Pass the Scrum Professional Scrum with Kanban PSK-I Questions and answers with ValidTests

A probabilistic forecast is intended to communicate a prediction based on historical data, showing the likelihood of completing a certain amount of work within a given time frame. It helps the team and stakeholders understand the probability of meeting certain goals or deadlines based on past performance, supporting more informed decision-making

The Service Level Expectation (SLE) provides the most benefit during the Daily Scrum. This is because the Daily Scrum is focused on inspecting the progress towards the Sprint Goal and adapting the plan to optimize the flow of work for the day. The SLE helps the Scrum Team understand if work items are on track to be completed within the expected time frames. If the actual cycle times are exceeding the SLE, the team can discuss and make adjustments during the Daily Scrum to address any impediments or to rebalance work, thereby maintaining a steady flow.

By using the SLE in the Daily Scrum, the team gets a daily, empirical measure of their workflow, allowing them to make quick decisions to keep work moving smoothly and predictably. This aligns well with the goal of the Daily Scrum, which is to ensure that the team is on track to achieve the Sprint Goal by the end of the Sprint(

An SLE of 85% for 5 days signifies that the team anticipates they will complete items within 5 days, 85% of the time. This helps set clear expectations with stakeholders, ensuring transparency around potential delivery timelines. The SLE is based on historical data and provides a probability-based forecast, rather than a commitment. References: The Kanban Guide for Scrum Teams​.

Kanban is:

•A strategy for optimizing the flow of value through a process (Option B): Kanban focuses on improving flow and efficiency by using a visual pull system with limited WIP. This strategy helps teams balance demand against throughput and enhance productivity by limiting the number of work items in progress.

Options A (methodology for visualizing workflow) and C (set of practices additive to Scrum) are partially correct but do not fully capture Kanban's purpose. Kanban is not just a visualization tool (A), and while it can be additive to Scrum (C), it is fundamentally a flow-based strategy

When a Scrum Team uses Kanban, they can visualize:

•The Product Backlog: By making the Product Backlog visible, the team can track what work items are upcoming and prioritize them effectively.

•The Sprint Backlog: Visualizing the Sprint Backlog helps the team see the work planned for the current Sprint, track progress, and manage flow.

•The Definition of Done: Making the Definition of Done visible ensures that all team members and stakeholders understand the criteria that must be met for work to be considered complete

You always need a Scrum Master when applying Kanban practices in the Scrum framework. The role of the Scrum Master remains crucial, even when Kanban practices are incorporated, as they are responsible for ensuring that the Scrum framework is followed, including all the new practices introduced by Kanban. The Scrum Master helps facilitate the team's understanding and use of flow-based metrics and practices while maintaining the integrity of Scrum events, roles, and artifacts

Although WIP limits are central to Kanban, enhancing visualization and communication through Kanban boards can be a way to ease into WIP limits gradually. This alternative fosters transparency and alignment without directly imposing WIP constraints, which can be beneficial for teams adjusting to Kanban practices. References: The Kanban Guide for Scrum Teams​​.

When Developers reserve capacity for unplanned work during a Sprint, the Sprint Goal becomes even more crucial. It serves as the guiding objective that aligns the team's focus amidst uncertainties or when unplanned work is introduced. By having a clear Sprint Goal, the Developers can ensure that any new items brought into the Sprint Backlog still align with the overarching objective of the Sprint, helping them maintain focus and coherence in their efforts throughout the Sprint

Kanban emphasizes explicit policies for better transparency and alignment, and elements such as the Definition of Done, Definition of Ready, and Product Backlog refinement can be utilized as explicit policies to clarify the Scrum Team’s working agreements. These policies help the team make consistent decisions and streamline their processes. References: The Kanban Guide for Scrum Teams and The Scrum Guide​​.

Cycle Time measures the time taken to complete individual work items, and while some items might take longer than a Sprint, on average, teams aim to have Cycle Times shorter than the Sprint duration to ensure a smooth flow and regular delivery of value. References: The Kanban Guide for Scrum Teams​​.