CDA Agile Principles & Mindset 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which Agile Manifesto value states that responding to change is preferred over following a plan?
- Individuals and interactions over processes and tools
- Working software over comprehensive documentation
- Customer collaboration over contract negotiation
- Responding to change over following a plan (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Responding to change over following a plan
The fourth Agile Manifesto value explicitly prioritizes responding to change over following a plan, though both sides hold value.
Question 2: In a disciplined agile context, what does 'WIP limit' help teams achieve?
- Increase the number of features delivered per sprint
- Reduce multitasking and improve flow efficiency (Correct answer)
- Maximize team utilization at all times
- Eliminate the need for prioritization
Correct answer: Reduce multitasking and improve flow efficiency
WIP (Work In Progress) limits help teams reduce multitasking and context switching, improving overall flow and throughput.
Question 3: Which principle from the Agile Manifesto emphasizes delivering working software frequently?
- Build projects around motivated individuals
- Deliver working software frequently, from a couple of weeks to a couple of months (Correct answer)
- Business people and developers must work together daily
- Welcome changing requirements, even late in development
Correct answer: Deliver working software frequently, from a couple of weeks to a couple of months
The third Agile Manifesto principle calls for frequent delivery of working software in short timeframes to provide value and gather feedback.
Question 4: What is the primary purpose of a retrospective in an agile team?
- To plan the next sprint's backlog
- To demonstrate completed work to stakeholders
- To inspect the team's process and identify improvements (Correct answer)
- To estimate upcoming work items
Correct answer: To inspect the team's process and identify improvements
Retrospectives are dedicated ceremonies for the team to reflect on their working process and identify actionable improvements.
Question 5: According to the DA mindset, how should teams handle technical debt?
- Defer all technical debt resolution to a dedicated 'hardening sprint'
- Accept technical debt as an inevitable and unmanageable byproduct
- Proactively manage and pay down technical debt continuously (Correct answer)
- Only address technical debt when stakeholders demand it
Correct answer: Proactively manage and pay down technical debt continuously
The DA mindset advocates for proactively and continuously managing technical debt rather than allowing it to accumulate uncontrolled.
Question 6: Which of the following best describes 'empirical process control' as used in agile frameworks?
- Using detailed upfront planning to control project outcomes
- Making decisions based on observation, experience, and experimentation (Correct answer)
- Following a rigid defined process to ensure predictability
- Controlling team members' work output through micro-management
Correct answer: Making decisions based on observation, experience, and experimentation
Empirical process control relies on transparency, inspection, and adaptation based on actual observed data rather than predetermined plans.
Question 7: A team discovers mid-iteration that a key assumption about user needs was wrong. What should an agile team do?
- Continue with the original plan to avoid scope creep
- Immediately escalate to management for a decision
- Adapt their approach based on the new information (Correct answer)
- Wait until the next sprint planning to address the change
Correct answer: Adapt their approach based on the new information
Agile principles embrace responding to change; teams should adapt their approach when new information reveals that assumptions were incorrect.
CDA Agile Principles & Mindset 2
Which Agile Manifesto value states that responding to change is preferred over following a plan?