Questions for the SAFE-APM were updated on : Nov 21 ,2025
Where are opportunities found in the strategic sweet spot?
D
Explanation:
The strategic sweet spot of a company is where it meets customer’s needs in a way that rivals can’t,
given the context in which it competes12
. It is where the company’s capabilities match customer
needs in a way that the competition can’t. Finding the strategic sweet spot is a key challenge of
strategic thinking and a source of competitive advantage.
Reference:
How to find your strategic sweet spot and why it matters
The Strategic Sweet Spot - Harvard Business Review
Which artifact do Product Managers create to facilitate alignment with Product Owners (POs)
working on the same ART?
D
Explanation:
A roadmap is an artifact that shows the planned features and milestones for a solution over a
timeline. It helps Product Managers communicate the vision and strategy to Product Owners and
other stakeholders, and align them on the priorities and dependencies of the work. A roadmap also
provides a feedback loop for validating assumptions and adapting to changing customer needs and
market conditions.
Reference:
SAFe Roadmap
Product and Solution Management
Product Owner
Which element of Solution Intent helps drive a Solution Roadmap?
B
Explanation:
A product vision is a statement that describes the desired outcome and value proposition of a
solution. It helps guide the development of the solution by providing a clear and compelling
direction. A product vision also helps drive a solution roadmap, which shows the planned features
and milestones for the solution over a timeline. A product vision is part of the solution intent, which
is the repository of the current and intended solution behavior and design.
Reference:
Solution Intent
Solution Vision
Roadmap
Solution Management
When calculating Weighted Shortest Job First (WSJF), what action should be taken?
B
Explanation:
According to the SAFe® Agile Product Management APM (6.0) documents and learning resources,
Weighted Shortest Job First (WSJF) is a prioritization model used to sequence work for maximum
economic benefit. It is calculated by dividing the cost of delay by the job duration or size. To estimate
the cost of delay, three factors are considered: user and business value, time criticality, and risk
reduction or opportunity enablement. To estimate the job duration or size, a relative scale such as
Fibonacci is used. The highest value in the Fibonacci scale is set as the “ceiling” and the lowest value
is set as the “floor”. The items are then scored by comparing them to the ceiling and the floor, and
assigning them the closest Fibonacci number. The WSJF score is then obtained by dividing the cost of
delay score by the job duration or size score. The items with the highest WSJF score are prioritized
first.
Reference:
WSJF - Scaled Agile Framework
Weighted Shortest Job First (WSJF) | Definition and Overview - ProductPlan
Weighted Shortest Job First - Open Practice Library
Which stakeholder(s) could best provide current business feedback to guide Feature enhancements?
A
Explanation:
According to the SAFe® Agile Product Management APM (6.0) documents and learning resources,
Business Owners are key ART stakeholders who have the primary business and technical
responsibility for return on investment (ROI), governance, and compliance. They are critical for
evaluating fitness for use and actively participating in solution development. They can provide
current business feedback to guide feature enhancements by assessing the value proposition, the
competitive advantage, and the expected market share of the features. They can also help align the
features with the product vision and roadmap, and prioritize them based on the WSJF method.
Reference:
Business Owners - Scaled Agile Framework
Customer Centricity - Scaled Agile Framework
WSJF - Scaled Agile Framework
Which factor must be included when building a model of market segment value?
C
Explanation:
According to the SAFe® Agile Product Management APM (6.0) documents and learning resources,
market segment value is the total value of a specific market segment for a given solution. It is
calculated by multiplying the number of potential customers in the segment by the average revenue
per customer and the expected market share. The expected market share depends on several factors,
such as the value proposition, the competitive advantage, and the number of existing competitors.
Therefore, the number of existing competitors is a factor that must be included when building a
model of market segment value.
Reference:
Agile Product Management - Scaled Agile Framework
Customer Centricity - Scaled Agile Framework
5.4 Essential Factors in Effective Market Segmentation
What information does a Product Manager contribute during PI Planning?
A
Explanation:
According to the SAFe® Agile Product Management APM (6.0) documents and learning resources, the
Product Manager is responsible for defining and communicating the product vision and roadmap to
the Agile Release Train (ART) during PI Planning. The product vision describes the future state of the
product and the value it will deliver to the customers and the enterprise. The roadmap outlines the
features and enablers that will realize the vision over time. The Product Manager also presents the
top 10 features for the upcoming Program Increment (PI) and their priorities based on the Weighted
Shortest Job First (WSJF) method.
Reference:
Agile Product Management - Scaled Agile Framework
Product and Solution Management - Scaled Agile Framework
PI Planning - Scaled Agile Framework
WSJF - Scaled Agile Framework
What innovation context type refers to the innovations we find when looking at integrated, end-to-
end products and service offerings to solve complex market problems across trains?
D
Explanation:
According to the SAFe® Agile Product Management APM (6.0) documents and learning resources,
innovation context type refers to the level of uncertainty and risk associated with the innovation.
There are four types of innovation context: portfolio, solution, feature, and business agility. Solution
context type is the most complex and uncertain type, as it involves creating integrated, end-to-end
products and service offerings that solve complex market problems across trains. Solution context
type requires a high degree of collaboration and alignment among multiple teams and stakeholders,
as well as frequent experimentation and validation of assumptions.
Reference:
SAFe Innovation Framework for Lean Enterprises: What to Know
Solution Context - Scaled Agile Framework
Which is a good example of a pivot that would indicate that Customers want to pay in a different
way?
C
Explanation:
A value exchange pivot is a type of pivot that changes the way customers pay for the product or
service, or the way the business generates revenue from the product or service. A value exchange
pivot would indicate that customers want to pay in a different way, because it reflects a change in the
customer preferences, behavior, or expectations regarding the payment method, frequency, or
amount. For example, a business may pivot from a one-time purchase model to a subscription
model, or from a fixed-price model to a pay-per-use model, based on the customer feedback and
data.
Reference:
Pivot
: This article from the Scaled Agile Framework defines the concept and purpose of pivot, and
how it helps to validate or invalidate the assumptions and hypotheses of a product or service using
experiments and feedback.
The 10 Types of Startup Pivots
: This article from Forbes provides an overview of the 10 types of
startup pivots, and how they can help entrepreneurs adapt and innovate in response to the market
and customer needs. It also provides some examples of successful pivots by well-known companies.
Which statement is true about personas?
A
Explanation:
Personas are fictional characters that represent the ideal customers or users of a product or service.
They help product teams understand and empathize with the needs, goals, and preferences of their
target segments. Personas explain how the customers want to use the product by describing their
behaviors, motivations, pain points, and expectations. Personas also help product teams design and
deliver solutions that meet the customer needs and create value.
Reference:
Personas
: This article from the Scaled Agile Framework explains the concept and purpose of
personas, and how they can be used in a SAFe context to support customer-centricity, design
thinking, and lean UX.
What are Personas?
: This article from Agile Alliance defines personas and describes their benefits
and characteristics. It also provides some tips and examples on how to create and use personas
effectively.
What is one key component of Cost of Delay (CoD)?
A
Explanation:
Time criticality is one key component of Cost of Delay (CoD), which is the money or value that will be
lost by delaying or not doing a job for a specific time period relative to other jobs. Time criticality
reflects the urgency or sensitivity of a job to time, and how its value changes over time. For example,
a job that has a fixed deadline, a seasonal demand, or a high risk of obsolescence has a high time
criticality, and its CoD increases rapidly as time passes. A job that has a stable demand, a low risk of
competition, or a long-term benefit has a low time criticality, and its CoD increases slowly or remains
constant over time.
Reference:
WSJF
: This article from the Scaled Agile Framework explains the concept and purpose of Weighted
Shortest Job First (WSJF), which is a prioritization model that uses CoD and job duration to sequence
jobs for maximum economic benefit. It also describes the four components of CoD: user or business
value, time criticality, risk reduction and/or opportunity enablement, and job size.
Cost of Delay - Scaled Agile Framework
: This article from the Scaled Agile Framework defines CoD as
the numerator in WSJF prioritization, and provides some examples of how to estimate CoD for
different types of jobs.
What is the most important planning question for primary research?
C
Explanation:
The most important planning question for primary research is what will be asked, because this
determines the type, quality, and relevance of the data that will be collected. The research question
or hypothesis should be specific, narrow, and discoverable through primary research methods, and it
should align with the research purpose and objectives. The research question or hypothesis guides
the choice of the research medium, the sample size and selection, and the data analysis and
interpretation.
Reference:
What is Primary Research?
: This article from Purdue OWL defines primary research and explains the
steps and considerations involved in planning and conducting primary research.
10.3: Planning Your Primary Research Project
: This article from Humanities LibreTexts provides some
tips and examples on how to plan a primary research project, including defining the research
question or hypothesis, choosing the research method, and designing the research instrument.
A company that typically markets to small companies has a growth strategy to sell to larger
organizations. The Product Manager is in charge of a new application and must recommend which of
the following segments to address first.
Segment 1: Top 1,000 very large companies (over 25,000 employees); dominated by large Enterprise
application vendors who sell the app as an add-on module but need to be better integrated into their
other applications. Customer anecdotes indicate low satisfaction.
Segment 2: 5.8 million US-based small businesses (under 500 employees); tasks are often done in
spreadsheets. Competitors are small privately-owned software companies offering desktop-based
solutions. The company already has a good market share in this segment.
What should be the recommendation for the next 12 months?
B
Explanation:
Segment 1 is the better choice for the next 12 months, because it aligns with the company’s growth
strategy to sell to larger organizations, and it offers a higher potential value and lower competitive
intensity than segment 2. Segment 1 consists of very large companies that have a need for the new
application, but are dissatisfied with the current solutions offered by the large enterprise application
vendors. This indicates a market opportunity for the company to provide a better integrated and
more satisfying solution that can meet the needs and expectations of these customers. Segment 2,
on the other hand, consists of small businesses that are already well-served by the company and its
competitors, and may not have a strong demand or willingness to pay for the new application.
Therefore, segment 2 offers a lower value and higher competitive intensity than segment 1.
Reference:
Market Segmentation: Definition, Types, Benefits, & Best Practices
: This article from Qualtrics XM
provides an overview of market segmentation, and discusses the benefits and best practices of
market segmentation for businesses. It also provides some examples and tips on how to segment
markets effectively.
Market Segmentation: Definition, Example, Types, Benefits - Investopedia
: This article from
Investopedia explains the concept and purpose of market segmentation, and describes the four
primary types of market segmentation: demographic, geographic, psychographic, and behavioral.
Market Segmentation: Definition, Criteria and Other Details
: This article from Your Article Library
provides a comprehensive guide on market segmentation, including its definition, criteria, process,
levels, and bases. It also discusses the advantages and limitations of market segmentation.
The "chasm" can occur between visionaries and what segment of the target market?
D
Explanation:
The chasm is the gap in the technology adoption lifecycle between the early adopters and the early
majority. The early adopters are visionaries who are open to trying new technologies, whereas the
early majority are pragmatists who are more cautious and skeptical. The chasm occurs due to the
different expectations and requirements of these two groups. A product that appeals to the early
adopters may not appeal to the early majority, who value reliability, compatibility, and convenience
over novelty and differentiation. Therefore, a product needs to cross the chasm by finding a niche
market, establishing a clear value proposition, and creating a strong word-of-mouth.
Reference:
Crossing the Chasm & Scale Your SaaS
: This article from Userpilot provides a practical guide on how
to cross the chasm and scale a SaaS product, with examples and tips on finding product-market fit,
defining a beachhead market, and creating a whole product.
Crossing the Chasm in the Technology Adoption Life Cycle
: This article from Business to You explains
the concept and purpose of the technology adoption lifecycle and the chasm, and how they can help
marketers understand and target different customer segments.
Which event tracks the progress of the ART toward meeting the PI Objectives?
A
Explanation:
The ART Sync is a weekly event that brings together the representatives of the teams and
stakeholders of an Agile Release Train (ART) to review the progress and status of the current Program
Increment (PI). The ART Sync tracks the progress of the ART toward meeting the PI Objectives by
using various metrics and indicators, such as the PI burnup chart, the team and ART predictability
measures, the feature completion report, and the dependencies and risks status. The ART Sync also
provides an opportunity to identify and resolve any impediments, issues, or blockers that may affect
the PI delivery.
Reference:
ART Sync
: This article from the Scaled Agile Framework explains the purpose, agenda, and
participants of the ART Sync, and how it supports the alignment, collaboration, and execution of the
ART.
PI Objectives
: This article from the Scaled Agile Framework defines the concept and attributes of PI
Objectives, and how they can be used to align and measure the outcomes of an ART or Solution
Train.