Story Point Velocity Calculator

Calculate sprint velocity and forecast remaining sprints for a backlog.

About Story Point Velocity Calculator

Velocity is a measurement rather than a commitment, so forecasting from the observed range is more honest than using the average alone. Three sprints is the usual minimum before the average means anything. Story points are only comparable within a team, so using velocity to compare teams or to set targets destroys the estimate quality it depends on.

Formula

Story Point Velocity

Velocity = mean completed points; sprints remaining = backlog ÷ velocity

velocity: Points completed per sprint, which is empirical rather than a target
range: The observed low and high, which bounds the forecast

Worked example

With the default values below, Story Point Velocity Calculator returns Average Velocity of 31.67. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.

Inputs used

Sprint 1 completed pointsminimum 0: 32
Sprint 2 completed pointsminimum 0: 28
Sprint 3 completed pointsminimum 0: 35
Remaining backlog pointsminimum 0: 280
Sprint lengthminimum 0.1 weeks: 2 weeks

Results

Average Velocity: 31.67 points
Sprints to Clear the Backlog: 8.84
Weeks to Clear the Backlog: 17.68 weeks
Pessimistic Velocity: 28.00 points
Optimistic Velocity: 35.00 points

Step by step

1Values used
2Story Point Velocity
3Average Velocity= 31.67 points
4Sprints to Clear the Backlog= 8.84
5Weeks to Clear the Backlog= 17.68 weeks
6Pessimistic Velocity= 28.00 points
7Optimistic Velocity= 35.00 points

Assumptions and limits

The result is derived only from the 5 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax, fees or charges or compounding frequency into account.
Figures are rounded for display to 2 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.

How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is Story Point Velocity calculated?

Velocity = mean completed points; sprints remaining = backlog ÷ velocity Velocity is a measurement rather than a commitment, so forecasting from the observed range is more honest than using the average alone. Three sprints is the usual minimum before the average means anything.

Why does Story Point Velocity matter?

Story points are only comparable within a team, so using velocity to compare teams or to set targets destroys the estimate quality it depends on.

What values do I need to enter?

This calculator takes 5 inputs: Sprint 1 completed points, Sprint 2 completed points, Sprint 3 completed points, Remaining backlog points, Sprint length. The pre-filled defaults are a realistic starting point — replace them with figures from your own environment for a result you can act on.