Agile Methodology is one of the most popular methodologies used by many organizations in this world. Agile is not just a set of principles; it is a dynamic methodology that allows teams to provide value, adopt flexibility, and respond quickly to changing requirements. This concept has become the basis of many successful businesses, supporting collaboration and innovation in a world that requires quick and effective solutions.
In this article on ‘Agile Software Development Interview Questions,’ we will look at key features of Agile methodology and ask questions that will help you land the job you want in this exciting and in-demand industry.
Agile Software Development Interview Questions
1. What is an Agile Methodology?
Answer: Agile methodologies are iterative and incremental, which means it’s known for breaking a project into smaller parts and adjusting to changing requirements.
- They prioritize flexibility, collaboration, and customer satisfaction.
- Major companies like Facebook, Google, and Amazon use Agile because of its adaptability and customer-focused approach.
Agile Methodology
2. Explain the difference between the traditional Waterfall model and the Agile model.
Answer: Here are some key differences between Traditional Waterfall and Agile Model
|
Aspect |
Agile |
Waterfall |
|---|---|---|
|
Life Cycle |
It is a continuous iteration life cycle model to develop and test a software product. |
It is a linear sequential model to develop and test a software product. |
|
Process |
In this The entire process of development is divided into sprints |
The software development process is broken down into different phases. |
|
Flexibility |
Agile development model is flexible to make changes at any point of time (or at any stage of development process) . |
In Waterfall model to make changes after one phase is difficult and costly. |
|
client involvement |
Continuous client Interaction and feedback |
There is very little client involvement and very little feedback is taken. |
|
Delivery Time |
Its delivery time is very short and functional software is available very quickly. |
Its delivery time is very long, the entire project must be completed before delivery. |
3. What are different types of Agile Methodology?
Answer: Most Common Type of Agile Methodology are:
- Kanban.
- Scrum.
- Feature-driven development (FDD)
- Behavior-driven development (BDD)
- Lean development.
- Adaptive software development (ASD)
- Crystal.
- Extreme programming (XP)
4. What are the major Agile components?
Answer: There are 5 major Agile Components:
- User Story
- Sprints
- Daily Stand-Up meetings
- Kanban Board
- Product Backlog
5. What are Agile frameworks?
Answer: Agile framework is like a special roadmap that helps teams and organizations do their work in a smart and effective way. It’s a set of rules and tools for planning, managing, and getting things done. There are two main types of Agile frameworks: one made for teams, like a small group working together, and the other designed to guide big organizations with lots of teams.
Agile Framework
6. What is Agile Process?
Answer: The Agile process is an iterative and incremental approach, which means it’s known for breaking a project into smaller parts and adjusting to changing requirements. to software development that emphasizes collaboration, flexibility, and continuous improvement.
7. What are some important parts of the Agile process?
Answer: Important Part of Agile Processes are:
- User Story
- Iterative Development
- Cross-Functional Teams
- Continuous Integration and Delivery
- Daily Stand-up Meetings
- Retrospectives
- Product Backlog
- Burndown Chart
- Agile Tools
8. What are advantages and disadvantages of Agile Process
Answer: Below have discuss some advantage and disadvantage of Agile Process
Advantage of Agile Process:
- Agile Process allows flexibility and adaptability.
- It gives Customer Satisfaction by taking regular feedback from user.
- Agile Process Promotes faster delivery by delivering smaller, functional pieces of the project in short iterations.
- It improve quality by continuous testing and integration.
- It Promotes Transparent Progress.
Disadvantage of Agile Process
- The flexibility of Agile can lead to uncertainty in project timelines and scope, making it challenging to create precise plans.
- Continuous customer involvement is crucial, and if customers are not available or engaged, it can slow down the development process.
- Agile places more importance on working software over comprehensive documentation, which may lead to a lack of detailed project documentation.
- The Agile process requires a high level of collaboration and communication, which can be resource-intensive.
- The iterative and adaptive nature of Agile can make it difficult to predict the final outcome.
9. Explain Iterative and Incremental Development in Agile methodology.
Answer: Let’s explain each development one by one
Iterative Development Model
Iterative development involves repeating cycles or iterations of the development process. Instead of completing the entire project in one go, the work is divided into smaller parts, and each part goes through the full development cycle. The development cycle, which includes planning, designing, coding, testing, and reviewing, is repeated for each iteration. Feedback from each iteration is used to refine and improve subsequent iterations.
Incremental Development Model
Incremental development is like building something in small steps. You take the work and break it into pieces, called increments. Each piece adds something new to what you already have, like building blocks stacking up. It’s like putting together fully working parts one by one, and each part contributes to the overall creation. The development team adds new features or functionality in a sequential manner, with each increment building upon the previous ones.
10. Explain Agile Testing?
Answer: Agile Testing is a type of software testing that follows the principles of agile software development to test the software application. All members of the project team along with the special experts and testers are involved in agile testing. Agile testing is not a separate phase and it is carried out with all the development phases i.e. requirements, design and coding, and test case generation. Agile testing takes place simultaneously throughout the Development Life Cycle.
11. What are the principles of Agile Testing?
Answer: Here are Some Principals of Agile Testing:
- Continuous Testing: Test early and often throughout the development process.
- Continuous Feedback: Promote continuous communication and feedback between developers, testers, and stakeholders.
- Collaborative Approach: Promote Collaboration between developers, testers, and other team members throughout the project lifecycle.
- Quick Feedback: In Agile, the business team actively participates in each iteration. Ongoing feedback is emphasized, reducing the time to receive feedback on development work.
- High-level Software Quality: Teams prioritize testing to ensure clean and tight code. Regular testing helps identify and address issues and vulnerabilities promptly within the same iteration.
- Less Documentation: Agile teams use a reusable checklist, focusing on current customer needs rather than extensive documentation. The approach centers around agility and responsiveness rather than comprehensive, documented requirements.
- Test-driven Approach: Testers evaluate the product during implementation, aligning with the test-driven development approach. This proactive testing method helps identify and address issues early in the development process.
- Customer Satisfaction: he Agile approach aims to deliver value and meet or exceed customer expectations. Collaboration, ongoing feedback, and a focus on customer needs contribute to higher customer satisfaction.
12. What good qualities an Agile Tester should have?
Answer: An Agile Tester plays a important role in the Agile development process, requiring a unique set of skills and qualities to contribute effectively to the team. Here are some good qualities an Agile Tester should possess:
- Adaptability: Agile environments are dynamic, with changing requirements. A good Agile Tester should be flexible and able to adapt quickly to evolving project needs.
- Collaboration: Agile gives importance to teamwork and collaboration. An Agile Tester should work closely with developers, product owners, and other team members to ensure a shared understanding of requirements and deliverables.
- Communication Skills: Clear and effective communication is important. An Agile Tester should be able to articulate testing concepts, report issues, and provide feedback in a way that is easily understood by both technical and non-technical team members.
- Critical Thinking: Agile Testers need to think critically to identify potential issues, assess risks, and propose effective testing strategies.
- Problem-Solving Skills: The ability to analyze problems, troubleshoot issues, and propose solutions is crucial for Agile Testers. They play a key role in ensuring the software functions correctly and meets quality standards.
- Automation Skills: Automation is a key aspect of Agile testing. Test automation skills, including proficiency in testing tools, scripting languages, and frameworks, are valuable for enhancing testing efficiency and effectiveness.
13. What do you mean by Refactoring?
Answer: Refactoring in Agile is the process of changing a software system in such a way that it does not alter the function of the code yet improves its internal structure. This allows the program to scale, and reduces further maintenance costs.
14. What is the difference between sprint backlog and product backlog?
Answer: Here is the difference between Sprint Backlog and Product Backlog
| Characteristic | Sprint Backlog | Product Backlog |
|---|---|---|
|
Definition |
The Sprint Backlog is a subset of the Product Backlog selected for a specific sprint. It includes the work that the development team commits to completing during that particular sprint. |
A product backlog is a prioritized wish list for your product. It includes new features, bug fixes, and improvements, all ranked by importance. It’s dynamic, collaborative, and keeps everyone focused on the most valuable work. |
|
Ownership |
Development Team |
Product Owner |
| Scope | Limited to a single sprint | Encompasses the entire project |
| Timeframe | Specific to the duration of a sprint | Ongoing throughout the project |
| Detail Level | More detailed, tasks and user stories | High-level, may lack detailed specifications |
| Prioritization | Decided by the Development Team | Decided by the Product Owner |
| Purpose | Guides the work for a specific sprint | Provides a comprehensive project overview |
| Responsibility Changes | Changes during each sprint planning | Evolves regularly based on feedback and needs |
15. What is Spike and Zero Sprint in Agile?
Answer: Let’s Explain Spike and Zero Sprint one by one
Zero Sprint
The term “Zero Sprint” is sometimes used to refer to an initial sprint or iteration that occurs before the official project kick-off. It is a short period where the team sets up the development environment, establishes workflows, and addresses any preliminary tasks necessary for the project’s smooth start.
Spike
A Spike in Agile is a time-limited research and development activity used to investigate and acquire knowledge on a specific aspect of the project. It is frequently used when there is confusion or a desire to understand a technology, sustainability, or potential solution before committing to its adoption.
16. What do you mean by the term “velocity” in Agile?
Answer: In Agile, velocity is a metric that measures the amount of work a team can complete in a single sprint. It’s like a team’s “work speed” measured in units like user stories or story points, not hours or days.
17. What are some popular Agile tools?
Answer: Some Popular Agile Tools are:
- JIRA
- SLACK
- Maven
- Jenkins
- Docker
- Kubernetes
18. What is the right moment to use the agile model?
Answer: There’s no single “right moment” for agile, but it might be a good fit if your project has some of these characteristics:
- Uncertain requirements
- Fast feedback cycles
- Small, collaborative teams
- High complexity or risk
19. What do you mean by Daily Stand-Up meeting?
Answer: A Daily Stand-Up meeting in Agile is like a quick huddle where the team gathers to give a brief update on what they’re working on. It’s a short and focused meeting where team members stand up to keep it fast-paced. Each person talks about three things: what they did yesterday, what they’re doing today, and if they have any blockers or challenges. The goal is to keep everyone on the same page, address issues quickly, and make sure the team is moving forward together.
20. What are the obstacles to the Agile process?
Answer: Some of the Common Challenges that could be faced are:
- Insufficient or inappropriate tools and technologies can impede the effective implementation of Agile practices.
- When customers are not actively involved, it can lead to misunderstandings, delayed feedback, and challenges in delivering a product that aligns with their expectations.
- A team with insufficient skills may struggle to deliver quality work, potentially causing project delays and dissatisfaction among stakeholders.
- Challenges in Designing Systems for Unseen Requirements
- Introducing Agile methodologies may encounter resistance, cultural clashes, or a lack of understanding within existing organizational structures and practices.
21. Differentiate between Agile and Scrum.
Answer: Here is difference between Agile and Scrum
Agile Methodology is a development method in which requirements and solutions evolve in cross-functional teams through collaborative effort. Its approach aligns project and product development with the customer’s requirements and overall company goals. It is a methodology based on iterative development.
Scrum is one of the most popular agile methodologies. Scrum is a lightweight, iterative, and incremental framework. Scrum breaks down the development phases into stages or cycles called “sprints”. The development time for each sprint is maximized and dedicated thereby managing only one sprint at a time. The Scrum team has a scrum master and product owner with constant communication daily.
22. When should you use Waterfall over Scrum?
Answer: Waterfall is a suitable approach for companies when they engage in projects with the following characteristics:
- Waterfall is effective for projects where user stories and feature requirements are well-defined.
- Waterfall is beneficial when dealing with larger development teams, surpassing 10 members.
- Waterfall is ideal when there is a pre-existing DevOps stack and the team comprises developers with significant experience in using it.
- Waterfall is preferable when projects involve minimal changes post the initiation of development.
- Waterfall is well-suited when management aims to closely monitor and manage the activities of the development team.
23. How long does the scrum cycle last?
Answer: Scrum cycle generally takes two to four weeks in duration and each sprint starts the moment the previous one is completed.
24. What is the scrum of scrums?
Answer: Scrum of scrums is a method to scale Scrum to huge groups. In shorts, it includes coordinating the work of various scrum teams working together, by creating a larger scrum crew whose members will be regular, smaller teams.
25. Define epic, User Stories, and Tasks?
Answer: Let’s Define each one by one
Epic: Epics is a hierarchy of work, composed of smaller to-dos and user stories, that your team completes over multiple sprints. Within the Agile paradigm, epics are crucial because they give teams a useful, shared vocabulary and method to utilize when organizing their work.
User Stories: User stories give the team important context and associate tasks with the value those tasks bring. During a sprint or iteration planning meeting, the team decides what stories they’ll tackle during that sprint.
Tasks: A task is a single unit of work broken down from a user story. A task is usually completed by just one person.
26. What is Test-Driven Development?
Answer: Test Driven Development is the process in which test cases are written before the code that validates those cases. It depends on repetition of a very short development cycle. Test driven Development is a technique in which automated Unit test are used to drive the design and free decoupling of dependencies.
27. What is Agile Manifesto? What are its values and principles?
Answer: Agile Manifesto provides a foundation for developing software in a way that responds effectively to changing requirements and delivers value to customers. It aims to shift the focus from rigid processes and extensive documentation to individuals and interactions, working software, and customer collaboration.
4 Values of Manifesto for Agile Software Development
- Individuals and Interactions over Processes and Tools: Focuses on the importance of effective communication and collaboration among team members.
- Working Software over Comprehensive Documentation: Prioritizes the delivery of functional software as the primary measure of progress.
- Customer Collaboration over Contract Negotiation: Encourages customers and stakeholders to have active involvement throughout the development process.
- Responding to Change over Following a Plan: On changing requirements, embracing flexibility and ability to adapt even late in the development process.
Principles of Manifesto for Agile Software Development
This Agile Manifesto is supported by 12 principles that help to implement the values.
Principals of Agile Manifesto
28. What are Burn-up and Burn-down charts in Agile?
Answer: Both Burn-up and Burn-down charts are commonly used in Agile projects to visualize progress and track remaining work, but they focus on different things:
Burn-Up Charts in Agile
- Tracks remaining work, shows progress to completion (like bricks left to build a house).
- Useful for deadlines and spotting problems early.
Burn-Down Charts in Agile
- Tracks completed work and total scope, shows overall progress (like built walls of a house).
- Useful for seeing trends and understanding scope changes.
In Contrast:
- Burn-down for remaining work & deadlines.
- Burn-up for overall progress & scope.
29. What are different types of Burn-Down charts?
Answer: Here are Some Common Type of Burn-Down Charts:
- Sprint Burn-Down
- Release Burn-Down
- Epic Burn-Down
- Cumulative Flow Diagram (CFD)
30. Name three main Agile Frameworks other than Scrum for Product Development.
Answer: Three main Agile Frameworks other than Scrum for Product Development are:
- Kanban
- Extreme Programming (XP)
- Feature-Driven Development (FDD)
31. What is Kanban?
Answer: Kanban is a popular Agile Software Development Methodology. It is basically a signaling device that instructs the moving of parts in a ‘pull’ production system, developed as part of the TPS (Toyota Production System). Kanban is about envisioning the existing workflow in terms of steps. These steps can be created on the whiteboard.
The main aim of Kanban is to reduce WIP (Work-In-Progress), or inventory, between processes by ensuring the upstream process creates parts as long as its downstream process needs it. The goal of the Kanban execution is to ensure work items move to the next steps quickly to realize business value faster.
Kanban Board
32. What is Planning Poker Technique?
Answer: Planning Poker is a fun and collaborative technique in Agile where the team estimates the effort needed for tasks. Each team member gets a set of cards with numbers representing the task’s complexity. They all reveal their cards simultaneously, and if there’s a difference, they discuss until they agree on an estimate. This helps in getting everyone’s input and ensures a more accurate estimate for the tasks ahead.
33. What is a Sprint Planning Meeting, Sprint Review Meeting and Sprint Retrospective Meeting?
Answer: Let’s Explain each one by one
Sprint Planning Meeting:
A Sprint Planning Meeting is when the team gathers to decide what tasks they will work on during the upcoming sprint. They discuss priorities, select user stories, and create a plan for the work ahead.
Sprint Review Meeting:
A Sprint Review Meeting is a session where the team showcases the work they’ve completed during the sprint. They demonstrate new features to stakeholders, gather feedback, and discuss any adjustments needed for the next sprint.
Sprint Retrospective Meeting:
A Sprint Retrospective Meeting is when the team reflects on the recent sprint. They discuss what went well, what could be improved, and brainstorm ways to enhance their processes. It’s a time for continuous improvement and team collaboration.
Sprint Stage
34. What do you mean by the term “increment”?
Answer: In Agile, an “increment” means a small, added piece of the project. It’s like building a project little by little, and after each part is finished, you have a more complete and usable product. Each increment contributes to the overall progress, making the project grow step by step.
35. What are standard or common metrics for Agile?
Answer: Some standard agile matrices are:
- Measuring the burndown of deliverables, usually represented in burndown charts
- Velocity
- Lead time
- Cycle time
- Code quality
- Code covered in unit test
- Deployment success rate
- Net promoter score
36. What do you mean by release candidate?
Answer: In Agile software development, a “release candidate” is a version of the software that is considered a potential candidate for release to users. It signifies a stage in the development process where the software is believed to be feature-complete and stable. The release candidate undergoes rigorous testing, including functional, integration, and user acceptance testing, to identify and address any remaining issues before it can be officially released to users.
37. What does story point mean in the scrum?
Answer: In Scrum, a “story point” is a unit of measure used to estimate the relative effort or complexity of implementing a user story or a task in a product backlog. It is a way for Agile teams to express the difficulty of work items without assigning specific time durations. Story points are often assigned based on factors such as complexity, uncertainty, and effort required.
38. Mention the challenges involved in developing Agile Software?
Answer: The significant difficulties encountered when creating Agile Software include:
- more customer interaction and testing
- management is more affected than developers
- More preparation is needed.
39. When not to Use Agile?
Answer: These are some situation where we should avoid the Use of Agile
- If your project lacks urgency, is overly complex, or involves novel and uncertain elements.
- If your team is not self-organizing and lacks experienced, professional developers.
- When your customer insists on detailed documentation for each development cycle.
- When your customer demands approvals at every stage of the development process.
- If your customer prefers traditional methodologies and is unwilling to consider Agile approaches.
- When your organization does not invest in promoting Agile practices among developers, testers, and management.
40. Explain Product Roadmap?
Answer: A product roadmap is a tool used by product managers in strategic planning to convey the goals and paths for a product’s development across time. It specifies the features, milestones, and high-level objectives that a product team hopes to accomplish within a given time frame. The purpose of the product roadmap is to allow different stakeholders, including executives, development teams, marketing, sales, and product managers, get aligned around a common plan by giving a visual representation of the product strategy.
Product RoadMap
41. What is Pair Programming, and what states its benefits?
Answer: Pair programming is a development technique in which two programmers work together at single workstation. Person who writes code is called a driver and a person who observes and navigates each line of the code is called navigator. They may switch their role frequently.
Benefits of Pair Programming:
- Two brains are always better than one
- Detection of coding mistakes becomes easier
- Mutual learning
- Team develops better communication skills
42. How can QA add value to an agile team?
Answer: QA can be helpful by approaching the testing of a story in unique ways. They offer prompt feedback to developers about whether the new features are working well or not.
43. What is the Application Binary Interface?
Answer: Application Binary Interface (ABI) is the interface between two program modules, one of which is mostly at the machine code level. The interface is the default method for encoding/decoding data into or out of the machine code.
44. What is a tracer bullet?
Answer: A Tracer Bullet examines how an entire process works and checks if it’s practical. It’s like a test using the current structure or steps, acting as a spike.
45. What does the Term Impediment Mean?
Answer: In Agile, an impediment refers to any obstacle or barrier that hinders the progress of a team in achieving its goals. These impediments can take various forms and may include issues related to processes, communication, resources, or external dependencies. Identifying and addressing impediments promptly is crucial in Agile to ensure the smooth flow of work and to help the team deliver value efficiently.
46. What do Sprint Planning Meetings do?
Answer: A Sprint Planning Meeting occurs before the start of every sprint. That meeting defines what set of items could be developed and delivered in the upcoming sprint. Every sprint has a predefined goal and is meant to be accomplished in such a way that the sprint would culminate with a potentially shippable product increment. During every planning meeting, a Sprint Backlog is created that has a subset of items from the original Product Backlog that the team aims to achieve and develop in the current sprint.
47. Mention the places where the Scrum and Kanban methodologies are used?
Answer: Both Kanban and Scrum are process tools that are commonly used in Agile software development. The main aim of the two is to improve efficiency in the software development processes.
48. Describe the main roles in the scrum.
Answer: A Scrum team is made up of three roles: the Scrum Master, the product owner, and the development team.
49. What does build breaker mean?
Answer: In software development, a “build breaker” refers to a code change or modification that, when integrated into the software codebase, causes the build process to fail. The “build” is the process of compiling source code and linking it to create an executable or deployable artifact. If a code change introduces errors or issues that prevent the successful completion of the build, it is termed a “build breaker.”
50. What are the essential qualities to have as a Scrum Master?
Answer: A good Scrum Master is like a helpful guide for the team. They listen, solve problems, and make sure everyone can work well together. They lead meetings, help the team communicate, and always look for ways to make things better. Being understanding, a good communicator, and ready to learn are important qualities for a Scrum Master.