PMBOK Agile and Hybrid Approaches 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the primary difference between Scrum and Kanban as agile frameworks?
- Scrum uses iterations and timeboxes; Kanban uses continuous flow with WIP limits (Correct answer)
- Kanban requires daily standups; Scrum does not
- Scrum is only for software projects; Kanban is for manufacturing
- Kanban uses story points; Scrum uses hours for estimation
Correct answer: Scrum uses iterations and timeboxes; Kanban uses continuous flow with WIP limits
Scrum organizes work into fixed-length sprints with defined ceremonies, while Kanban uses a continuous flow model with WIP limits to manage work throughput.
Question 2: An agile team is working in a heavily regulated environment. What is the BEST approach to maintaining compliance while preserving agility?
- Abandon agile and use traditional waterfall for all regulatory work
- Embed compliance checks and documentation into the Definition of Done for each sprint (Correct answer)
- Complete all regulatory documentation at the end of the project
- Assign one team member solely responsible for all compliance activities
Correct answer: Embed compliance checks and documentation into the Definition of Done for each sprint
Incorporating compliance requirements into the DoD ensures regulatory standards are met continuously throughout development, not as a separate end-of-project activity.
Question 3: In agile risk management, what is a 'risk-adjusted backlog'?
- A backlog where items are ordered by technical complexity only
- A product backlog that incorporates risk assessment to prioritize high-risk items for early resolution (Correct answer)
- A list of all identified project risks maintained by the Scrum Master
- A backlog from which risky user stories have been removed
Correct answer: A product backlog that incorporates risk assessment to prioritize high-risk items for early resolution
A risk-adjusted backlog prioritizes work to address high-risk items early in the project, reducing uncertainty and protecting later sprints from surprises.
Question 4: What does 'inspect and adapt' mean as a core agile principle?
- Auditing team members' work and requiring them to change their behavior
- Regularly reviewing progress and processes, then making adjustments based on findings (Correct answer)
- Inspecting code through peer reviews before adapting to new technologies
- Monitoring the budget weekly and adjusting resource allocation
Correct answer: Regularly reviewing progress and processes, then making adjustments based on findings
Inspect and adapt is the empirical process at the heart of agile — teams regularly examine their work and process, then make evidence-based improvements.
Question 5: A project sponsor insists on a detailed project plan with fixed dates and scope before approving an agile project. What is the BEST response from the project manager?
- Refuse the project and wait for a different sponsor
- Provide a high-level roadmap with release themes and approximate timelines while explaining agile planning progressively elaborates details (Correct answer)
- Create a fully detailed plan and then secretly use agile internally
- Ask the sponsor to take an agile training course before the project begins
Correct answer: Provide a high-level roadmap with release themes and approximate timelines while explaining agile planning progressively elaborates details
Effective agile project managers bridge the gap by offering roadmaps and rolling-wave plans that satisfy governance needs while maintaining the flexibility agile requires.
Question 6: Which agile practice MOST directly reduces the risk of delivering a product that does not meet customer needs?
- Holding daily standup meetings
- Frequent customer collaboration and feedback through sprint reviews and demos (Correct answer)
- Detailed upfront requirements documentation
- Using story points instead of hours for estimation
Correct answer: Frequent customer collaboration and feedback through sprint reviews and demos
Regular sprint reviews and customer demos create fast feedback loops that allow teams to validate assumptions and course-correct before significant investment is made.
Question 7: In hybrid project management, what is the PRIMARY advantage of using an agile approach for the requirements phase compared to traditional methods?
- Agile requirements are always documented more thoroughly
- Agile allows requirements to emerge and evolve through collaboration and iteration rather than being locked in upfront (Correct answer)
- Traditional methods cannot document requirements for large projects
- Agile requirements phases are always shorter than waterfall phases
Correct answer: Agile allows requirements to emerge and evolve through collaboration and iteration rather than being locked in upfront
Agile's iterative approach to requirements allows stakeholders to refine understanding progressively, reducing the risk of building to outdated or misunderstood specifications.
PMBOK Agile and Hybrid Approaches 5
What is the primary difference between Scrum and Kanban as agile frameworks?