HKSM

This activity produces user stories together with clear, testable acceptance criteria. The Product Owner typically authors the stories, ensuring customer needs are captured in a way that is easy for all stakeholders to understand.

Key Points

• Outputs include user stories and their acceptance criteria that state conditions of satisfaction.
• The Product Owner leads the writing, collaborating with customers, stakeholders, and the team.
• Stories should be small, valuable, and follow INVEST; they are refined during backlog refinement.
• Using the format "As a [role], I want [goal], so that [benefit]" promotes shared understanding.

Example

On a mobile banking project: "As a checking customer, I want to deposit a check by taking a photo so that I do not need to visit a branch." Acceptance criteria include: photos must pass clarity checks, deposits under $5,000 are accepted, user sees a confirmation, and an error displays for blurry images.

PMP Example Question

Which artifact captures the testable conditions of satisfaction for a user story created in this process?

1. Acceptance criteria
2. Definition of Done
3. Sprint Goal
4. Release plan

Correct Answer: A — Acceptance criteria

Explanation: Acceptance criteria specify the testable conditions that confirm a user story meets customer expectations.