POPM Iteration Execution Practice Question
Exhibit
{
"policy": "strict_dod",
"steps": [
"code_review",
"unit_test_pass",
"qa_automation",
"po_acceptance"
]
}Refer to the exhibit. A team has completed their code and verified it passes all unit tests, but they have not yet run the QA automation suite. Can the Product Owner accept this story?
⚠ Common exam trap
Test-takers frequently assume that passing unit tests is enough to accept a story, ignoring explicit workflow policies in the Definition of Done like QA automation.
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
✓
No, because the QA automation step has not been completed.
Refer to the exhibit. The Definition of Done (DoD) is a shared understanding of the quality standards required to consider a story complete. Since the policy dictates that 'qa_automation' must occur before 'po_acceptance', the PO cannot formally accept the story. This adherence to the DoD is crucial for preventing the accumulation of technical debt and ensuring that every piece of work meets the organization's quality expectations.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Yes, because unit tests have passed and the code is functionally complete.
Why it's wrong here
Passing unit tests is only one part of the required criteria listed in the policy. Bypassing the QA automation step violates the agreed-upon Definition of Done, which risks introducing bugs into the system baseline and undermines the team's commitment to delivering high-quality, reliable software features.
- ✓
No, because the QA automation step has not been completed.
Why this is correct
The exhibit explicitly defines the workflow steps that must be satisfied. Because 'qa_automation' precedes 'po_acceptance' in the policy list, the story is not yet 'Done'. Accepting it prematurely would violate the team's standards and potentially compromise the integrity of the integrated system and subsequent deployments.
- ✗
Yes, but only if the PO manually tests the story first.
Why it's wrong here
Manual testing by the PO does not replace the requirement for the defined QA automation step. Consistency is vital in Agile, and allowing exceptions to the established DoD leads to fragmented quality standards and increases the risk of regressions that automation is specifically designed to prevent.
- ✗
Yes, as long as the team promises to run automation later.
Why it's wrong here
Accepting work based on future promises creates a 'technical debt' backlog that often remains unaddressed. The definition of 'Done' is binary; either the criteria are met, or they are not. Allowing deferment of quality steps compromises the predictability and reliability of the team's delivery process.
About these practice questions
This POPM question is part of Courseiva's 336-question bank — original exam-style content with full explanations and wrong-answer analysis, never real exam questions or exam dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
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 POPM 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 POPM exam.