SAFe-Agilist Product Development Flow Practice Question
Exhibit
Kanban Policy: If column 'Ready for Testing' exceeds 5 items, the team must prioritize testing before starting new development.
Refer to the exhibit. What is this policy intended to achieve?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often misinterpret the policy as a way to increase testing capacity. The goal is to manage flow and prevent blockages, not necessarily to make the testing team work faster.
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
✓
To prevent a bottleneck in the testing phase by managing WIP.
This policy is an example of a WIP limit coupled with a clear rule to manage flow. By forcing the team to focus on testing, it prevents a bottleneck from forming in the testing phase. This ensures that the testing stage is not overwhelmed, which keeps the total lead time down and allows for more frequent and predictable delivery of value through the system.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
To increase the number of features entering development.
Why it's wrong here
The policy is intended to slow down the entry of new features if testing is already congested. It does not aim to increase the input rate; rather, it aims to balance the inflow with the output capacity of the testing stage to prevent an unmanageable queue from forming.
- ✗
To enforce testing quality standards.
Why it's wrong here
While testing is important for quality, this policy is specifically designed for capacity and flow management. It addresses the queue size rather than the standards of the testing process itself. It is a control mechanism to ensure that the process remains within its stable operational limits for throughput.
- ✓
To prevent a bottleneck in the testing phase by managing WIP.
Why this is correct
This is a classic WIP limit enforcement mechanism. By setting a cap on the 'Ready for Testing' column, the team creates a pull signal that forces focus on clearing existing items. This prevents the testing phase from becoming a bottleneck, which would otherwise significantly slow down the entire system.
- ✗
To ensure that the developers are kept busy during testing.
Why it's wrong here
Keeping developers busy is not the goal of a flow-optimized system. The goal is to maximize the flow of value. If developers are forced to start new work while testing is blocked, it only increases WIP and creates larger queues. The policy correctly prioritizes clearing the queue over developer utilization.
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JA
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.