PMP Practice Questions #154
To evaluate the effectiveness of the user stories for a mobile app designed to support the shopping of cakes and bakery items, consider the following user stories:
User Story A: As a regular buyer, I want to reorder my last order so that I can place the order faster.
User Story B: As a user, I want to have the application designed using new technology so my developers can maintain it.
User Story C: As a developer, I want to use unit testing so that I can write defect-free code.
Choose the option that correctly identifies the best user story for agile development:
A. Story A
B. Story B
C. Story C
D. None of the stories are good
Analysis
In evaluating the effectiveness of user stories for a mobile app designed to support the shopping of cakes and bakery items, it’s essential to determine which user story aligns best with the principles of a good user story. A good user story should be customer-focused, provide clear value, be concise, and follow the INVEST criteria (Independent, Negotiable, Valuable, Estimable, Small, Testable).
Analysis of Options:
Option A: As a regular buyer, I want to reorder my last order so that I can place the order faster. This user story is well-crafted for a good user story criteria. It follows the INVEST property. It can be implemented independently of other stories, making it independent. The details can be adjusted through discussions with the development team, showing it is negotiable. It provides clear value to the user by allowing faster reordering, which makes it valuable. The team can estimate the effort required to implement it, indicating it is estimable. The scope is limited and manageable, showing it is small. It is clear how to verify if the story is successfully implemented, demonstrating it is testable.
This story specifies a user role (regular buyer), the desired action (reorder last order), and the benefit (place the order faster). It aligns with agile principles of delivering customer value and improving user satisfaction through efficient ordering processes.
Option B: As a user, I want to have the application designed using new technology so my developers can maintain it. This user story is less effective because it lacks specificity and focuses on technical implementation rather than user needs. It fails several INVEST criteria. It may depend on other technical decisions, which makes it not fully independent. The requirement is vague and not easily negotiable. The primary value is for developers, not end users, which makes it less valuable. The effort is hard to estimate without more details, indicating it is not easily estimable. The scope is too broad, making it not small. It’s unclear how to test if the story’s goal is met, showing it is not testable.
The term “user” is too generic, and the goal benefits developers rather than the end users, making it less suitable for agile development.
Option C: As a developer, I want to use unit testing so that I can write defect-free code. This story focuses on a developer’s task rather than a user’s need and fails several INVEST criteria. It may be part of a broader testing strategy, which means it is not fully independent. It is a specific technical practice, not easily negotiable. The value is more for the development process than the end user, making it less valuable. The effort is unclear without context, indicating it is not easily estimable. The scope is narrow but not aligned with user stories, which means it is not small. It’s testable as a task but not as a user story.
User stories should represent the perspective of the end user or customer, not the development team, making this story inappropriate.Option D: None of the stories are good.This option is incorrect as Option A is a well-formed user story that meets the criteria for agile development.
Conclusion: The best user story for agile development is Option A: “As a regular buyer, I want to reorder my last order so that I can place the order faster.” This user story is customer-focused, provides clear value, and is well-structured, aligning with INVEST property
PMP Exam Content Outline Mapping
| Domain | Task |
|---|---|
| Process | Task 8: Plan and manage scope |
Topics Covered
- User Stories
