SAFe-Agilist Adapting and Thriving with SAFe Practice Question
Exhibit
Log: { 'Date': '2023-10-12', 'Event': 'PI Planning', 'Issue': 'Significant dependencies between teams A and B', 'Outcome': 'Program board shows high risk' }Refer to the exhibit. During PI Planning, the program board indicates high risk due to dependencies. As a SAFe Agilist, how should you guide the ART to adapt and thrive despite this?
⚠ Common exam trap
Test-takers often try to ignore dependencies or postpone them to future iterations instead of utilizing the formal framework mechanism designed specifically to address and categorize program risks.
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
✓
Use the ROAMing process to actively manage and mitigate the risks identified on the board.
High dependency risk is a clear indicator that the system architecture or team structure requires attention. By highlighting these risks during the ROAMing process, the ART can create specific mitigation plans. Moving forward, the goal is to refactor the architecture or reconfigure the teams to minimize these dependencies, thereby increasing the autonomy and velocity of individual teams while maintaining alignment across the program.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Ignore the dependencies and encourage the teams to work harder to overcome them during the PI.
Why it's wrong here
Ignoring systemic risks is a recipe for failure. Relying on 'working harder' (heroics) is not sustainable and ignores the root cause—the architectural or organizational structure that creates the dependency. Proactive management of dependencies is required to ensure that the ART can deliver value predictably throughout the PI.
- ✗
Force the teams to consolidate into a single, larger team for the duration of the PI.
Why it's wrong here
Combining teams into a larger unit often leads to increased communication overhead and reduced individual team velocity. It does not address the underlying dependency issue. SAFe favors small, cross-functional teams that are organized around value, not arbitrary consolidation that disrupts team dynamics and individual accountability.
- ✓
Use the ROAMing process to actively manage and mitigate the risks identified on the board.
Why this is correct
ROAMing (Resolved, Owned, Accepted, Mitigated) is the standard SAFe approach to handling risks during PI Planning. By actively assigning ownership and creating mitigation plans, the ART acknowledges the reality of the dependencies and takes concrete steps to prevent them from becoming blockers during the execution phase.
- ✗
Cancel the PI and delay all work until the dependencies are resolved by management.
Why it's wrong here
Canceling the PI is a drastic, unnecessary measure that halts the flow of value. SAFe is designed to handle complexity and dependencies through active management and transparency, not by stopping. The goal is to learn to operate within the existing constraints while systematically working to remove them over time.
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Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Scaled Agile exam blueprint
This SAFe-Agilist practice question is part of Courseiva's free Scaled Agile certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the SAFe-Agilist exam.