Are you preparing for the SAFe Agilist Certification Exam? Seeking to test your knowledge and gain confidence before the big day? Look no further! In this blog, we present to you the top 10 SAFe Agilist Certification Exam practice questions. These questions have been carefully curated to cover the essential topics and concepts you need to know to excel in the exam. By challenging yourself with these practice questions, you'll not only gauge your readiness but also familiarize yourself with the exam format and boost your chances of acing the SAFe Agilist Certification. Let's dive into this comprehensive test preparation resource and get one step closer to your certification success!
Why SAFe Agilist Certification?
SAFe Agilist Certification is highly valued in today's business landscape for several reasons. Firstly, it provides professionals with a comprehensive understanding of the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) and its application in real-world scenarios. This certification equips individuals with the knowledge and skills to successfully lead Agile transformations at an enterprise level.
Secondly, SAFe Agilist Certification validates one's expertise in Agile methodologies, making them stand out in the job market. It demonstrates their ability to effectively implement Agile practices, drive collaboration, and deliver high-quality results in fast-paced environments.
Moreover, SAFe Agilist Certification enhances career prospects by opening doors to a wide range of opportunities. Many organizations specifically seek certified professionals to lead their Agile initiatives, recognizing the value they bring in terms of improved productivity, adaptability, and customer satisfaction.
Also Read: Benefits of SAFe Training for a Product Owner / Manager
Ultimately, SAFe Agilist Certification empowers individuals to navigate the complexities of Agile at scale, enabling them to make a significant impact in today's competitive business world.
Enroll for the SAFe Agilist Training in Bangalore to master essential skills like PI planning, portfolio management, and continuous delivery.
SAFe Agilist Certification Exam Practice Questions
We will be covering basic as well as advanced SAFe agilist exam questions and answers throughout the blog, let’s start with basic questions first:
1. What is the primary purpose of the SAFe Portfolio level?
The primary purpose of the SAFe Portfolio level is to align the organization's strategic initiatives with the Agile Release Trains (ARTs) executing the work. It provides strategic direction, investment decision-making, and governance to ensure the organization's goals are achieved.
2. What is the role of the SAFe Scrum Master in the SAFe framework?
The SAFe Scrum Master is a servant leader and coach for the Agile teams. Their role is to facilitate team dynamics, remove impediments, promote continuous improvement, and ensure the team adheres to SAFe and Scrum practices.
3. What is the purpose of the PI (Program Increment) Planning event in SAFe?
Answer: The purpose of PI Planning is to synchronize the activities of multiple Agile teams and establish a shared vision and plan for the upcoming Program Increment. It aligns teams, identifies dependencies, and sets objectives and priorities for the upcoming iteration.
Also Read: Learn About the Benefits of SAFe 6.0 Today
4. How does SAFe support continuous integration and deployment?
SAFe supports continuous integration and deployment by promoting DevOps practices and the use of automation tools. It emphasizes the integration of development and operations, enabling frequent deployments and rapid feedback loops.
5. What is the role of the Product Owner in SAFe?
The Product Owner is responsible for defining and prioritizing the features and user stories in the product backlog. They work closely with stakeholders, gather requirements, and ensure the development team is building the right product that meets customer needs.
6. What is the purpose of the Inspect and Adapt (I&A) event in SAFe?
The Inspect and Adapt event provides an opportunity for teams and stakeholders to reflect on their performance, identify improvement opportunities, and plan for the next Program Increment. It fosters a culture of continuous learning and adaptation.
7. How does SAFe address dependencies between Agile teams?
SAFe addresses dependencies between Agile teams through effective communication, collaboration, and the use of Agile Release Trains (ARTs). Teams coordinate and align their work during PI Planning, identify and manage dependencies, and actively work to resolve them throughout the Program Increment.
Now, let us move on to the SAFe agilist practice test
SAFe Agilist Exam Questions (Advanced)
Flow and Continuous Delivery Enhancements
1. What are the eight flow accelerators in SAFe 6.0, and how do they enable uninterrupted value flow?
The eight flow accelerators in SAFe 6.0 include Continuous Exploration, Continuous Integration, Continuous Deployment, and others that focus on optimising the flow of work through the system. They are designed to eliminate bottlenecks, reduce delays, and ensure that value is delivered consistently and efficiently without interruptions, promoting a seamless flow from concept to delivery.
2. Why is limiting Work in Process (WIP) essential for optimising flow in Agile systems?
Limiting Work in Process (WIP) is important because it helps prevent teams from feeling overwhelmed. It keeps the focus on finishing tasks before moving on to new ones, which improves the flow of work. By reducing WIP, teams can prioritise the most important tasks and deliver them faster and with better quality.
3. How does SAFe define the use of small batch sizes to enhance delivery speed and minimise risk?
SAFe encourages working with smaller batches for simpler tasks, which helps speed up delivery. By breaking work into smaller chunks, teams can test and validate features more often, get faster feedback, catch issues earlier, and avoid unnecessary rework. This agile approach speeds up delivery and minimizes the impact of any potential problems.
4. What role does synchronisation, alongside cadence, play in Agile Release Trains?
Synchronisation, combined with cadence, aligns the work of multiple teams within an Agile Release Train (ART). It ensures that teams work in a coordinated manner, with consistent rhythm and timing, allowing for smoother collaboration, better integration, and more predictable delivery cycles.
5. How does SAFe 6.0 ensure optimised flow across the entire development value stream?
SAFe 6.0 improves the flow of work across the entire development value stream by focusing on continuous improvement, simplifying processes, and removing any roadblocks that slow things down. It makes sure that every step—from planning to execution—works smoothly and is in sync, helping teams deliver value more efficiently while cutting down on waste.
6. What is the purpose of the Continuous Delivery Pipeline (CDP) in SAFe?
The Continuous Delivery Pipeline (CDP) in SAFe serves as a core element for developing, testing and delivering value continuously. It provides an automated and integrated flow of work, enabling teams to quickly and reliably release high-quality software. The CDP encompasses various stages, including continuous exploration, continuous integration, continuous deployment, and release on demand. It ensures that value is delivered to customers at a fast pace, with a focus on quality and frequent feedback.
Value Stream Management & Portfolio Enhancements
1. What is the function of the Value Management Office (VMO) in SAFe?
The Value Management Office (VMO) in SAFe ensures that all projects and initiatives are aligned with the organisation’s big-picture goals. It plays a key role in prioritising work across different value streams and makes sure that resources are used effectively to deliver the most value to the business.
2. How is Kanban applied at the team, program, and portfolio levels in SAFe to manage and visualise work?
Kanban is used across SAFe to manage workflows and visualise the progress of work at the team, program, and portfolio levels. It provides clear visibility into the status of tasks, helps manage bottlenecks, and ensures that work is being pulled into the system based on capacity and priority. This visual management tool promotes transparency and efficiency across all levels.
3. What purpose does Portfolio Flow serve in Lean Portfolio Management?
Portfolio Flow in Lean Portfolio Management helps you see and manage how work moves across different projects and initiatives. It ensures that value is delivered continuously while staying in line with the organisation's strategic goals. By managing capacity and demand, this flow helps reduce waste and ensures resources are spent effectively on high-priority work.
4. What are the three levels of SAFe Portfolio Kanban?
SAFe Portfolio Kanban operates at three levels:
a) Strategic Themes: Strategic Themes represent the high-level business objectives and provide guidance for portfolio decision-making, aligning the portfolio with the organisation's strategy.
b) Portfolio Epics: Portfolio Epics capture the large-scale initiatives that align with Strategic Themes. These epics are prioritized, analyzed, and refined to ensure their feasibility and alignment with business objectives.
c) Enabler Epics: Enabler Epics focus on building and improving the necessary technical and architectural capabilities to support the delivery of value. They enable the development of Solutions and Value Streams.
5. What is the significance of the SAFe Principle of "Decentralised Decision-Making"?
The SAFe Principle of "Decentralised Decision-Making" emphasises distributing decision-making authority to the people who possess the most relevant knowledge and expertise. By decentralising decision-making, SAFe empowers teams to make informed choices, take ownership, and respond quickly to market dynamics. This principle promotes a culture of autonomy, innovation, and accountability, enabling teams to adapt and make decisions aligned with the organisation's strategic intent. It fosters collaboration and reduces bottlenecks, facilitating faster value delivery and better customer outcomes.
Built-In Quality & DevOps Enhancements
1. What are the five key dimensions of Built-In Quality in SAFe 6.0?
The five dimensions of Built-In Quality in SAFe 6.0 include:
Team-based Quality:
In an agile environment, everyone is responsible for quality. Whether you’re a developer or a tester, each team member contributes to delivering a high-quality product.Built-in Testing:
Testing is not something that happens at the end of the development cycle—it's built in throughout the entire process. By continuously testing as features are developed, teams can catch issues early before they become bigger problems.Continuous Integration:
Continuous integration is all about ensuring that code is always in a deployable state. Instead of waiting until the end of a project or sprint to integrate new code, teams integrate small changes regularly.Quality Metrics:
Tracking quality is essential for improving over time. The team keeps an eye on important metrics, like defect rates, test coverage, and code performance, throughout the project.Automated Testing:
Automated testing helps the team work faster and more consistently by running tests quickly and automatically. It takes care of repetitive tests, making sure they’re always done the same way every time.
2. What does the CALMR approach in DevOps entail, and how does it support continuous delivery in SAFe?
The CALMR approach in DevOps stands for Culture, Automation, Lean Flow, Measurement, and Recovery. It supports continuous delivery by emphasising a culture of collaboration between development and operations teams, automating processes to reduce manual effort, applying lean principles to improve flow, measuring outcomes to drive improvement, and having recovery strategies in place to quickly address issues.
3. Why is it important to decouple deployment from release in SAFe’s Continuous Delivery Pipeline?
Decoupling deployment from release allows for greater flexibility in managing how and when new features are made available to customers. By separating deployment (putting code into production) from release (making the feature available to users), organisations can ensure that features are ready for use but can be controlled and tested in stages to minimise risk.
4. What is the role of the System Architect/Engineer in SAFe?
The System Architect/Engineer in SAFe is responsible for defining and maintaining the architectural and technical vision for the solution or product. They collaborate with Agile teams, Product Management, and other stakeholders to ensure the system's design, integrity, and functionality. The System Architect/Engineer supports the development teams by providing technical guidance, facilitating architectural decision-making, and addressing any architectural dependencies or impediments.
5. What is the purpose of the Solution Intent in SAFe?
Solution Intent in SAFe refers to the comprehensive understanding of the solution's behaviour and structure, including its current and future states. It helps stakeholders, including business owners, architects, and developers, to maintain a shared understanding of the system's design, functionality, and expected outcomes. Solution Intent provides a common reference for decision-making, coordination, and alignment across teams, ensuring consistency and reducing risks associated with solution development and maintenance.
Business Agility & Operating Model
1. What is Business Agility according to SAFe, and why is it critical in the digital age?
Business Agility in SAFe refers to an organisation’s ability to quickly respond to market changes and customer needs with innovation, speed, and flexibility. In the digital age, where changes occur rapidly, business agility is essential for maintaining competitive advantage and sustaining long-term success.
2. How does SAFe function as a "second operating system" to help organisations achieve Business Agility?
SAFe acts as a "second operating system" by providing a structured framework for organizations to operate with agility at scale. It aligns all levels of the organization to work cohesively, ensuring that strategy, execution, and learning happen seamlessly, thus enabling organizations to achieve greater flexibility and responsiveness.
3. What are the traits of organisations that excel in the digital age, as defined by SAFe 6.0?
Organisations that succeed in the digital age, according to SAFe 6.0, are adaptable, quick to respond, and always learning. They put customers at the centre of everything they do and innovate rapidly to stay ahead. These organisations embrace agile practices at scale, allowing their teams to quickly adjust to shifts in the market and technology.
4. What is the purpose of the Inspect and Adapt (I&A) event in SAFe?
The Inspect and Adapt event in SAFe serves as a significant opportunity for the Agile Release Train (ART) to reflect on its progress and identify areas for improvement. During this event, the teams review the results of the previous Program Increment (PI), identify systemic issues, and formulate improvement plans to address them. The I&A event allows for continuous learning and adaptation, fostering a culture of innovation and agility within the organisation.
5. What are the three primary components of the SAFe Lean-Agile Leadership competency?
The three primary components of the SAFe Lean-Agile Leadership competency are:
a) Leading by Example: Leaders need to embody the Lean-Agile principles and practices themselves, demonstrating the desired behaviours and setting a positive example for the organisation.
b) Leading the Change: Leaders play a crucial role in driving organisational change and transformation towards Lean-Agile practices. They provide guidance, remove impediments, and empower teams to embrace new ways of working.
c) Leading the Lean-Agile Enterprise: Leaders take on the responsibility of aligning the organisation's strategy, fostering innovation, and creating an environment that supports the Agile mindset and principles. They enable the scaling of Lean-Agile practices across the enterprise.
6. What are the four dimensions of the SAFe Lean-Agile Leadership competency?
The four dimensions of the SAFe Lean-Agile Leadership competency are:
a) Leading by Example: Leaders demonstrate the desired behaviours and practices themselves, serving as role models for the organisation.
b) Leading and Developing People: Leaders focus on nurturing talent, fostering a learning culture, and developing individuals and teams to reach their full potential.
c) Leading Change: Leaders drive change initiatives, promote a culture of continuous improvement, and remove barriers to enable organizational agility.
d) Leading the Lean-Agile Enterprise: Leaders align the organisation's strategy with Lean-Agile principles, create an environment conducive to agility, and drive the scaling of Agile practices across the enterprise.
7. What is the role of the RTE (Release Train Engineer) in SAFe?
The Release Train Engineer (RTE) is a servant leader and a key facilitator for the Agile Release Train (ART). Their primary role is to enable the smooth functioning of the ART by providing guidance, coaching, and servant leadership to the teams and stakeholders. The RTE facilitates ART events, ensures alignment with the overall program objectives, manages dependencies, and helps remove any impediments that hinder progress. They play a crucial role in coordinating activities, fostering collaboration, and promoting continuous improvement within the ART.
8. What is the primary purpose of the Program Increment (PI) Planning event in SAFe?
The primary purpose of the Program Increment (PI) Planning event in SAFe is to align the Agile Release Train (ART) around a common vision, goals, and priorities for the upcoming PI. During PI Planning, the teams collaboratively create plans and commit to delivering a set of features or value. It facilitates cross-team synchronisation, identifies dependencies, and establishes a roadmap for the PI. PI Planning encourages transparency, collaboration, and shared understanding, allowing the teams to work cohesively toward achieving the program objectives.
Metrics, OKRs, and Measure & Grow
1. What does the “Measure and Grow” competency in SAFe involve, and how does it assess agility maturity?
The "Measure and Grow" competency in SAFe is focused on assessing an organization's agility maturity by measuring key metrics and outcomes. It helps organizations track their progress towards business agility, identify areas for improvement, and continuously evolve their practices to achieve higher levels of effectiveness and responsiveness.
2. What are Objectives and Key Results (OKRs), and how do they support strategic alignment in SAFe?
OKRs are a goal-setting framework that aligns both teams and individuals with the organisation’s bigger picture. They make sure everyone’s work is focused on achieving measurable outcomes, giving clear direction and connecting day-to-day tasks with the company’s long-term goals. OKRs help keep teams aligned with the broader business vision and ensure that efforts are working toward the same objectives.
3. Which three SAFe measurement domains are used to evaluate progress in Business Agility?
The three SAFe measurement domains used to evaluate progress in Business Agility are:
Team and Technical Agility: Evaluating the ability of teams to deliver quality work.
Lean-Agile Leadership: Measuring the effectiveness of leadership in driving change.
Enterprise Solution Delivery: Assessing how well an organisation can deliver complex solutions at scale.
Strategic Themes & Portfolio Planning
1. How do Strategic Themes influence portfolio-level decision-making in SAFe?
Strategic Themes assist in informing decisions at the portfolio level through ensuring that all initiatives and investments are properly aligned towards the long-term objectives of the organization. They provide teams with clear direction on how and where to allocate resources so that each project or initiative contributes to the grand scheme.
2. What is a Lean Budget Guardrail, and why does it encourage decentralised control of finances?
A Lean Budget Guardrail is a standard that enables organizations to control their budgets in a simple, decentralized manner. It grants teams autonomy to spend resources where they are needed while remaining within the total budget, ensuring financial autonomy and responsibility throughout the organization.
3. What is a Portfolio Canvas, and how can it be used to describe the current and future state of a portfolio?
A Portfolio Canvas is a visual tool used to map out and monitor both current and future projects within the portfolio. It gives stakeholders an instant view of where investments are being directed and how individual projects map against the aims of the organization, making it simpler to follow progress and make informed choices.
Also Read: Distributed Agile

Conclusion
Mastering the SAFe Agilist certification exam and becoming a certified SAFe Agilist requires a comprehensive understanding of the principles and practices of the Scaled Agile Framework. The top 10 practice questions provided in this blog not only offer valuable insights into the key concepts and competencies tested in the exam but also serve as a great resource for individuals undergoing the Leading SAFe Agilist course or seeking Leading SAFe Agilist certification. By diligently studying and analyzing these questions, aspiring SAFe Agilists can enhance their knowledge and readiness to confidently tackle the certification exam. So, keep practising, stay determined, and embrace the transformative power of agile practices in your professional endeavours.