T-Shirt Sizes

5 minutes 5 Questions

T-Shirt Sizes is a technique where user stories are estimated relative to one another, in terms of Small (S), Medium (M), Large (L) and so on. It is an easy and quick way to estimate large backlogs, minimizing the time spent on the estimation process. Although this method is less precise, its speed…

Guide for T-Shirt Sizes in Advanced Estimation Techniques

T-Shirt Sizing is an agile estimation technique often employed in project management and software development.

Why it is Important:
This technique is crucial because it allows teams to provide intuitive, relative estimates without getting bogged down in unnecessary detail. It helps teams to make quick decisions and establish priorities.

What it is:
In T-Shirt Sizes estimation, work items (such as software features) are estimated relative to each other using sizes (XS, S, M, L, XL). The sizes portray the complexity and effort associated with a task.

How it Works:
Team members assign a 'T-shirt size' to each item to judge their size relative to each other rather than assigning detailed, specific values. After categorizing, items can be grouped by size to provide a high-level estimate of the work involved.

Exam Tips: Answering Questions on T-Shirt Sizes:
1. Understand the concept: Ensure you are clear on how T-Shirt Sizes estimation technique work. Remember, it is a relative estimation method.
2. Real-world application: Understand how this technique may apply in a real-world setting. Could help in deriving practical solutions in the exam.
3. Judging relative sizes: Be comfortable determining how to judge the relative size of different tasks or items.
4. Logic of estimates: In answering questions, explain your logic on how the estimates are derived.
5. Grouping items: Understand how and why items might be grouped by T-Shirt Size for estimation purposes.

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PSM I - T-Shirt Sizes Example Questions

Test your knowledge of T-Shirt Sizes

Question 1

During Sprint Planning, the team realizes that a story estimated as 'M' is more complex than initially thought due to a newly discovered dependency. What should the team do?

Increase the size to 'L' and allocate more resources to ensure the story is completed within the sprint timeline. Break the story down into smaller, more manageable pieces and re-estimate using T-shirt sizing. Remove the story from the sprint backlog and postpone it to a future sprint without further discussion or re-estimation. Keep the 'M' size and commit to completing the story within the sprint, despite the new complexity.

Correct Answer: Break the story down into smaller, more manageable pieces and re-estimate using T-shirt sizing.

The best approach is to break the story down into smaller, more manageable pieces and re-estimate using T-shirt sizing. This allows the team to better understand the complexity of the story and create more accurate estimates. Keeping the original 'M' size despite the newfound complexity may lead to the team being unable to complete the story within the sprint. Simply increasing the size to 'L' and allocating more resources does not address the root cause of the complexity and may not guarantee completion within the sprint timeline. Removing the story from the sprint backlog without further discussion or re-estimation goes against the principles of collaboration and adaptability in Scrum.

Question 2

Your Scrum team is in a planning meeting and discussing a feature requiring extensive analysis. Would it be better to assign this feature a larger T-Shirt size to reflect its complexity?

T-shirt sizes are irrelevant in estimating feature complexity Yes Assign a smaller T-shirt size to motivate the team No

Correct Answer: Yes

In Scrum, 'T-Shirt' sizing is a commonly used technique to represent the size of the task or feature. Large, Medium, Small and Extra-Large are typical sizes used. In the given scenario, a feature requiring extensive analysis implies a larger work effort and complexity. Hence, assigning it a larger T-shirt size reflects its complexity better. This does not demotivate the team but instead helps in realistic planning and setting right expectations. The answer 'No' is incorrect as it would lead to underestimation of the effort required. The answer 'Assign a smaller T-shirt size to motivate the team' is also incorrect as it can lead to unrealistic expectations and increased pressure on the team. The response 'T-Shirt sizes are irrelevant in estimating feature complexity' is inaccurate as T-Shirt sizing is in fact a simple and common estimation technique used in Scrum.

Question 3

The 'L' sized backlog item completes before the estimated Sprint period. What should the team do in this case?

Take a break until the next Sprint. Pull more work into the Sprint without changing the Scrum rules. Re-assign it as 'M' to maintain consistent flow of work. Increase the complexity of the next tasks in the queue.

Correct Answer: Pull more work into the Sprint without changing the Scrum rules.

The correct answer is 'Pull more work into the Sprint without changing the Scrum rules.' The rationale here is that in Scrum, efficiency is key. If a team completes a backlog item earlier than expected, it's sensible to pull more work into the Sprint to maintain productivity. Incremental work does not disrupt Scrum rules provided it does not impact the team’s ability to meet their Sprint Goal. The answer 'Increase the complexity of the next tasks in the queue' is incorrect because complexity of tasks should not be arbitrarily increased. It should be based on the nature of work and customer needs. The answer 'Take a break until the next Sprint' is not a viable method in Scrum, since it does not utilize the team's capacity effectivelyThe last option 'Re-assign it as 'M' to maintain consistent flow of work' is incorrect because reassignment of task size is not recommended. The size 'L' or 'M' equates not just to the effort required but also the complexity, risk and even uncertainty involved in the items. Arbitrary reassignment can impact work estimation and planning.

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