Free Practice Questions for Scaled Agile SP-SAFe-Practitioner Exam

he Problem Solving Workshop is a structured approach to identifying the root cause and actions to address systemic problems. It is part of the Inspect and Adapt event that occurs at the end of each Program Increment. The six steps in the Problem Solving Workshop are:

Choose a problem to solve—agreement not required: The Release Train Engineer (RTE) facilitates a brainstorming session to generate a list of potential problems that affect the ART’s performance. The participants use dot voting to prioritize the problems and select the most important one to solve. Agreement is not required, as the majority vote determines the problem to focus on.

Perform root cause analysis: The RTE leads the team in applying the ‘Five Whys’ technique to drill down to the root cause of the problem. The team asks ‘why’ repeatedly until they reach a cause that is actionable and within their control.

Brainstorm solutions: The team generates a list of possible solutions to address the root cause. They use divergent thinking to come up with as many ideas as possible, without judging or evaluating them.

Decide on the best solution: The team uses convergent thinking to narrow down the list of solutions and select the best one. They can use criteria such as feasibility, impact, cost, and alignment with the SAFe Principles and Values to evaluate the solutions.

Define and visualize the improvement backlog items: The team defines the improvement backlog items that will implement the chosen solution. They write them in the format of ‘As a [role], I can [action], so that [outcome]’. They also visualize the items on a Kanban board or a similar tool to track their progress and status.

Assign owners and agree on the SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) goals: The team assigns owners to each improvement backlog item and agrees on the SMART goals that will measure the success of the solution. They also define the acceptance criteria and the expected benefits of the improvement.

References: Inspect and Adapt - Scaled Agile Framework, Problem-solving workshop: Step-by-Step - Agilephoria, SAFe for Teams Student Workbook: materials and exercises from Lesson 7, Exam Study Guide: SP (6.0) - SAFe® Practitioner

Reducing the batch sizes of work is critical to improving flow, as it enables faster delivery of value, lower risk, higher quality, and better feedback1. Batch size is the amount of work that moves as a unit through the value stream2. Smaller batches reduce the cycle time, the total time from the beginning to the end of the process to provide value to a customer3. Smaller batches also reduce the variability and uncertainty in the system, leading to less waste and rework2. SAFe provides several practices to reduce the batch sizes of work, such as using User Stories, Features, and Minimum Viable Products (MVPs) as units of work, applying Continuous Integration (CI) and Continuous Delivery (CD) pipelines, and limiting Work in Process (WIP)1. References: Accelerating Flow with SAFe, Make Value Flow without Interruptions, Optimize Flow

The Portfolio Kanban is a method to visualize, manage, and analyze the flow of portfolio epics from ideation to implementation1. It brings structure to analysis and decision making around epics by defining the states and Work in Process (WIP) limits for each state, as well as the entry and exit criteria1. The Portfolio Kanban also helps prioritize and sequence the epics based on the Lean business case and the Weighted Shortest Job First (WSJF) technique1. The Portfolio Kanban enables the Lean Portfolio Management (LPM) to align the portfolio strategy and investment funding with the implementation capacity of the value streams2. References: Portfolio Kanban, Lean Portfolio Management

The Iteration Review is a regular SAFe Scrum event where the team inspects the iteration increment, assesses progress, and adjusts the team backlog. The purpose of the Iteration Review is to measure the team’s progress by showing working stories to the Product Owner and other stakeholders to get their feedback. The Iteration Review provides a way to gather immediate, contextual feedback from the team’s stakeholders on a regular cadence. The Iteration Review also allows the team to demonstrate their contributions, receive feedback to improve the solution, and adjust the Team Backlog based on new opportunities. References: Iteration Review, Iteration Review, What is Iteration review in SAFe® 6.0?, Iteration Review65

Organize around value is one of the 10 SAFe Lean-Agile Principles that guide the implementation of SAFe in any context. It states that enterprises must align their people, processes, and technology to the full and continuous flow of value that delivers customer and business outcomes. This principle helps enterprises to eliminate silos, reduce handoffs, improve collaboration, and optimize value streams. It also enables faster feedback, shorter lead times, higher quality, and better economics. References: SAFe Lean-Agile Principles, Organize Around Value, Exam Study Guide: SP (6.0) - SAFe Practitioner

Uncommitted objectives are used to identify work that can be variable within the scope of a PI. The work is planned, but the outcome is not certain. Teams can apply uncommitted objectives whenever there is low confidence in meeting the objective. Uncommitted objectives do not get assigned a business value score because they are not part of the ART predictability measure. They are also not included in the program predictability report. However, they are still important and valuable, and teams should strive to achieve them if possible. References: PI Objectives, PI Planning, What is an uncommitted objective in SAFe?

= Fast learning cycles are one of the four pillars of the SAFe House of Lean model, which is based on the Toyota Production System and combines lean management, agile methods, and Lean Thinking1. Fast learning cycles support innovation by enabling rapid feedback, experimentation, and adaptation, which are essential for creating value and achieving Business Agility2. Fast learning cycles also foster a culture of continuous improvement, where teams and individuals are empowered to learn from failures and seek better solutions3. References: = 1: Lean-Agile Mindset - Scaled Agile Framework2; 2: Lean-Agile Mindset - Scaled Agile Framework1; 3: The SAFe House of Lean model: short and sweet - Echometer

 User Stories are the types of work that are found within the Agile Team Backlog. User Stories are short descriptions of a small piece of functionality that provides value to a user or customer. They are written from the perspective of the user or customer and follow the format: “As a , I want , so that ”. User Stories are the primary way of expressing the requirements and features in the Agile Team Backlog. They are estimated, prioritized, and implemented by the Agile Team in Iterations. User Stories are derived from Features in the Program Backlog, as well as from the team’s local context and other stakeholders. References: Team Backlog, User Stories, Story

 Continuous Deployment is the aspect of the continuous delivery pipeline that focuses on getting to production early for verification. It is the process of automatically releasing every change that passes the Continuous Integration tests to a staging or production environment. This enables faster feedback and validation from the end users and stakeholders, as well as reducing the risks and costs associated with manual deployments. References: Continuous Deployment, Continuous Delivery Pipeline, What is continuous delivery?

 The balanced Agile testing pyramid is a testing strategy that illustrates the distribution of different types of tests in a test suite. It suggests that we should have many unit tests, which are small, low-level, and automated tests that verify the functionality of individual components of the codebase. We should also have many service or integration tests, which are automated tests that verify the interaction and integration of different components or services. Finally, we should have fewer large, manual tests, such as graphical user interface tests or end-to-end tests, which verify the functionality and usability of the whole system from the user’s perspective. The balanced Agile testing pyramid helps agile teams to achieve faster feedback, higher quality, and lower maintenance costs. References: The Practical Test Pyramid, What is Testing Pyramid? How Does It Benefit Agile Teams?, Climbing the Testing Pyramid, Agile Test Pyramid, Agile Test Automation Pyramid