CAE Definition of Done & Acceptance Criteria 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the primary purpose of the Definition of Done (DoD) in Scrum?
- To define criteria that must be met before a Product Backlog Item is considered complete (Correct answer)
- To outline acceptance criteria for each individual user story
- To specify the technical standards for code review alone
- To determine the velocity of the development team
Correct answer: To define criteria that must be met before a Product Backlog Item is considered complete
The DoD is a shared understanding of what 'complete' means for all work, ensuring every team member agrees on completeness criteria before an Increment is accepted.
Question 2: How does the Definition of Done differ from Acceptance Criteria?
- The DoD applies to all Product Backlog Items while Acceptance Criteria are specific to individual user stories (Correct answer)
- The DoD is created by the Product Owner while Acceptance Criteria are created by the team
- The DoD changes every sprint while Acceptance Criteria remain constant
- The DoD is optional while Acceptance Criteria are mandatory
Correct answer: The DoD applies to all Product Backlog Items while Acceptance Criteria are specific to individual user stories
The DoD is a universal checklist applied to every work item, whereas Acceptance Criteria are specific, story-level conditions that define success for one particular feature.
Question 3: Who is responsible for creating and maintaining the Definition of Done in Scrum?
- The Scrum Master alone
- The Product Owner alone
- The entire Scrum Team (Correct answer)
- The stakeholders and customers
Correct answer: The entire Scrum Team
The Definition of Done is collaboratively created and maintained by the entire Scrum Team to ensure a shared understanding of what completeness means.
Question 4: What should happen if a Product Backlog Item does not meet the Definition of Done at the end of a Sprint?
- It should be accepted with a note documenting what remains
- It should not be included in the Sprint Review or considered part of the Increment (Correct answer)
- It should be delivered to the customer with known defects disclosed
- The Sprint should be extended until it is complete
Correct answer: It should not be included in the Sprint Review or considered part of the Increment
Work that does not meet the DoD cannot be part of the potentially releasable Increment and must be returned to the Product Backlog for a future Sprint.
Question 5: Which of the following is a typical element found in a Definition of Done?
- The estimated story points assigned to the item
- The name of the developer who wrote the code
- Code reviewed by at least one peer (Correct answer)
- The priority ranking of the item in the Product Backlog
Correct answer: Code reviewed by at least one peer
Peer code review is a common quality gate in a DoD that ensures code quality and knowledge sharing before work is considered complete.
Question 6: What is the relationship between Acceptance Criteria and the Sprint Review?
- Acceptance Criteria are formally signed off by stakeholders only after the Sprint Review
- Acceptance Criteria are used to demonstrate whether a user story's functionality has been delivered (Correct answer)
- Acceptance Criteria replace the Sprint Review for technical teams
- Acceptance Criteria are evaluated only by the Scrum Master during the Sprint Review
Correct answer: Acceptance Criteria are used to demonstrate whether a user story's functionality has been delivered
During the Sprint Review, the team demonstrates completed work against each story's Acceptance Criteria to confirm that the required functionality was delivered correctly.
Question 7: What does the INVEST acronym represent when evaluating user stories in Agile?
- Integration, Navigation, Verification, Estimation, Scope, Testing
- Independent, Negotiable, Valuable, Estimable, Small, Testable (Correct answer)
- Iterative, Novel, Viable, Executable, Stable, Transparent
- Integrated, Normalized, Validated, Efficient, Structured, Tested
Correct answer: Independent, Negotiable, Valuable, Estimable, Small, Testable
INVEST stands for Independent, Negotiable, Valuable, Estimable, Small, Testable — a checklist of qualities that define a well-formed, actionable user story.
What is the primary purpose of the Definition of Done (DoD) in Scrum?