Top 12 Agile Interview Questions and Answers in 2021

Agile is one of the most popular principles used by organizations around the world. By enabling teams to provide value, to work in small increments, and to respond to changes quickly, Agile has become a trusted methodology across the world. In this article on ‘Agile Interview Questions’, we’re going to have a look at some important questions that will help you land the job you’re looking for within the domain. So here it goes.

Agile Interview Questions

1. Explain Agile in brief. 

Agile is a popular set of methods and practices that majorly focuses on interactive development. Thanks to self-organizing collaborations between cross-functional teams, the requirements from their customers and potential solutions are obtained. 

2. Explain the difference between the traditional Waterfall model and the Agile model.

Agile	Waterfall
It is a continuous iteration lifecycle model used for developing and testing software	It is a linear sequential lifecycle model for developing and testing software
It is a flexible method to build a software	It is a rigid and structured method for software development
It is highly collaborative, thus yielding quality output	It follows a rigid sequence of steps, hence team collaboration is difficult
The process of development is divided into sprints	The process is broken down into several phases
Changes can be made even after the initial planning is completed	Once the project development has started, development requirements cannot be changed
Development is a collection of many projects	Development is completed as a simple project or deliverable
Testing is performed in the same iteration	The testing phase follows the build phase

3. What are some important parts of the Agile process

The different principles of Agile are:

1. Customer Satisfaction

The needs of the customer need to be satisfied with the early and quick delivery of the product.

2. Welcome Changes

Changing needs need to be addressed, even if they are brought in late in the development process.

3. Deliver Frequently

Ensure frequent product delivery within a short timeframe, thanks to a clear cut understanding of the product.

4. Work Together

Developers and other team members need to work together through in collaboration with the course of the project.

5. Motivated Team

Motivated and driven individuals who are trusted to get the job done can ensure the success of the project.

6. Face-to-Face Conversations

Having face-to-face conversations is proven as the most efficient method for communication.

7. Working Software

This represents the primary measure of progress.

8. Constant Pace

With a constant pace, the agile process enables optimum sustainable development.

9. Good Design

By focusing on technical excellence and great design, the agility of the project can be improved drastically.

10. Simplicity

The amount of time spent not doing work has to be minimized and simplified.

11. Self-Organized

Self-organized teams provide the best architectures, requirements, and designs.

12. Reflect and Adjust

The effectiveness of the Agile process can be improved by regularly reflecting on it.

4. Explain Iterative and Incremental Development in Agile.

To understand how these processes work in Agile, we’ll have to talk about each one of them individually.

Incremental Development

In this form of development, the process is divided into small, workable increments. Each succeeding increment builds on the work completed in the previous increment. Over time, functionalities are added based on everything already created.

Iterative Development

This involves the development of a system that follows repeated cycles or iterations. Changes are made based on results from the most recent iteration. This enables the project to evolve over time.

Agile: Incremental+Iterative

The agile process involves the consideration and creation of a working product in an iteration, which is a part of the final product. Each successive iteration is one step further towards the final product. This continues until all product functionalities are satisfied. 

Organizations and users use the working product and provide feedback that’s incorporated into the next iteration. With this, product roadmaps can be built, produced, and tested before the next iteration.

This is one of the most common and important Agile Interview Questions that everyone should know the answers to.

5. What are the different types of Agile methodologies?

1. Extreme Programming

It is a framework that enables teams to create high-quality software that helps improve their quality of life. It enables software development alongside relevant and appropriate engineering practices. It is applicable to handle changing software requirements, risks caused due to new software, working with a small, extended development team, and technology that allows automated unit and functional tests.

2. Kanban

It is a method that’s used to design, manage, and improve the flow of systems. Kanban enables organizations to visualize their flow of work and limit the amount of work in progress. It is used in situations where work arrives unpredictably, and where work needs to be deployed immediately without waiting for other work items. 

3. Lean

It is a set of tools and principles that focuses on identifying and removing waste, to speed up process development. Value is maximized, and waste is minimized. It is used in just about every industry that produces waste in some form or the other. 

4. Scrum

It is a framework that is used by teams to establish a hypothesis, test it, reflect on the experience, and make adjustments. It enables teams to incorporate practices from other frameworks depending on the requirements. It is used by cross-functional teams that are working on product development, and the work is split into more than one 2-4 week iterations. 

5. Crystal

It focuses on people and their interactions, rather than on tools and processes. Aimed to streamline processes and improve optimization, Crystal works on the principle that projects are unique and dynamic. It is used when the focus is on strengthening team communication, continuous integration, active user involvement, and configurable processes. 

6. What Are the Principles of Agile Testing?

• Testing continuously to ensure continuous improvement of the product
• Continuous feedback to ensure the product satisfies the business requirements
• Team roles like testing and development need to be actively involved in the testing process
• Actively involving the business team and user representatives can help obtain quick feedback for each iteration
• Clean and simplified code ensures it is defect-free during the iteration
• Documentation created must limit itself to a particular iteration
• Testing is done alongside development and implementation, to ensure that the product is free from defects
• Involving the user ensures the final product matches their requirements

7. What are some Agile metrics that need to be focused on?

• 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

8. What Is Kanban?

Kanban is a visual system that helps the management of work as it progresses through the process. It visualizes and provides visibility into the process, workflows, and the work that’s passing through the process. It is also known as a pull system, as new work is pulled from a list, executed, and moved from ‘in-progress’ status to ‘done’ Tracking work is also made easier as the workflow is visible and put on a display board. Modern organizations can also use the digital display systems. 

In Kanban, the goal is to identify constraints or potential bottlenecks in the process and ensure they are addressed. It also helps make the workflow smoother and more efficient. 

9. What are some popular Agile tools?

10. What are the obstacles to the Agile process?

Some of the obstacles that could be faced are: 

• Not having appropriate or sufficient tools and technologies
• The lack of active involvement from the customers
• Team members that are lacking in skills and capability
• The inability to design systems based on unseen requirements
• Successfully adopting the Agile culture to the organization

11. Differentiate between Agile and Scrum. 

Agile	Scrum
It is a set of principles that’s iterative and incremental in nature	It is an implementation of the Agile methodology
Suited for projects involving a small team of experts	Used in teams that need to handle constant changing requirements
The project head takes care of all tasks and is vital to the project	No leader. Issues are handled by the scrum master and the team
Changes cannot be handled frequently	Teams can react to change quickly
Requires frequent delivery to the end-user	Sprints provide workable builds of the final product to the user for feedback
Face-to-face interactions between cross-functional teams	Daily stand-up meetings help with collaboration
Design and execution is simple	Design and execution can be innovative and experimental

12. What are some popular Agile certifications? 

• PMI-ACP Certification
• Scrum Master Certification
• Certified Scrum Master Certification
• Prince 2 Agile Certification
• Scrum Product Owner Certification

Gain deep insights into the highly popular Agile Scrum project methodology with the Agile Scrum Master Certification Training! Check out the course now.

Next Steps

In this article on Agile Interview Questions, we covered some important questions that’ll get you the dream job you’re looking for. Think you need a more advanced upskilling? You can check out Simplilearn’s Agile Scrum Master Certification Training Course. In this course, we cover how Agile can be implemented, different Agile methodologies, Scrum concepts, and much more in detail. The course will also enhance your ability to develop and deliver quality products to customers. 

And in case you have any questions, let us know in the comment section of this ‘Agile Interview Questions’ article, and our experts will get back to you at the earliest.