Pair Work

A practice where two team members collaborate at the same time on a single task or backlog item.

Key Points

  • Two people jointly focus on one work item to increase quality and speed.
  • Enables real-time review, faster feedback, and knowledge sharing.
  • Pairs can rotate to spread expertise and reduce single points of failure.
  • Best used for complex, high-risk, or time-sensitive work.

Example

During a sprint, a developer and a tester pair on a critical user story: the developer implements the feature while the tester designs and runs tests in parallel, providing immediate feedback and preventing defects from reaching later stages.

PMP Example Question

On an agile team, two members work together at the same time on a single backlog item to boost quality and share knowledge. What practice are they using?

  1. Pair Work
  2. Swarming
  3. Handoff
  4. Daily Standup

Correct Answer: A — Pair Work

Explanation: Pair Work involves two team members collaborating simultaneously on the same work item. Swarming involves the whole team focusing on one item; handoff is transferring work; the daily standup is a coordination event.

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