Time Boxing

5 minutes 5 Questions

Time Boxing is a concept used in Scrum to define a specific time period during which tasks need to be completed. Each Scrum event is timeboxed. The duration is fixed in advance and cannot be lengthened or shortened. Time boxes instill an understanding of the importance of respecting time and create…

Guide and Exam Tips: Understanding Time Boxing in Advanced Scrum Concepts

What is Time Boxing?
In the context of Agile and Scrum, time boxing is a strategy where a fixed amount of time, or a 'time box', is allotted to each activity. The aim is to define clear start and end points to prevent tasks from expanding beyond the estimated time.

Why is Time Boxing important?
Time boxing is important as it promotes efficiency, focus, and clarity. It helps in reducing waste by limiting the time spent on a task based on its priority. This cuts off unnecessary perfectionism and indecisiveness, which can lead to delays.

How it works?
Time boxing works by assigning a fixed 'time box' to each task or activity upfront. Each time box should be realistic, allowing enough time for the task to be reasonably completed. Once the time box ends, the activity stops, regardless of whether it's finished or not. Ideally, the task should then be reviewed and either reprioritised or reassigned a new time box in the next sprint.

Exam Tips: Answering Questions on Time Boxing
For exams, make sure you understand the concept of time boxing thoroughly. Focus on its purpose in improving productivity and minimizing waste. When asked about its importance, highlight its role in preventing scope creep and maintaining a steady project pace. Also, familiarize yourself with how time boxes are set up and run in scrum sessions. For application-based questions, practice time boxing scenarios to understand how it can be implemented effectively.

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CSM - Time Boxing Example Questions

Test your knowledge of Time Boxing

Question 1

After a longer than planned discovery session, the Product Owner finds that the required time to complete the product has increased significantly. What should they do?

Cut functionality and features to maintain the time-box Cancel the project due to time constraints Ignore the time-box and extend the project timeline indefinitely Reevaluate and prioritize the product backlog to better fit within the time-box Reduce the product quality to complete it within the original time-box Request more resources to maintain the time-box

Correct Answer: Reevaluate and prioritize the product backlog to better fit within the time-box

The best approach is to reevaluate and prioritize the product backlog so that it aligns with the time-box, ensuring that the team can focus on delivering the most important features within the available time.

Question 2

During a sprint, the development team has noticed that the Scrum Master is taking a longer time when turning over tasks. These tasks often seem to be the more difficult ones. What should the Development team do in this situation?

Document the delays in a shared team space, highlighting the specific challenges faced with complex tasks, and encourage the team to propose improvements or solutions before the retrospective Implement a pair programming approach to accelerate task completion Raise the issue in the next retrospective and work together to find a solution Consult with the Product Owner to adjust the Sprint Backlog according to task complexity

Correct Answer: Raise the issue in the next retrospective and work together to find a solution

The Scrum framework encourages transparency, inspection, and adaptation. When a problem arises, such as the Scrum Master taking longer to turn over tasks, the most appropriate forum for addressing this issue is the Sprint Retrospective. This is a scheduled opportunity for the team to discuss what went well in the Sprint, what could be improved, and to plan improvements for the next Sprint. The wrong answers, while incorporating elements of Scrum or agile methodologies, do not directly address the concern in the context of the team dynamics and the Scrum Master's role in facilitating rather than executing tasks.

Question 3

As a Scrum Master, you notice the Daily Scrum is turning into a problem-solving session and exceeding its 15-minute time-box. However, the team finds these discussions invaluable. What could you do to address this?

Recommend that the Scrum Master summarizes the discussion points and emails them out to the team, suggesting that any further discussion takes place outside of the Daily Scrum in an asynchronous manner. This email should outline the problems discussed, highlight action items, and propose times for focused problem-solving sessions. Encourage the team to stick to the time-box of the Daily Scrum for updates, and schedule a separate meeting specifically focused on problem-solving where necessary. Introduce a rotating facilitator role among the team members for the Daily Scrum to ensure everyone adheres strictly to discussing only their updates. Suggest that the team uses a digital board to post and vote on problems to be discussed, allocating the last 5 minutes of the Daily Scrum to address the top-voted issue.

Correct Answer: Encourage the team to stick to the time-box of the Daily Scrum for updates, and schedule a separate meeting specifically focused on problem-solving where necessary.

The Daily Scrum is intended to be a 15-minute time-box where the Development Team synchronizes their work and plans for the next 24 hours. While problem-solving is important, it should not extend the Daily Scrum. The correct answer supports the Scrum Guide by keeping the Daily Scrum within its time-box and suggests an actionable way to still address the team's need for problem-solving. The other options either do not effectively address the issue of the Daily Scrum extending beyond the time-box or suggest practices that could dilute the focus and effectiveness of the Daily Scrum.

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