Practice Test Geeks(DAC) Certified Disciplined Agile Coach Practice Test
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Value Stream Mapping Flashcards

7 cards from real DAC practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.

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  1. A DA coach maps a value stream and finds that a work item spends 80% of its lead time in three approval queues. What is the most effective systemic intervention?

    Answer: Analyze whether approvals can be automated, parallelized, or embedded earlier in the process

    The best approach analyzes the purpose of each approval and redesigns the system—automating, parallelizing, or shifting quality checks left—rather than simply adding capacity.

  2. In Disciplined Agile, Value Stream Mapping is best applied at which level of the organization?

    Answer: Team-of-teams or enterprise level to reveal cross-functional systemic waste

    VSM's power lies in making cross-functional, end-to-end flows visible, making it most impactful at team-of-teams or enterprise scope where systemic waste hides.

  3. Which of the following is an example of 'overprocessing' waste in a software value stream?

    Answer: Both B and C

    Overprocessing includes any activity—redundant reviews or duplicate testing—that exceeds what the customer or quality requires.

  4. What role does psychological safety play when a DA coach facilitates a Value Stream Mapping workshop?

    Answer: It is critical because participants must honestly expose waste, bottlenecks, and dysfunction in their own processes

    Participants must feel safe to reveal real problems—delays, rework loops, dysfunctional handoffs—without fear of blame, or the current-state map will be sanitized and useless.

  5. When calculating WIP (Work In Progress) limits using VSM data, which formula from Little's Law is applied?

    Answer: Lead Time = WIP ÷ Throughput

    Little's Law states Lead Time = WIP ÷ Throughput, allowing teams to calculate appropriate WIP limits to achieve target lead times given known throughput.

  6. A current-state VSM reveals high variability in cycle times across steps. What should a DA coach prioritize before working to increase throughput?

    Answer: Stabilizing and reducing variability to make the flow predictable

    Variability destabilizes flow and makes improvement efforts unreliable; stabilizing the process first creates the predictability needed for sustainable throughput increases.

  7. Which DA mindset principle is most reinforced when VSM reveals that enterprise governance processes are the dominant source of lead time waste?

    Answer: Context Counts

    DA's 'Context Counts' principle acknowledges that governance burdens vary by organizational context—the VSM findings guide context-appropriate governance redesign rather than a one-size-fits-all fix.