Easy everything in Agile & Scrum, page 2
What user story details reveal the customer problem?
This tests if you see stories as problem placeholders, not specs. A strong answer asks for user role, action, 'so that' value, and confirmation criteria while demanding conversation. Red flag: listing technical tasks without mentioning the customer problem.
Describe the Red-Green-Refactor cycle in TDD. What is each step's purpose?
This checks if you understand TDD as a design discipline, not just testing. A strong answer maps Red to a failing test defining the interface, Green to minimal passing code, and Refactor to cleaning both codebases without changing behavior.
What is the Sprint Retrospective output and what happens next?
Output is a concrete improvement plan enacted in the next Sprint, not parked.
Explain the difference between code complete and Done. What artifact defines this?
Tests whether you know Done means a usable Increment, not just written code. Strong answer: code complete is a dev milestone; Done means the Increment meets quality standards. Red flag: saying testing happens after Done or that Done is optional.
Daily Scrum ticket updates: what primary purpose is missing?
This tests whether you know the Daily Scrum inspects Sprint Goal progress and adapts the plan rather than reporting status. A strong answer identifies the missing purpose as team inspection and adaptation against the Sprint Goal.
What is the Sprint Goal and how does it guide planning?
Goal-driven Sprints vs ticket batches. The Sprint Goal is the agreed objective guiding selection of ordered backlog items to build a valuable Increment and enable inspection. Red flag: calling it optional or pulling the top N items without negotiation.
What are the key components of a well-written user story?
Tests your ability to turn vague needs into actionable, testable work. A strong answer covers who, what, and why; defines acceptance criteria as specific, testable scenarios; and references INVEST.
Daily Scrum runs over 15 minutes; what facilitation techniques realign it?
This tests if you view the Daily Scrum as an inspection and adaptation event. A strong answer proposes a parking lot, coaches self-management of the timebox, and keeps talk focused on adapting the plan. A red flag is asking the Scrum Master to extend the.
How do you handle a mid-Sprint urgent feature request?
Send the stakeholder to the Product Owner; do not add directly to the Sprint Backlog; protect the current plan.
Describe the Daily Scrum's purpose, audience, and intended outcome.
Say it's a Sprint event for Developers to inspect progress toward agreed goals and adapt their plan.
Three accountabilities in a Scrum Team and their primary focuses
Tests recall of the three Scrum accountabilities. Outline: Product Owner orders the backlog; Developers create an Increment each Sprint; Scrum Master fosters an environment for empiricism. Red flag: Using roles or treating the Scrum Master as a task master.
How would you apply Agile simplicity when implementing a new feature?
Validate the smallest user-problem slice; defer gold-plating and custom abstractions; prefer existing tools.
Primary goal of a retrospective and its tie to continuous improvement
State the goal is improving quality, tie it to Scrum's empirical pillars, and demand adaptations.
How does 'Individuals and interactions' shape team structure and communication?
Say teams should be cross-functional and favor direct communication like pairing and standups over mandated tool workflows.
AI Use Creates 'Cognitive Debt' in Scrum Teams
Over-relying on AI for sprint planning and backlog refinement creates "Cognitive Debt," eroding a team's problem-solving skills. While AI boosts productivity, it can eliminate the collaborative friction that builds shared understanding and critical reasoning.
Feature teams vs. component teams: pros and cons?
Tests your grasp of how team structure impacts value delivery. Define feature (vertical slice) and component (horizontal) teams. Contrast speed vs. reusability. Red flag: Calling one 'good' and the other 'bad' without discussing trade-offs.
How can developers partner with the Product Owner in backlog refinement?
This tests your understanding of the developer's role in maximizing value, not just executing tasks. A great answer covers questioning the 'why,' suggesting technical alternatives to meet business goals, helping split stories, and providing realistic sizing.
What is a Scrum of Scrums, and what do you share there?
Tests your understanding of scaling agile and representing your team's technical risks. A good answer defines it as a coordination meeting, not a status report, and focuses on sharing/receiving info on cross-team dependencies and blockers.
Explain Lead Time vs. Cycle Time on a Kanban board
This tests your grasp of core Kanban flow metrics. Define Lead Time (customer request to delivery) and Cycle Time (work start to finish). Measure Cycle Time from the first 'In Progress' column to 'Done'. Red flag: defining terms without explaining their value.
What columns would you set up on a new Kanban board?
Tests your grasp of workflow visualization, not just Agile terms. A good answer starts with To Do/In Progress/Done, then adds columns like Code Review to mirror the real process, and crucially, mentions setting WIP limits to manage flow and identify…
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