Top 25+ Agile Interview Questions to Crack the Interview

Agile is one of the most widely used methodologies by organisations worldwide. Agile has become a well-known methodology all around the world because it allows teams to deliver value, work in small increments, and respond rapidly to changes.This is why interviewers look for individuals who have a strong understanding of Agile and Scrum concepts for this. Therefore, preparing for some standard and commonly asked Agile interview questions is crucial. In this blog on Agile Interview Questions, we'll look at some basic Agile interview questions and answers that can help you get the job you want in the sector. Review the answers and enhance your skills.

Table of Contents 

1) Agile Interview Questions and Answers 

     a) Define Agile in brief.

     b) Mention the advantages and disadvantages of the Agile process.

     c) What do you mean by Agile Testing? What are its principles?

     d) Describe the various types of Agile Methodologies.

     e) What are the essential qualities required to be a good Agile Tester?

     f) What do you understand by Agile Frameworks?

     g) Explain Incremental and Iterative Development in Agile.

     h) What are the best Agile tools?

     i) Describe the most critical Agile metrics?

     j) When not to use Agile?

2) Conclusion

Agile Interview Questions and Answers 

Are you looking for frequently asked Agile Interview Questions that will enable you to ace the interview? You are at the right place! Here is a list of the most frequently asked questions and their respective answers for the Agile interviews. Let's have a detailed look at each one of them:

Q1) Define Agile in brief.

Agile is a popular collection of methodologies and best practices emphasising collaborative development. The needs of their clients and viable solutions are discovered through self-organising interactions between cross-functional teams. 

Q2) Mention the advantages and disadvantages of the Agile Process.

Using the Agile process has several benefits, some of which are listed below: 

a) Adapts readily to requirements that vary 

b) Direct communication with team members and clients 

c) Emphasises technical proficiency and superior design 

d) Rapid and ongoing development  

e) Enables client and project team engagement and cooperation  

f) Promotes and ensures client satisfaction  

g) Quicker consumer or end-user feedback 

h) Detects and fixes code issues as soon as they are identified  

i) Division of an Agile project into small, repeatable parts called Sprints or Iterations, which last between one to four weeks 

j) Quick product delivery  

k) Simple to control and more flexible 

The disadvantages of the Agile method are as follows: 

a) Lack of formal documentation and planning 

b) difficult to estimate the resource needs and effort is difficult  

c) Unsuitable for small development projects  

d) Expensive in comparison to other development techniques  

e) More time and effort are needed from everyone. 

f) Risk of a long-term project  

g) Scalability issues with massive projects  

h) Testing and test creation challenges 
 

 

Q3) What do you mean by Agile Testing? What are its principles? 

Agile Testing, as the term implies, is System Testing where software is tested for any faults, errors, and other such issues. It is a crucial step in the development process since it helps testers and developers collaborate effectively, enhancing performance in general. Additionally, it aids in assuring the successful delivery of superior goods. Testing is typically done so that testers can locate and fix issues at every stage of the development process. Following are the seven guiding principles of Agile Testing: 

a) Continuous Testing  

b) Continuous Feedback  

c) Collaboration  

d) Clean Code 

e) Less Documentation 

f) Test-Driven  

g) Customer Satisfaction 

Q4) Describe the various types of Agile Methodologies.

 

Agile Methodology comprises of various types which are implemented widely across in the industry of Software Development and Project Development. Here are its different types listed below:

a) Scrum: The Scrum method is a technique that is utilised to establish hypotheses or goals. These hypotheses are then further put through testing and adjustments. Reflections can also be made on the various experiences of each hypothesis. Now, the work depends significantly on the feedback, self-management, small-sized teams and work that is segregated into multiple Sprints that work iteratively. Scrum is a method that essentially depends on incremental development. 

b) Feature-Driven Development or FDD: Feature-Driven Development is a type of the Agile Methodology where software models are created every two weeks.. The FDD is essentially a Software Development process that is lightweight and emphasises the development of each feature incrementally. The purpose of the process is to be able to deliver a stable and functional software on time.

c) Lean Software Development: Lean is another crucial type of Agile Methodology that is a designed as a means to minimise waste and maximise value. It emphasises more on the efficiency of the process for producing optimum results in terms of customer value. The Lean process is also based completely on two major guiding principles, namely respect for customers and improvement on a continuous basis. 

d) Extreme Programming or XP: Extreme Programming is a process that is perceived as low on risk, very flexible and a means to develop the software in such a way that the clients are given exactly what they asked for. The methodology basically involves the testing of the software application from the first day so as to collect feedback on a continual basis, thereby improving the Software Development process.

e) Dynamic Software Development Method: DSDM is a type of Agile Methodology thatfocus on the software’s lifecycle. Its main aim is to ensure proper governance which becomes the foundation for Project Management. The method is also user-driven and believes in the anticipation of project modifications. As a result, it provides a complete roadmap that helps the team deliver its products on time with their set deadlines and within the project’s budget.

f) Adaptive System Development or ASD: ASD is designed with the aim of representing the central idea that projects must always be in a mode of adapting continuously with changes or modifications. The process also comprises of a cycle that has three key repeating series, namely ‘Speculate’, ‘Collaborate’ and ‘Learn.’

g) Crystal methodology: Crystal is intended to emphasise on individual customers and their interpersonal communications rather than the processes themselves. The Crystal Methodology is perceived as a process that is very flexible and lightweight for Software Development. It Is considered an umbrella of Agile Methodologies with variants such as Crystal clear, Crystal yellow, Crystal orange and Crystal red.

h) Kanban: Kanban is another vital element of Agile Methodologies which involves managing a project using a board or a table, also known as a ‘Kanban Board’. Now, a Kanban Board is designed as a tool that assists a project team’s members in paying attention to the project’s progress. The board especially helps the team include the necessary information which is required to be imprinted on the product at every stage of its completion. The Kanban board’s ultimate purpose is to facilitate flexibility in Task Management, Continuous Improvement and enhanced workflow.    

Q5) What are the essential qualities required to be a good Agile Tester? 

A Tester who uses Agile Software Development techniques to do Software Testing is known as an Agile Tester. The following qualities make an effective Agile Tester: 

a) Knowledge of Agile concepts and guiding principles  

b) The ability to communicate effectively both with the team and the clientsC) The capacity to prioritise work in accordance with needs  

c) Should be able to comprehend the requirements accurately  

d) Realising the risks associated with a project because of shifting requirements 

e) Positivity and a focus on finding solutions  

f) Superior communication abilities  

g) Recognising and satisfying customer needs  

h) Basic understanding of the Agile approach and its tenets 

i) Critical thinking and creativity 

j) Adjusting to change 

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Q6) What do you understand by Agile Frameworks? 

Agile Frameworks refer to a set of principles and practices designed to guide the Development of Software and other projects in a flexible and iterative manner. The Agile approach emphasises collaboration, adaptability to change, and delivering small, incremental improvements regularly. It is particularly popular in Software Development but has been applied to various other fields as well.

Q7) Explain Incremental and Iterative Development in Agile. 

Here’s a detailed explanation of Incremental and Iterative Development:

Incremental Development 

The process is broken into manageable segments in this type of Development. The work finished in the preceding increment is expanded upon in each successive Increment. Functionalities are gradually added based on everything that has already been built.  

Iterative Development 

This entails creating a system that goes through repeated cycles or Iterations. Based on the outcomes of the most recent iteration, adjustments are performed. As a result, the project can change over time.

Q8) What are the best Agile tools? 

Agile employs a variety of Project Management tools, including the following: 

a) Icescrum  

b) Rally Software  

c) Agilent  

d) Version One  

e) Agilo  

f) X-planner 

Q9) What are the most important Agile metrics?

Agile metrics are of various types, of which some of the most critical ones are as follows:

a) Velocity: Velocity is an Agile metric that helps the team track the velocity of their project. As a result, all members are kept in the loop about its progress and various other performance metrics.

b) Work role allocation:  The allocation of work role is one of the most vital metrics in Agile. It helps the Project Manager allots various roles and work categories to all team members. This process helps to segregate the priority tasks as accurately as possible.

c) Sprint burndown:  A Sprint burndown allows the team to track and monitor their project’s completion progress through each Sprint and the tasks required to be completed.

d) Cumulative flow diagram: The workflow of a team can be depicted with the help of a cumulative flow diagram, where-in the horizontal (x-axis) denotes the time consumed and the vertical (y-axis) denotes the work done by the team members. Such a diagram is intended to display the many statuses of work items for a project sprint and it especially helps the team visualise its workflow management system along with the progress of the project over each cycle time. Team members can better understand the project’s current progress against its backlogs. This also includes the Work in Progress, the work accomplished and the throughput over each cycle time. 

e) Business value delivery: This is an Agile metric helps the team focus on its efficiency.

f) Coverage of time consumed: Time coverage is an Agile metric required for the development and testing of each project iteration. The time coverage can be calculated by using the ratio between the number of code lines and the number of related lines in the code.

g) Time of defect resolution: This is an Agile metric that denotes the amount of time needed to troubleshoot bugs and other issues.

Q10) When should Agile not be used?

Project Managers should take note of the following cases when they should not utilise the Agile Methodology:

a) The Agile method should not be used if the project requirements are not flexible. Agile requires a flexible approach which includes the work of the team members in multiple short bursts on a small-scale. This is usually coupled with the functioning releases of the product and testing of every release against the customer’s requirements as opposed to aiming for a single result which is only released at the end.

b) It is advisable not to use the Agile method depending on whether the project’s functionality can be divided. This means that the project’s functionality needs to be further broken down into small-sized user stories, ensuring the effective development of features and delivery of user value in increments.

c) The team’s skill level should be assessed before decided whether or not to implement the Agile method in the project. The assessment is important to understand if the team is experienced and competent enough to devote a greater level of concentration to the project tasks.

d) The customer’s availability also decides if the Agile method needs to be used, because the customer is required to remain engaged through the course of the project. The team needs them to be present for project demos and trade-off discussions.

e) The team needs to evaluate and then re-evaluate the volume of project tasks they need to complete within a fixed timeframe. A more Agile approach to the project’s time management will involve working on the requirements that are on high priority delivering more value.

Q11) Differentiate between Product Backlog and Sprint Backlog. 

The development team, typically owns the Sprint Backlog. It only includes the features and specifications that pertain to the particular Sprint. It is regarded as a portion of the backlog for the product. It is a list of everything that must be done to finish a specific sprint. It solely consists of tasks that can be completed during an Agile sprint. It is unique to the sprint target for that single sprint only.  

On the other hand, the project owner oversees the ownership of Product Backlog and upkeep. It often includes all of the product's features as well as its specifications. Everything that needs to be done to finish the procedure has been compiled. Simply put, it divides each item into a sequence of steps. It is more precise in terms of the product's intended use. 

Q12) What is Pair Programming? Explain its benefits. 

Pair Programming is Computer Programming in which two people collaborate on writing code while using the same machine or computer side by side. It's a method that's primarily employed in Agile software development. One person writes the code for this programming, and another examines and reviews each line of code. While working, they both rotate between their roles.  The following are some Pair Programming benefits: 

a) Creates code of a better standard  

b) Lowers the likelihood of mistakes  

c) Increases output  

d) Enhances team cooperation 

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Q13) What do you understand by the Agile Manifesto? What are its values and principles? 

The Agile Manifesto is essentially a collection of the values and guiding concepts used in Agile. It was created at the beginning of 2001. It includes four core values and 12 guiding principles. The development team can operate more productively, which offers a transparent and quantifiable framework that encourages teamwork, iterative development, etc. It was created specifically to enhance development techniques. The four values of Agile are as follows:   

a) Individuals and Interactions over Processes and Tools 

b) Working Software over Comprehensive Documentation 

c) Customer Collaboration over Contract Negotiation 

d) Responding to Change over Following a Plan 

The 12 principles of Agile are as follows:   

a) Customer Satisfaction 

b) Welcome Change 

c) Deliver Frequently  

d) Work Together  

e) Motivated Team 

f) Face-to-Face 

g) Working Software 

h) Constant Pace 

i) Good Design 

j) Simplicity 

k) Self-Organisation 

l) Reflect and Adjust 

Q14) What do you mean by Spike and Zero Sprint in Agile? 

Zero Sprint– In Agile development, the first Sprint's setup phase is zero Sprints. Before beginning the project, various tasks that must be completed. These tasks are referred to as the "Zero Sprint" and include creating the development environment and backlogs, among other things. 

Spike– The kind of story that can be read in between Sprints is called Spike. Spikes are frequently utilised for tasks involving design or technical challenges, such as research, design, prototyping, and exploration. Spikes come in two varieties: technical spikes and functional spikes. 

Q15) What is the appropriate way to use the Agile model? 

Agile can be used in unique advancements and methodologies, including dynamic development, Lean Software Development elements that promote growth, and crystal methodologies. But one must know how to utilise it properly. The following are some ways using which Agile can be implemented properly:

a) Work category allocation: Allocating your work into categories will provide a clear understanding of where you are devoting your time and what tasks are most important. 

b) Defect removal awareness: Observant members can generate products of high quality. 

c) The cumulative flow diagram: It is a checked uniform process where the x-axis is time, and the y-axis is the number of efforts. 

d) The sprint burndown metric: The Sprint burndown matric assists in monitoring the progress of the work being done during the sprint. 

e) Business value delivered: Every project is given 100 points and is utilised as a measurement tool. 

f) Time coverage: The ratio of the number of lines of code the test suite calls to the number of related lines of code is used to calculate the period. 

g) Defect resolution time: This refers to the procedure by which team members find and correct bugs. The process of repairing a bug involves multiple steps. 

h) Removing the picture of the virus 

i) Schedule a repair

j) Fixation of an error is done 

Q16) What is meant by Release Candidate? 

A software application ready for release but has yet to receive official approval is known as a Release Candidate. A software programme must undergo a rigorous testing procedure to ensure it satisfies all requirements before being considered a release candidate. 

Although it can also be used in other contexts, such as Product Development, the word "Release Candidate" is frequently employed in the software development industry. A Release Candidate is typically the penultimate stage before a product is formally released in Agile and Scrum. 

Q17) State the differences between Agile and Scrum. 

Agile and Scrum offer excellent customer experiences during the Software Development cycle and use comparable techniques like team-based iterations. However, neither of them can be substituted for one another. The decision to use any of them for project development mostly depends on the type of project, budget, time, and feasibility. They differ in several ways, some of which are listed below: 
 

Agile	Scrum
It is an approach employed in the administration of software and projects	It is merely an Agile variant that thoroughly outlines the procedure and its steps
It places a focus on the incremental and iterative sprint methodology	It is an application of the Agile technique
It works best for tasks that often require a small group of specialists	It works best for projects that need to handle continuously changing requirements
It takes a while to complete	It progresses slowly over time
It calls for an easy-to-understand design and implementation	It calls for creativity, originality, and execution
The project manager oversees and manages every task in this	In this, the entire team takes on and manages all tasks and problems
It places a strong emphasis on direct communication to attain desired outcomes	It concentrates on generating the most business value possible
It is a less rigorous approach that allows for more change	It is a less flexible strategy

 

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Q18) What are Burn-up and Burn-down charts in Agile?

The two kinds of charts, namely Burn-up and Burn-down in Agile, are described as follows:

a) Burn-up chart: This type of a chart in Agile is utilised to visually represent the work that has been successfully accomplished. It also illustrates the amount of work that is required to be done for a Sprint or an iteration in the project. Additionally, this chart measures the project’s progress in and makes the process more convenient for Project Managers and their teams to assess the amount of accomplished work. The project’s schedule can also be tracked during a Sprint in a Scrum meeting. The Burn-up chart is essentially divided into two lines, one of which tracks the planned work and the other that tracks the completed work. These two data lines help Project Managers determine the work efficiency of their team, ultimately helping them estimate the total time remaining in the project.

b) Burn-down chart: A Scrum team can use a Burn-down chart to visualise the pace at which the team is working with the user stories of customers. The chart basically captures the feature’s description from the perspective of the end-user along with the total effort measured against the work volume for every iteration of the project. The work’s quantity is depicted on the vertical Y-axis and the time consumed since the start of the project is depicted on the horizontal X-axis. The time shows both the past and the future of the project.

Q19) What are the various kinds of Burndown charts? 

A Burndown chart graphically shows the amount of work still to be done in a Sprint. It monitors the Sprint's development and spots any potential issues. Here is a list that highlights and describes the various types of Burndown charts:

a) Product Burndown chart: This chart is utilised as part of the Agile methodology to illustrate the many data story points of every Agile sprint completed. It basically helps depict the completion of project requirements against the total time consumed. More importantly, it illustrates the number of product goals that have been achieved by the project team along with the amount of work pending for completion.

b) Sprint Burndown chart: This chart is used to illustrate the remaining project tasks for the Scrum team of a specific Agile sprint. It helps ease the overall workflow for the team and makes it visible to the whole team. It additionally displays the rate of completion for the project work and the amount of work remaining.

c) Release Burndown chart: This chart basically helps illustrate the team’s progress for a certain portion of project work aimed at a release. The Scrum team updates the chart after the commencement of each Agile sprint, because it is crucial for the team to regularly assess the project’s process during every sprint. 

d) Defect Burndown chart: This is the fourth type of Burn-Down chart in the Agile Methodology that is utilised to display all the defects in the project. These defects are being identified and consequently repaired or eliminated from the project altogether.

Q20) 17) What do you understand about the 'Planning Poker' technique? 

A consensus-based technique called Planning Poker, commonly called Scrum Poker, aids Agile teams in estimating the time and effort needed to finish each initiative on their Product Backlog. It also while identifies problems early on and throughout the development of a user story. It shortens the meeting, makes it more productive, and involves the entire team in creating estimations. The primary purpose of this technique is to prevent participant influence and compel everyone to think for themselves and express their opinions. 

Q21)  What are the major components of Agile? 

The major Agile components are as follows: 

a) Test-driven development

b) Continuous deployment

c) Pair programming 

d) Class responsibilities and collaborators cards 

e) Daily stand-up meetings 

Q22) Explain the differences between the Agile methodology and Traditional methodology of Software Development.

Here are the various differences between the Agile methodology and Traditional methodology, described in the table below as shown:

 

Agile methodology	Traditional methodology
Agile is pivotal foron teamwork, customer collaboration, software features and flexibility	The traditional methodology emphasises on planning upfront and other factors such as scope, cost and time
Testing in Agile is typically conducted concurrently with the development activity	Testing in the traditional method is typically carried out at the end of the software development phase
Testing in Agile, is performed on small features	Testing by traditional means is done on the whole application
Agile methods involve the project’s stakeholders including the customers	The Traditional method does not involve the stakeholders in the development phase
Testers and developers generally work collaboratively to achieve the project goals	Testers and developers work in isolation in the traditional methodology
Testers and developers work in tandem with customers at every step of the software development process	Testers and developers work with customers only at the requirement phase
The processes in Agile are more focused and flexible	The processes in the traditional methodology are less flexible
Agile methods are more suited to large and expansive projects	Traditional methods are more suited to small or simple projects

 

Q23) Why do companies adopt the Agile methodology?

 

Companies adopt the Agile methodology due to some key reasons, which are as follows:

a) Faster time-to-market: The incremental approach of the Agile method coupled with its continuous delivery reduce the total time-to-market during the product creation process.

b) Rapid Return On Investment (ROI): The decrease in the time-to-market helps the team get a rapid ROI

c) High-level product quality: Since the Agile method is a continuous improvement process, it aids teams in creating superior products with its iterative development approach

d) Decreased risk: The risks are mitigated by testing every phase of development and avoiding any expensive risks from arising.

e) Improved adaptability: Agile enables an organisation to segregate itself into smaller units which can work in collaboration to reduce the project’s complexities while helping employees work more efficiently.

f) More satisfied customers: Agile is heavily reliant on the clients’ feedback and ensures the fulfilment of their business needs

Q24) What is the Release Burndown chart?

A Release burn-down chart is a type of chart that depicts the summary for the project’s release progress by displaying the remaining work after the commencement of each Agile Sprint, against the ideal workload. It basically offers the team with an overview of the release progress, depicting the sprints on the horizontal x-axis and the remaining work on the vertical y-axis.

Q25) Define an epic, user story and tasks in Agile.

Here are the three facets of Agile, defined briefly as follows:

a) Epic: An epic in Agile is a massive body of project work which can be segregated into many small-sized user stories. Such user stories are also called ‘issues’ in Jira. These epics typically contain various teams assigned to multiple projects that are trackable on many boards. 

b) User story: A software system can be described using an informal, natural language description. Such a description is known as a ‘User story’, which is generally written from an end-user's perspective. User stories can also be recorded on index cards or in a digital format on Project Management Software.

c) Task: When a user story in Agile is broken down to a smaller unit of work. It is termed as a task, which is generally worked on and completed by a single team member.

Q26) How is a Sprint’s velocity measured?

An Agile Sprint’s velocity can be calculated with a mathematical approach, where the backlog items are divided by the total length of the team’s Sprint in days. In other words, the project’s story points are divided the number of sprints. For example, if the Scrum team has completed 100 points over the course of 5 sprints, then the sprint’s velocity is calculated to be 20 points per sprint.

Conclusion 

After reading the Agile Interview Questions mentioned in the blog, you might now clearly understand the Agile methodology . We hope that these interview questions that will help you ace your interviews and achieve the dream job you are looking for. 

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