SSM Introducing Scrum in SAFe Practice Question
A Scrum Master in a SAFe environment is coaching a team that has just adopted Scrum. The team is struggling to finish all user stories by the end of the iteration and often carries work over. Which metric should the Scrum Master use to help the team understand their capacity and improve predictability?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often confuse metrics that track progress within an iteration with those that inform future capacity planning.
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
✓
Velocity, calculated as the sum of story points completed per iteration.
Velocity is the most appropriate metric to help the team understand their capacity and improve predictability. By tracking how many story points they complete each iteration, the team can make more realistic commitments during Sprint Planning and reduce carryover. This empirical approach aligns with Scrum's emphasis on inspect and adapt.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Cumulative flow diagram, showing the distribution of work items across states.
Why it's wrong here
A cumulative flow diagram is useful for identifying bottlenecks and WIP issues, but it does not directly indicate capacity or help with iteration commitment. While it can complement velocity, it is not the primary metric for understanding how much work the team can complete in an iteration.
- ✗
Program Predictability Measure, calculated as the ratio of actual to planned business value.
Why it's wrong here
The Program Predictability Measure is an ART-level metric used in PI Inspect and Adapt, not for team-level iteration planning. It measures the ART's ability to meet PI objectives, not individual team capacity. Using it for team coaching would be misapplied and not actionable for the team's daily work.
- ✓
Velocity, calculated as the sum of story points completed per iteration.
Why this is correct
Velocity measures the amount of work a team completes in an iteration and is a key metric for forecasting capacity. By tracking velocity over several iterations, the team can better estimate how many stories to commit to in Sprint Planning. This helps them avoid overcommitment and improve predictability, addressing the carryover issue.
- ✗
Iteration burn-down chart, tracking remaining work daily.
Why it's wrong here
An iteration burn-down chart shows progress within an iteration but does not provide historical data for capacity planning. It helps the team see if they are on track but does not inform how much to commit to in future iterations. Velocity is the more appropriate metric for forecasting.
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Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Scaled Agile exam blueprint
This SSM 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 SSM exam.