Free Practice Questions for Scrum PSK-I Exam

A cumulative flow diagram (CFD) provides insights into the amount of WIP and helps track Cycle Time by showing how long items stay in each stage of the workflow. This visualization tool is valuable for teams using Scrum with Kanban as it highlights bottlenecks and helps manage flow through the stages of the workflow. References: The Kanban Guide for Scrum Teams​.

A Kanban board is primarily used for visualizing the Workflow and managing WIP Limits. This visualization helps Scrum Teams make the flow of work transparent, track progress, and manage bottlenecks effectively. Limiting WIP ensures a pull-based flow, where new tasks are only started when there is available capacity, preventing overburdening the team. References: The Kanban Guide for Scrum Teams​​.

Little's Lawestablishes a relationship between three flow metrics:Work in Progress (WIP),Cycle Time, andThroughput. It provides insights into how changes in one metric affect the others in a stable system​​.

Little's Law is used to understand and manage flow within a system but isnot a forecasting tool for output or future performance. It assumes a stable and predictable system where the input and output rates are consistent.

Why Not True?

Forecasting requires variability, historical data, and often different statistical models. While Little's Law supports system predictability and capacity planning, it does not directly project future Scrum Team outputs or delivery dates​.

Thus, Little's Law helps teams analyze and optimize flow but is not used for forecasting.

Kanban is:

•A strategy for optimizing the flow of value through a process (Option B): Kanban focuses on improving flow and efficiency by using a visual pull system with limited WIP. This strategy helps teams balance demand against throughput and enhance productivity by limiting the number of work items in progress.

Options A (methodology for visualizing workflow) and C (set of practices additive to Scrum) are partially correct but do not fully capture Kanban's purpose. Kanban is not just a visualization tool (A), and while it can be additive to Scrum (C), it is fundamentally a flow-based strategy

For teams practicing Professional Scrum with Kanban, the most appropriate metrics to inspect are:

Control Chart:This chart helps visualize process stability and identify any significant deviations from the expected behavior. By tracking key metrics like lead time and cycletime, teams can identify trends and potential issues.

Cumulative Flow Diagram (CFD):The CFD provides a visual representation of the flow of work through the system. It helps teams understand bottlenecks, identify areas for improvement, and assess the overall health of their workflow.

Aging Chart:This chart shows the age of work items as they progress through the workflow. It helps teams identify items that are taking too long to complete and prioritize them accordingly.

These metrics are particularly relevant for Kanban teams because they focus on the flow of work and the identification of bottlenecks. By tracking these metrics, teams can make data-driven decisions to optimize their workflow and improve delivery performance.

Options B, C, and D are not the most appropriate metrics for Kanban teams. Story points and historical velocity are more commonly used in Scrum, while t-shirt size is a relative estimation technique that may not be suitable for all Kanban teams.

During Sprint Planning, the most relevant metric to consider is Throughput (Option B), which measures the number of work items completed in a given time frame (e.g., per Sprint). By reviewing past throughput, the team can make informed decisions about how much work they are likely to complete in the upcoming Sprint, taking into account their capacity and any potential changes in team composition or external factors.

•Service Level Expectation (A) is less relevant as it is more about setting expectations with stakeholders rather than planning the Sprint.

•Work Item Aging (C) is a leading indicator metric used to track how long current work items have been in progress, which is less helpful during planning.

•Work in Progress (D) indicates the current workload but does not provide historical data useful for forecasting in Sprint Planning

Although WIP limits are central to Kanban, enhancing visualization and communication through Kanban boards can be a way to ease into WIP limits gradually. This alternative fosters transparency and alignment without directly imposing WIP constraints, which can be beneficial for teams adjusting to Kanban practices. References: The Kanban Guide for Scrum Teams​​.

An SLE indicates the expected time frame within which work items should be completed, expressed as a percentage probability over a specific range of days. This helps Scrum Teams using Kanban to establish realistic expectations about delivery timelines. References: The Kanban Guide for Scrum Teams​.

A Cycle Time scatterplot is the best chart to determine when a single item that has not been started will be finished. This chart shows the distribution of cycle times for completed work items. By analyzing the historical data, you can estimate the likely cycle time for a new item.

Here's how to use the Cycle Time scatterplot:

Identify the average cycle time:Calculate the average cycle time for similar types of work items.

Consider variability:Look at the range of cycle times to understand the variability in delivery times.

Estimate completion time:Based on the average cycle time and variability, estimate when the new item is likely to be completed.

While the other charts (CFD, Throughput run chart, and WIP Aging chart) provide valuable insights into the overall workflow, they are not as effective for predicting the completion time of a single item.

Throughput, which measures the number of items completed over a specific period, is essential forforecasting future delivery rates. By analyzing historical throughput data, Scrum Teams using Kanban can make informed predictions about how many items they can complete by a given date. References: The Kanban Guide for Scrum Teams​​.