Estimation and Velocity

5 minutes 5 Questions

Estimation and velocity is a concept that involves quantifying the amount of work a team can handle in a sprint. Estimation is usually done in story points, which provide a relative measure of effort required to complete features of a product. Velocity, on the other hand, is how much work a team ca…

Guide to Estimation and Velocity in Sprint Planning and Monitoring

Estimation and velocity are integral parts of sprint planning and monitoring in Scrum practices.

Why it is important: Estimation and velocity provide a quantitative way to plan, track, and forecast the work that can be done in a sprint. It helps teams to gauge their capacity, manage their work efficiently, and set realistic commitments.

What it is: 'Estimation' is an educated guess of the amount of effort required to complete a user story or a task. It is usually measured in story points or hours. 'Velocity' refers to the amount of work a team can tackle during a single sprint and is defined as the average number of story points completed in a sprint.

How it works: In sprint planning, the team estimates the effort for each user story and calculates the total effort for the sprint backlog. The team's velocity is then used to predict how much of the backlog they can deliver in the sprint. During the sprint, the team monitors their actual velocity and adjusts their plan if necessary.

Answering Questions on Estimation and Velocity: For an exam, understanding Estimation and Velocity concepts are crucial. You should be able to explain their definitions, purposes, and how they work. Also, be able to calculate Velocity and use it for future sprint planning.

Exam Tips: Familiarize yourself with the formats of how questions on these topics could be asked. Practice numerically based questions to accurately calculate velocity. Understand the real-world application of these concepts, as scenario-based questions are common.

Test mode:

Exam (Timed)

Practice (With explanations)

Start practice test

PSM I - Estimation and Velocity Example Questions

Test your knowledge of Estimation and Velocity

Question 1

The estimation of story points seems very divergent in your Scrum Team, causing an impact on the team's velocity. As a Scrum Master, what would you recommend?

Recommend the use of a more sophisticated story point estimation software that uses historical data to estimate. Advise the Product Owner to assign story points based on their understanding of the backlog items before the sprint planning meeting. Introduce sessions for the team to learn and practice Planning Poker to reach a consensus on estimations. Suggest breaking down all user stories into tasks less than a day big to avoid the need for story point estimation.

Correct Answer: Introduce sessions for the team to learn and practice Planning Poker to reach a consensus on estimations.

The correct answer promotes the idea of the team coming together to estimate story points, using a common agile estimation technique (Planning Poker), which helps in building consensus and understanding among team members. The first wrong answer suggests relying on software, which may not solve the underlying issue of team consensus. The second wrong answer misguides by recommending breaking down user stories into smaller tasks, which doesn't address the estimation process directly and could lead to micromanagement. Lastly, the third wrong answer undermines the team's autonomy by suggesting that the Product Owner alone estimates the story points, which contradicts the principles of Scrum that emphasize team collaboration and collective responsibility in estimation processes.

Question 2

During a Sprint review, it's visible that the Scrum Team's velocity fluctuated during the last four Sprints, impacting predictability. What action should the Scrum Master take?

Implement strict performance targets to ensure velocity is met, regardless of unforeseen challenges. Adjust the Sprint length to accommodate more consistent delivery rates without consulting the team. Initiate metrics review sessions to analyze the trends and root causes of fluctuation with the team. Encourage the Product Owner to adjust the Product Backlog based on perceived team velocity to ensure higher predictability. This involves extensive backlog grooming sessions focusing on breaking down items to align with the fluctuating velocity, effectively making the work items smaller and theoretically easier to complete within the varying velocities.

Correct Answer: Initiate metrics review sessions to analyze the trends and root causes of fluctuation with the team.

The correct approach for a Scrum Master addressing a fluctuation in team velocity is to engage the team in analyzing and understanding the root causes. This fosters a culture of transparency and continuous improvement. Adjusting Sprint lengths or setting strict targets can lead to reduced team morale and may not address the underlying issues. Changing the backlog based on perceived velocity might lead to scope creep or reduced product value and does not address the fluctuation issue effectively.

Question 3

Your Scrum Team finished 10 Story Points worth tasks in the previous Sprint. The Product Owner wants to add an item valued at 20 Story Points to the next Sprint. How should the team handle this situation?

Accept the item without discussion since the Product Owner has final say Postpone the item to a future Sprint without consulting the Product Owner Ignore the previous Sprint's velocity and take on the 20-point item Inform the Product Owner of the team's velocity and renegotiate the Sprint Backlog

Correct Answer: Inform the Product Owner of the team's velocity and renegotiate the Sprint Backlog

The correct response among these options is 'Inform the Product Owner of the team's velocity and renegotiate the Sprint Backlog'. This is because in Scrum, it is vital to uphold the team's velocity, which in this case is 10 Story Points per Sprint. If a Product Owner requests to include an item with 20 Story Points in the upcoming Sprint, it surpasses the team's established velocity. Thus, the best course of action is to have an open discussion with the Product Owner regarding the team's actual capacity and attempt to readjust the Sprint Backlog. As for the other responses, 'Accept the item without discussion since the Product Owner has final say' is incorrect because, while the Product Owner is a key stakeholder, Scrum encourages team participation and negotiation rather than unilateral decision-making. 'Postpone the item to a future Sprint without consulting the Product Owner' is wrong because it contradicts the principle of transparency and collaboration in Scrum, which necessitates constructive discourse before making such decisions. Lastly, 'Ignore the previous Sprint's velocity and take on the 20-point item' is not advisable as it disregards the team's established capacity and risks overwhelming the team, potentially leading to poor quality work or unfinished tasks.

🎓 Unlock Premium Access

Professional Scrum Master I + ALL Certifications

🎓 Access to ALL Certifications: Study for any certification on our platform with one subscription
2149 Superior-grade Professional Scrum Master I practice questions
Unlimited practice tests across all certifications
Detailed explanations for every question
PSM I: 5 full exams plus all other certification exams
100% Satisfaction Guaranteed: Full refund if unsatisfied
Risk-Free: 7-day free trial with all premium features!

Start Your Free 7-Day Trial