Project Management Professional PMP · Free Practice Question Medium
Question 130
Anya is the scrum master for Project Jot, which is in its seventh iteration. During the past three iterations, the number of story points the team has completed has been 27, 29, and now 25. Anya has asked the team to complete 35 story points in this iteration to keep the project moving and regain velocity. Is this possible?
- A No, the average velocity is only 27 points.
- B Yes, the project team has demonstrated it can complete more than 29 story points.
- C No, the most recent iteration was only 29 points.
- D Yes, but assigning a specific number of points is not a good idea.
Reveal correct answer
Correct answer: D
Explanation
Since the team determines the story point value of a task, assigning a target exposes Anya to the team "gaming" their numbers (e.g., inflating smaller tasks). The development team should not aim for artificial velocity or be forced to try to rush more work through their process. Steady and uniform work is ideal. The fact that the team has completed more story points in the past does not guarantee they will do it again in the future. The recent velocity does not necessarily relate to the next iteration. It is possible smaller tasks may have been added, or a team member may have been sick. While the average velocity is 27 points, it is possible for the team to complete more story points. However, this is not a good idea as the team could "game" the value of story points to achieve the metric, but they could still deliver the same amount of work.Discussion
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