Free SAFe® 5 DevOps : SAFe® 5 Practitioner Questions and Answers — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What action always initiates the Inspect and Adapt event?
- Quantitative measurement
- The PI System Demo (Correct answer)
- Agreement on the problems to solve
- Retrospective and Problem Solving Workshop
Correct answer: The PI System Demo
In SAFe, the Inspect and Adapt (I&A) event is a crucial cadence-based activity held at the end of each Program Increment (PI). It always commences with the PI System Demo, where the Agile Release Train (ART) showcases the integrated solution to stakeholders. This demonstration provides the factual basis and context for the subsequent quantitative measurement and problem-solving workshop.
Question 2: A component team should be used when?
- To develop T-shaped skills together with continuous integration
- To create each replaceable component with minimized dependencies
- To gain the fastest velocity with well-defined interfaces
- To obtain high reuse and technical specialization with a focus on Non-functional Requirements (Correct answer)
Correct answer: To obtain high reuse and technical specialization with a focus on Non-functional Requirements
Component teams in SAFe are specialized teams focused on developing and maintaining specific technical components or subsystems. Their primary benefit is to foster deep technical expertise and enable high reuse of these components across different features. This specialization often includes a strong focus on Non-functional Requirements (NFRs), such as performance or security, which are critical to the component's integrity and overall solution quality.
Question 3: What are two benefits of agile development over waterfall development? (Select two.)
- It allows management to track project progress based on steering committees and metrics
- It increases productivity and employee engagement (Correct answer)
- It allows businesses to deliver value to the market more quickly (Correct answer)
- It requires phase-gate approvals to ensure that everyone is moving together
- It relies on external provider dependencies
Correct answer: It increases productivity and employee engagement
Agile development, with its iterative and incremental nature, fosters continuous feedback, collaboration, and empowered teams, leading to increased productivity and higher employee engagement. Furthermore, by focusing on delivering working software frequently and in small increments, Agile enables businesses to release value to the market much faster than the traditional, sequential waterfall approach.
Question 4: Which factor enables knowledge workers' intrinsic motivation?
- Pay-for-performance
- Autonomy (Correct answer)
- Parallel development
- Team performance incentives
Correct answer: Autonomy
According to Daniel Pink's research on motivation, widely adopted in Agile contexts, knowledge workers are intrinsically motivated by three key factors: Autonomy, Mastery, and Purpose. Autonomy, the desire to direct one's own life and work, is a powerful enabler of intrinsic motivation, fostering engagement and innovation.
Question 5: What sort of event falls under the Program?
- Innovation and Planning
- Daily Stand-up
- Scrum of Scrums (Correct answer)
- Iteration Review
Correct answer: Scrum of Scrums
The Scrum of Scrums is a key coordination event at the Program Level in SAFe, typically attended by Scrum Masters or representatives from each Agile Team. Its purpose is to synchronize progress, discuss dependencies, and address impediments across the Agile Release Train (ART), ensuring alignment towards the Program Increment (PI) objectives.
Question 6: Which four stages make up the Scaled Agile Framework?
- Epic, Capability, Feature, Story
- Team, Program, Large Solution, Portfolio (Correct answer)
- Portfolio, Value Stream, Program, Team
- Exploration, Integration, Deployment, Release
Correct answer: Team, Program, Large Solution, Portfolio
The Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) is structured around four core configuration levels that address different organizational scopes. These foundational levels are the Team Level (Agile Teams), Program Level (Agile Release Trains), Large Solution Level (Solution Trains for complex solutions), and Portfolio Level (strategic themes and value streams).
Question 7: Which task is essential to implementing the Scaled Agile Framework successfully?
- Replace the PI Planning process with the Inspect and Adapt workshop when possible
- Use a cadence-based PI Planning process (Correct answer)
- Remove blocks such as Portfolio estimation
- Use the Innovation and Planning iteration instead of the PI Planning process
Correct answer: Use a cadence-based PI Planning process
PI Planning (Program Increment Planning) is the cornerstone event of SAFe, bringing all teams on an Agile Release Train (ART) together to align on a shared vision, create PI Objectives, and plan the upcoming Program Increment. Using a cadence-based PI Planning process ensures regular, predictable synchronization and alignment across the ART, which is fundamental to SAFe's successful implementation and execution.
Question 8: Who is this demo intended for if the PI System Demo depicts the Solution in its current state?
- The Business Owners (Correct answer)
- The Scrum Masters
- The Agile Team
- The Product Owner
Correct answer: The Business Owners
The PI System Demo is a crucial event where the Agile Release Train (ART) demonstrates the integrated solution to key stakeholders. Its primary audience is the Business Owners, who represent the business and customer interests. They need to see the progress, provide feedback, and make informed decisions about the value delivered and the future direction of the solution.
Question 9: Regarding iteration planning for Kanban teams,<br> which statement is true?
- Kanban teams do not commit to Service Level Agreements
- Kanban teams publish Iteration Goals (Correct answer)
- Kanban teams find high value in trying to plan the Iteration in detail
- Kanban teams estimate their velocity
Correct answer: Kanban teams publish Iteration Goals
While Kanban teams don't typically commit to a fixed scope in the same way Scrum teams do, they still operate within iterations (or Program Increments in SAFe) and benefit from setting clear objectives. Publishing Iteration Goals helps Kanban teams align their work with the broader PI Objectives, communicate their focus, and ensure they are delivering value within the established cadence.
Question 10: Which two perspectives are provided into the program by the iteration review? (Select two.)
- How the team is increasing empowerment
- How the team is doing on the Program Increment
- How the team is demonstrating transparency of decision-making
- How the team did on the Iteration (Correct answer)
- How the team is responding to the stakeholders (Correct answer)
Correct answer: How the team did on the Iteration
The Iteration Review is a regular event where the Agile Team demonstrates the work completed during the iteration to stakeholders and gathers feedback. It provides crucial insights into 'How the team did on the Iteration' by showcasing the working solution and 'How the team is responding to the stakeholders' by demonstrating their adaptability to feedback and changing needs, fostering transparency and collaboration.
Question 11: Which curves are the focal point of a cumulative flow diagram?
- Implementation curve ("movement") and Departure curve ("done")
- Arrival curve (“to-do”) and Departure curve (“done”) (Correct answer)
- Arrival curve ("to do") and Evolution curve ("change")
- Backlog curve ("work") and Departure curve ("done")
Correct answer: Arrival curve (“to-do”) and Departure curve (“done”)
A Cumulative Flow Diagram (CFD) is a powerful Lean-Agile metric that visualizes the flow of work over time. Its core components are the 'Arrival curve' (representing work entering the system or 'to-do') and the 'Departure curve' (representing work leaving the system or 'done'). The space between these curves illustrates work in progress (WIP) and lead time, providing insights into flow efficiency.
Question 12: Which two of the following best sum up what the Product Owner is responsible for? (Pick two.)
- To be a single voice for the customer and stakeholders (Correct answer)
- To ensure the team follows Agile principles and practices
- To own and manage the team Backlog (Correct answer)
- To coach the team
- To protect the team from external forces
Correct answer: To be a single voice for the customer and stakeholders
In SAFe, the Product Owner (PO) is the content authority for the Team Backlog, responsible for defining, prioritizing, and accepting stories. They act as the primary liaison between the Agile Team and Product Management/stakeholders, ensuring the team's work aligns with customer needs and business objectives. This makes them the 'single voice' for the customer and stakeholders, and the owner and manager of the team's backlog.
Question 13: Which team task falls under the purview of the Product Owner?
- To sequence backlog items to program priorities, events, and dependencies (Correct answer)
- To foster normalized estimating within the team
- To foster adoption of Agile technical practices
- To facilitate team meetings and drive Agile behavior
Correct answer: To sequence backlog items to program priorities, events, and dependencies
The Product Owner is primarily responsible for maximizing the value of the product delivered by the Development Team. This includes managing and ordering the Team Backlog, which involves sequencing backlog items to align with program priorities, upcoming events like PI Planning, and dependencies with other teams. This task ensures that the team's work contributes effectively to the overall solution and business objectives.
Question 14: What would be an illustration of a modified Fibonacci sequence?
- 5, 8, 13, 20, 40 (Correct answer)
- 5, 8, 13, 21, 34
- 2, 4, 5, 9, 11
- 1, 1, 3, 5, 5
Correct answer: 5, 8, 13, 20, 40
The standard Fibonacci sequence adds the two preceding numbers (e.g., 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34). In Agile estimation, a modified Fibonacci sequence is often used for story points, where the numbers diverge from the strict sum rule at higher values to reflect increasing uncertainty with larger estimates. Option A (5, 8, 13, 20, 40) demonstrates this modification, starting with standard Fibonacci numbers but then using larger, less precise increments (e.g., 20 instead of 21, and 40 instead of 34) for bigger items.
Question 15: Which ideas are included in Kanban for teams?
- Visualize work flow, limit WIP, improve flow (Correct answer)
- Establish flow, preserve options, improve relentlessly
- Build iteratively, demo frequently, maintain Iterations
- Develop incrementally, build quality-in, maintain Iterations
Correct answer: Visualize work flow, limit WIP, improve flow
Kanban for teams is based on three core principles: visualizing the workflow to make work transparent and identify bottlenecks, limiting Work In Progress (WIP) to improve focus and prevent overburdening, and continuously improving the flow of work through the system. These principles help teams optimize their delivery process, reduce lead times, and enhance predictability.
Question 16: Why do Lean-Agile Leaders attempt to break down the barriers between business, system engineering, hardware, software, test, and quality assurance silos?
- To align around value (Correct answer)
- To optimize vertical communication
- To reduce friction between the teams
- To enforce organizational boundaries between functions
Correct answer: To align around value
Lean-Agile Leaders aim to dismantle organizational silos (like business, engineering, test, and QA) to foster seamless collaboration and communication across functions. The fundamental reason for this integration is to ensure that all efforts are collectively aligned towards a common goal: delivering maximum value to the customer. By breaking down barriers, teams can work together more effectively to understand, build, and deliver solutions that truly meet business needs.
Free SAFe® 5 DevOps : SAFe® 5 Practitioner Questions and Answers
What action always initiates the Inspect and Adapt event?