I recently did the Developer Open test. There were a couple of questions which seem to establish a contradictory position regarding how architecture develops.
First question: When is a system's architecture decided?
A) In the beginning of the project, during Sprint 0.
B) Throughout the project, as understanding emerges and the Development Team learns more about the project.
C) Whenever the assigned architect can join the Development Team.
D) It is designed along with the vision, before the first Sprint.
The correct answer is listed as B. That's fair enough. An emergent architecture is reasonable proposition in an agile way of working.
Second question: What are two (2) ways a Development Team can ensure a good application architecture?
A) The Development Team plans a Sprint 0 at the beginning of a project with the objective of developing an architecture model used during the following Sprints.
B) A Development Team doesn't need an architecture model in Scrum. The architecture emerges automatically as the Development Team adds functionality.
C) The Development Team should have a set of guiding architecture principles that every Development Team member understands and follows when writing code.
D) The Development Team should assign someone to the role of software architect whose job it is to makes sure a consistent architecture is developed.
E) The Development Team plans some time each Sprint to discuss the architecture needed for the features planned in that Sprint.
The correct answers are listed as C and E. This means that having guiding architectural principles (C) is considered a more appropriate answer than having an emergent architecture (B). The position established therefore seems to be inconsistent with that of the previous question.
First question: When is a system's architecture decided?
A) In the beginning of the project, during Sprint 0.
B) Throughout the project, as understanding emerges and the Development Team learns more about the project.
C) Whenever the assigned architect can join the Development Team.
D) It is designed along with the vision, before the first Sprint.
The correct answer is listed as B. That's fair enough. An emergent architecture is reasonable proposition in an agile way of working.
Second question: What are two (2) ways a Development Team can ensure a good application architecture?
A) The Development Team plans a Sprint 0 at the beginning of a project with the objective of developing an architecture model used during the following Sprints.
B) A Development Team doesn't need an architecture model in Scrum. The architecture emerges automatically as the Development Team adds functionality.
C) The Development Team should have a set of guiding architecture principles that every Development Team member understands and follows when writing code.
D) The Development Team should assign someone to the role of software architect whose job it is to makes sure a consistent architecture is developed.
E) The Development Team plans some time each Sprint to discuss the architecture needed for the features planned in that Sprint.
The correct answers are listed as C and E. This means that having guiding architectural principles (C) is considered a more appropriate answer than having an emergent architecture (B). The position established therefore seems to be inconsistent with that of the previous question.