PMP Agile and Hybrid Approaches 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What does 'empirical process control' mean in the context of Scrum?
- Using historical data to predict the final project cost
- Making decisions based on observation, experience, and experimentation (Correct answer)
- Following a documented process based on industry standards
- Applying statistical analysis to sprint velocity data
Correct answer: Making decisions based on observation, experience, and experimentation
Empirical process control means that knowledge comes from experience and decisions are based on what is known from observation, supported by transparency, inspection, and adaptation.
Question 2: A hybrid project has a fixed regulatory submission date. The team uses agile for development but must freeze deliverables 30 days before the deadline for compliance review. What does the 30-day freeze represent?
- A sprint review gate
- A regulatory-driven predictive constraint overlaid on an agile delivery model (Correct answer)
- A Kanban WIP limit applied to the release queue
- A Definition of Done criteria for the entire project
Correct answer: A regulatory-driven predictive constraint overlaid on an agile delivery model
The compliance freeze is a predictive, externally mandated constraint that coexists with the agile delivery cycle, a common characteristic of hybrid projects.
Question 3: Which agile estimation technique uses relative sizing by comparing stories to reference stories rather than estimating in absolute time?
- Bottom-up estimating
- Parametric estimating
- Story point estimation with planning poker (Correct answer)
- Three-point estimating (PERT)
Correct answer: Story point estimation with planning poker
Story points with planning poker use relative sizing — comparing each story to known reference stories — rather than committing to specific hours or days.
Question 4: In a large-scale agile program, multiple Scrum teams are working on interdependent features. What mechanism is MOST commonly used to coordinate cross-team dependencies?
- A single shared sprint backlog managed by all teams
- Scrum of Scrums or a Program-level synchronization meeting (Correct answer)
- Daily standups that include all team members from all teams
- A Gantt chart maintained by the PMO
Correct answer: Scrum of Scrums or a Program-level synchronization meeting
Scrum of Scrums (or equivalent program-level sync ceremonies in frameworks like SAFe) is the standard mechanism for coordinating dependencies across multiple Scrum teams.
Question 5: A project manager notices the team's cycle time on a Kanban board is increasing. What does rising cycle time MOST likely indicate?
- The team is completing more complex stories
- There is a bottleneck or impediment slowing work through the system (Correct answer)
- Stakeholder engagement has improved
- The WIP limits are set too low
Correct answer: There is a bottleneck or impediment slowing work through the system
Increasing cycle time signals that work is getting stuck somewhere in the system, pointing to a bottleneck or impediment that needs to be resolved.
Question 6: Which of the following BEST describes a 'potentially shippable product increment' in Scrum?
- A feature approved by the product owner for future deployment
- Working, tested software that meets the Definition of Done and could be released (Correct answer)
- A prototype demonstrated to stakeholders at the sprint review
- A backlog item estimated and refined during sprint planning
Correct answer: Working, tested software that meets the Definition of Done and could be released
A potentially shippable increment is working software that satisfies the Definition of Done, meaning it could be released to end users if the product owner chooses.
Question 7: An agile coach observes that a team's retrospectives always result in action items that are never completed. What should the coach recommend FIRST?
- Cancel retrospectives until the team matures
- Assign action items to the Scrum Master to complete independently
- Limit the number of action items per retrospective and assign each to a specific owner with a due date (Correct answer)
- Escalate to senior management to enforce completion
Correct answer: Limit the number of action items per retrospective and assign each to a specific owner with a due date
Limiting action items and assigning ownership with deadlines makes retrospective outcomes actionable and prevents the common failure mode of too many vague commitments.
PMP Agile and Hybrid Approaches 5
What does 'empirical process control' mean in the context of Scrum?