Guide to Answering Questions on Team Velocity

What is Team Velocity?
Team Velocity is a useful scrum metric that calculates the total effort a team can handle during a single sprint. It's measured by summing up the estimates of the items (user stories, requirements etc.) successfully delivered in a sprint.

Why is Team Velocity Important?
Team Velocity helps in forecasting how much work the team can handle in future sprints. It provides insight into the team's capability which can be useful in planning and decision-making processes. Regular tracking of velocity aids in identifying improvements over time.

How it Works?
Team velocity is calculated at the end of the sprint by summing up the points of all completed items. These points are determined by the team in their planning meeting through methods like story point estimation or t-shirt sizes. Then it is tracked over time to predict future performance.

Exam Tips: Answering Questions on Team Velocity
1. Understand the Calculation: You must understand the fundamental way that team velocity is calculated. It's the sum of the estimates of the successfully delivered items during a sprint.
2. Importance in Scrum: Remember, velocity is not a measure of the team's productivity but the amount of work the team can handle in one sprint. It's instrumental in planning future sprints.
3. Regular Monitoring: Keep in mind that velocity should be tracked over time. Exam questions may ask about the benefits of monitoring changes in velocity.
4. Velocity is Team-specific: Velocity may vary significantly between teams so it shouldn't be used to compare performance.
5. A Predictor not a Commitment: Understand that velocity is a tool for predictability and not a commitment tool. A team should not be forced to adhere to a specific velocity.
6. Applicability: Velocity only applies to the teams using estimation techniques to size their work and doesn't apply to every team.
7. Fallacy: It's a common fallacy to consider an increase in velocity as a measure of increased productivity. Exam questions may revolve around this concept.