Tracking Time from Work Start to Work Item Closure with the Cycle Time Widget

Why the Answer Is Correct

The question specifies the clock starts when work on the item has commenced, not when the item was created. Cycle time is the metric defined over that span, measuring from when an item moves into active status, meaning work has actually begun, until it is completed. Because the requirement is explicitly about the post-commencement duration, cycle time is the correct widget and it is a standard dashboard widget available on the team dashboard. The vote was unanimous at 100 for D. FeriAZ gave the precise definition, noting that cycle time measures the average time to complete a work item from the moment it is activated to when it is closed, and connected it explicitly to the requirement. Zippomaster supplied the official cumulative flow, cycle time, and lead time guidance page.

Why the Other Options Are Wrong

Lead time (C) is the closest confusable option, and it is defined from a different starting point, which is the only thing that separates it from cycle time. Lead time spans from when the work item was created or first entered the system, so it includes the queueing and waiting period before work actually started, and it would overstate the duration the question asks about. The sprint burndown widget (A) shows remaining work scope or completed scope against sprint goals for a single sprint, so it is a progress and forecasting tool rather than a measure of how long items take. The velocity widget (B) reports how much work a team completed in prior sprints, which is a planning input based on aggregate throughput, so it says nothing about the duration of any individual item.

Community Comment Notes

The community was unanimous at 100 for D, and the comments converge on the single keyword in the question. TechyNetty, marmila, xda, and Munwalinwali all identified commenced as the operative word, with Munwalinwali phrasing it as commenced not created, which is precisely the distinction that separates cycle time from lead time. FeriAZ supplied the formal definition, and Zippomaster linked the Microsoft Learn page on cumulative flow, cycle time, and lead time guidance. The unanimity is justified because the question embeds its own discriminator in the wording, so the only work is knowing which metric starts at commencement.