Certified Agile Leader 1 (CAL 1) — Questions and Answers

Question 1: How often should working software be delivered according to Agile principles?

Frequently, from a couple of weeks to a couple of months (Correct answer)
After all requirements are finalized
Only at project completion
Annually

Correct answer: Frequently, from a couple of weeks to a couple of months

Agile principles call for frequent delivery of working software, preferring shorter timescales.

Question 2: What does the Agile Manifesto value on the right side represent?

There is value in the items on the right, but the left side is valued more (Correct answer)
Items on the right are equally valued
Items on the right are obsolete
Items on the right should be eliminated

Correct answer: There is value in the items on the right, but the left side is valued more

The Agile Manifesto acknowledges value in both sides but emphasizes the left side more over the right.

Question 3: What does 'holding the space' mean in agile facilitation?

Holding the agenda tightly to prevent scope creep in discussions
Creating and maintaining a psychologically safe container where people feel free to think and speak openly (Correct answer)
Reserving a physical meeting room for the team
Filling silence with questions to keep energy high

Correct answer: Creating and maintaining a psychologically safe container where people feel free to think and speak openly

Holding the space means creating conditions—emotional, relational, and environmental—where participants feel safe to explore ideas, express concerns, and take risks.

Question 4: What does 'sustainable pace' mean in the context of Agile?

Teams maintain a constant work pace indefinitely (Correct answer)
Teams deliver only when ready
Teams sprint as fast as possible
Teams work unlimited overtime

Correct answer: Teams maintain a constant work pace indefinitely

Sustainable pace means agile teams should be able to maintain their development pace indefinitely without burning out.

Question 5: What does 'responding to change over following a plan' mean for Agile leaders?

Leaders should adapt strategy as new information emerges (Correct answer)
Plans are useless and should never be created
Change is disruptive and should be avoided
Only the customer can initiate changes

Correct answer: Leaders should adapt strategy as new information emerges

Agile leaders must be willing to adapt plans and strategies when new information or circumstances arise.

Question 6: In Agile, what is the key purpose of regular reflection and adjustment?

To document lessons learned for auditors
To justify budget overruns
To improve team effectiveness and behaviors (Correct answer)
To assign blame for failures

Correct answer: To improve team effectiveness and behaviors

Regular retrospectives allow teams to reflect on how to become more effective and adjust accordingly.

Question 7: What does 'psychological safety' enable in Agile culture?

Lower performance expectations
Reduced accountability for outcomes
Avoidance of difficult conversations
Open communication, innovation, and learning from mistakes (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Open communication, innovation, and learning from mistakes

Psychological safety enables team members to speak up, experiment, and learn from mistakes without fear of retribution.

Question 8: What does 'team velocity' measure in Agile?

The number of meetings held per sprint
The number of bugs fixed per week
The amount of work a team completes per sprint (Correct answer)
How fast individual developers write code

Correct answer: The amount of work a team completes per sprint

Team velocity measures the average amount of work completed per sprint, used for planning and forecasting.

Question 9: How does transparency support Agile culture?

It exposes team members to criticism
It replaces the need for planning
It builds trust and enables informed decision-making at all levels (Correct answer)
It increases bureaucratic reporting

Correct answer: It builds trust and enables informed decision-making at all levels

Transparency builds the trust necessary for effective collaboration and enables everyone to make informed decisions.

Question 10: What is Kotter's first step in leading organizational change?

Communicate the vision
Create a sense of urgency (Correct answer)
Develop a vision
Build a guiding coalition

Correct answer: Create a sense of urgency

Kotter's 8-step change model begins with creating a sense of urgency to mobilize people for change.

Question 11: Which Agile Manifesto principle relates to daily collaboration between business and developers?

Developers work independently from business stakeholders
Business and developers meet only at milestones
Business requirements are fixed before development begins
Business people and developers must work together daily throughout the project (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Business people and developers must work together daily throughout the project

The Agile Manifesto principle requires daily collaboration between business people and developers throughout the project.

Question 12: Which of the following best describes the role of a facilitator during an agile team meeting?

Representing management's interests to the team
Guiding the process while remaining neutral on content (Correct answer)
Documenting meeting minutes and action items only
Deciding the best solution for the team

Correct answer: Guiding the process while remaining neutral on content

A facilitator is responsible for managing the process and structure of a meeting while remaining content-neutral, leaving decisions to the participants.

Question 13: What does 'Gemba' mean in Agile leadership practice?

A Japanese term for continuous improvement
Going to the place where work happens to observe and understand it firsthand (Correct answer)
An Agile estimation method
A sprint planning technique

Correct answer: Going to the place where work happens to observe and understand it firsthand

'Gemba' means going to the actual place of work to observe and understand what is really happening.

Question 14: What is the role of a CAL-1 leader when teams are in the 'Storming' phase?

Increase management oversight
Assign individual tasks to avoid team conflict
Facilitate conflict resolution and help the team establish norms (Correct answer)
Dissolve the team and start over

Correct answer: Facilitate conflict resolution and help the team establish norms

During Storming, leaders should facilitate conflict resolution and help the team establish healthy working norms.

Question 15: What is the primary measure of progress in Agile?

Story points burned
Working software (Correct answer)
Completed documentation
Number of meetings held

Correct answer: Working software

Working software is the primary measure of progress in Agile development.

Question 16: What is the Kübler-Ross change curve's relevance to Agile transformations?

It predicts software delivery timelines
It describes team formation stages
It explains the emotional stages people go through during organizational change (Correct answer)
It defines sprint retrospective formats

Correct answer: It explains the emotional stages people go through during organizational change

The Kübler-Ross curve shows leaders how people emotionally process change, from denial through acceptance, enabling better support.

Question 17: How should Agile leaders handle executives who are skeptical of Agile transformation?

Mandate adoption from the board level
Wait until they retire or leave
Engage them with data, success stories, and by connecting Agile to strategic business outcomes (Correct answer)
Bypass them and work directly with teams

Correct answer: Engage them with data, success stories, and by connecting Agile to strategic business outcomes

Skeptical executives are best engaged by demonstrating how Agile delivers business outcomes they care about.

Question 18: Which Tuckman stage describes a team that has resolved conflicts and is performing optimally?

Storming
Performing (Correct answer)
Norming
Forming

Correct answer: Performing

In the Performing stage of Tuckman's model, teams function at a high level with minimal conflict or friction.

Question 19: How does an Agile leader model the culture they want to create?

By demonstrating Agile values and behaviors consistently in their own actions (Correct answer)
By rewarding only those who follow Agile processes
By issuing cultural policy documents
By mandating culture training for all employees

Correct answer: By demonstrating Agile values and behaviors consistently in their own actions

Leaders create culture through their own consistent behavior, which signals what is truly valued in the organization.

Question 20: What is the most efficient method of conveying information in Agile teams?

Written documentation
Face-to-face conversation (Correct answer)
Email threads
Formal reports

Correct answer: Face-to-face conversation

Agile principles state that face-to-face conversation is the most efficient and effective method of conveying information.

Question 21: What mindset shift is required when moving from traditional to Agile leadership?

From controlling outcomes to enabling teams (Correct answer)
From collaboration to documentation
From short cycles to long releases
From coaching teams to directing tasks

Correct answer: From controlling outcomes to enabling teams

Agile leadership requires shifting from controlling outcomes to enabling and empowering teams to self-organize.

Question 22: What is the main benefit of co-locating Agile team members?

Easier management oversight
Reduced need for digital tools
Improved communication, faster decision-making, and stronger team cohesion (Correct answer)
Simplified project tracking

Correct answer: Improved communication, faster decision-making, and stronger team cohesion

Co-location improves communication and collaboration, enabling faster decisions and stronger team relationships.

Question 23: What is the primary goal of portfolio management in Agile organizations?

Coordinating release schedules
Prioritizing investments to maximize value delivery aligned with strategy (Correct answer)
Managing team capacity across sprints
Tracking individual project budgets

Correct answer: Prioritizing investments to maximize value delivery aligned with strategy

Agile portfolio management aligns investments with strategic goals to maximize value delivered across the organization.

Question 24: Which Agile principle emphasizes trust and empowerment?

Managers must approve all team decisions
Build projects around motivated individuals and give them the environment and trust they need (Correct answer)
Follow a detailed plan to ensure compliance
Documentation must be approved before work begins

Correct answer: Build projects around motivated individuals and give them the environment and trust they need

Agile principles state that projects should be built around motivated individuals who are given trust and support.

Question 25: In Cynefin, which domain requires 'probe-sense-respond' leadership behavior?

Complex domain (Correct answer)
Complicated domain
Simple domain
Obvious domain

Correct answer: Complex domain

In the complex domain, causes and effects only become clear in hindsight, so leaders must probe with safe experiments before responding.

Question 26: How does an Agile leader foster intrinsic motivation in team members?

By providing autonomy, mastery opportunities, and purpose (Correct answer)
By offering monetary bonuses for completed tasks
By setting competitive individual targets
By increasing managerial oversight

Correct answer: By providing autonomy, mastery opportunities, and purpose

Daniel Pink's autonomy, mastery, and purpose framework explains how intrinsic motivation is built in knowledge workers.

Question 27: What characteristic enables Agile teams to make decisions without constant leadership approval?

Formal authority delegation
Hierarchical reporting
Self-organization (Correct answer)
Top-down mandate

Correct answer: Self-organization

Self-organizing Agile teams have the autonomy to decide how best to accomplish their work without constant approval.

Question 28: Which practice best supports continuous team improvement in Agile?

Monthly status reports
Annual performance reviews
Regular retrospectives (Correct answer)
Quarterly planning sessions

Correct answer: Regular retrospectives

Regular retrospectives allow teams to inspect their processes and behaviors and make incremental improvements.

Question 29: Why should Agile leaders avoid comparing velocity between different teams?

Each team's velocity is relative to their own context and story point estimates (Correct answer)
Velocity comparisons motivate underperforming teams
All teams should have the same velocity
Velocity is only relevant for collocated teams

Correct answer: Each team's velocity is relative to their own context and story point estimates

Velocity is team-specific because story point estimates vary by team; comparing across teams is misleading and demoralizing.

Question 30: What does the Agile principle 'Welcome changing requirements' primarily support?

Reduced documentation
Customer competitive advantage (Correct answer)
Developer convenience
Fixed project scope

Correct answer: Customer competitive advantage

Welcoming changing requirements harnesses change for the customer's competitive advantage.

Question 31: How does storytelling serve Agile cultural change?

It is used only for retrospectives
It justifies past decisions
It creates shared meaning and makes abstract change concrete and relatable (Correct answer)
It replaces data-driven decision making

Correct answer: It creates shared meaning and makes abstract change concrete and relatable

Storytelling makes change tangible by connecting people to a shared narrative of why the change matters.

Question 32: After a coaching conversation, an agile leader reflects on their performance. Which self-assessment question aligns MOST with ICF coaching competencies?

Did the coachee leave with at least three concrete action items?
Was the session completed within the scheduled time?
How much of the meeting time did I spend talking versus listening? (Correct answer)
Did I successfully convince the coachee to adopt my recommended approach?

Correct answer: How much of the meeting time did I spend talking versus listening?

Monitoring the ratio of coach talk to coachee talk is a key quality indicator; effective coaches listen far more than they speak, with the coachee doing the majority of the thinking.

Question 33: What is 'double-loop learning' in organizational change?

Training teams in both Scrum and Kanban
Repeating a sprint twice for quality improvement
Questioning the underlying assumptions and mental models that drive behavior, not just the behavior itself (Correct answer)
Conducting two retrospectives per sprint

Correct answer: Questioning the underlying assumptions and mental models that drive behavior, not just the behavior itself

Double-loop learning challenges the governing values and assumptions behind actions, enabling deeper organizational transformation.

Question 34: How do Agile leaders balance stability and change in organizations?

By changing everything simultaneously
By prioritizing either stability or change exclusively
By maintaining stable foundations while enabling adaptive responses at the edges (Correct answer)
By maintaining rigid stability at all times

Correct answer: By maintaining stable foundations while enabling adaptive responses at the edges

Agile leaders create stability in core values and structures while enabling adaptive responses to changing conditions.

Question 35: What is 'appreciative inquiry' in Agile organizational change?

A performance review technique
A strengths-based approach to change that focuses on what is working well (Correct answer)
A risk assessment framework
An audit methodology for Agile teams

Correct answer: A strengths-based approach to change that focuses on what is working well

Appreciative inquiry drives positive change by identifying and amplifying existing strengths rather than focusing on problems.

Question 36: Which concept best aligns with Agile's 12th principle about self-organizing teams?

Managers dictate technical approaches
Only senior engineers make design decisions
Architecture must be designed upfront by architects
The best architectures emerge from self-organizing teams (Correct answer)

Correct answer: The best architectures emerge from self-organizing teams

Agile's 12th principle states that the best architectures, requirements, and designs emerge from self-organizing teams.

Question 37: What is 'sensemaking' in the context of Agile leadership?

Analyzing business metrics
The process of creating shared understanding of complex or ambiguous situations (Correct answer)
Documenting lessons learned
Conducting stakeholder interviews

Correct answer: The process of creating shared understanding of complex or ambiguous situations

Sensemaking helps leaders and teams collaboratively interpret ambiguous situations to guide effective responses.

Question 38: An agile leader is facilitating a team decision. The team is divided between two options. Which facilitation approach supports agile values best?

Table the decision indefinitely until consensus is reached
Ask management to break the tie
Make the final decision on behalf of the team to prevent delay
Use a consent-based decision-making process to find a workable solution (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Use a consent-based decision-making process to find a workable solution

Consent-based decision-making (asking 'can you live with this?') is faster than full consensus and supports team autonomy by reaching a workable agreement without requiring unanimity.

Question 39: What is a 'growth mindset' in the context of CAL-1 Agile leadership?

Avoiding challenges to prevent failure
Believing abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work (Correct answer)
Believing talent is fixed and unchangeable
Focusing only on current capabilities

Correct answer: Believing abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work

A growth mindset, central to Agile leadership, means believing that abilities can be developed through effort and learning.

Question 40: Which servant leadership characteristic involves helping others grow professionally?

Performance management
Technical mentorship only
Personal skill development
Commitment to the growth of people (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Commitment to the growth of people

Servant leaders are committed to the personal, professional, and spiritual growth of every person in the organization.

Question 41: What is 'swarming' in Agile team behavior?

Working in parallel on unrelated items
Multiple team members collaborating on a single item to finish it quickly (Correct answer)
Splitting work across all team members equally
Assigning tasks based on seniority

Correct answer: Multiple team members collaborating on a single item to finish it quickly

Swarming occurs when team members collectively focus on one work item to complete it before starting new work.

Question 42: What is 'Definition of Done' (DoD) in Agile teams?

A manager's approval of completed tasks
A shared agreement on what criteria must be met for work to be considered complete (Correct answer)
The final step before project closure
A list of user acceptance tests

Correct answer: A shared agreement on what criteria must be met for work to be considered complete

The Definition of Done is a team agreement on the quality and completion criteria that every increment must meet.

Question 43: What is 'powerful questioning' in the context of agile coaching?

Questioning the coachee's competence to motivate improvement
Asking leading questions that guide the coachee toward the coach's preferred solution
Using closed yes/no questions to quickly confirm understanding
Asking open-ended questions that evoke reflection, insight, and new possibilities (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Asking open-ended questions that evoke reflection, insight, and new possibilities

Powerful questions are open-ended, thought-provoking, and designed to stimulate self-reflection and help coachees discover their own insights.

Question 44: What is the Prosci ADKAR model used for in Agile transformations?

Agile project delivery planning
Sprint retrospective facilitation
Team performance measurement
Managing individual change through Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability, and Reinforcement (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Managing individual change through Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability, and Reinforcement

ADKAR is an individual change model that helps leaders support each person through the stages of change adoption.

Question 45: What is the Satir Change Model's 'chaos' phase?

The final stage of successful change
A period of disruption and uncertainty after a foreign element is introduced (Correct answer)
A time when team performance increases rapidly
The initial planning phase of change

Correct answer: A period of disruption and uncertainty after a foreign element is introduced

In the Satir Change Model, chaos follows the introduction of a foreign element (change), causing disruption before integration.

Question 46: Which Agile Manifesto value prioritizes individuals and interactions?

Documentation over collaboration
Processes and tools over individuals
Contract negotiation over customer collaboration
Individuals and interactions over processes and tools (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Individuals and interactions over processes and tools

The Agile Manifesto explicitly values individuals and interactions over processes and tools.

Question 47: What does 'fail fast' mean in Agile culture?

Learn quickly from small failures before committing large investments (Correct answer)
Rush through sprints to fail quickly
Avoid all risky initiatives
Accept that all projects will eventually fail

Correct answer: Learn quickly from small failures before committing large investments

'Fail fast' means designing small experiments to surface failures early, when course correction is still inexpensive.

Question 48: What is the 'burning platform' concept in change leadership?

A metaphor for burnout in Agile teams
A compelling case for urgent change based on serious risks or opportunities (Correct answer)
A technique for sprint prioritization
A risk management framework

Correct answer: A compelling case for urgent change based on serious risks or opportunities

A burning platform creates a sense of urgency by making the cost of inaction clear, motivating people to embrace change.

Question 49: What is the purpose of a team working agreement in Agile?

To establish shared norms and expectations for how the team will work together (Correct answer)
To define project milestones
To replace the product backlog
To document individual performance goals

Correct answer: To establish shared norms and expectations for how the team will work together

Working agreements are collaboratively created norms that guide how the team interacts and makes decisions.

Question 50: What does 'cross-functional team' mean in Agile?

The team works across multiple projects simultaneously
Team members are rotated between departments
The team has all skills necessary to deliver a product increment without external dependencies (Correct answer)
Each team member has the same skill set

Correct answer: The team has all skills necessary to deliver a product increment without external dependencies

Cross-functional Agile teams contain all the skills needed to deliver working software without depending on outside teams.

Question 51: Why is middle management critical to successful Agile transformations?

They are the primary Agile practitioners
They bridge strategy and execution and can either accelerate or block Agile adoption (Correct answer)
They have the most technical skills
They control all project budgets

Correct answer: They bridge strategy and execution and can either accelerate or block Agile adoption

Middle managers translate strategy into action; without their buy-in, Agile transformations typically fail.

Question 52: What is the ideal size for a Scrum team according to Agile best practices?

2 to 3 members
5 to 11 members including the Product Owner and Scrum Master (Correct answer)
More than 20 members for large projects
15 to 20 members

Correct answer: 5 to 11 members including the Product Owner and Scrum Master

Scrum teams are optimally sized at 5–11 members to maintain effective communication and collaboration.

Question 53: What does 'organizational impediment' mean in the context of Agile leadership?

A delayed sprint review
A missing technical skill
A team member who resists Agile adoption
A systemic obstacle that prevents teams from delivering value effectively (Correct answer)

Correct answer: A systemic obstacle that prevents teams from delivering value effectively

Organizational impediments are systemic barriers — policies, structures, or cultures — that block teams from delivering effectively.

Question 54: What role do metrics play in Agile organizational leadership?

They replace qualitative feedback
They are used to compare team performance rankings
They inform decisions and highlight improvement opportunities without being used punitively (Correct answer)
They measure individual developer productivity

Correct answer: They inform decisions and highlight improvement opportunities without being used punitively

Agile metrics inform leadership decisions and identify areas for improvement; they should never be used as punitive tools.

Question 55: Which behavior best demonstrates an Agile leader's commitment to continuous learning?

Openly sharing what they learned from their own failures (Correct answer)
Attributing all failures to external factors
Avoiding discussions of past mistakes
Only sharing successes in all-hands meetings

Correct answer: Openly sharing what they learned from their own failures

Leaders who openly share their own failures model the learning culture they want to build in their organizations.

Question 56: What is the foundation of an Agile culture?

Individual performance optimization
Hierarchical authority structures
Strict process adherence
Trust, transparency, and continuous improvement (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Trust, transparency, and continuous improvement

Agile culture is built on a foundation of trust, transparency, and a shared commitment to continuous improvement.

Question 57: What does 'leading by example' mean in Agile transformations?

Approving team budgets quickly
Attending all Agile ceremonies as an observer
Demonstrating Agile values and behaviors personally, not just advocating for them (Correct answer)
Writing Agile transformation plans

Correct answer: Demonstrating Agile values and behaviors personally, not just advocating for them

Leaders must personally embody Agile values like transparency, collaboration, and continuous improvement to drive cultural change.

Question 58: Why is diversity important in Agile teams according to CAL-1?

Diversity simplifies sprint planning
Diversity reduces the need for documentation
Diverse perspectives improve problem-solving and innovation (Correct answer)
Diversity increases team size

Correct answer: Diverse perspectives improve problem-solving and innovation

Diverse teams bring varied perspectives and experiences that lead to more creative and effective problem-solving.

Question 59: What is 'T-shaped' skill development in Agile teams?

Team members specialize in only one narrow skill
Team members learn only what is needed for current tasks
Team members have deep expertise in one area and broad knowledge across others (Correct answer)
Team members have equal knowledge across all areas

Correct answer: Team members have deep expertise in one area and broad knowledge across others

T-shaped skills mean individuals have deep expertise in one domain and enough breadth to collaborate across disciplines.

Question 60: Which Agile Manifesto value addresses collaboration with stakeholders?

Plans over responding to change
Customer collaboration over contract negotiation (Correct answer)
Processes over people
Comprehensive documentation over customer collaboration

Correct answer: Customer collaboration over contract negotiation

The Manifesto values customer collaboration over contract negotiation to ensure the product meets real needs.

Certified Agile Leader 1 (CAL 1)

The CAL 1 certification from Scrum Alliance validates understanding of agile leadership principles, culture, team development, and organizational transformation. It is earned through completion of a 16-hour instructor-led course covering agile mindset, leadership in action, leading agile teams, and driving organizational change.

Questions

90 min

Time Limit

70%

To Pass

Checking for saved progress...

Exam Rules

You can skip questions and return to them later
Flag questions for review before submitting
No feedback shown until you submit the entire exam
Unanswered questions count as wrong — answer everything
10 pretest questions are mixed in and don't affect your score
Timer auto-submits when time runs out
Your progress is auto-saved every 30 seconds

These practice questions were written with AI tools. They are not real exam questions. Exam facts are checked against the official sources listed below. Not reviewed by a subject-matter expert. Editorial policy

Sources & references

Exam facts on this page (fees, format, dates, passing scores) are checked against these official sources; the date is our last check. Editorial policy

scrumalliance.org — Renewal, test delivery, eligibility, score validity · verified Oct 2026