Agile Business Analysis Flashcards

In agile business analysis, what does 'INVEST' stand for in the context of user stories?

Answer: Independent, Negotiable, Valuable, Estimable, Small, Testable

INVEST is a quality checklist for user stories: Independent (not dependent on other stories), Negotiable (flexible), Valuable (delivers user value), Estimable (can be sized), Small (fits in a sprint), Testable (has verifiable acceptance criteria).

What role does the business analyst play in agile sprint planning?

Answer: The BA helps the team understand user story details, acceptance criteria, and business context to support accurate planning

During sprint planning, the BA clarifies user story details, explains business context, and discusses acceptance criteria to ensure the team fully understands what needs to be built before committing to the sprint.

What is a 'spike' in agile business analysis, and when should one be used?

Answer: A spike is a time-boxed research activity to reduce uncertainty about a technical or business question before committing to a user story

A spike is a time-boxed research or exploration activity used to reduce uncertainty or risk about a specific question before the team commits to building a user story.

How does 'minimal viable product' (MVP) relate to business analysis in agile projects?

Answer: MVP is the smallest set of features that delivers sufficient value to validate core business assumptions and user needs

MVP is the smallest, most focused product increment that validates whether the core business hypothesis is correct — it is a learning tool, not a minimum acceptable product.

What does 'backlog refinement' (grooming) involve from a business analysis perspective?

Answer: Reviewing, clarifying, estimating, and prioritizing backlog items to ensure they are ready for upcoming sprints

Backlog refinement involves continuously reviewing and improving backlog items — adding detail, splitting large stories, clarifying acceptance criteria, updating priorities, and estimating effort — to maintain a healthy, sprint-ready backlog.

In scaled agile environments, what is the primary business analysis challenge?

Answer: Ensuring consistent requirements and alignment across multiple teams working on the same product

In scaled agile, the primary BA challenge is maintaining requirements consistency and alignment across multiple teams that may be working on interdependent parts of the same product or system.