SAFe-SGP Scaled Agile SAFe 5 Government Practitioner Exam (5.0) Free Practice Exam Questions (2025 Updated)

The Innovation and Planning (IP) Iteration is critical to success in SAFe because it provides the following benefits12:

It creates a guard band that ensures program predictability on cadence. The IP iteration acts as an estimating buffer that helps the ART meet their PI objectives and avoid carrying unfinished work into the next PI.

It ensures time for creative problem-solving needed by knowledge workers. The IP iteration allows the ART to explore innovative ideas, conduct research and design activities, and learn new skills and technologies.

It provides a consistent time for PI Planning. The IP iteration includes time for the PI planning event, which aligns the ART with the vision, roadmap, and strategic themes, and establishes the PI objectives and dependencies.

According to the System Demo article on the Scaled Agile Framework website, system demos provide objective evidence of built-in quality and compliance. The article states that “The System Demo is a significant event that provides an integrated view of new Features for the most recent Iteration delivered by all the teams in the Agile Release Train (ART). Each demo gives ART stakeholders an objective measure of progress during a Program Increment (PI). The system demo is part of the inspect and adapt cycle and provides ARTs with the opportunity to assess their current state, adjust, and improve. The system demo also provides feedback on functional and nonfunctional requirements, such as compliance, performance, security, and usability.” Therefore, the correct answer is C, system demos. The other options are not accurate, as they are not the events that provide objective evidence of built-in quality and compliance. PI planning (A) is a face-to-face event that serves as the heartbeat of the ART, aligning all the teams on the ART to a shared mission and vision. Backlog refinement (B) is the process of breaking down, estimating, and prioritizing the backlog items. ART syncs (D) are meetings that facilitate cross-team collaboration and alignment.

The result of traditional ‘at the end’ quality and compliance is that it leads to missed opportunities for iterative compliance assessment1. This means that the quality and compliance activities are deferred until the end of the development cycle, when the solution is already built and ready for testing. This approach increases the risk of finding defects and non-compliances late in the process, which can cause delays, rework, and waste2. It also prevents the teams from getting early feedback and validation from the compliance authorities, which can help them adjust and improve their work incrementally3. By applying the SAFe principle of building incrementally with fast, integrated learning cycles, the teams can integrate quality and compliance into their regular flow of work and deliver solutions that meet the regulatory and industry standards more efficiently and effectively4.

1: Government - Building in Quality and Compliance - Scaled Agile Framework 2: Quality vs. Compliance: What is the difference and what are the common pitfalls? - Honeywell 3: Achieving Regulatory and Industry Standards Compliance with the Scaled Agile Framework® (SAFe®) 4: Principle #6 – Visualize and limit WIP, reduce batch sizes, and manage queue lengths - Scaled Agile Framework

According to the Strategic Themes article on the Scaled Agile Framework website, strategic themes are portfolio-level business objectives that provide competitive differentiation and strategic advantage. They provide business context for portfolio strategy and decision-making, representing aspects of the enterprise’s strategic intent. Strategic themes are best stated in Objective and Key Result (OKR) format. Written in plain business language, these OKRs say what the portfolio will pursue, thus providing decision-makers and contributors at all levels the clarity needed for decentralized decision-making. Therefore, the correct answer is D, create a ‘one-stop shop’ for all citizen-facing services provided by the agency. This is a good example of an agency strategic theme, as it expresses a clear and measurable goal that aligns with the agency’s vision and mission. The other options are not accurate, as they are not good examples of agency strategic themes. Comply with agency development lifecycle regulations (A) is not a strategic theme, but a compliance requirement that applies to all solutions. Reduce agency IT spend (B) is not a strategic theme, but a cost-cutting measure that does not reflect the value proposition of the agency. Improve cost and schedule performance of IT projects © is not a strategic theme, but a project management metric that does not capture the business outcomes of the solutions.

According to the Applying Lean Estimating and Forecasting in Cadence article on the Scaled Agile Framework website, ART velocities are used to conduct ‘what if’ analysis for estimating and forecasting in SAFe. The article states that “The ART velocity is used to conduct ‘what if’ analysis, which helps determine the feasibility of the plan and the number of features that can be delivered in a PI. The ART velocity is also used to forecast the delivery of features and capabilities beyond the current PI.” Therefore, the correct answer is C, ART velocities are used to conduct ‘what if’ analysis. The other options are not accurate, as they are not the statements that are true for estimating and forecasting in SAFe. Feature estimation is not independent of team-level input (A), as teams are involved in estimating the size and complexity of features using story points or normalized story points. Epics are not estimated by the Epic Owner (B), as they are estimated collaboratively by the Epic Owner, Enterprise Architect, and Lean Portfolio Management. Work breakdown structure to the task level does not help increase estimation accuracy (D), as it introduces unnecessary overhead and delays feedback.

According to the House of Lean article on the Scaled Agile Framework website, the principle that explains the purpose of the PI Planning retrospective is relentless improvement. The article states that “Relentless improvement is a constant sense of danger combined with a paranoid desire to find a better way. It’s a culture of organizational self-assessment, problem-solving, and action. It’s a willingness to change before the crisis forces us to do so. It’s a commitment to relentless reflection and a continuous learning journey.” Therefore, the correct answer is D, relentless improvement. The other options are not accurate, as they are not the principles that directly relate to the PI Planning retrospective. Respect for people and culture is the foundation of the House of Lean, innovation is the roof, and flow is another principle that supports value delivery.

The Manifesto for Agile Software Development, also known as the Agile Manifesto, is a shared set of values and principles intended to improve software development1. The Agile Manifesto was created in 2001 by a group of 17 software practitioners who wanted to find a better way of developing software than the traditional, documentation-driven, and heavyweight processes. The Agile Manifesto states four values and twelve principles that guide the agile approach to software development, which emphasizes individuals and interactions, working software, customer collaboration, and responding to change2. The Agile Manifesto is not a specific methodology or practice, but rather a philosophy that can be applied to various agile frameworks, such as Scrum, Kanban, XP, and SAFe3.

1: Manifesto for Agile Software Development 2: What is the Agile Manifesto? | Agile Principles and Values - ProductPlan 3: The Agile Manifesto - Project Management Institute

According to the Core Values article on the Scaled Agile Framework website, relentless improvement is one of the four core values of SAFe, along with alignment, transparency, and respect for people. The article states that “Relentless improvement is a constant sense of danger combined with a paranoid desire to find a better way. It’s a culture of organizational self-assessment, problem-solving, and action. It’s a willingness to change before the crisis forces us to do so. It’s a commitment to relentless reflection and a continuous learning journey.” Therefore, the correct answer is C, relentless improvement. The other options are not accurate, as they are not the core values of SAFe. Intrinsic motivation of knowledge workers is a principle, not a value, of SAFe. Individuals and interactions is a value of the Agile Manifesto, not of SAFe. Built-in quality is an aspect of SAFe, not a value.

One benefit of Program Increment (PI) Planning is that it builds the social network on which the Agile Release Train (ART) depends1. PI planning is a face-to-face event that establishes communication and collaboration among all team members and stakeholders2. It fosters a sense of shared mission and vision, trust and respect, and collective ownership and accountability3. It also helps to create a culture of learning and innovation within the ART4.

1: PI Planning - Scaled Agile Framework 2: The Ultimate Guide to PI Planning [2023 SAFe Edition] - Easy Agile 3: Program Increment (PI) is the Heart of Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) 4: PI Planning - Scaled Agile Framework

Strategic themes are specific, defined business objectives that connect a portfolio to the enterprise’s strategy1. They provide business context for portfolio decision-making and influence the investments in value streams and solutions2. They also serve as inputs to the vision, budget, and backlogs of the portfolio, large solution, and program levels3. Strategic themes help align the portfolio with the mission and goals of the enterprise or government agency.

1: Strategic Themes - Scaled Agile Framework 2: Strategic Themes - Scaled Agile Framework 3: The Influence of Strategic Themes across a Portfolio - Scaled Agile Framework

According to the Visualize and Limit WIP, Reduce Batch Sizes, and Manage Queue Lengths article on the Scaled Agile Framework website, batch size optimization happens over time as teams figure out the balance between holding cost and transaction cost. The article states that “To improve the economics of handling smaller batches—and thus increase throughput—teams must focus on reducing the transaction costs of any batch. This is a continuous improvement activity that happens over time as teams figure out the balance between holding cost and transaction cost.” Therefore, the correct answer is A, batch size optimization happens over time as teams figure out the balance between holding cost and transaction cost. The other options are not accurate, as they are not the statements that are true about optimizing batch sizes for newly-formed SAFe teams in a program. Batch size is not optimized immediately by looking at transaction and holding costs (B), as it takes time for teams to understand the nature of the work, identify bottlenecks, and find the optimal batch size that minimizes both costs. Batch size is not already optimized if there is continuous flow ©, as optimization involves finding the right balance between batch size and costs, even within a continuous flow environment. Batch size is not optimized when transaction and holding costs seldom change (D), as holding costs and transaction costs can change over time due to various factors such as team size, workload, and external dependencies.

One way that Lean-Agile leaders can exemplify the SAFe Core Value of alignment is by participating in backlog visibility, review, and preparation1. This means that leaders are actively involved in understanding and prioritizing the work items that deliver value to the customers and stakeholders. They also provide feedback and guidance to the teams and trains that execute the work. By participating in backlog management, leaders can ensure that the work is aligned with the vision, mission, and strategy of the enterprise or government agency2.

1: The Evolving Role of Managers in Lean-Agile Development - Scaled Agile Framework 2: Core Values - Scaled Agile Framework