CAPM Practice Question: Project Management Fundamentals and Core Concepts
A project team using a Kanban board wants to predict when all remaining backlog items will be completed. Which metric is most useful for this prediction?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Cycle time
Cycle time measures the time from when work starts on an item until it is completed, providing a reliable basis for forecasting completion of items in a flow-based system like Kanban. Option C is correct. Velocity (A) is used in Scrum and is not directly applicable to Kanban's flow-based approach. Cumulative flow diagram (B) visualizes WIP and cycle time but does not directly predict completion as effectively as cycle time itself. Lead time (D) includes waiting time before work starts, making it less precise for predicting completion once work is in progress.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
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Velocity
Why it's wrong here
Velocity measures story points completed per iteration in Scrum; Kanban does not use iterations or estimate in points, so it cannot forecast backlog completion here. Velocity is correct for sprint-based Scrum teams predicting capacity, not for continuous-flow Kanban forecasting.
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Cumulative flow diagram
Why it's wrong here
A cumulative flow diagram visualises work-in-progress and bottlenecks over time, but does not itself produce a completion forecast. It supports flow analysis. Forecasting remaining backlog completion requires throughput data; the CFD is diagnostic, used to spot accumulating queues rather than to calculate a finish date.
- ✓
Cycle time
Why this is correct
Cycle time measures the elapsed duration to complete one backlog item, so averaging it across remaining items yields a throughput-based completion forecast. This satisfies the need to predict when all remaining backlog items finish, unlike cumulative flow or velocity metrics.
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Lead time
Why it's wrong here
Lead time measures elapsed time from work starting to finishing for individual items, not the rate at which items are completed. Forecasting remaining backlog needs throughput. Lead time is correct for assessing delivery responsiveness or service-level expectations per item, not total completion.
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