What is cycle time?

• A. The time spent in testing
• B. The time from idea to market
• C. The time spent in meetings
• D. The amount of time from when work starts on a release until the point where it is actually released

Answer: (D)

Cycle time is the duration of the actual work flow for a release item, measured from when work starts on it to when it is released to users. It shows how long it takes to move an item through the development process to value delivery, excluding the time waiting to start and any time after release. In this context, the best match is the time from when work begins on a release until it is actually released, because it captures the end-to-end period of active work. The time spent in testing is only a portion of that flow, not the entire duration. The time from idea to market describes lead time, not cycle time. The time spent in meetings isn’t about the item’s workflow duration.