Kanban overview in Software Engineering - Practice Problems & Coding Challenges

Challenge - 5 Problems

🧠 Conceptual

intermediate

Understanding Kanban Board Columns

In a typical Kanban board, what does the column labeled "In Progress" represent?

A Tasks that have been rejected or removed

B Tasks that have been completed and are ready for review

C Tasks that have not yet been started

D Tasks that are currently being worked on

💡 Hint

Think about the flow of work from start to finish.

The "In Progress" column shows tasks that team members are actively working on. It is the middle stage between "To Do" and "Done".

📋 Factual

intermediate

Kanban Work In Progress Limits

What is the main purpose of setting Work In Progress (WIP) limits in Kanban?

A To increase the number of tasks started simultaneously

B To assign tasks to specific team members

C To restrict the number of tasks being worked on at the same time

D To prioritize tasks based on deadlines

💡 Hint

Consider how limiting tasks helps manage focus and flow.

WIP limits help prevent overloading the team by restricting how many tasks can be in progress at once, improving focus and flow.

🔍 Analysis

advanced

Identifying Bottlenecks in Kanban

Which of the following scenarios best indicates a bottleneck in a Kanban process?

A Tasks move quickly from "To Do" to "Done" without delay

B The "In Progress" column has many tasks waiting longer than usual

C The "Done" column is empty at the end of the day

D New tasks are added to the "To Do" column daily

💡 Hint

Look for where tasks pile up and slow down.

A bottleneck occurs when tasks accumulate in one stage, such as "In Progress," causing delays and reducing flow efficiency.

❓ Comparison

advanced

Kanban vs Scrum Focus

Which statement best describes a key difference between Kanban and Scrum?

A Kanban focuses on continuous flow, Scrum focuses on time-boxed sprints

B Kanban uses fixed-length iterations, Scrum does not

C Scrum limits work in progress, Kanban does not

D Scrum does not use boards, Kanban always uses boards

💡 Hint

Think about how work is organized over time in each method.

Kanban emphasizes continuous flow of work without fixed time periods, while Scrum organizes work into fixed-length sprints.

❓ Reasoning

expert

Effect of Removing WIP Limits in Kanban

What is the most likely effect of removing Work In Progress (WIP) limits from a Kanban system?

A Work may pile up causing delays and reduced overall efficiency

B Tasks will flow faster because more work can be done simultaneously

C Team members will focus better on fewer tasks at a time

D The Kanban board will automatically reorder tasks to optimize flow

💡 Hint

Consider what happens when too many tasks are started at once.

Without WIP limits, too many tasks can be started simultaneously, causing bottlenecks and slowing overall progress.