Acceptance Criteria

5 minutes 5 Questions

Acceptance criteria specify the conditions that must be met for a user story to be considered complete and ready for deployment. They are detailed, testable conditions that are agreed upon by the development team and stakeholders, and form the basis for acceptance testing. Having clear acceptance criteria helps to establish a shared understanding between the team and stakeholders about what is expected, as well as providing guidance for the team when designing and implementing the solution. Acceptance criteria should be flexible, allowing the team to determine the best technical approach, while still ensuring that the desired outcome is achieved.

Guide to Acceptance Criteria in Agile Project Management

What is Acceptance Criteria?
Acceptance Criteria is a set of predefined conditions or requirements that must be met in order for a user story or project task to be considered as completed. It is often defined by the product owner or the stakeholder and is shared to the development team for understanding the expected outcome.

Why is it Important?
Acceptance Criteria is a crucial component in Agile Project Management because it provides a clear understanding of what needs to be achieved at the completion of a user story. It helps in avoiding miscommunication, minimizes the unexpected workload, and ensures the satisfaction of the end-user.

How does it Work?
Acceptance Criteria is written in a clear and concise format that describes what a software system should do without specifying how to do it. The development team uses this criteria as a benchmark to verify the functionality or feature implemented is as per the agreed-upon norms.

Exam Tips: Answering Questions on Acceptance Criteria
To answer questions about Acceptance Criteria in an exam, keep the following tips in mind:
1. For questions asking to write an acceptance criteria, be detailed and clear, addressing what the system should do when the conditions are met.
2. Use real-world examples where possible to explain the acceptance criteria.
3. When given a scenario, understand the context, identify the user’s needs in that scenario, and base your acceptance criteria upon it.
4. If asked to critique an acceptance criteria, look for completeness, clarity, and accuracy.

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Question 1

A project manager receives a user story without clear acceptance criteria. What should the project manager do?

Skip the user story and move to the next one Proceed with the development using the current user story Remove the user story from the current sprint Create the acceptance criteria based on past projects Discuss with the product owner to define the acceptance criteria Ask the development team to define the acceptance criteria

Correct Answer: Discuss with the product owner to define the acceptance criteria

The product owner is responsible for providing clear acceptance criteria. The project manager should discuss with the product owner to define the acceptance criteria.

Question 2

During a sprint review, the development team presents a completed feature. The stakeholders provide feedback and request changes. What should the project manager do?

Cancel the current sprint and restart with the new changes Overrule stakeholder feedback and keep the feature as is Ask the development team to update the feature immediately Reject the request as the feature is already completed Update the acceptance criteria and expect the changes in the current sprint Add a new user story with the requested changes and prioritize it in the product backlog

Correct Answer: Add a new user story with the requested changes and prioritize it in the product backlog

The project manager should create a new user story with the requested changes and prioritize it in the product backlog. This will help to maintain the sprint goals and review new changes systematically.

Question 3

The development team is unsure about a user story's acceptance criteria during a sprint planning session. How should the project manager proceed?

Clarify the user story's acceptance criteria with the product owner Ask the product owner to clarify in the next sprint planning session Remove the user story from the backlog Let the development team decide the acceptance criteria Ignore the user story and move to the next one Estimate the user story based on similar user stories

Correct Answer: Clarify the user story's acceptance criteria with the product owner

The project manager should consult with the product owner to clarify the user story's acceptance criteria. This ensures that the development team understands the desired outcome and can estimate the user story accurately.

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