Agile Project Management User Stories and Estimation 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: In the INVEST mnemonic for good user stories, what does the 'N' stand for?
- Negotiable (Correct answer)
- Necessary
- Numbered
- Nominal
Correct answer: Negotiable
INVEST stands for Independent, Negotiable, Valuable, Estimable, Small, and Testable.
Question 2: A team estimates a story they have never done before and has no comparable past work. Which technique best handles this uncertainty?
- A spike to gather information first (Correct answer)
- Assigning the highest story point value
- Skipping the story entirely
- Estimating in exact hours
Correct answer: A spike to gather information first
A spike is a time-boxed research task used to reduce uncertainty before estimating.
Question 3: What is the primary purpose of relative estimation with story points rather than absolute time?
- It compares sizes without forcing precise time commitments (Correct answer)
- It guarantees deadlines are met
- It removes the need for a backlog
- It lets managers track individual performance
Correct answer: It compares sizes without forcing precise time commitments
Relative estimation focuses on comparative effort and complexity, avoiding false precision of time estimates.
Question 4: During Planning Poker, two team members reveal very different estimates. What should happen next?
- The high and low estimators explain their reasoning, then re-vote (Correct answer)
- Average the two numbers automatically
- The Scrum Master decides the value
- The lower estimate always wins
Correct answer: The high and low estimators explain their reasoning, then re-vote
Discussion of differing views surfaces hidden assumptions before re-estimating.
Question 5: Which item is typically NOT written as a user story?
- A technical infrastructure or non-functional requirement (Correct answer)
- A new customer-facing feature
- An end-user workflow improvement
- A reporting capability for users
Correct answer: A technical infrastructure or non-functional requirement
Purely technical or non-functional work is often captured as enablers or technical tasks rather than user stories.
Question 6: What does a story being 'Estimable' (the E in INVEST) require?
- The team understands it well enough to size it (Correct answer)
- It has a fixed deadline
- It is broken into exactly five tasks
- It is assigned to one developer
Correct answer: The team understands it well enough to size it
Estimable means there is enough clarity for the team to assign a reasonable size.
Question 7: Why are Fibonacci-like sequences (1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13) commonly used for story points?
- Larger items carry more uncertainty, so gaps widen (Correct answer)
- They are easier to add
- They match exact hours of work
- They limit teams to six stories per sprint
Correct answer: Larger items carry more uncertainty, so gaps widen
The widening gaps reflect growing uncertainty as items get bigger.
