam?
- Foundations OF Lean questions test whether you can apply the concept in context, not just recognise a definition.
- How many questions are in this domain?
- This page lists all 54 Foundations OF Lean questions in the DAF question bank. The actual exam draws from this domain proportionally to its weighting in the official exam blueprint.
- What is the best way to practise this domain?
- Start with a short focused session (10 questions) to identify gaps, then work through explanations. Repeat with a longer session once the weak areas feel solid.
- Can I practise only Foundations OF Lean questions?
- Yes — the session launcher on this page filters questions to this domain only. Choose any session length for inline explanations and scoring.