Sprint Burndown Chart

Correct Answer: The team's work estimation needs improvement due to inaccurate story point assignments

When a Sprint Burndown Chart shows oscillation above and below the ideal line, it primarily indicates inaccurate estimations in story points. Here's why: The correct answer reflects that the team is struggling with estimation accuracy, which is evidenced by the zigzag pattern in the burndown chart. This pattern shows that actual work completed varies significantly from predicted work, indicating the team needs to improve their story point estimation skills. Other options are less accurate because: Requirement changes would typically show an upward trend in the burndown, not oscillation. Code reviews and QA checks would typically cause a steady lag behind the ideal line, not oscillation. External dependencies would usually create periodic plateaus or sudden drops, not consistent oscillation. The oscillating pattern specifically points to estimation issues, as it shows the team is alternating between overestimating and underestimating their work capacity and story point assignments.

Correct Answer: Tasks are being completed hastily with poor quality, leading to rework

A 'V' pattern in a Sprint Burndown Chart reflects a concerning scenario where work appears to be completed rapidly (steep downward trend), but then additional work is suddenly added back (sharp upward trend). This pattern typically indicates that the initial work was rushed through, resulting in quality issues that required significant rework. This rework appears as new work added back to the sprint, creating the upward trend. The other answers are incorrect because: Exceptional velocity would show as a steady downward trend, not a V-pattern. Effective technical debt management would display as a consistent, gradual decline. Optimal resource allocation would result in a steady, predictable burndown, not sudden changes in direction. This pattern is a red flag that warrants investigation into quality practices and potentially indicates technical debt accumulation due to rushed work.

Correct Answer: The team might be underestimating their capacity during sprint planning

The pattern of consistently completing more work than planned suggests a fundamental issue in the team's estimation process. When a team regularly exceeds their sprint commitments, the most likely root cause is underestimation of their actual capacity during sprint planning. This situation indicates the team needs to improve their estimation accuracy by: - Reviewing their velocity data - Adjusting story point estimations based on historical performance - Refining their planning poker process - Better understanding their true capacity The other options are less likely explanations: - Advanced automation tools would be a known factor and accounted for in planning - Working overtime is not sustainable and would be visible as team burnout - Product Owner reducing complexity during sprints would violate sprint planning agreements and Scrum principles The focus should be on improving the accuracy of initial sprint planning estimations rather than accepting these systematic underestimations.