Velocity

Correct Answer: Use the median of completed story points from the first three sprints

Using the median of completed story points from the first three sprints is the most effective approach for new teams with variable velocity for several reasons: Strengths of this approach: - The median is more resistant to outliers than the mean - Three sprints provide enough data to see patterns while staying recent - It accounts for the team's actual performance during their forming stage - Provides a realistic baseline for future planning Why other approaches are less effective: - Using averages with confidence factors can be too arbitrary and may not reflect team reality - Dividing by team members assumes equal productivity and fails to account for team synergy - Using mode with percentage additions introduces unnecessary complexity and may not represent true capacity The median approach provides the most stable and realistic velocity metric during the team's early stages, while avoiding the impact of extreme variations that are common with new teams.

Correct Answer: Conduct a collaborative discussion to reach a consensus

Collaborative discussion is the best method for resolving discrepancies in story point estimation. The team should discuss the factors contributing to each estimate, and come to a shared understanding and consensus on the user story complexity. Using arbitrary decisions or unilaterally choosing one estimate can lead to inaccuracies in the team's velocity.

Correct Answer: Average of the completed story points from the last 3-5 sprints

The most reliable method to calculate velocity is using the average of completed story points from the last 3-5 sprints. This approach provides: 1. Historical data that reflects actual team performance 2. Recent enough timeframe to be relevant 3. Sufficient sample size to account for variations 4. Focus on actual completed work rather than predictions Other options are problematic because: - Including anticipated points from technical improvements adds speculation to velocity calculations - Using all historical sprints could include outdated data not reflecting current team capability - Adding arbitrary buffers (like 20%) distorts real performance metrics - Using only the last sprint's median is too narrow and doesn't account for sprint-to-sprint variations - Multiplying by team capacity percentage adds unnecessary complexity