SA Sample Questions & Answers
Developing a Lean-Agile mindset ties with delivering value in a customer-centric way for the heaviest weight, next to thriving amid constant change, cross-functional teams with built-in quality, linking strategy to portfolio investment, and leading change.
Launch the full SA simulator →Showing 10 of 20 free samples.
- Question 1Intermediate
Lean Portfolio Management · Epic hypothesis statements
A new Epic has been proposed to the Lean Portfolio Management (LPM) team to overhaul the customer support portal. To make an informed go/no-go decision based on SAFe principles, the Epic Owner needs to create a document that justifies the investment. What is this artifact called, and what is its key characteristic?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: B
In SAFe, Epics are justified through a Lean Business Case. Unlike traditional, lengthy business cases, the Lean Business Case is lightweight. Its primary purpose is to articulate the Epic's hypothesis, define a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) to test that hypothesis, and outline the potential business outcomes. This allows for incremental investment and learning, aligning with Lean-Agile principles.
- Question 2Beginner
Lean-Agile Leaders · SAFe Lean-Agile Principles
According to SAFe Principle #9: Decentralize decision-making, which of the following decisions is the BEST candidate for decentralization?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: B
SAFe Principle #9 advises centralizing decisions that are infrequent, long-lasting, and have significant economies of scale. Decisions that are frequent, time-critical, and require local information should be decentralized. How a team splits a feature into stories is a frequent, time-critical decision that requires the local context of the team. Strategic direction, internationalization strategy, and value stream funding are all long-lasting, infrequent decisions that should be centralized.
- Question 3Beginner
Leading the Change · SAFe Implementation Roadmap
The first step in the SAFe Implementation Roadmap is 'Reaching the Tipping Point'. What is the primary outcome of this step?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: C
Reaching the Tipping Point is the crucial first step where the organization recognizes and accepts that the need for change is undeniable. This is typically driven by a burning platform or a clear vision for the future that cannot be achieved with the current way of working. The outcome is a powerful sense of urgency that provides the momentum for the subsequent steps of the transformation, such as training leaders and change agents.
- Question 4Beginner
Digital Age and Business Agility · Core competencies of Business Agility
Which SAFe Core Competency of Business Agility is most focused on applying Design Thinking to create desirable, viable, feasible, and sustainable products?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: C
The Agile Product Delivery competency is centered on the customer and the products that meet their needs. It heavily emphasizes the use of Customer Centricity and Design Thinking to explore problems and design solutions that are not only desirable by customers but also viable for the business, technically feasible, and sustainable over time.
- Question 5Intermediate
Agile Product Delivery · Continuous Delivery Pipelines with DevOps
An ART is conducting its first Inspect and Adapt (I&A) workshop. The problem-solving part of the workshop involves a root cause analysis. Which tool is commonly used in SAFe for this purpose?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: D
During the problem-solving workshop within the Inspect & Adapt event, teams perform a root cause analysis to identify the underlying causes of the most significant problem from the PI. The Fishbone Diagram, also known as an Ishikawa diagram, is a common and recommended tool for this. It helps teams brainstorm and categorize potential causes under categories like People, Process, Tools, and Program to find the true root cause.
- Question 6Advanced
Lean-Agile Leaders · SAFe Core Values
Case Study:
Global Transport Inc. (GTI) is a logistics company that has been using traditional waterfall methods for decades. They are facing intense competition from new, digitally native startups and are losing market share due to slow delivery of new features for their shipping and tracking platform. To combat this, GTI's leadership has decided to adopt SAFe. They have identified a key value stream around their 'Customer Shipment Experience' and are planning to launch their first Agile Release Train (ART).
The leadership team has been trained, and they have identified and trained a Release Train Engineer (RTE) and a Product Manager. However, there is significant resistance from middle management, who are accustomed to command-and-control style leadership and detailed project plans. They are skeptical about self-organizing teams and decentralized decision-making. The development teams are siloed by technology (UI, Backend, Database) and have never worked in cross-functional teams before.
As part of the SAFe implementation, the leadership wants to ensure that the transformation is guided by a clear, shared vision and a set of consistent behaviors. They understand that simply changing processes is not enough; a cultural shift is required. They are looking for foundational elements of SAFe that can guide their behavior and decision-making throughout the transformation.
Which foundational aspect of SAFe should the leadership at GTI focus on internalizing and promoting to address the cultural resistance and guide the organization's new way of working?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: B
The SAFe Core Values (Alignment, Transparency, Respect for People, Relentless Improvement) are the foundational beliefs that guide the behaviors and actions of everyone in a SAFe enterprise. For GTI, focusing on these values directly addresses their cultural challenges. 'Alignment' helps break down silos. 'Transparency' builds trust and counters skepticism. 'Respect for People' is key to empowering teams. 'Relentless Improvement' fosters a learning culture. While competencies, principles, and the roadmap are all crucial, the Core Values are the cultural bedrock for the transformation.
- Question 7IntermediateSelect 3
Team and Technical Agility · Organizing around value with ARTs
A System Architect is explaining the importance of Enabler stories to a new Agile team. Which three of the following are valid types of Enabler work? (Select THREE)
Show answer & explanation
Correct answers: A, B, D
Enablers build the Architectural Runway and support future business functionality. The four types are: Exploration (research, prototyping), Architecture (building the runway), Infrastructure (creating development/testing/deployment environments), and Compliance (managing specific regulatory requirements). User-facing functionality and bug fixes are typically handled as regular User Stories.
Enablers build the Architectural Runway and support future business functionality. The four types are: Exploration (research, prototyping), Architecture (building the runway), Infrastructure (creating development/testing/deployment environments), and Compliance (managing specific regulatory requirements). User-facing functionality and bug fixes are typically handled as regular User Stories.
Enablers build the Architectural Runway and support future business functionality. The four types are: Exploration (research, prototyping), Architecture (building the runway), Infrastructure (creating development/testing/deployment environments), and Compliance (managing specific regulatory requirements). User-facing functionality and bug fixes are typically handled as regular User Stories.
- Question 8Advanced
Lean-Agile Leaders · SAFe Lean-Agile Principles
The SAFe principle of 'Apply cadence, synchronize with cross-domain planning' helps manage the inherent variability of development. What is the primary purpose of synchronization in this context?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: C
While cadence provides a predictable rhythm, synchronization provides the opportunity to integrate and evaluate the full solution at regular intervals. These synchronization points (like PI Planning and System Demos) pull together the work from different teams and domains to get an objective measure of progress and make decisions based on the integrated system, not just individual components. It's about understanding the whole, not just the parts.
- Question 9Intermediate
Agile Product Delivery · ART Backlog and WSJF
A Product Manager is preparing for PI Planning and needs to prioritize the ART Backlog. They have four features with the following estimated values for Cost of Delay (CoD) and Job Size. Which feature should be prioritized first using WSJF?
- Feature A: CoD=10, Job Size=2
- Feature B: CoD=15, Job Size=5
- Feature C: CoD=8, Job Size=1
- Feature D: CoD=20, Job Size=10
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: C
Weighted Shortest Job First (WSJF) is calculated by dividing the Cost of Delay (CoD) by the Job Size. The feature with the highest WSJF value should be done first.
- Feature A: WSJF = 10 / 2 = 5
- Feature B: WSJF = 15 / 5 = 3
- Feature C: WSJF = 8 / 1 = 8
- Feature D: WSJF = 20 / 10 = 2
Feature C has the highest WSJF value (8) and should be prioritized first.
- Question 10Intermediate
Agile Product Delivery · Design Thinking
What is the primary output of the Design Thinking process in the context of the Agile Product Delivery competency?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: C
Design Thinking is an exploratory process. Its primary output is a deeper understanding of the customer and their problems, which translates into a set of validated Features. These Features represent potential solutions that are desirable, viable, and feasible, and they become the primary input for the ART Backlog, ready for PI Planning. PI Objectives are an output of PI Planning, and User Stories are created by the teams during PI Planning from the Features.
Ready for the real thing?
The full SA simulator has every exam-style question, timed mode, and instant scoring.