CAPM Agile Frameworks and Methodologies Practice Question
Exhibit
Refer to the exhibit. ``` Kanban Board: Backlog | To Do (3) | In Progress (2) | Testing (5) | Done WIP Limits: - To Do: 5 - In Progress: 3 - Testing: 3 ```
The team notices that work is piling up in the Testing column. The WIP limit for Testing is 3, but currently there are 5 items. What should the team do first?
⚠ Common exam trap
A common mix-up: candidates think moving items backward (Option C) or forward (Option A) will help, but Kanban strictly enforces finishing work in the current column before pulling new work from upstream.
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
✓
Focus the team on completing testing items until the WIP limit is met.
When a WIP limit is exceeded, the team should swarm on the bottleneck to complete the items in that column, thereby reducing work-in-progress and restoring flow. In Kanban, exceeding a WIP limit signals a constraint that must be resolved by finishing existing work, not by adding more. This aligns with the core principle of limiting WIP to improve throughput and cycle time.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Move items from Backlog to To Do to increase throughput.
Why it's wrong here
This adds more WIP upstream, worsening the bottleneck.
- ✗
Ignore the WIP limit and continue as is.
Why it's wrong here
WIP limits are essential for exposing bottlenecks.
- ✗
Move some testing items back to In Progress.
Why it's wrong here
This is not a standard Kanban practice.
- ✓
Focus the team on completing testing items until the WIP limit is met.
Why this is correct
Swarming helps reduce the bottleneck.
Visual reference
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