SAFe RTE Study Notes
Comprehensive study notes covering all aspects of the SAFe Release Train Engineer role and certification.
35% of Exam
Facilitation & Leadership
Core leadership and facilitation skills for Release Train Engineers
PI Planning Facilitation
- Coordinate all logistics and preparation activities
- Facilitate team planning sessions and dependency discussions
- Help teams establish realistic PI objectives
- Manage risks and dependencies across teams
Servant Leadership
- Focus on serving teams rather than commanding them
- Remove impediments and enable team success
- Coach teams toward self-organization and high performance
- Build psychological safety and trust within the ART
Coaching Techniques
- Ask powerful questions to guide discovery
- Help teams reflect on their practices and outcomes
- Support teams in problem-solving and decision-making
- Foster a culture of continuous learning and improvement
25% of Exam
ART Operations
Day-to-day operations and execution of the Agile Release Train
ART Events
- PI Planning: Quarterly planning event for the entire ART
- System Demo: Bi-weekly demonstration of integrated system
- Inspect and Adapt: Workshop at the end of each PI
- ART Sync: Weekly synchronization meeting
Metrics and Measurement
- Business value delivered and predictability
- Flow metrics: lead time, cycle time, throughput
- Quality metrics and defect trends
- Team health and satisfaction metrics
25% of Exam
SAFe Framework
Understanding of SAFe principles, practices, and implementation
SAFe Core Values
- Alignment: Synchronizing teams around common objectives
- Built-in Quality: Ensuring quality throughout development
- Transparency: Open sharing of information and progress
- Program Execution: Focus on working systems and business results
Key Principles
- Take an economic view
- Apply systems thinking
- Assume variability; preserve options
- Build incrementally with fast integrated learning cycles
15% of Exam
Continuous Improvement
Building a culture of relentless improvement within the ART
Improvement Culture
- Foster a constant sense of danger and urgency for improvement
- Implement improvement kata and systematic problem-solving
- Use metrics to drive behavior and identify opportunities
- Celebrate learning and experimentation
Quick Reference
Key facts for the SAFe RTE exam
Exam Details:
- • 45 multiple choice questions
- • 90 minutes duration
- • 77% minimum passing score
- • 1-year certification validity
ART Basics:
- • 50-125 people (5-12 teams)
- • Program Increment: 8-12 weeks
- • Innovation & Planning Iteration
- • System Demo every 2 weeks