In a Story Map, what are the three levels in the correct order?

• A. Backbone with themes, Epics, User Stories
• B. Theme, Epic, User Story
• C. The Backbone contains tasks, The Epics contain features
• D. Vision, Milestones, Stories

Answer: (A)

In a Story Map, work is organized from broad, value-driven areas down to small, actionable items. The top level is the backbone, described here as including themes that group related user activities. Next come Epics, which are large bodies of work that span multiple user stories and align with a major feature or capability. At the bottom are User Stories, the smallest units of functionality that can be implemented and tested in a single iteration. This order—backbone with themes, then Epics, then User Stories—lets teams plan by identifying high-level value first, break it into sizable features, and finally specify concrete, shippable pieces.

Other options don’t fit as well because they either omit the backbone concept, reverse the relationship between Epics and User Stories, or switch to a different planning model that isn’t how a Story Map is typically structured.