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Exam Study Guide: ASE - SAFe® Agile Software Engineer 5.0

Updated over 3 weeks ago

Looking for the 6.0 Study Guide? Click HERE
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When you are ready to take the exam, log into the SAFe Community Platform to access the exam.
When the exam timer ends, the exam will be submitted, regardless of the number of questions answered. A score will be calculated based on the number of questions answered. Unanswered questions will be automatically marked as incorrect. If you finish answering all questions before the exam timer ends, you can click the “Submit” button and your score will be calculated.
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When you launch the exam, you will be required to review and accept the Candidate Agreement before starting the exam. Exams are timed and the timer will be visible throughout the exam.
Questions are structured in multiple choice or multiple response format.
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Questions will require either one answer or multiple. “Choose two” or a “Choose three” style multiple response questions indicate the number of answers required for the question. Multiple response questions require all correct answers to be selected as no partial credit is given.

Duration

120 minutes

Number of questions

60

Passing score

42/60 (70%)

Competency level

Intermediate difficulty; Proficient, capable; can perform tasks with some assistance

Question format

Multiple choice (one answer) or multiple select (2-3 answers)

Delivery

Web-based, closed book, no outside assistance, timed

Access

Community Platform upon completion of the course

Languages offered

English

Cost

First attempt included in the course registration fee if taken within 30 days of course completion. Each retake or attempt past the 30-day window is $50

Exam Sections and Percentages

References

Introducing the course (7%)

  • Define Agile Software Engineering

  • Identify practices that define Software Engineering as Agile

  • SAFe Agile Software Engineering Student Workbook: materials and exercises from Lessons 1 and 2

Connecting principles and practices to built-in quality (10%)

  • Identify the Core XP Practices

  • Relate Core XP Practices to SAFe Principles

  • Demonstrate the core values that drive SAFe Principles

  • Define Benefit Hypothesis

  • Define Test-Driven Development

  • Define Behavior-Driven Development

  • Define Built-In Quality

  • Define application external and internal qualities

Accelerating flow (7%)

  • Outline the flow of value

  • Determine the components of a value stream

  • Determine waste and delay in a development stream

  • Provide examples of a Benefit Hypothesis

  • Provide examples of metrics for a Behavior Hypothesis

  • SAFe Agile Software Engineering Student Workbook: materials and exercises from Lesson 3

Applying intentional architecture (8%)

  • Apply systems thinking in the context of Software Engineering

  • Explain the role of Agile architecture in supporting Lean-Agile development

  • Define the Lean-Agile Architecture Principles

  • Illustrate the difference between Emergent Design and Intentional Architecture

  • Architect and design for testability

  • Demonstrate the role of Test Doubles

Thinking test-first (12%)

  • Explain reasons for shifting testing left vs traditional testing paradigm

  • Define the use of the Testing Pyramid

  • Explain the Agile testing matrix

  • Identify the types of tests in the Agile testing matrix

  • Outline the role of Nonfunctional Requirements

  • Build quality in throughout the pipeline

  • Use testing in a continuous flow

Discovering story details (7%)

  • Examine story criteria

  • Identify how stories are estimated

  • Identify how acceptance criteria are turned into tests

  • Split stories to reduce the Minimum Marketable Feature

  • Define workflow steps and storymaps

  • Identify how workflows and storymaps are relevant to testing

Creating a shared understanding with behavior-driven development (13%)

  • Apply Behavior-Driven Development for shared understanding

  • Explain the difference between behavior and test of behavior

  • Specify desired behavior for domain terms

  • Specify behavior for business rules and algorithms

  • Identify issues with large tests

  • Test the User Interface

  • Apply test doubles to Behavior-Driven Development

  • Identify existing tests impacted by new requirements

Communicating with models (5%)

  • Explain the importance of modeling

  • Outline Static models

  • Demonstrate Class-Responsibility-Collaboration relationship

  • Outline Dynamic models

  • Outline State models

Building systems with code quality (8%)

  • Define code qualities

  • Define cohesion and coupling

  • Explain the benefits of collective ownership

  • Define Abstract Data Types

  • Describe aspects of code readability

  • SAFe Agile Software Engineering Student Workbook: materials and exercises from Lesson 9

Building systems with design quality (13%)

  • Explore design tradeoffs

  • Illustrate the Rule of Three

  • Determine criteria for choosing design alternatives

  • Explain Interface-Oriented Design

  • Explain the SOLID principles

  • Apply quality decomposition practices

  • Apply differentiation and synthesis

  • Apply software design patterns

Implementing with quality (10%)

  • Design and test from context

  • Apply Test-Driven Development practices for writing software

  • Explain the Test-Driven Development cycle

  • Implement test doubles and test data

  • Refactor to support new behavior of the code

  • Practice Emergent Design

  • SAFe Agile Software Engineering Student Workbook: materials and exercises from Lesson 11

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