Questions for the SAFE-RTE were updated on : Nov 21 ,2025
What is one benefit of an Iteration and PI calendar?
C
Explanation:
The Iteration and PI (Program Increment) calendar is a tool used within the SAFe (Scaled Agile
Framework) to help visualize the timing of the iterations and PIs for an Agile Release Train (ART). This
visualization is crucial for several reasons:
1. Cadence and Synchronization: The calendar helps all teams involved in the ART to align on a
common cadence, which is the rhythm of the iterations and PIs. This alignment ensures that all
teams are working in sync, which is essential for the ART to function effectively as a whole1.
2. Facilitating PI Planning: The Iteration and PI calendar is used during PI planning to help teams
understand when iterations will begin and end, which aids in the planning of work and the setting of
objectives2.
3. Visualizing ART Events: The calendar provides a visual representation of all the key events in the
ART’s timeline, including iterations, PIs, and IP iterations (Innovation and Planning iterations), which
are essential for continuous learning and improvement3.
4. Supporting Predictability: By visualizing the ART’s cadence and synchronization, the Iteration and
PI calendar supports better predictability in delivery and helps manage stakeholders’ expectations1.
5. Enabling Relentless Improvement: The calendar also supports the SAFe principle of relentless
improvement by making it clear when the ART will have time to reflect on the past PI and identify
areas for improvement3.
What is one method for developing a sufficient Architectural Runway for the ART?
D
Explanation:
The Architectural Runway in SAFe is built to support the implementation of near-term features with
minimal redesign and delay. It enables a continuous flow of value through the Continuous Delivery
Pipeline, providing the technology required to quickly define, build, validate, and release Features
and Capabilities. To develop a sufficient Architectural Runway for the ART, it is essential to balance
emergent design with intentional architecture. This requires some centralized planning and cross-
team coordination, which is achieved by working with Product Management and System Architects
to identify future Features and determine the Enablers to achieve them. These enablers are then
implemented to extend the Architectural Runway, ensuring that it evolves in support of dynamic
business needs1.
What is one benefit of the Innovation and Planning (IP) Iteration?
D
Explanation:
One benefit of the Innovation and Planning (IP) Iteration is that it provides an opportunity to
integrate and perform end-to-end testing. This time is allocated specifically for activities such as
integration, testing, innovation, and planning, which are crucial for maintaining the quality and
coherence of the solution being developed by the Agile Release Train.
What information is covered during the final plan review?
C
Explanation:
During the final plan review of the Program Increment (PI) Planning, the teams cover several critical
pieces of information. This includes any changes to team capacity and load, which may affect the
delivery of PI Objectives. The final PI Objectives are reviewed to ensure alignment with the ART’s
goals. Additionally, ART PI Risks are addressed, including any new risks identified during the planning
process, and existing risks that have been ROAMed (Resolved, Owned, Accepted, Mitigated). Lastly,
any impediments that could hinder the ART’s progress are discussed, ensuring that they are
acknowledged and addressed appropriately. This comprehensive review is essential for the ART to
commit to a set of PI Objectives that are achievable and aligned with the overall strategy1.
Which of the following PI Planning element(s) creates transparency and helps engage Business
Owners and stakeholders in the planning process?
D
Explanation:
ROAMing Risks during PI Planning promotes transparency and Business Owner engagement because
it:
•
Addresses Concerns: Highlighting potential risks (Resolved, Owned, Accepted, Mitigated)
opens a dialogue with stakeholders, allowing them to express concerns or uncertainties early on.
•
Shared Risk Management: ROAMing risks establishes a collaborative approach to risk
management, involving Business Owners in the mitigation planning process.
•
Informed Decision-Making: Understanding risks empowers Business Owners to make
informed decisions about scope, prioritization, and potential trade-offs.
Reference:
•
Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe), PI Planning Article: Specifically mentions ROAMing Risks as
an important output of the planning process. https://www.scaledagileframework.com/pi-planning/
What is one purpose of the System Demo?
D
Explanation:
The System Demo is a significant event within the SAFe framework that serves to provide
stakeholders with an integrated view of new features for the most recent iteration delivered by all
the teams on the Agile Release Train (ART). It is conducted at the end of every Iteration and is the
method for assessing the Solution’s current state. The System Demo also gathers immediate, ART-
level feedback from the people doing the work, as well as critical feedback from Business Owners,
sponsors, stakeholders, and customers. This feedback is essential as it guides the ART to stay on
course or make necessary adjustments. The demo is the objective measure of value, velocity, and
progress of the fully integrated work across all the teams1.
How can a Release Train Engineer (RTE) stay informed about employee satisfaction?
D
Explanation:
To stay informed about employee satisfaction, a Release Train Engineer (RTE) can conduct an
employee Net Promoter Score (NPS) survey. This method is a standard practice for gauging overall
employee engagement and satisfaction within an organization. The NPS survey provides insights into
how likely employees are to recommend their workplace to others, which is a strong indicator of
their satisfaction and loyalty1. By regularly conducting these surveys, an RTE can track trends over
time, identify areas of improvement, and take action to enhance the work environment, thereby
supporting the teams in delivering value more effectively. This practice aligns with the SAFe principle
of respecting individuals and culture, which emphasizes the importance of understanding and
empathizing with others, and encourages the personal development of each individual and the
development of teams2.
What is one way to use the results from Value Stream mapping?
C
Explanation:
Value Stream mapping is a tool used in the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) to visualize and
understand the flow of value through the process of solution delivery. The results from Value Stream
mapping are utilized to identify and eliminate waste, improve process efficiency, and ensure that
value flows smoothly without interruptions1.
One effective way to use the results from Value Stream mapping is to move from bottleneck to
bottleneck, eliminating as many as possible (Option C). This approach is aligned with Lean thinking
principles, which emphasize the importance of making value flow without interruptions1. By
focusing on the bottlenecks, which are the points in the process where the flow of value is impeded,
teams can systematically address and remove these impediments, thereby improving the overall
flow and efficiency of the value stream.
The other options, while they may be part of the broader set of activities within SAFe, do not directly
describe the use of Value Stream mapping results. Focusing on one component to optimize (Option
A) or identifying methods for developers to code faster (Option D) does not necessarily result from
Value Stream mapping. Calculating the metrics and sharing them with the ART (Option B) is
important for transparency and alignment but is not the primary way to use the results from Value
Stream mapping. The key is to identify and address the bottlenecks to enhance the flow of value
through the value stream.
Why is it important for the Release Train Engineer (RTE) to understand Tuckman's group dynamic
stages?
B
Explanation:
Understanding Tuckman’s group dynamic stages is important for a Release Train Engineer (RTE)
because an Agile Release Train (ART) is essentially a team of teams, and like any team, it is likely to
progress through Tuckman’s stages of group development: forming, storming, norming, and
performing1.
Here’s a detailed explanation of how each stage applies to an ART:
•
Forming: In this initial stage, teams come together and start to understand their objectives
and boundaries. The RTE plays a vital role in guiding the ART through this stage by helping establish
the vision, mission, and objectives of the train.
•
Storming: As teams begin working together, they may encounter conflicts and challenges.
The RTE can help navigate these by facilitating communication and conflict resolution, ensuring that
all teams are aligned and focused on the ART’s goals.
•
Norming: During this stage, teams start to resolve their differences, establish processes, and
begin to work more effectively together. The RTE supports this by fostering a culture of collaboration
and continuous improvement.
•
Performing: In the final stage, teams operate efficiently and effectively toward achieving the
ART’s goals. The RTE’s role here is to ensure that this high performance is sustained and that the
teams continue to innovate and improve.
By understanding these stages, the RTE can better facilitate the ART’s journey through them, helping
to ensure that the teams within the ART collaborate effectively, resolve conflicts, and ultimately
deliver value more predictably. This understanding also helps the RTE to anticipate the challenges
that may arise at each stage and to be better prepared to support the ART in navigating them. The
knowledge of Tuckman’s model equips the RTE with the insights needed to lead the ART through its
developmental journey, contributing to the overall success of the train.
What is one reason why the ART predictability measure is important?
D
Explanation:
The ART predictability measure is a critical metric within the SAFe framework. It is important because
it enables businesses and other stakeholders to plan effectively. This measure provides insights into
how reliably teams and ARTs can deliver business value against their planned objectives. By
understanding the predictability of the ART, stakeholders can make informed decisions about future
investments, resource allocation, and market commitments. It is not primarily about identifying
under-performing teams (A), fixing the scope at the beginning of the PI (B), or indicating when the
Solution is ready to be released ©. Instead, predictability measures provide a fact-based
understanding of the ART’s ability to deliver on its commitments, which is essential for effective
planning and adjustment of strategies1.
When planning for a distributed PI Planning with a significant difference in time zones, what is a key
preparation and facilitation focus?
D
Explanation:
When planning for a distributed PI Planning event with significant time zone differences, it’s crucial
to adjust the PI planning agenda to accommodate the time zones involved1. This may involve
extending the agenda to 2.5-3 days to allow for overlapping hours where all participants can be
actively involved1. The goal is to ensure that every team member, regardless of their location, can
contribute to the planning process and that the necessary collaboration and communication occur
effectively. This adjustment helps in overcoming the challenges posed by the time zone differences
and supports a more inclusive and integrated planning experience for all members of the Agile
Release Train (ART)1.
Which skill do Release Train Engineers (RTEs) have the opportunity to regularly practice and
improve?
D
Explanation:
Release Train Engineers (RTEs) have the opportunity to regularly practice and improve the skill of
servant leadership. This skill is central to the RTE role in the SAFe framework, as RTEs are expected to
be servant leaders and coaches to their Agile Release Trains (ARTs).
Servant leadership involves focusing on the needs of others, especially team members, before
considering one’s own. It requires the leader to ensure that other people’s highest priority needs are
being served to encourage teamwork and personal involvement. An RTE practicing servant
leadership will:
1. Facilitate and Support: Help teams navigate through the SAFe processes, removing impediments
and fostering an environment where teams can be effective1.
2. Coach and Mentor: Provide guidance to teams, Scrum Masters, and other stakeholders in Lean-
Agile practices and mindsets1.
3. Lead by Example: Demonstrate the principles of Lean-Agile leadership, embodying the values and
principles of SAFe in their daily work1.
4. Drive Continuous Improvement: Encourage and lead the efforts for relentless improvement within
the ART, promoting a culture of innovation and continuous learning1.
5. Communicate and Align: Ensure that everyone on the ART understands the mission, vision, and
goals, and is aligned in their efforts to achieve them1.
By regularly practicing and improving their servant leadership skills, RTEs can effectively lead their
ARTs to deliver value more efficiently and foster a healthy, collaborative, and high-performing team
environment.
What is one action to support a Continuous Integration (CI) culture?
A
Explanation:
To support a Continuous Integration (CI) culture, one key action is to make integration results visible.
This visibility is crucial as it allows all members of the Agile Release Train (ART) to see the progress
and quality of the integration efforts in real-time. It helps in identifying integration issues early,
which can be addressed promptly, thus maintaining a high quality of the codebase. Visibility of
integration results also fosters a culture of collective responsibility for the product’s quality and
encourages collaboration among team members to achieve a potentially shippable product
increment1.
Which value is used when calculating flow efficiency?
A
Explanation:
Flow efficiency is calculated as the ratio of the total time spent in value-added work activities divided
by the total flow time. This metric is used to measure how efficient an organization is at delivering
value. Flow time, therefore, is the value used when calculating flow efficiency, as it represents the
time elapsed from when a backlog item enters the workflow to when it is released12.
The RTE collaborates with which other two roles to help focus the ART on delivering value and
operational excellence?
B
Explanation:
The Release Train Engineer (RTE) collaborates closely with Product Management and the System
Architect to guide the Agile Release Train (ART) toward successful delivery. This leadership trio is
essential in maintaining a constant synergy between product strategy and implementation. The RTE,
along with Product Management and the System Architect, forms a critical alignment that ensures
the ART’s focus on delivering value and achieving operational excellence. They work together to
steer the ART, align on solution and enterprise architecture, and lead Value Stream Management
activities for the ART123.