PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (ACP) Practice Exam

What does Cycle Time measure in an Agile project?

1. The duration for planning and designing a project

2. The amount of time needed to complete a feature or user story

3. The entire length of the project lifecycle

4. The time spent on documentation and reports

The correct answer is: The amount of time needed to complete a feature or user story

Cycle Time measures the amount of time needed to complete a feature or user story in an Agile project. This metric is critical because it provides insight into the efficiency of the team in delivering incremental value. By tracking Cycle Time, teams can better understand their workflow, identify bottlenecks, and continuously improve their processes. The focus on feature or user story completion highlights the Agile principle of delivering working software frequently, which emphasizes productivity and responsiveness to changing requirements. A shorter Cycle Time typically indicates that the team is able to deliver features more rapidly, thus enhancing the project's adaptability and value to stakeholders. In contrast to other options, which do not accurately reflect the scope of Cycle Time in the context of Agile practices, this option encapsulates the essence of Agile's emphasis on small, manageable increments of work and promotes a focus on delivering functional outcomes rather than just extended phases of the project lifecycle, planning, or documentation efforts.