Which criterion is essential to confirming the readiness of a user story?

The readiness of a user story is critically assessed using the INVEST criteria, which stands for Independent, Negotiable, Valuable, Estimable, Small, and Testable. Each aspect of the INVEST acronym ensures that a user story is well-defined and actionable.

Being independent allows the user story to be developed and delivered separately, while negotiable implies that it is not a rigid contract but can evolve through conversations. The story must provide value to the stakeholders, be estimable for effective planning, small enough to be completed in a single iteration, and testable to ensure that success criteria can be defined and evaluated.

The completeness of these criteria ensures that the user story is ready for development, maximizing the chances of success during the iterative process. Therefore, confirming that a user story meets the INVEST criteria is essential for its readiness in an agile environment.