PMI-ACP Practice Questions #97
An e-commerce company has been developing a new online shopping experience, and the team has completed three major releases over the past few months. These releases have introduced:
✔ Enhanced product search and filtering options
✔ A streamlined checkout process
✔ Improved order tracking and notifications
With several new features implemented, the Product Owner now wants to evaluate the success of past work and determine whether these updates have had a positive impact on business and user experience.
Which of the following metrics would be the best for evaluating the success of past releases?
A. Deployment Frequency – Measures how often new features and updates are released.
B. Sprint Velocity – Measures how many story points the development team has completed per sprint.
C. Conversion Rate – Tracks the percentage of visitors who complete a purchase after interacting with the new features.
D. Feature Burndown Chart – Shows the number of completed features versus pending items in the backlog.
Analysis
The question requires identifying the best metric to evaluate the success of past releases for an e-commerce platform that has introduced enhanced product search, a streamlined checkout process, and improved order tracking. The key focus is on measuring impact on business and user experience, rather than tracking development speed or process efficiency.
Metrics such as deployment frequency, sprint velocity, and feature burndown charts focus on development efficiency and planning, but they do not measure whether the implemented features are improving user engagement and business outcomes. The most relevant metric should assess how the new features impact user behavior, specifically whether they drive higher conversions and improved user experience.
Analysis of Options
A: Deployment Frequency – Measures how often new features and updates are released.
Deployment frequency is a useful metric for tracking the efficiency of development and release processes, but it does not indicate whether the new features are improving business performance. A high deployment frequency does not necessarily mean users are benefiting from the changes. The question is about evaluating the impact of past releases, not how often updates are made, making this an unsuitable choice.
B: Sprint Velocity – Measures how many story points the development team has completed per sprint.
Sprint velocity is a team performance metric that helps track how much work is being completed in each sprint. While useful for predicting development speed and planning future work, it does not measure the success of past features from a business or user perspective. Since the focus of the question is on evaluating business impact and user experience, sprint velocity is not the right metric.
C: Conversion Rate – Tracks the percentage of visitors who complete a purchase after interacting with the new features.
Conversion rate is the best metric for evaluating the success of past releases because it directly measures how effectively the new features are driving purchases. If the enhanced search, streamlined checkout, and improved order tracking are positively impacting user behavior, the conversion rate should improve. If the conversion rate remains unchanged or declines, it suggests that the new features are not providing the expected business value. This metric aligns with the product owner’s goal of measuring business success and user experience improvements.
D: Feature Burndown Chart – Shows the number of completed features versus pending items in the backlog.
A feature burndown chart tracks development progress by showing how many features have been completed versus how many remain. While useful for understanding how much work has been done, it does not measure whether those completed features have improved the business or user experience. The question asks for a metric that evaluates impact, not work completion, making this an incorrect choice.
Conclusion
The best choice is Option C (Conversion Rate) because it directly measures the impact of past feature releases on user behavior and business success. This metric helps the Product Owner evaluate whether the new features have improved user engagement and increased sales, making it the most effective measure of success. Agile focuses on delivering value, and conversion rate is a direct indicator of whether value has been realized from past releases.
PMI – ACP Exam Content Outline Mapping
| Domain | Task |
| Product | Visualize Work |
Topics Covered:
- Conversion Rate as a key metric for evaluating past feature success
- Measuring business impact and user experience improvements
- Differentiating between development efficiency vs. user behavior impact
- Aligning Agile product evaluation with real-world customer interactions and business outcomes
- Ensuring data-driven decision-making for future backlog prioritization
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