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Blog AuthorStaragile
PublishedNov 29, 2024
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The SAFe Scrum Master Certification is presented by Scaled Agile Inc. It represents a big evolution in Agile project management certification. Traditional Scrum Master certification mainly emphases on team level Agile-implementation. But SAFe takes scrum principles to new heights. It does so by addressing enterprise scale challenges and opportunities. In my experience, this tactic allows teams to deliver more value proficiently.
This is a highly sought-after certification, especially in the Agile community. It is recognized worldwide. It provides professionals with knowledge and skills. They can use this to implement Agile methodology successfully.
Do you wish to become a SAFe Certified Scrum Master? Or are you going to appear for an interview post your certification? This post will help you.
Here, we are going to talk about what this certification is and what SAFe Scrum Master interview questions you will encounter.
This is a highly valued certification which showcases your expertise in Lean, Scrum and Agile methodologies. It validates your ability to manage Agile projects in a large scale firm.
Do you want to earn this certification? You must showcase that you have a thorough understanding of SAFe practices and principles. You need to also show that you have the ability to apply them in real scenarios.
It is essential to pass the SAFe SSM exam to get certified. This exam will test your understanding/knowledge of the SAFe framework.
It is substantial for professionals who want to lead Agile projects. This certificate serves as a powerful validation of your Agile expertise. It goes far beyond basic methodologies to encompass enterprise-level project management capabilities.
SAFe Scrum Master Certification has emerged as a distinctive credential. It resonates strongly with employers. This is particularly true for those operating at large scale. They are constantly on the lookout for professionals who hold this certificate.
I have seen that this way, you can explore better career opportunities and compensation packages. More and more employers are recognizing the unique value SAFe-certified professionals bring in.
Enroll for the SAFe Scrum Master Training in Bangalore to master essential skills like PI planning, portfolio management, and continuous delivery.
There are many benefits to getting this certification. Here I am listing a few:
The demand for professionals with SAFe Scrum Master Certification is on the rise. This means you can make better career advancements. You can get opportunities you never dreamt of.
You get a complete understanding of the Scrum Master role in a SAFe environment. It also teaches you about Agile methodologies at an enterprise level. This can help you improve your skills.
You can get higher paying jobs with this certification. This is because employers reward and recognize certified professionals for their skills.
The SSM is a world renowned and widely accepted certification. When you acquire it, this demonstrates your expertise as a Scrum Master.
Read More: SAFe Scrum Master Roles And Responsibilites
The Scaled Agile Framework has become very prevalent. There are many SAFe related jobs that you can apply for. These interviews are high stakes; hence, you should be well prepared for them. You should learn about SAFe interview questions and answers. The types of questions asked usually depend on whether you are an expert or a beginner in the field.
After you have acquired the certificate, you can apply to various top companies. Let’s take a look at some of the most important interview questions-
Agile is essentially defined by 4 values and 12 principles. It is focused on delivering value in an incremental and iterative way. It is not a framework or methodology itself; rather, it was created to enable high-quality, incremental software delivery. Scrum and SAFe are two frameworks that embody Agile principles—Scrum emphasizes team collaboration, while SAFe is designed to scale agility across organizations.
Transparency-Reliability and trust
Alignment-Staying updated with rapid changes
Program execution-Deliver efficiently and continuously
Built-in quality elements should meet top quality standards.
Agile projects gauge success based on meeting project goals and continuously enhancing and delivering customer value. Key performance indicators such as customer satisfaction, velocity, and cycle time can be used to evaluate the project's effectiveness and progress.
By definition, metrics are agreed upon measurements. They help evaluate the progress of the organization. There are metrics in SAFe too. They can help measure the performance of the Portfolio, team, value stream and ART.
User stories primarily refer to the stories in which the delivery directly corresponds to the user. They deliver value to the consumer.
Enabler stories don’t deliver any value directly. But they enable value delivery. There are four types of them:
Product Management in SAFe owns the definition and supports building desirable, feasible, viable, and sustainable products. One that meets customer requirements. The product Management team in SAFe has a customer-centric mindset. They use design thinking tools.
The main responsibilities of product management are:
An enterprise reaches its tipping point when the primary drive becomes achieving change rather than resisting it. The status quo becomes so intolerable that change is the only viable path forward.
Value Stream is the term that covers all the activities starting with customer order to the new product up to delivery. It includes people who create new technologies or solutions and ensure a steady supply of information or materials to the client.
Those steps that involve people delivering the final product are included in 'operational value streams' while those steps that include the people who are developing the products are termed 'development value streams'.
Feature and capability are both components that make up the artifact hierarchy that SAFe has defined. A feature is a service that fulfills a stakeholder's requirement. The feature has two concepts: benefit hypothesis and acceptance criteria. A capability is somewhat like a feature, but it is a higher functional solution behavior that crosses multiple ARTs.
Shared Services bring together the resources, personnel and specialized roles required for ART success, but which cannot be allocated full-time. In the case of specific areas within the system that need unique expertise, shared services will enhance efficiency by quickly supplying the individual without having to find someone full-time.
It is part of an unbroken delivery pipeline, being the last step in the chain. This involves deploying new features and releasing them to the customer or the market when there is demand for such features.
A story is a concise description of some functionality or feature that is desired and written in the user's language. They are generally used for the purpose of defining system behavior in Agile development. Most details are only revealed when the story is ready for execution. The product owner is responsible for accepting the stories. However, anyone can write one.
A SAFe Scrum Master basically has to help a team and organization work well together using the Agile principles. They guide the team in properly following the SAFe framework, and ensure that everybody knows their role and responsibilities. They help to eliminate any barriers that would hinder the team, such as issues with tools or processes.
The SAFE scrum master will, therefore, coordinate with other Scrum Masters or release Train Engineers (RTEs) and stakeholders to manage dependencies and impediments in a scaled agile context. They will arrange meetings like a scrum of scrums to synchronize work and address issues among teams.
Also, they interact with stakeholders to solve problems and ensure the project has everything it needs to be a success. Working together and confronting a common challenge is made easier by the Scrum Master.
SAFe has four different types of configurations to support various development environments, as follows:
Portfolio SAFe
Essential SAFe
Full SAFe
Large Solution SAFe
If this question is asked to you and you have never used any frameworks, just take the names of some that you may have heard of. Some of the other agile-based frameworks are:
Lean Software Development
Test-Driven Development
Crystal
Extreme programming
Scrum is used mainly at the team level, but it is not the only practice available in SAFe. Within SAFe, teams have the freedom to adopt the most appropriate agile framework suitable for them and their work. Some feasible alternatives are:
Kanban
Extreme Programming (XP)
Scrum, or Scrum + XP, is also known as ScrumXP.
The benefits of SAFe usage are as follows:
Makes it easier for the cross-functional teams to collaborate.
Best for big companies.
Gives access to a lighter framework, making software development relatively easier with controlled decision making at an enterprise level.
People centered rather than technology-centered.
Helps teams keep focused on their business goals and increase visibility.
The Release Train Engineer or RTE is like a helpful team leader who guides the whole Agile development group. They make sure work flows smoothly by using tools like Inspect & Adapt workshops, Program Kanban, and PI planning to track progress and solve problems.
Scrumban is known as a mixed version of Scrum along with the Kanban methodology. Basically, this is to fulfill the team's needs and enable pull-based systems. It includes- the elements of Scrum methodology and features such as Scrum visualization.
The product owners are the ones who make a project vision clear.
They also check the performance of the project.
They forecast the expectations of the customers and, according to those forecasts, frame user stories.
An ideal scrum team should contain 3-9 persons, though the Product Owner and Scrum Master are not counted in these numbers.
Standups are daily chats usually lasting about 15 minutes. Their main purpose is to discuss:
Completed tasks
Pending tasks
Team obstacles
They can continue discussions beyond the usual standup time if required.
User Story:
It will help to explain the business requirements from the perspective of a user to the team.
Tasks:
Tasks are the tiniest parts in Scrum for tracking work. They can break user stories into more manageable ones for future usage. Generally, two people can work on a task together.
Epics:
Epics are just big complicated user stories.
Yes, you can cancel a sprint process within the limits of the timebox. The only person authorized to cancel it is the product owner.
Minimum Viable Product (MVP) is a term in Scrum which means the bare minimum product with features shown to stakeholders and is eligible for production.
Conflict resolution within a Scrum team involves encouraging clear communication and teamwork. The Scrum Master helps the team identify the cause of conflicts and guides them to solve issues using methods like active listening and mediation. The goal is to resolve conflicts positively and keep the team working well together.
The Solution Demo showcases the combined work of all Agile Release Trains (ARTs) and suppliers on the Solution Train during each Program Increment (PI). It provides customers and stakeholders with a chance to see progress, give feedback, and ensure alignment.
PI Planning is known as Program Increment Planning and is one of the critical events in SAFe where teams of an Agile Release Train come together to align their objectives and plan for the next Program Increment. Usually, it takes two days and helps teams to figure out dependencies, risks, and opportunities while creating a shared vision for delivery. PI Planning is necessary as it promotes face-to-face communication, builds trust, and ensures that all the teams are working toward common business objectives.
In SAFe, technical debt is handled using dedicated capacity allocation in PI Planning and sprint planning. Teams should reserve around 20% of their capacity to address technical debt. This can be tracked using enabler stories and managed on the program board. Regular system demos and architecture discussions help identify where technical debt is accumulating, enabling teams to address it before it becomes problematic.
Related Blog: SAFe Agilist vs SAFe Scrum Master
The world of agile methodology will always change. Moreover, the demand for agile professionals will always increase. The list of SAFe Scrum Master interview questions is endless. But you must keep the above-mentioned ones in mind. Please remember to update yourself on the latest version of SAFe.
The value of SAFe Scrum Master Certification is increasing day by day. You should pursue it to grow in your career. We wish you all the best for the course and your interview.
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