Which unit is used to size portfolio Epics?

• A. Hours
• B. Story Points
• C. Days
• D. Function Points

Answer: (B)

Sizing portfolio Epics with story points lets you compare large, uncertain work across value streams without tying estimates to calendar time. Story points measure relative effort, complexity, and risk, which is ideal when Epics come from different value streams and require coordination across multiple teams and ARTs. This relative, team-agnostic unit supports consistent prioritization through WSJF (cost of delay divided by job size) and makes forecasting more adaptable to changing priorities, since it doesn’t commit to exact dates or team-specific velocity.

Using hours or days would anchor estimates to a specific team’s capacity and sprint cadence, which isn’t reliable for portfolio-level decisions that span multiple teams and trains. Function points, while useful in some contexts for measuring software size, aren’t the standard approach in SAFe for portfolio prioritization and cross-portfolio comparison, and they don’t align as cleanly with velocity-based planning and WSJF. Story points provide a lightweight, relative measure that scales across the portfolio, enabling faster, more effective economic prioritization and flow.