What is the difference between Definition of Ready (DoR) and Definition of Done (DoD)?

• A. The DoR is a list of criteria that a story must meet before it can be moved into a sprint and the DoD is an agreement between the developers and product owner on when a story is accepted and can be added to a potential product release.
• B. The DoR is a list of conditions the User Story must meet to be accepted by the Product Owner and end-users. The DoD is met when the high-level design work is complete and external interfaces and integrations are defined.
• C. The DoR is an agreement between the developers and product owner on when a story is accepted and can be added to a potential product release. The DoD is a list of criteria that a story must meet before it can be moved into a sprint and worked on.
• D. The DoR is met when the high-level design work is complete and external interfaces and integrations are defined. The DoD is the final integration test done before release.

Answer: (A)

In Agile, the difference comes down to readiness versus done. The Definition of Ready is the set of criteria that a backlog item must meet before the team pulls it into a sprint. It ensures there’s enough clarity, a well-defined scope, estimated effort, and identified dependencies so work can be planned and started smoothly. The Definition of Done, on the other hand, is an agreement between the developers and the product owner about when a story is complete and can be accepted for release. It encompasses the quality criteria—such as working code, tests, integration, documentation, and acceptance by the product owner—that make the item potentially shippable.

So the correct description fits: DoR as the readiness checklist to move a story into a sprint, and DoD as the agreement on when a story is accepted and can be added to a potential release. The other options mix up these concepts or assign them to design work or final tests, which isn’t how DoR and DoD are defined.