Back to XP (eXtreme Programming)

Small Releases

5 minutes 5 Questions

Essential to XP, the small releases concept is all about offering new iterations of the product regularly. The goal is to have functional, yet minor updates ready to deploy every couple of weeks. This grants clients and teams the opportunity to gain feedback on the project's progress and direction. Having smaller updates minimizes the risk of issues and allows for course correction quicker than waiting for one large release.

Guide: Small Releases and PMI-ACP Exam

Small Releases
This is a key practice in Agile methodologies such as Extreme Programming (XP). Small releases allow for frequent interaction with customers and users to obtain their feedback and rapidly reflecting it in the development process.

Importance:
Small Releases allow for continuous integration, rapid feedback and quick adaptation, enhancing the product's overall quality and making it more compliant to user requirements.

Working:
The team works on small subsets of the functionalities of the product which are developed, integrated and released sequentially. Frequent releases mean that the end-users will be able to get the working software faster and they can provide their feedback quickly.

Exam Tips:
While answering questions on small releases, it's important to focus on the benefits such as early and continuous feedback, better risk management, and increased customer satisfaction. You might see a question framed around the challenges of small releases or the strategies to implement it effectively.
Remember, Small releases operates on the philosophy that 'small batches are better than big ones' and it reduces the risk and increases control over the project outcomes.

Don't get confused between small releases and frequent delivery. The former is about releasing minimal functionalities while the latter is about delivery cycle's frequency.

Always put the emphasis on customer feedback and adapting to it in subsequent releases.

Test mode:
Start practice test
PMI-ACP - XP (eXtreme Programming) Example Questions

Test your knowledge of Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3)

Question 1

During a project demo, stakeholders suggested some changes to the software, but the project team has a tight schedule for the next release. How should the project team best address the requested changes?

Correct Answer: Add the suggested changes to the product backlog and consider them for prioritization in the next iteration

The correct approach is to add the suggested changes to the product backlog and prioritize them for the next iteration. This allows the project to take stakeholder feedback into account, while still focusing on delivering value in small releases.

Question 2

Your project team completed a release and some improvements were suggested while gathering user feedback. What's the best approach for handling these improvements when using Agile and small releases?

Correct Answer: Include the improvements in the product backlog, prioritize, and implement them in the next iterations

When using Agile and small releases, the correct approach is to include improvements in the product backlog, prioritize them based on value and complexity, and implement them in the next iterations. This ensures continuous improvement and timely delivery of valuable software.

Question 3

Your project team is working on a new software release. The team wants to deliver a significant number of features but realized that they will not be able to deliver them all in one go. According to the small releases principle, what should be their best approach?

Correct Answer: The team should prioritize the features based on their business value and user impact and plan to deliver them in multiple small releases.

The small releases principle encourages delivering features in smaller, manageable increments, which allows for quicker feedback, better software quality and reduced risk. This principle is based on delivering the features that have higher business value and user impact first. This way, even if the team cannot deliver all features at once, the most crucial ones are already in the users' hands, providing value. The answer suggesting the delivery of all features at once disregards this approach and can lead to overstretched timelines and compromised software quality. The response suggesting overtime work also does not conform with the principle's spirit, as it encourages sustainable work rather than crunch periods. The approach of delivering only minor features first may delay delivering significant value to the users, hence is also not preferred.

Go Premium

PMI Agile Certified Practitioner Preparation Package (2024)

  • 3432 Superior-grade PMI Agile Certified Practitioner practice questions.
  • Accelerated Mastery: Deep dive into critical topics to fast-track your mastery.
  • Unlock Effortless PMI-ACP preparation: 5 full exams.
  • 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed: Full refund with no questions if unsatisfied.
  • Bonus: If you upgrade now you get upgraded access to all courses
  • Risk-Free Decision: Start with a 7-day free trial - get premium features at no cost!
More Small Releases questions
10 questions (total)
Start 10 question test