CAPM Agile Frameworks and Methodologies Practice Question
Which TWO are core practices of Extreme Programming (XP)?
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
✓
Test-driven development (TDD).
Test-driven development (TDD) is a core XP practice in which developers write an automated unit test before writing the code, then refactor once the test passes, giving rapid feedback and a safety net. Pair programming is also a core XP practice: two developers work together at one workstation, with one typing and the other reviewing, which improves design quality and knowledge sharing. By contrast, sprint review, product backlog grooming, and retrospectives are Scrum ceremonies/artifacts rather than XP's defining engineering practices, so they do not belong here.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Sprint review.
Why it's wrong here
Sprint review belongs to Scrum's inspect-and-adapt ceremony, not XP's engineering practices. It is tempting because both frameworks are agile and iterative, but XP's core practices are pair programming, continuous integration, test-driven development and small releases.
- ✓
Test-driven development (TDD).
Why this is correct
Test-driven development is a core XP practice: tests are written before code, then code is refactored until they pass. This satisfies XP's emphasis on continuous feedback and quality, distinguishing it from Scrum, which prescribes no engineering practices. TDD's red-green-refactor cycle directly supports XP's incremental design and collective ownership.
- ✓
Pair programming.
Why this is correct
Pair programming is a core XP practise where two developers share one workstation, continuously reviewing each other's work. It satisfies the question's requirement by being an original XP engineering practise, distinct from broader Scrum or Kanban techniques.
- ✗
Product backlog grooming.
Why it's wrong here
Product backlog grooming is a Scrum activity for refining backlog items, absent from XP's practice set. It is tempting because XP teams maintain story lists, but XP's core practices are engineering-focused: pair programming, test-driven development, continuous integration and small releases.
- ✗
Retrospectives.
Why it's wrong here
Retrospectives are a Scrum ceremony for process improvement, not an XP core practice. The option tempts because XP teams do reflect on their work, but XP's defined practices centre on technical discipline such as pair programming, TDD and continuous integration.
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