What are the 3 Cs for a user story?

• A. Card, Conversation, Confirmation
• B. Code, Compile, Commit
• C. Customer, Constraint, Cost
• D. Create, Configure, Close

Answer: (A)

The Three Cs describe how a user story is communicated and validated: Card, Conversation, Confirmation. The Card is the lightweight artifact that represents the user story in the backlog, keeping the initial prompt simple and visible. The Conversation is the ongoing dialogue between the Product Owner, developers, and other stakeholders to explore needs, share understanding, and fill in details as the work progresses. The Confirmation defines the acceptance criteria or tests that show the story is done and functioning as intended.

This combination is ideal because it emphasizes lightweight planning (the Card), collaborative refinement (the Conversation), and measurable completion (the Confirmation). It supports just-in-time detail, clear expectations, and testable outcomes, which are central to agile delivery.

The other options don’t fit this concept. Code, Compile, Commit describes development activities rather than how a user story is expressed and validated. Customer, Constraint, Cost touches on requirements considerations but not the storytelling method. Create, Configure, Close suggests actions rather than a framework for describing and validating a story.