Agile Delivery · tool 5 of 6

Story Points and Velocity

Story Points and Velocity: forecasts adaptive work from what the team has really done.

Best for: Release planning · Time: Ongoing
Domain: Schedule · Focus area: Planning

How it works

Points express relative size. Velocity is how many points the team finishes per iteration. After a few iterations, it gives an evidence-based forecast. It only makes sense within one team.

• Never compare velocity across teams.
• Use a range, not an average alone.
• Velocity isn’t a target; pushing on it makes it meaningless.

How to apply it

1. Size items against a reference.
2. Record what’s completed.
3. Take the recent range.
4. Divide the remaining work by it.

Last reviewed 2026-11-02 against the PMBOK® Guide, 8th edition · Practitioner review pending · How this guide is made