A value stream map shows that a team's development phase has a 30% rework rate due to ambiguous requirements, while the testing phase has a 50% utilization rate. The team is considering two improvements: (1) invest in a requirements clarification workshop, or (2) add automated testing to reduce manual testing time. Which improvement should the team prioritize based on the value stream data?

The requirements workshop, because it addresses the root cause of rework that feeds into testing

Neither improvement, because the value stream data is not sufficient to make a decision

Automated testing, because it directly increases the testing phase utilization

Both improvements, because they address different phases of the value stream

A team wants to identify waste in their deployment process. They have a value stream map but are unsure which steps are non-value-adding. Which technique would BEST help them classify each step as value-adding or waste?

Ask the deployment team which steps they dislike

Compare the deployment process to a competitor's process

Time each step and mark the slowest ones as waste

Walk through each step and ask whether it transforms the product or is required by the customer

In a value stream, which step is most likely a non-value-adding activity?

A code review that finds and fixes a security vulnerability

A manual approval step that takes two days and is always approved

A deployment script that reduces release time from hours to minutes

Automated unit tests that run in under a minute

How does waste, such as excessive waiting between steps, most directly affect delivery flow?

It increases lead time and reduces throughput

It improves flow by giving teams more time to think

It has no effect on flow if the team is busy

It only affects quality, not flow

Certified Tester Agile Test Leadership at Scale

Domain 2Objective 5

Identify Non-Value-Adding Activities (Waste) CT-ATLAS Practice Questions (Page 1)

Part of the Improve Quality and Flow in a Value-Driven Organization domain, which makes up ~24% of our current practice bank. ISTQB does not publish an official question count, but from its 120-minute exam (~50–80 total, ~12–19 in this domain), expect 2–4 from this objective — we provide 25 practice questions to prepare you well beyond it. (estimate)

25questions here

5free pages

6concepts

Questions 1–5

1expert · hard
A value stream map shows that a team's development phase has a 30% rework rate due to ambiguous requirements, while the testing phase has a 50% utilization rate. The team is considering two improvements: (1) invest in a requirements clarification workshop, or (2) add automated testing to reduce manual testing time. Which improvement should the team prioritize based on the value stream data?
Select an answer first
2application · medium
A team wants to identify waste in their deployment process. They have a value stream map but are unsure which steps are non-value-adding. Which technique would BEST help them classify each step as value-adding or waste?
Select an answer first
3foundation · easy
In a value stream, which step is most likely a non-value-adding activity?
Select an answer first
4foundation · easy
A team spends two days waiting for a security review before they can deploy. Which category of waste does this represent?
Select an answer first
5foundation · easy
How does waste, such as excessive waiting between steps, most directly affect delivery flow?
Select an answer first

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Identify Non-Value-Adding Activities (Waste) CT-ATLAS Practice Questions (Page 1)

Questions 1–5

A team wants to identify waste in their deployment process. They have a value stream map but are unsure which steps are non-value-adding. Which technique would BEST help them classify each step as value-adding or waste?

In a value stream, which step is most likely a non-value-adding activity?

A team spends two days waiting for a security review before they can deploy. Which category of waste does this represent?

How does waste, such as excessive waiting between steps, most directly affect delivery flow?

Keep studying — Improve Quality and Flow in a Value-Driven Organization