PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (ACP) Practice Exam

What does grooming refer to in Agile methodology?

1. Implementing new features in the product

2. Cleaning up the product backlog by removing or estimating items

3. Assigning tasks to team members

4. Setting deadlines for deliverables

The correct answer is: Cleaning up the product backlog by removing or estimating items

In Agile methodology, grooming, often referred to as backlog refinement, is the process of reviewing and updating the product backlog to ensure it remains relevant and actionable. This involves various activities such as removing outdated or irrelevant items, adding new items that reflect changes in project requirements, and estimating items to clarify the effort required for their implementation. The importance of grooming lies in maintaining a prioritized and clear backlog that the development team can work from in future sprints. By ensuring that the backlog is well-organized and that stories or tasks are properly estimated, the team can plan more effectively and mitigate risks that come from uncertainty. The other options do not align with the concept of grooming. While implementing new features is a part of Agile, it is not what grooming refers to. Similarly, assigning tasks to team members is part of the daily standups or sprint planning sessions, and setting deadlines for deliverables may occur in planning but is not a function of grooming the backlog. Therefore, option B accurately captures the essence of what grooming means in Agile methodology.