Daily standup and sprint review in Software Engineering - Cheat Sheet & Quick Revision

Recall & Review

beginner

What is the main purpose of a daily standup meeting?

The daily standup is a short meeting where team members share what they did yesterday, what they plan to do today, and any obstacles they face. It helps keep everyone aligned and identifies issues early.

beginner

How long should a daily standup typically last?

A daily standup should last about 15 minutes or less to keep it focused and efficient.

beginner

What is a sprint review meeting?

A sprint review is a meeting held at the end of a sprint where the team shows what they have completed to stakeholders and gathers feedback to improve future work.

beginner

Who usually attends a sprint review?

The sprint review is attended by the development team, product owner, scrum master, and stakeholders such as customers or managers.

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Why is feedback important during a sprint review?

Feedback helps the team understand if the product meets expectations and what changes or improvements are needed for the next sprint.

What question is NOT typically asked during a daily standup?

A What did you do yesterday?

B What will you do today?

C What obstacles are you facing?

D What is the budget for the project?

Daily standups focus on daily progress and obstacles, not budget discussions.

When is a sprint review usually held?

A At the start of the sprint

B In the middle of the sprint

C At the end of the sprint

D After the project is completed

Sprint reviews happen at the end of each sprint to review completed work.

Who leads the daily standup meeting?

A Scrum Master or team facilitator

B Product Owner

C Project Manager

D Stakeholders

The Scrum Master or a team facilitator usually leads the daily standup to keep it on track.

What is a key outcome of a sprint review?

A Gathering feedback on the product increment

B Assigning new tasks for the sprint

C Planning the daily standup schedule

D Writing detailed technical documentation

Sprint reviews focus on showing completed work and getting feedback.

How often are daily standups held?

A Once a week

B Every day

C Once per sprint

D Only when problems arise

Daily standups are held every day to keep the team aligned.

Explain the purpose and typical structure of a daily standup meeting.

Think about how teams quickly update each other every day.

Describe what happens during a sprint review and why it is important.

Consider how feedback helps improve the product.

Practice

1. What is the main purpose of a daily standup meeting in agile teams?

easy

A. To conduct detailed technical discussions

B. To review the completed sprint work with stakeholders

C. To plan the entire project timeline

D. To share quick updates and identify any blockers

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand the daily standup purpose

   Daily standups are short meetings where team members share what they did, what they will do, and any problems.

2. Step 2: Compare options with this purpose

   Only To share quick updates and identify any blockers matches this purpose by focusing on quick updates and blockers.

3. Final Answer:

   To share quick updates and identify any blockers -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   Daily standup = quick updates and blockers [OK]

Hint: Daily standups = quick updates, not detailed reviews [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing daily standup with sprint review
• Thinking daily standup is for detailed planning
• Assuming daily standup includes stakeholders

2. Which of the following is the correct typical order of topics in a daily standup?

easy

A. Sprint goals, completed tasks, next sprint planning

B. What I did yesterday, what I will do today, any blockers

C. Project budget, resource allocation, risk assessment

D. Code review, testing results, deployment schedule

Solution

1. Step 1: Recall daily standup structure

   Daily standups usually follow: what was done yesterday, plans for today, and blockers.

2. Step 2: Match options to this structure

   What I did yesterday, what I will do today, any blockers matches this order exactly, others describe different meetings or topics.

3. Final Answer:

   What I did yesterday, what I will do today, any blockers -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   Daily standup order = yesterday, today, blockers [OK]

Hint: Daily standup = yesterday, today, blockers order [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Mixing sprint review topics with daily standup
• Including unrelated project management topics
• Confusing order of updates

3. During a sprint review, the team demonstrates completed features. Which of the following is NOT a typical outcome of this meeting?

medium

A. Assigning daily tasks for the team members

B. Gathering feedback from stakeholders

C. Planning improvements for the next sprint

D. Celebrating completed work and achievements

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand sprint review goals

   Sprint reviews focus on showing work done, getting feedback, and planning improvements.

2. Step 2: Identify which option does not fit

   Assigning daily tasks is done in daily standups or sprint planning, not sprint review.

3. Final Answer:

   Assigning daily tasks for the team members -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Sprint review ≠ assigning daily tasks [OK]

Hint: Sprint review = feedback and demo, not daily task assignment [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing sprint review with sprint planning
• Thinking sprint review sets daily tasks
• Ignoring the feedback and demo focus

4. A team member says in the daily standup: "I am blocked because I need access to the database." What is the best way to fix this issue during the meeting?

medium

A. Ignore it and continue with the meeting

B. Ask the team member to fix it alone

C. Note the blocker and assign someone to help after the meeting

D. Delay the entire meeting until the blocker is resolved

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify proper handling of blockers in daily standup

   Blockers should be noted and addressed quickly but not delay the meeting.

2. Step 2: Evaluate options for best practice

   Note the blocker and assign someone to help after the meeting correctly notes the blocker and plans help after the meeting, keeping the standup efficient.

3. Final Answer:

   Note the blocker and assign someone to help after the meeting -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   Blockers = note and resolve after meeting [OK]

Hint: Blockers noted, help assigned after standup, don't delay meeting [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Ignoring blockers during standup
• Trying to solve blockers during the standup
• Delaying the whole meeting for one issue

5. A sprint review shows that some features are incomplete due to underestimated tasks. How should the team use this information in the next sprint planning?

hard

A. Include buffer time and re-estimate tasks more carefully

B. Assign all tasks to the team lead to control progress

C. Reduce the sprint length to avoid delays

D. Ignore the incomplete features and move on

Solution

1. Step 1: Analyze the impact of incomplete features

   Incomplete features indicate estimation or planning issues that need adjustment.

2. Step 2: Determine best practice for next sprint planning

   Including buffer time and better estimation helps avoid repeating the problem, as in Include buffer time and re-estimate tasks more carefully.

3. Final Answer:

   Include buffer time and re-estimate tasks more carefully -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Use feedback to improve estimates and planning [OK]

Hint: Use sprint review feedback to improve next sprint estimates [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Ignoring feedback from sprint review
• Changing sprint length without reason
• Centralizing tasks to one person unnecessarily