The previous blog on Agile and Scrum interview questions has been highly appreciated by our readers. Based on popular requests, we’ve decided to split the content into two parts: Agile and Scrum interview questions. This blog focuses on the top 25 Agile interview questions and answers, specifically designed for professionals aiming to land roles in Agile teams. Whether you’re applying as a developer, business analyst, scrum master, or project manager, Agile is a fast-growing field that offers a great career path.

In this post, we’ll cover the most commonly asked Agile interview questions, including role-specific questions and other insights into Agile best practices. The answers here are designed to help you confidently prepare for your Agile interview and secure your next opportunity.

Agile vs Waterfall: What’s the Difference?

When it comes to project management methodologies, Agile and Waterfall are two of the most widely recognized approaches, each with distinct advantages and limitations. Understanding the key differences between these methodologies is crucial for organizations deciding which framework best suits their project requirements. Here are the primary distinctions between the two:

Agile Methodology

Agile follows an iterative, flexible approach that emphasizes continuous development and customer collaboration. In Agile, the various phases of a project—requirements gathering, design, development, testing, and deployment—are conducted concurrently and repeatedly throughout each sprint (typically 1-4 weeks long). Agile teams work in short cycles known as sprints, delivering small, functional increments of the product. This allows for frequent adjustments based on customer feedback and changing market conditions.

• Adaptability: One of the defining features of Agile is its flexibility. Because the process is divided into short sprints, teams can quickly adapt to changes or new insights as they arise.
• Continuous Feedback: Agile emphasizes frequent customer feedback, ensuring that the product evolves in line with the customer’s needs and expectations.
• Speed and Efficiency: Since feedback is integrated continuously, Agile can help deliver a working product early and often, reducing the risk of long development cycles and minimizing the need for significant rework.
• Collaboration: Agile encourages close collaboration among cross-functional teams and stakeholders, ensuring that each sprint delivers tangible value.

Waterfall Methodology

Waterfall, on the other hand, is a traditional, linear, and sequential project management approach. In this model, each phase of the project (requirements, design, development, testing, and deployment) must be completed in a strict order before the next phase begins. There is little room for iteration or changes once a phase has been completed.

• Structured and Predictable: Waterfall’s linear structure makes it easier to plan and allocate resources up front, as the entire project’s scope is defined at the outset.
• Slow to Adapt: The Waterfall method typically doesn’t accommodate changes well. Any modifications during the development process usually require revisiting earlier phases, resulting in delays.
• Late Feedback: Feedback from the client or end users typically happens at the end of the project, after the testing phase or even after deployment. This can result in costly changes if the product does not meet the client’s expectations.
• Detailed Documentation: Waterfall relies heavily on detailed documentation from the start of the project, which helps teams understand the requirements, but can also become cumbersome and slow down the development process.

Key Differences

1. Approach: Agile is iterative and flexible, encouraging constant changes and ongoing feedback. Waterfall is sequential and rigid, following a fixed path.
2. Flexibility: Agile allows for easier adaptation and changes during the project, making it better suited for environments where the project requirements may evolve. Waterfall is more rigid, with little room for modifications once the project is underway.
3. Delivery: Agile focuses on delivering small, functional pieces of the product frequently, while Waterfall aims to deliver a complete product at the end of the project timeline.
4. Customer Involvement: Agile fosters regular customer collaboration and feedback, whereas Waterfall limits customer involvement until later stages of the project.
5. Risk Management: Agile minimizes risk by allowing continuous evaluation and adjustments. In contrast, Waterfall’s risk is generally assessed and managed at the project’s beginning, with little room for mid-project adjustments.

When to Choose Agile vs Waterfall

• Agile is ideal for projects where requirements are expected to evolve, such as software development, startups, and industries where customer feedback is crucial for success. It allows flexibility to pivot as the project progresses and encourages a focus on delivering value early and often.
• Waterfall is often preferred for projects where requirements are well-defined from the start and unlikely to change, such as construction, manufacturing, or projects with strict regulatory compliance needs. It provides a clear, linear framework for managing large, complex projects with fixed deadlines and budgets.

In conclusion, both Agile and Waterfall have their strengths and weaknesses, and choosing between them depends largely on the specific nature of the project. If flexibility, speed, and continuous feedback are essential, Agile is likely the better choice. For projects that require a rigid structure with clearly defined requirements, Waterfall might be more suitable. Understanding these differences ensures that organizations can select the methodology that best aligns with their project goals and delivery requirements.

2. Agile vs Scrum: How Are They Different?

While both Agile and Scrum are integral to modern project management, they are distinct concepts that serve different purposes within the development process. To understand their relationship and differences, let’s break them down:

Agile Methodology

Agile is a broad set of principles, values, and practices that guide how teams should approach project development and delivery. It emphasizes flexibility, collaboration, customer feedback, and iterative progress. Agile is not tied to a specific framework or set of tools but rather offers a philosophy for how work should be organized, managed, and delivered. The core principles of Agile include:

• Customer collaboration over contract negotiation.
• Responding to change over following a plan.
• Individuals and interactions over processes and tools.
• Working software over comprehensive documentation.

Agile encourages a flexible, adaptive approach to project management, which is ideal for industries and projects where requirements are expected to evolve over time. It focuses on incremental delivery with frequent feedback loops, ensuring that the final product is more aligned with customer needs and expectations.

Scrum Framework

Scrum, on the other hand, is a specific framework that operates within the Agile methodology. It provides a set of structured processes, roles, and ceremonies to help teams implement Agile principles effectively. Scrum offers a more prescriptive approach than Agile by outlining defined practices and roles to ensure that the project progresses smoothly through its development cycle.

Key components of Scrum include:

• Roles:
  • Product Owner: The individual responsible for defining and prioritizing the product features or requirements.
  • Scrum Master: The facilitator who helps remove obstacles, ensures adherence to Scrum practices, and supports the team in following the framework.
  • Development Team: A cross-functional group that works together to deliver the product increments.
• Ceremonies:
  • Sprint Planning: The meeting where the team plans the work to be done in the upcoming sprint.
  • Daily Standup (Daily Scrum): A brief meeting to discuss progress, obstacles, and goals for the day.
  • Sprint Review: A meeting where the team demonstrates the work completed during the sprint and gets feedback.
  • Sprint Retrospective: A meeting where the team reflects on the sprint and discusses improvements for the next cycle.
• Artifacts:
  • Product Backlog: A prioritized list of features or tasks to be completed, managed by the Product Owner.
  • Sprint Backlog: A subset of tasks from the Product Backlog that the team commits to completing during the sprint.
  • Increment: The sum of all completed work during the sprint, ready for release.

Key Differences Between Agile and Scrum

1. Scope:
   • Agile is a broader philosophy or mindset that promotes iterative development, flexibility, and responsiveness to change.
   • Scrum is a concrete framework within Agile that provides specific roles, events, and artifacts to help teams implement Agile practices in a structured manner.
2. Implementation:
   • Agile is a set of principles that can be adapted to different frameworks, methodologies, or practices.
   • Scrum is a prescriptive, defined way of implementing Agile practices, with a clear structure and set of rules.
3. Flexibility vs. Structure:
   • Agile is more flexible and adaptable to different project environments and needs.
   • Scrum offers more structure, providing a clear methodology for organizing and running the development process.
4. Methodology vs. Framework:
   • Agile is a methodology that outlines general values and principles for project development.
   • Scrum is a framework that prescribes specific roles, processes, and tools for implementing those values in practice.
5. Focus:
   • Agile emphasizes values and principles that guide behavior and decision-making during the project.
   • Scrum focuses on the process and structure needed to implement Agile practices in a team setting.

While Agile provides the foundational principles for iterative and flexible project management, Scrum is one of the most popular frameworks used to put those principles into practice. Scrum is not a replacement for Agile, but rather a structured way to execute Agile principles in a specific, repeatable process. Understanding this difference allows teams to select the appropriate method or framework based on their project needs and desired outcomes. Agile provides the philosophy, while Scrum offers the blueprint for execution, making it a highly effective tool for managing complex projects.

3. Iteration vs Sprint: What’s the Difference?

While both Iteration and Sprint refer to time-boxed periods in the development process, they have specific meanings and usages depending on the Agile framework being employed. The key difference lies in their scope and terminology within various Agile methodologies. Let’s explore the distinctions:

Iteration

An Iteration is a term commonly used across multiple Agile methodologies such as Kanban, Extreme Programming (XP), and Feature-Driven Development (FDD). It refers to a development cycle or period during which a team works on a specific set of tasks or features, with the goal of delivering a small, usable portion of the product. Iterations in Agile are often flexible in terms of duration, which could range from one week to several weeks, depending on the methodology, team preferences, and project requirements.

Key Characteristics of Iteration:

• Duration: While an iteration usually spans 1-4 weeks, the length can vary, and the iteration duration is often based on team preferences or specific project needs.
• Scope: Iterations may or may not involve predefined roles or ceremonies. It’s a broader term that emphasizes delivering small chunks of work and allows for flexibility in meeting customer demands.
• Feedback Loops: Iterations include reviewing progress and gathering feedback to adjust or reprioritize tasks for the next cycle. This helps in adapting quickly to changes and improving the product incrementally.
• Agile Flexibility: The focus is on delivering working features regularly, but without the strict prescriptive ceremonies or roles that frameworks like Scrum enforce.

Sprint

A Sprint is a specific term within the Scrum framework, which is a more structured implementation of Agile principles. A Sprint is essentially a time-boxed iteration—but with more formal rules around its execution. A Sprint always follows a set duration, typically ranging from 1 to 4 weeks (often 2 weeks), and its goal is to deliver a potentially shippable product increment. The term “Sprint” in Scrum represents not just the work period, but also the complete process that involves planning, executing, reviewing, and reflecting.

Key Characteristics of Sprint:

• Duration: Sprints have a fixed, non-negotiable duration that the team commits to. The goal is to complete the work within this time-box, ensuring that it’s consistent and predictable.
• Structured Process: Sprints follow strict Scrum practices, including specific roles (Scrum Master, Product Owner, Development Team), ceremonies (Sprint Planning, Daily Scrum, Sprint Review, Sprint Retrospective), and defined outputs
• Commitment: At the beginning of each Sprint, the Sprint Backlog (a set of prioritized tasks) is selected, and the team commits to completing it by the end of the Sprint. Any unfinished work is carried over into the next Sprint.
• Consistency: Sprints create regular cadence and help the team maintain a steady pace. Every Sprint concludes with a Sprint Review to assess the increment and gather feedback for future work.

Key Differences Between Iteration and Sprint

1. Terminology:
   • Iteration is a more general term used across various Agile frameworks, including XP, Kanban, and others.
   • Sprint is specific to Scrum and represents a defined cycle in Scrum’s prescriptive process.
2. Structure:
   • Iteration typically follows flexible processes and can vary in terms of ceremonies, roles, or activities depending on the Agile framework.
   • Sprint, within the Scrum framework, is a structured cycle with predefined ceremonies, roles, and artifacts to guide the development process.
3. Duration:
   • Iterations can vary in length depending on the project and team’s needs. They might be longer or shorter than typical Scrum Sprints.
   • Sprints are always time-boxed to a set duration (usually 1-4 weeks) to ensure regular, predictable delivery cycles.
4. Purpose:
   • Iteration is focused on delivering small, usable features incrementally, but without the same rigid framework that governs Scrum.
   • Sprint is focused on producing a potentially shippable increment of the product, with a commitment to deliver a usable product at the end of the Sprint.
5. Flexibility:
   • Iteration allows for more flexibility, with teams free to adjust their processes, depending on the Agile methodology used (e.g., Kanban or XP).
   • Sprint follows a more rigid structure with clearly defined phases: Sprint Planning, Daily Scrums, Sprint Review, and Sprint Retrospective.

When to Use Iteration vs Sprint

• Iteration is ideal for Agile frameworks that prioritize flexibility and adaptability, like Kanban or XP. Teams using iterations have more freedom in determining the length and specific practices around the development cycle.
• Sprints are best suited for teams following the Scrum framework where consistency, predictability, and regular feedback loops are essential to the team’s process.

In essence, while Iterations and Sprints share the concept of time-boxed development cycles, they differ significantly in their structure and usage within different Agile frameworks. An Iteration is a general term used across Agile methodologies, whereas a Sprint is a specific, more formalized concept within Scrum. Both play a vital role in delivering incremental value, but the level of structure and discipline that comes with Sprints makes them ideal for teams that follow the Scrum methodology.

4. Key Roles in a Scrum Team and Their Responsibilities

In the Scrum framework, the team is designed to be cross-functional, self-organizing, and collaborative. The Scrum team is made up of three primary roles, each with distinct responsibilities to ensure that the development process runs smoothly and efficiently. Below is an overview of these key roles and their specific responsibilities:

1. Product Owner (PO)

The Product Owner is a critical role in the Scrum team, representing the voice of the customer and ensuring that the team is always working on the most valuable tasks. The Product Owner’s primary focus is on defining and managing the product’s features and requirements, ensuring that the work aligns with customer needs and business goals.

Responsibilities of the Product Owner:

• Defining Features: The Product Owner is responsible for defining the product vision and ensuring that the product backlog is clear, comprehensive, and prioritized according to business needs and customer value.
• Maintaining the Product Backlog: They own the Product Backlog, which is a dynamic, living document that outlines all the features, fixes, and improvements required for the product.
• Prioritizing Tasks: The Product Owner works closely with stakeholders to determine which features or tasks need to be worked on first, based on factors like business value, customer needs, and market conditions. The goal is to maximize value delivery with each iteration.
• Clarifying Requirements: During the Sprint, the Product Owner is available to clarify requirements, answer questions, and make decisions to keep the team moving forward.
• Reviewing Deliverables: The Product Owner reviews the work completed at the end of each Sprint and ensures that the product meets the agreed-upon criteria for acceptance.

2. Scrum Master (SM)

The Scrum Master is the facilitator and coach for the Scrum team. Their primary responsibility is to ensure that the Scrum process is followed correctly, remove any impediments that may hinder the team’s progress, and foster an environment of continuous improvement. The Scrum Master does not directly manage the team but rather supports them by ensuring they adhere to Scrum principles and practices.

Responsibilities of the Scrum Master:

• Facilitating Scrum Ceremonies: The Scrum Master facilitates key Scrum events such as the Sprint Planning, Daily Standups, Sprint Review, and Sprint Retrospective. They ensure that these meetings are productive and serve their intended purpose.
• Removing Impediments: The Scrum Master works to identify and remove any roadblocks or challenges that could slow down the team’s progress. This might include addressing issues related to communication, resource allocation, or organizational barriers.
• Ensuring Adherence to Scrum Principles: The Scrum Master helps the team stay focused on Scrum values, including transparency, inspection, and adaptation. They ensure that the team follows Scrum processes and works towards continuous improvement.
• Coaching the Team: The Scrum Master coaches the Development Team, Product Owner, and even the broader organization on Scrum practices, helping them develop a deeper understanding of Agile principles.
• Shielding the Team from Distractions: One of the Scrum Master’s key roles is to protect the Development Team from external distractions and pressures, allowing them to stay focused on delivering the product increment within the Sprint.

3. Development Team

The Development Team is the group of professionals responsible for building and delivering the product increment. This team is self-organizing and cross-functional, meaning that it includes individuals with all the necessary skills to complete the tasks and deliver working software by the end of each Sprint.

Responsibilities of the Development Team:

• Executing Tasks: The Development Team is responsible for executing the work defined in the Sprint Backlog. They take the items from the backlog, collaborate on how to implement them, and work together to complete the tasks within the Sprint.
• Delivering the Product Increment: The Development Team is accountable for delivering a working product increment at the end of each Sprint. This increment must meet the Definition of Done (DoD), ensuring that it is of high quality and ready for potential release.
• Managing the Sprint Backlog: The team collectively owns and manages the Sprint Backlog, breaking down Product Backlog items into manageable tasks and estimating the effort required to complete them.
• Self-Organization: One of the key aspects of the Development Team is that they are self-organizing. They determine how best to accomplish the work and are empowered to make decisions about the best approach to achieving their goals.
• Collaboration and Communication: The team collaborates closely with the Product Owner and Scrum Master to ensure that everyone is aligned on priorities, requirements, and the progress of work. They are also responsible for communicating progress through the Daily Scrum and providing feedback during Sprint Reviews.

The Scrum Team is made up of three key roles: the Product Owner, the Scrum Master, and the Development Team. Each role is integral to the success of the Scrum framework, and their responsibilities are designed to ensure effective collaboration, continuous delivery of value, and a commitment to improvement. The Product Owner focuses on maximizing the product’s value, the Scrum Master facilitates and supports the team, and the Development Team is responsible for delivering high-quality increments. By working together and aligning their efforts, the Scrum Team drives the overall success of the project.

5. What is a Story Point in Scrum?

A Story Point is a unit of measurement used in Scrum to estimate the effort, complexity, and time required to complete a user story or task. Instead of estimating in hours or days, teams use Story Points to quantify the relative difficulty or complexity of work items. This approach helps the team focus on the overall effort required rather than getting bogged down by precise time predictions, which can often be inaccurate.

Key Aspects of Story Points:

1. Relative Measurement: Story Points are relative, meaning that instead of assigning a fixed number of hours to a task, a team compares the difficulty of tasks against one another. For example, if one user story is assigned 3 Story Points and another is considered twice as hard, it might be assigned 6 Story Points.
2. Team-Specific Estimates: Story Points are unique to each Scrum team, as different teams may have different velocities (how much work they complete in a Sprint) or work styles. Therefore, a Story Point for one team might differ in meaning from the same number for another team. The key is consistency within the team itself, allowing them to gauge effort relative to past experiences.
3. Avoiding Time Estimates: The use of Story Points shifts the focus from hours or days to the complexity of the work. This approach helps avoid the challenges of overly optimistic or pessimistic time-based predictions, which are common in software development and can often lead to frustration or missed deadlines.
4. Factors Considered in Estimation: When assigning Story Points, teams consider factors like:
   • Complexity: How difficult is the task? Does it require specialized knowledge or expertise?
   • Volume of Work: How much work is involved in completing the user story?
   • Uncertainty: Are there unknowns or risks associated with the task that could make it harder or take longer than expected?
5. Estimation with Planning Poker: One of the most common techniques for assigning Story Points is Planning Poker. During a Sprint Planning meeting, team members use a deck of cards with values representing Story Points (typically using a Fibonacci sequence like 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, etc.). Each member selects a card to indicate their estimate of the task’s complexity. After discussion, the team reaches a consensus on the final Story Point value for the user story.
6. Velocity Tracking: Story Points also enable teams to track their velocity, which is the total number of Story Points completed in a Sprint. This helps the team understand how much work they can realistically take on in future Sprints and provides insight into their performance over time.

Benefits of Using Story Points:

• Improved Predictability: By tracking velocity, teams can estimate how much work they can complete in upcoming Sprints, leading to more predictable delivery timelines.
• Better Focus on Outcomes: Story Points encourage teams to focus on delivering high-value features and solving problems, rather than obsessing over time-based estimates.
• Enhanced Collaboration: Estimating in Story Points fosters collaboration and discussions within the team, helping to align everyone’s understanding of the scope and complexity of work.
• Reduced Stress and Pressure: Unlike time-based estimates, Story Points help mitigate the pressure of hitting exact deadlines. This approach promotes a focus on quality and iterative progress.

Story Points are a valuable tool in Scrum for estimating the effort and complexity of tasks without getting caught up in the unpredictability of time-based estimates. By focusing on the relative difficulty of work, teams can better manage expectations, improve collaboration, and enhance the overall accuracy of their Sprint planning. Although Story Points are subjective and unique to each team, they provide significant benefits in terms of planning, efficiency, and performance tracking.

6. What is a Burndown Chart in Scrum?

A Burndown Chart is a visual representation of the remaining work in a Sprint or project, plotted against the time available. It provides an at-a-glance view of the team’s progress and is one of the most widely used tools in Scrum to track how much work has been completed and how much is left.

Key Features of a Burndown Chart:

1. X-Axis (Time): The horizontal axis of a Burndown Chart represents time, usually broken down into the days of the Sprint or project. For example, if the Sprint is two weeks long, the X-axis will display each day within that Sprint.
2. Y-Axis (Remaining Work): The vertical axis represents the amount of work remaining, typically measured in Story Points or hours. It shows the total work that still needs to be completed in order to achieve the Sprint goal.
3. Ideal Line: The ideal burndown line starts at the total amount of work at the beginning of the Sprint and descends in a straight line to zero at the end of the Sprint. This line represents the ideal pace at which the team should be completing tasks in order to finish on time.
4. Actual Progress Line: The actual burndown line represents the actual progress of the team over time. It shows how much work has been completed each day and allows the team to visualize whether they are ahead of or behind the ideal pace.

How to Interpret a Burndown Chart:

• Ideal Progress: If the actual burndown line closely follows the ideal line, it means that the team is on track to finish all work by the end of the Sprint.
• Behind Schedule: If the actual burndown line is above the ideal line, it indicates that the team is falling behind and has more work left than expected for the time remaining. This could signal potential delays or obstacles that need to be addressed.
• Ahead of Schedule: If the actual burndown line is below the ideal line, it suggests that the team is completing work faster than planned and may be ahead of schedule. However, this could also imply that the team has underestimated the effort required for remaining tasks.

Benefits of Using a Burndown Chart:

1. Visual Progress Tracking: The Burndown Chart provides a real-time, visual summary of the team’s progress, helping team members and stakeholders quickly assess the status of the Sprint.
2. Early Detection of Issues: By monitoring the burndown chart daily, teams can identify potential bottlenecks or obstacles early. If the team is consistently behind the ideal line, it signals the need for intervention to address challenges or adjust the scope.
3. Increased Transparency: The chart fosters greater transparency within the team and with stakeholders, providing everyone with a clear view of how the Sprint is progressing and whether the team is likely to meet the Sprint goal.
4. Helps with Adjustments: If the team is falling behind schedule, the Burndown Chart encourages discussions on how to resolve issues. This could involve adjusting priorities, reallocating resources, or identifying ways to optimize the remaining work.
5. Encourages Focus: By continuously updating the Burndown Chart, the team is motivated to stay focused on their Sprint goals and consistently work toward reducing the remaining work.

Common Pitfalls with Burndown Charts:

1. Inaccurate Estimations: If the team’s initial estimates for tasks or user stories are inaccurate, the Burndown Chart may misrepresent the true progress. For example, tasks may take longer than expected, leading to a burndown chart that shows the team falling behind even if the scope was under-estimated.
2. Changes During the Sprint: If new tasks or stories are added to the Sprint mid-way, it can throw off the Burndown Chart, making it appear that the team is falling behind, even though the change was outside the original plan. It’s important to update the chart accordingly to reflect scope changes.
3. Team Not Updating the Chart: The Burndown Chart is only useful if it is updated regularly. If the team fails to track progress properly or update the chart at the end of each day, it may not reflect the true state of the Sprint.

The Burndown Chart is a valuable Scrum tool that helps teams track progress, identify potential delays, and make necessary adjustments during the course of a Sprint. By visually representing how much work is left to complete and how much time remains, the chart provides both the Scrum team and stakeholders with insight into whether the team is on track to meet its Sprint goals. The Burndown Chart fosters transparency, helps detect issues early, and promotes better decision-making throughout the Sprint.

7. What is Scrum of Scrums?
   Answer:
   The Scrum of Scrums is a meeting held to coordinate multiple Scrum teams working on a larger project. It involves representatives from each team discussing progress, dependencies, and obstacles.
8. How Do You Apply Agile Methodology?
   Answer:
   Agile is typically implemented using frameworks like Scrum, where user stories are prioritized, and work is done in short sprints. The process includes daily standups, sprint planning, and frequent reviews. Agile ensures flexibility, continuous feedback, and iterative development.
9. What Does the Acronym INVEST Stand For?
   Answer:
   The INVEST acronym helps guide the writing of user stories:

• I: Independent – Stories should be self-contained.
• N: Negotiable – User stories should be open to discussion and refinement.
• V: Valuable – Stories must deliver business value.
• E: Estimable – User stories should be estimable in terms of effort.
• S: Small – Stories should be small enough for completion within a Sprint.
• T: Testable – Stories must be clear enough for testing.

10. What Are the Benefits and Drawbacks of Agile?
    Answer:
    Pros:

• Faster delivery and adaptability to changes.
• Less documentation compared to Waterfall.
• Continuous customer feedback.

Cons:

• Estimating costs and timelines can be challenging.
• Uncertainty regarding scope might lead to additional iterations and costs.

11. What Are the 12 Principles of Agile Development?
    Answer:
    The twelve principles include customer satisfaction, welcoming change, delivering working software frequently, and maintaining a consistent pace, among others.
12. What Values Guide Agile Manifesto?
    Answer:
    The four key values of the Agile Manifesto are:

1. Individuals and interactions over processes and tools.
2. Working software over comprehensive documentation.
3. Customer collaboration over contract negotiation.
4. Responding to change over following a plan.

13. How Do You Coordinate Multiple Scrum Teams?
    Answer:
    To coordinate multiple teams, frameworks like SAFe (Scaled Agile Framework), LeSS (Large-Scale Scrum), and Scrum of Scrums can be used, depending on team size and project complexity.
14. How Can You Tell if Agile is Working in Your Team?
    Answer:
    Indications that Agile is working well include:

• Improved velocity and consistent progress.
• Reduced technical debt and fewer bugs.
• Active stakeholder participation in reviews and demos.
• Frequent software releases.

15. Explain the Key Artifacts in Scrum
    Answer:
    Scrum artifacts include:

• Product Backlog: A prioritized list of all product requirements.
• Sprint Backlog: A list of tasks to be completed in the current Sprint.
• Burndown Chart: Tracks progress by showing remaining work.
• Velocity Chart: Measures team’s work rate over multiple iterations.

16. What is Definition of Done (DoD)?
    Answer:
    The Definition of Done (DoD) ensures that a user story or feature meets certain criteria, such as being fully developed, tested, and approved before it is considered complete.
17. How Would You Justify Agile Manifesto’s Focus on Individuals and Interactions?
    Answer:
    While Agile emphasizes values such as communication over tools, it doesn’t disregard processes. It encourages flexibility and collaboration, ensuring the team’s focus remains on people and effective interactions to achieve better results.
18. How Would You Ensure a Team Works on the Most Valuable User Stories?
    Answer:
    Involving team members early in the backlog refinement process ensures alignment on priorities. The Scrum team collaborates with the Product Owner to ensure the most valuable and impactful stories are tackled first.
19. How Would You Handle a Team Member Who Disregards the Daily Standup?
    Answer:
    Address the issue through one-on-one discussions to emphasize the importance of daily standups. Reinforce the role of Scrum meetings in maintaining communication and project progress.
20. What Are the Key Attributes for Estimating Agile Projects?
    Answer:
    Key attributes include:

• Backlog: The list of tasks to be completed.
• Cost: Iteration-based cost estimation.
• Velocity: The team’s work rate over a set period.

21. How Do Story Points Differ from Hours in Estimation?
    Answer:
    Story points represent the relative effort required to complete a user story, while hours provide a specific estimate of actual working time. Story points are more abstract and focus on complexity, while hours are a concrete estimation of time.
22. Why Use Story Points for Estimation?
    Answer:
    Story points encourage performance-based planning and collaboration. They also remove the pressure of fixed man-hours, leading to a more flexible and focused team environment.
23. What Are Some Popular Agile Estimation Techniques?
    Answer:
    Common techniques include:

• Story points
• Planning poker
• Delphi method
• Relative sizing

24. What Project Management Tools Are Used in Agile Projects?
    Answer:
    Popular tools include:

• Rally Software
• VersionOne
• XPlanner

25. What is Iteration Zero in Agile?
    Answer:
    Iteration Zero is a preparation phase where the team sets up the necessary environments, makes initial architectural decisions, and begins the product backlog. It differs from Waterfall, where planning is done in a linear fashion before development begins.

Conclusion

Whether you’re new to Agile or looking to sharpen your interview preparation, understanding these key questions will help you navigate interviews confidently. Agile certification can also add significant value to your professional profile, showcasing your expertise and enhancing your credibility in the field.