PSM-I Sample Questions Answers

Two techniques that the Scrum Master could use when the Scrum Team gets caught in an internal disagreement about which agile practices to apply are to involve the complete Scrum Team in making a decision, and to use coaching techniques such as open questions and active listening, as stated in [3]: “The Scrum Master should facilitate a constructive dialogue among the team members and help them reach a consensus on which agile practices to use. The Scrum Master should also use coaching techniques such as open questions and active listening to understand the underlying needs and motivations of each team member and to help them find common ground.”

A Developer is accountable for creating a plan for the Sprint, the Sprint Backlog, and organizing the work required to meet the Sprint Goal, as stated in the Scrum Guide: "Developers are the people in the Scrum Team that are committed to creating any aspect of a usable Increment each Sprint. The specific skills needed by the Developers are often broad and will vary with the domain of work. However, the Developers are always accountable for:

Creating a plan for the Sprint, the Sprint Backlog;

Instilling quality by adhering to a Definition of Done;

Adapting their plan each day toward the Sprint Goal; and,

Holding each other accountable as professionals."

According to the Scrum Guide, the timebox for a Sprint Planning event is 8 hours for a one-month Sprint, proportionally shorter for shorter Sprints. The other options are not valid, as they are either too long (such as monthly), too vague (such as whenever it’s done), or too short (such as 4 hours for a one-month Sprint).

The correct answer is B, because when multiple teams work together on the same product, they should not maintain separate Product Backlogs. The Scrum Guide states that “multiple Scrum Teams often work together on the same product. One product goal unites them. Therefore, they must mutually define and comply with a definition of ‘Done’ that applies to their combined work product. … Multiple Scrum Teams working on the same product use the same Product Backlog.”

A cross-functional Development Team is one that includes cross-skilled individuals who are able to contribute to do what is necessary to deliver an increment of software, as stated in the Scrum Guide1: “Cross-functional teams have all competencies needed to accomplish the work without depending on others not part of the team.”

According to the Scrum Guide, management external to the Scrum Team is not involved in the Daily Scrum at all. The Daily Scrum is an internal event for the Development Team to inspect their progress toward the Sprint Goal and plan their work for the next 24 hours. The other options are not valid ways for management to be involved in the Daily Scrum, as they are either intrusive (such as giving an update or speaking on behalf of others) or unnecessary (such as being represented by the Product Owner or the Scrum Master).

Detailed Explanation & References from Scrum

???? Scrum Guide Reference:

"The Sprint Backlog is composed of the Sprint Goal (why), the set of Product Backlog items selected for the Sprint (what), as well as an actionable plan for delivering the Increment (how)."​

"The Sprint Backlog is a plan by and for the Developers. It is a highly visible, real-time picture of the work that the Developers plan to accomplish during the Sprint in order to achieve the Sprint Goal."​

???? Why is "C. The Developers" Correct?

The Sprint Backlog is owned and managed by the Developers because they are the ones responsible for planning and executing the work.

The Developers update and modify the Sprint Backlog as needed during the Sprint.

The Scrum Team collaborates during Sprint Planning to define the Sprint Backlog, but the ongoing responsibility for managing it lies only with the Developers.

This allows the team to self-manage and adapt as work progresses.

❌ Incorrect Answers with Explanations

❌ A. The Scrum Team

???? Why is this Incorrect?

While the Scrum Team (Scrum Master, Product Owner, and Developers) collaborates during Sprint Planning, only the Developers are responsible for the Sprint Backlog.

The Scrum Master does not manage the Sprint Backlog, and the Product Owner does not modify it once the Sprint starts.

❌ B. The Scrum Master

???? Why is this Incorrect?

The Scrum Master facilitates the process but does not own or manage the Sprint Backlog.

The Scrum Master helps the team understand Scrum practices and remove impediments, but they do not decide or change the Sprint Backlog​.

❌ D. The Product Owner

???? Why is this Incorrect?

The Product Owner is responsible for the Product Backlog, NOT the Sprint Backlog.

Once a Sprint starts, the Product Owner cannot modify the Sprint Backlog—only the Developers can update it as they learn more.

According to the Scrum Guide, the purpose of a Sprint is to produce a valuable useful Increment that meets the Definition of Done and the Sprint Goal. This means that the Developers work on items from the Product Backlog that deliver value to the stakeholders and align with the product vision. The other option is not valid, as it implies that producing an Increment is not the purpose of a Sprint.

 According to the Scrum Guide1, ordering Product Backlog items is solely up to the Product Owner’s discretion. The Product Owner orders items in the Product Backlog to best achieve goals and missions. To do this, they optimize value by considering various factors such as cost and benefit, risk, dependencies, date needed, etc. The Product Owner is responsible for maximizing the value of the work the Development Team does. The Scrum Master is accountable for establishing Scrum as defined in the Scrum Guide. They do this by helping everyone understand Scrum theory and practice, both within the Scrum Team and the organization. Therefore, an appropriate action for the Scrum Master to take if the Product Owner is struggling with ordering the Product Backlog is to offer the Product Owner help in understanding that the goal of ordering the Product Backlog is to maximize value.

References: Scrum Guide

According to the Scrum Guide, a self-organizing Development Team chooses how to best accomplish its work, rather than being directed by others outside the team. The other options are not choices that a self-organizing Development Team makes, as they are either determined by the Scrum framework (such as Sprint length and Product Backlog ordering) or by collaboration with other roles (such as stakeholders for the Sprint Review and when to release).

The correct answer is A, because keeping component teams while starting Scrum may cause less initial disruption than organizing into new teams. As they start using Scrum, they will discover what works best for them and how to potentially re-organize towards feature teams. However, component teams may face some challenges in delivering a working Increment of software that provides business value every Sprint, as they may depend on other teams or layers.

The Sprint Backlog is the Development Team’s plan for the Sprint, as stated in the Scrum Guide1: “The Sprint Backlog is a plan with enough detail that changes in progress can be understood in the Daily Scrum. The Development Team modifies the Sprint Backlog throughout the Sprint, and the Sprint Backlog emerges during the Sprint.”

The Definition of Done serves the following three purposes:

A. Create a shared understanding of when work is complete.

The Definition of Done is a commitment to the quality of the product increment that is part of Scrum. It is a formal description of the state of the product backlog item or the increment when it meets the quality measures required for the product. The Scrum team must have a shared understanding of what ‘done’ means and use it to assess when work is complete and transparent1.

C. Increase transparency.

The Definition of Done increases transparency by providing everyone a shared understanding of what work was completed and what standards were met as part of the increment. This ensures that the product increment is potentially releasable and that the stakeholders can inspect and provide feedback on it2.

D. Describe the work that must be mostly done before the Sprint is allowed to end.

The Definition of Done describes the work that must be done before the Sprint is allowed to end. Work cannot be considered part of an increment unless it meets the Definition of Done. The Definition of Done is used to guide the Developers in creating a "Done", usable, and potentially releasable product increment every Sprint3.

B and E are not purposes of the Definition of Done.

B. Guide the Developers on how many Product Backlog items to select for the Sprint.

The Definition of Done does not guide the Developers on how many Product Backlog items to select for the Sprint. The Developers select how many Product Backlog items they can complete within a Sprint based on their capacity, skills, and experience. The Definition of Done helps them ensure that the selected items are completed to a high standard of quality4.

E. Describe the purpose, Objective, and timebox Of each Scrum event.

The Definition of Done does not describe the purpose, objective, and timebox of each Scrum event. The Scrum Guide describes these aspects for each Scrum event, such as Sprint Planning, Daily Scrum, Sprint Review, and Sprint Retrospective5. The Definition of Done is related to the product increment, not to the Scrum events.

According to the Scrum Guide1, an Increment is a concrete stepping stone toward the Product Goal. Each Increment is additive to all prior Increments and thoroughly verified, ensuring that all Increments work together. In order to provide value, the Increment must be usable. Multiple Increments may be created within a Sprint. The sum of the Increments is presented at the Sprint Review thus supporting empiricism. However, an Increment may be delivered to stakeholders prior to the end of the Sprint. The Sprint Review should never be considered a gate to releasing value.

References: Scrum Guide

The correct answer is A, because Development Team membership should change as needed, while taking into account a short term reduction in productivity. The Scrum Guide states that “development Teams are cross-functional, with all of the skills as a team necessary to create a product Increment; development Teams are self-organizing. No one (not even the Scrum Master) tells the Development Team how to turn Product Backlog into Increments of potentially releasable functionality.” Therefore, changing Development Team membership may affect their cross-functionality and self-organization in the short term.

The correct answers are B, C, and D, because moving away from component teams toward feature teams may involve some challenges and trade-offs. Productivity may suffer when making this kind of move, as teams need to learn new skills, coordinate with other teams, and deal with legacy code. Getting support from the business side first helps, as they can provide the vision, value, and feedback for the features. Feature teams have less communication overhead, as they can deliver end-to-end functionality without depending on other teams.

References: [Suggested Reading for Professional Scrum Master™ I]

Several Sprints into a project, a key stakeholder begins using the product and finds the quality lacking. The Product Owner (PO) agrees and shares this concern with the Scrum Master (SM). The Scrum Master needs to determine the best way to respond.

Scrum emphasizes empiricism, which is based on transparency, inspection, and adaptation​. This means that if quality concerns arise, the Scrum Team must inspect the issue, adapt accordingly, and ensure quality is built into the product incrementally.

✅ A. Encourage the Product Owner to include quality specifications in the Product Backlog and to communicate the stakeholders' concerns to the Developers.

???? Reference from the Scrum Guide:

"The Product Backlog is an emergent, ordered list of what is needed to improve the product. It is the single source of work undertaken by the Scrum Team."​

"The Product Owner is accountable for maximizing the value of the product resulting from the work of the Scrum Team."​

???? Why is this Correct?

Since the Product Owner represents the stakeholders, they should translate the stakeholder’s concerns into actionable Product Backlog Items (PBIs) that reflect quality improvements.

Developers can refine and plan these PBIs in upcoming Sprints to ensure quality is systematically addressed.

The Product Backlog is the single source of work, meaning all quality requirements should be made explicit there.

This approach aligns with Scrum’s empirical process of making work transparent so that the team can inspect and adapt.

✅ C. Work with the Product Owner to understand their desired resolution and help formulate an approach for raising the concern with the Developers.

???? Reference from the Scrum Guide:

"The Scrum Master serves the Product Owner in several ways, including: Helping find techniques for effective Product Goal definition and Product Backlog management."​

"The Scrum Master serves the Scrum Team in several ways, including: Helping the Scrum Team focus on creating high-value Increments that meet the Definition of Done."​

???? Why is this Correct?

The Scrum Master is a servant leader, responsible for facilitating collaboration between the Product Owner and Developers so that the concern is effectively addressed.

Instead of dictating a solution, the Scrum Master guides discussions and enables the team to decide how best to improve quality.

The Definition of Done (DoD) should be reviewed to ensure it is clear, measurable, and includes quality standards​.

This approach ensures that all stakeholders—Developers, Product Owner, and Scrum Master—collaborate in a self-managing way to improve quality.

Incorrect Answers with Explanations

❌ B. Bring the concern to the testers to improve how the Product is verified.

???? Reference from the Scrum Guide:

"Developers are always accountable for: Instilling quality by adhering to a Definition of Done."​

???? Why is this Incorrect?

Scrum does not have a separate testing team; instead, the Developers are responsible for all aspects of quality (coding, testing, integration, etc.).

Quality should not be "verified" by an external group; rather, it must be built into the Increment from the start.

Instead of passing the issue to testers, the Scrum Team should improve their Definition of Done to ensure the product meets the necessary quality standards.

❌ D. Tell the Product Owner they have noted the concern and will raise this issue at the Sprint Retrospective.

???? Reference from the Scrum Guide:

"The Sprint Retrospective is an opportunity for the Scrum Team to inspect itself and create a plan for improvements to be enacted during the next Sprint."​

???? Why is this Incorrect?

While the Sprint Retrospective is useful for discussing improvements, waiting until the Retrospective delays the resolution of a critical issue.

The Scrum Team should act immediately by addressing quality issues in the Product Backlog and adapting their work in upcoming Sprints.

Transparency and fast feedback are key principles in Scrum—delaying discussions goes against empiricism.

❌ E. Explain to the Product Owner that it is up to the Developers to decide on acceptable quality standards.

???? Reference from the Scrum Guide:

"The Definition of Done is a formal description of the state of the Increment when it meets the quality measures required for the product."​

"If the Definition of Done for an increment is part of the standards of the organization, all Scrum Teams must follow it as a minimum."​

???? Why is this Incorrect?

While the Developers are responsible for meeting the Definition of Done, quality is a shared responsibility across the Scrum Team.

The Product Owner must ensure that the product delivers value to stakeholders, which includes meeting their quality expectations.

Ignoring the Product Owner’s concerns contradicts Scrum’s emphasis on collaboration and transparency.

The correct answers are A, B, and D, because these techniques would be most helpful in this situation. Consulting with the Development Team may help identify the root causes of the impediments and possible solutions. Prioritizing the list and working on them in order may help reduce the backlog and focus on the most important or urgent issues. Alerting management to the impediments and their impact may help escalate the problems and get support from the organization.

The correct answers are A and B, because these are true about the Product Owner role. The Product Owner is one person, not a committee or a team, who is accountable for ordering the Product Backlog and maximizing the value of the product. The Scrum Guide states that “the Product Owner is responsible for maximizing the value of the product resulting from work of the Development Team. How this is done may vary widely across organizations, Scrum Teams, and individuals. … For the Product Owner to succeed, the entire organization must respect his or her decisions.”

According to the Scrum Guide1, the definition of “Done” is a formal description of the state of the Increment when it meets the quality measures required for the product. The definition guides the Development Team in creating a “Done” Increment. The definition of “Done” is created by the development organization (or Development Team if none is available from the development organization). The definition of “Done” may vary significantly per Scrum Team, depending on the context. One aspect of Scrum Teams inspecting how they work toward their Product Goal is that they improve their definition of “Done” over time. Therefore, one reason why the Product Owner wants the Development Team to adhere to its definition of “Done” is to have complete transparency into what has been done at the end of each Sprint.

References: Scrum Guide

According to the Scrum Guide1, the heart of Scrum is a Sprint, a time-box of one month or less during which a “Done”, useable, and potentially releasable product Increment is created. Sprints have consistent durations throughout a development effort. A new Sprint starts immediately after the conclusion of the previous Sprint. The length of a Sprint should be short enough to keep the business risk acceptable to the Product Owner, short enough to be able to synchronize the development work with other business events, and no more than one calendar month.

References: Scrum Guide

According to the Scrum Guide1, the definition of “Done” is a formal description of the state of the Increment when it meets the quality measures required for the product. The definition guides the Development Team in creating a “Done” Increment. The definition of “Done” is created by the development organization (or Development Team if none is available from the development organization). The definition of “Done” may vary significantly per Scrum Team, depending on the context. One aspect of Scrum Teams inspecting how they work toward their Product Goal is that they improve their definition of “Done” over time. Therefore, two things that are appropriate for a Scrum Master to do if the Development Team doesn’t have the engineering tools and infrastructure to completely finish each selected Product Backlog item are:

Coach the Development Team to improve its skills, tools, and infrastructure over time and adjust the Definition of “Done” accordingly.

Have the Development Team establish a Definition of “Done” that is actually possible to achieve given current circumstances.

According to the Scrum Guide, a Scrum Master fulfills a different role from a traditional project manager. A Scrum Master is a servant-leader and a coach for the Scrum Team and the organization, not a manager or a supervisor. A Scrum Master does not assign tasks, set deadlines, or monitor progress, but rather facilitates self-organization, collaboration, and empiricism within the Scrum Team and the organization.

According to the Scrum Guide1, each Sprint is a project with no more than a one-month horizon. The Sprint Goal gives guidance to why the Scrum Team is building an Increment. The Development Team consists of professionals who do the work of delivering a potentially releasable Increment of “Done” product at the end of each Sprint. Therefore, in the first Sprint, as in any other Sprint, the Development Team should develop at least one piece of functionality and create an increment of potentially releasable software. The other options are not consistent with Scrum values and principles.

References: Scrum Guide

According to the Scrum Guide, a Sprint concludes when the Sprint Retrospective is complete. This is the last event of the Sprint cycle, where the Scrum Team inspects itself and creates a plan for improvements. The other options are not valid indicators of the conclusion of a Sprint, as they are either irrelevant (such as the Product Owner deciding enough has been delivered) or incomplete (such as all tasks or Product Backlog items being done).

The correct answer is D, because the recommended size for a Development Team is 3 to 9 members. The Scrum Guide states that “fewer than three Development Team members decrease interaction and results in smaller productivity gains. Smaller Development Teams may encounter skill constraints during the Sprint, causing the Development Team to be unable to deliver a potentially releasable Increment. Having more than nine members requires too much coordination. Large Development Teams generate too much complexity for an empirical process to be useful.”

According to the Scrum Guide, when multiple Scrum Teams are working on the same product, they should integrate their Increments every Sprint, in order to accurately inspect what is done and ensure that there is no technical debt or unfinished work at the end of each Sprint. The other options are not valid, as they imply that integration can be skipped, delayed, or done only for some teams, which is not consistent with Scrum values and principles.

Three topics for the Developers to discuss at the Daily Scrum as they inspect their progress toward the Sprint Goal are:

What have we learned since yesterday, and how should we modify our plan to increase our ability to meet the Sprint Goal?

Are there any impediments blocking progress toward the Sprint Goal?

Are there any decisions that need to be made to maintain progress toward the Sprint Goal?

These topics are suggested by [6]: “The structure of the meeting is set by the Developers and can be conducted in different ways if it focuses on progress toward the Sprint Goal. Some Development Teams will use questions, some will be more discussion based.”

A Scrum Master fulfills a different role than a traditional project manager, as stated in 2: “A project manager helps manage the project timeline, resources, and scope in order to meet business requirements. A Scrum Master, however, helps ensure the Scrum Team follows Scrum theory, practices, and rules. The Scrum Master is a servant-leader who helps optimize the value created by the Scrum Team.”

According to the Scrum Guide1, Product Backlog refinement is an ongoing activity in which Product Backlog items are reviewed and revised. The Developers who will be doing the work are responsible for sizing or estimating it. The Product Owner may influence them by helping them understand and select trade-offs.

According to the Scrum Guide1, there are three roles in a Scrum Team:

The Product Owner

The Developers

The Scrum Master

The Product Owner is accountable for maximizing value resulting from work by Developers. Developers are accountable for creating a plan for the Sprint, the Sprint Backlog. The Scrum Master is accountable for establishing Scrum as defined in the Scrum Guide. They do this by helping everyone understand Scrum theory and practice, both within the Scrum Team and the organization. Every Scrum team must have a Product Owner and Scrum Master, as outcomes are affected by their participation and availability. The other options are false, as they imply that the Product Owner and Scrum Master roles are optional or interchangeable.

References: Scrum Guide

According to the Scrum Guide1, each event in Scrum is a formal opportunity to inspect and adapt something. These events are specifically designed to enable critical transparency and inspection. Failure to include any of these events results in reduced transparency and is a lost opportunity to inspect and adapt. All events are time-boxed events, such that every event has a maximum duration. Once a Sprint begins, its duration is fixed and cannot be shortened or lengthened. The remaining events may end whenever the purpose of the event is achieved, ensuring an appropriate amount of time is spent without allowing waste in the process. The time-box for the Daily Scrum is 15 minutes or less for a one-month Sprint. Its location and time remain constant.

References: Scrum Guide

The correct answer is C, because the Scrum Guide states that “the Development Team usually starts by designing the system and the work needed to convert the Product Backlog into a working product Increment. Work planned for the first days of the Sprint by the Development Team is decomposed by the end of this meeting, often to units of one day or less. The Development Team self-organizes to undertake the work in the Sprint Backlog, both during Sprint Planning and as needed throughout the Sprint.” Therefore, enough work should be defined during the Sprint Planning event so that the Development Team can create its best forecast of what it can do, and to start the first several days of the Sprint.

The answer is A. True. The Sprint Backlog is a result of Sprint Planning, and it includes the Sprint Goal. According to the Scrum Guide, the Sprint Backlog is composed of the Sprint Goal (why), the set of Product Backlog items selected for the Sprint (what), as well as an actionable plan for delivering the Increment (how)1. The Sprint Goal is the single objective for the Sprint, and it provides coherence and focus for the Scrum Team2. The Sprint Backlog is a plan by and for the Developers, and it is updated throughout the Sprint as more is learned2.

The next Sprint begins immediately after the conclusion of the previous Sprint, as stated in the Scrum Guide: “Sprints have consistent durations throughout a development effort. A new Sprint starts immediately after the conclusion of the previous Sprint.”

The correct answers are B and C, because these are the two primary ways a Scrum Master keeps a Development Team working at its highest level of productivity. The Scrum Guide states that “the Scrum Master serves the Development Team in several ways, including … removing impediments to the Development Team’s progress; facilitating Scrum events as requested or needed; and coaching the Development Team in self-organization and cross-functionality.” Therefore, by removing impediments and facilitating decisions, the Scrum Master helps the Development Team focus on their work and deliver value.

The best answer is C. Ensure every Increment meets them. Non-functional requirements (NFRs) are system qualities that guide the design of the solution and often serve as constraints across the relevant backlogs1. NFRs are persistent qualities and constraints typically revisited as part of the definition of done (DoD) for each Iteration, PI, or release1. The Scrum Team should ensure that every Increment meets the NFRs, as they are part of the product requirements and affect the value delivery and customer satisfaction.

According to the Scrum Guide, the Sprint Backlog may include any items that are a decomposition of the selected Product Backlog items, such as user stories, tasks, use cases, tests, or others. The Sprint Backlog is the Developers’ plan for the Sprint, and it contains all the work that they forecast they can do to achieve the Sprint Goal and create a “Done” Increment. The other options are not valid, as they are either too specific (such as user stories or tasks) or too vague (such as tests).

According to the Scrum Guide1, each event in Scrum is a formal opportunity to inspect and adapt something. These events are specifically designed to enable critical transparency and inspection. Failure to include any of these events results in reduced transparency and is a lost opportunity to inspect and adapt. All events are time-boxed events, such that every event has a maximum duration. Once a Sprint begins, its duration is fixed and cannot be shortened or lengthened. The remaining events may end whenever the purpose of the event is achieved, ensuring an appropriate amount of time is spent without allowing waste in the process.

References: Scrum Guide

According to the Scrum Guide1, collaboration between the Product Owner and Developers is essential for creating valuable products. The Product Owner is accountable for maximizing value resulting from work by Developers. Developers are accountable for creating a plan for the Sprint, which includes selecting items from Product Backlog that they can complete within a Sprint. The Scrum Master is accountable for establishing Scrum as defined in the Scrum Guide. They do this by helping everyone understand Scrum theory and practice, both within the Scrum Team and the organization. Therefore, two valuable actions for a Scrum Master to take if the Product Owner is not collaborating with the Development Team during the Sprint are:

Bring up the problem in the Sprint Retrospective, where the Scrum Team can inspect how they worked together and create a plan for improvements.

Coach the Product Owner in the values of Scrum and incremental delivery, and help them understand their role and responsibilities in collaborating with Developers.

The other options are not valuable actions, as they may undermine trust, respect, and self-organization within the Scrum Team.

References: Scrum Guide

According to the Scrum Guide1, an Increment is a concrete stepping stone toward the Product Goal. Each Increment is additive to all prior Increments and thoroughly verified, ensuring that all Increments work together. In order to provide value, an Increment must be usable. Multiple Increments may be created within a Sprint. The sum of the Increments is presented at the Sprint Review thus supporting empiricism. However, an Increment may be delivered to stakeholders prior to the end of the Sprint. The Sprint Review should never be considered a gate to releasing value. Therefore, in order to turn Product Backlog items into an Increment of potentially releasable product functionality, the Development Team should have all the skills needed.

References: Scrum Guide

According to the Scrum Guide1, there is no such thing as a Release Sprint in Scrum. A Release Sprint implies that there are other Sprints that don’t produce a potentially releasable Increment, which violates the core principle of Scrum. Every Sprint should result in a “Done”, useable, and potentially releasable product Increment.

The correct answer is A, because the role of management in Scrum is to facilitate the Scrum Teams with insights and resources that help them improve. The Scrum Guide states that “the organization respects their self-organization by not telling them how they should do their work.” Therefore, management should support the Scrum Teams by providing them with an environment that fosters collaboration, learning, and innovation.

The correct answer is C, because the Scrum Guide states that “the Scrum Master ensures that the Development Team has the meeting, but the Development Team is responsible for conducting the Daily Scrum. The Scrum Master teaches the Development Team to keep the Daily Scrum within the 15-minute time-box.” Therefore, the main reason for the Scrum Master to be at the Daily Scrum is to ensure that it happens, but he or she does not have to be there.

According to the Scrum Guide, every Scrum Team should have the competencies and skills needed to deliver an Increment in a Sprint. This means that the Developers can work on any aspect of the product without depending on others outside the team. The other options are not valid descriptions of what every Scrum Team should have, as they either imply that the Developers work in silos or rely on external people (such as a lead developer or representatives from different departments).

The correct answer is C, because if necessary, the Development Team is responsible for removing a team member who is creating a hostile environment. The Scrum Guide states that “development Teams are self-organizing. No one (not even the Scrum Master) tells the Development Team how to turn Product Backlog into Increments of potentially releasable functionality.” Therefore, the Development Team should manage its own composition and dynamics, and may need help from the Scrum Master to facilitate this process.

The best answer is B. The need for the team to learn based on doing work and measuring results.

The Sprint length should be chosen based on the complexity and volatility of the product and the environment, as well as the team’s capability and Definition of Done. The Sprint length should enable the team to deliver a usable Increment of value that meets the feedback needs of the stakeholders and the business. The Sprint length should also allow the team to inspect and adapt their work processes and practices based on the outcomes of the Sprint.

The other options are not valid reasons for choosing the Sprint length. The organization’s mandate, team formation, and release schedule should not dictate the Sprint length, but rather be aligned with it. The Scrum Team should have the autonomy to choose the Sprint length that best suits their product and context.

You can learn more about how to choose the right Sprint length from these sources: How Long A Sprint Should Be?, How to Choose the Right Sprint Length in Scrum, What is a Sprint?, Determining the Sprint Length, and Sprint Length: What’s the Right Length?.

The Product Owner is responsible for engaging the stakeholders, as stated in the Scrum Guide1: “The Product Owner is one person, not a committee. The Product Owner may represent the desires of a committee in the Product Backlog, but those wanting to change a Product Backlog item’s priority must address the Product Owner.”

According to the Scrum Guide, the Scrum Team consists of three roles: the Scrum Master, who coaches and facilitates the team; the Product Owner, who manages and prioritizes the Product Backlog; and the Development Team, who delivers a potentially releasable Increment at the end of each Sprint. Users and customers are not roles on the Scrum Team, but they are stakeholders who may provide feedback and input to the product.

The correct answers are B and E, because these statements are true about the length of the Sprint. It is best to have Sprints of consistent length throughout a development effort, as this helps establish a reliable rhythm and cadence for the Scrum Team and the stakeholders. All Sprints must be one month or less, as this ensures that the Scrum Team can inspect and adapt frequently and deliver value incrementally.

The correct answers are B and C, because these are two responsibilities of a self-organizing Development Team. The Scrum Guide states that “the Development Team consists of professionals who do the work of delivering a potentially releasable Increment of ‘Done’ product at the end of each Sprint. Development Teams are structured and empowered by the organization to organize and manage their own work.” Therefore, the Development Team should pull Product Backlog items for the Sprint and do the work planned in the Sprint Backlog.

According to the Scrum Guide, two things that the Scrum Team should do during the first Sprint are building at least one piece of valuable functionality and creating at least one valuable, useful Increment. These are the goals of every Sprint, regardless of its order. The other options are not things that the Scrum Team should do during the first Sprint, as they are either out of scope (such as defining major product features and a release plan architecture or making a plan for the rest of the project) or unnecessary (such as analyzing, describing, and documenting requirements for subsequent Sprints).

According to the Scrum Guide, the amount of work required of the Developers to complete a Product Backlog item selected during the Sprint Planning is as much as is required to meet the Scrum Team’s Definition of Done. This means that the Developers must ensure that every item they work on is in a usable condition and meets all quality standards agreed upon by the team. The other options are not valid descriptions of the amount of work required, as they are either too vague (such as all development work and some testing or a proportional amount of time) or incorrect (such as fitting as much as possible or deferring work to the next Sprint).

According to the Nexus Guide2, which is a framework for scaling Scrum, one way to form multiple Development Teams from a large group of people is to ask them to self-organize into teams based on dependencies, skills, domain knowledge, and personal preferences. This approach respects the autonomy and empowerment of the Developers and allows them to choose how they want to work together.

References: Nexus Guide

The correct answers are B and D, because adding non-functional requirements to the Product Backlog and keeping the Product Owner posted on the expected effort helps prioritize and plan them in alignment with the product vision and goals. Additionally, adding non-functional requirements to the definition of ‘Done’ ensures that they are met every Sprint and do not accumulate technical debt.

References: Suggested Reading for Professional Scrum Master™ I

According to the Scrum Guide1, the Sprint Planning meeting has a time-box of eight hours or less for a one-month Sprint. The Scrum Master ensures that the meeting is time-boxed and keeps the Scrum Team focused on the objective. If the Development Team cannot forecast how many Product Backlog items it can complete, it should still start the Sprint and work on the most likely items to meet the Sprint Goal. The Sprint Backlog can be updated throughout the Sprint as more is learned. The Scrum Master should also support the team to discuss the reasons for the lack of clarity in the Product Backlog items and how to prevent it from happening again in the next Sprint Retrospective.

References: Scrum Guide

According to the Scrum Guide1, an Increment is a concrete stepping stone toward the Product Goal. Each Increment is additive to all prior Increments and thoroughly verified, ensuring that all Increments work together. In order to provide value, an Increment must be usable. Multiple Increments may be created within a Sprint. The sum of the Increments is presented at the Sprint Review thus supporting empiricism. However, an Increment may be delivered to stakeholders prior to the end of the Sprint. The Sprint Review should never be considered a gate to releasing value. For the purpose of transparency, when does Scrum say a new increment of working software must be available? At the end of every Sprint.

References: Scrum Guide

According to the Scrum Guide, Developers are self-managing, which means that they manage their own Sprint Backlog. They decide how to organize their work and collaborate effectively to deliver a valuable Increment that meets the Definition of Done and the Sprint Goal. The other options are not valid, as they imply that Developers manage things that are either determined by the Scrum framework (such as Sprint length), by collaboration with other roles (such as when to release or stakeholders for the Sprint Review), or by the Product Owner (such as Product Backlog ordering).

According to the Scrum Guide1, the Sprint Retrospective is an opportunity for the Scrum Team to inspect itself and create a plan for improvements to be enacted during the next Sprint. The Sprint Retrospective occurs after the Sprint Review and prior to the next Sprint Planning. The purpose of the Sprint Retrospective is to plan ways to increase quality and effectiveness. The Product Owner is part of the Scrum Team and should participate as a Scrum Team member in the Sprint Retrospective.

References: Scrum Guide

According to the Scrum Guide, a Developer becomes accountable for the value of a Product Backlog item selected for the Sprint at the Sprint Planning event. This is when the Developers select items from the Product Backlog that they can commit to complete within a Sprint. The Developers are then responsible for creating a valuable Increment that meets the Definition of Done and the Sprint Goal. The other options are not valid, as they either imply that Developers are not accountable for value (such as never or whenever), or that they become accountable at a different time (such as during the Daily Scrum).

The correct answers are B, E, and F, because these activities would probably help the team in starting up. Having the Scrum Team members introduce themselves and give a brief background of their skills and work history helps build trust and rapport among them. Ensuring the team understands they need a definition of “Done” helps create transparency and alignment on the quality standards for the product. Asking the Product Owner to discuss the product or project, its history, goals, and context, as well as answer questions helps clarify the vision and value of the product.

References: [Suggested Reading for Professional Scrum Master™ I]

The correct answer is D, because the Scrum Guide states that “a Sprint is a container for all other events. Each event in Scrum is a formal opportunity to inspect and adapt something. These events are specifically designed to enable critical transparency and inspection. Failure to include any of these events results in reduced transparency and is a lost opportunity to inspect and adapt.” Therefore, a Sprint is over when its time-box expires, regardless of whether all Product Backlog items or tasks are completed or not.

The timebox for the Sprint Review is four hours for a one-month Sprint, as stated in [4]: “The Sprint Review is held at the end of the Sprint to inspect the Increment and adapt the Product Backlog if needed. During the event, the Scrum Team and stakeholders review what was accomplished in the Sprint and what has changed in their environment. Based on this information, attendees collaborate on what to do next. The Product Owner explains what Product Backlog items have been “Done” and what has not been “Done”; additionally, they discuss any changes to scope or budget or potential value. The entire group then collaborates on what to do next, so that the Sprint Review provides valuable input to subsequent Sprint Planning. The Sprint Review is a working session and attendees should inspect based on facts. A Sprint Review is held at the end of every Sprint for a maximum duration of four hours for a one-month Sprint.”

According to the Scrum Guide, the best approach for Scrum Teams in order to produce valuable Increments is to have each Developer work on the component where they feel that they can contribute. This means that the Developers can self-organize and collaborate effectively to deliver a valuable Increment that meets the Definition of Done and the Sprint Goal. The other options are not valid approaches, as they either imply that the Developers work in silos or rely on external people (such as developing functionality from beginning to end, working on an independent set of components, or working only as an independent layer of the system).

The best answer is C. When multiple Scrum Teams are working together on a product, they must mutually define and comply with the same Definition Of Done.

According to the Scrum Guide1, “the Definition of Done is a formal description of the state of the Increment when it meets the quality measures required for the product.” The Scrum Guide also states that “when multiple Scrum Teams are working together on a product, they must mutually define and comply with the same Definition of Done. This ensures transparency and consistency among the teams and makes their combined work potentially releasable.”

A, B, and D are not correct answers.

A. Each Scrum Team uses its own, but must make their definition clear to all other teams so the differences are known.

This answer does not reflect the Scrum value of alignment2. Having different Definitions of Done for each Scrum Team can create confusion and inconsistency in the quality and completeness of the product. It can also make it difficult to integrate and deliver a coherent and valuable Increment at the end of each Sprint.

B. The Scrum Masters from each Scrum Team define a common Definition of Done.

This answer does not reflect the Scrum principle of self-organization3. The Definition of Done should be created by the Developers who are responsible for delivering the Increment, not by the Scrum Masters who are responsible for facilitating and coaching the Scrum Teams. The Scrum Masters can help the Developers understand and apply the Definition of Done, but they should not impose it on them.

D. Each Scrum Team defines and uses its own. The differences are discussed and reconciled during a hardening Sprint.

This answer does not reflect the Scrum value of focus2. Having different Definitions of Done for each Scrum Team can lead to technical debt or rework that requires a hardening Sprint to resolve. A hardening Sprint is an anti-pattern that violates the rule of delivering a potentially releasable Increment at the end of each Sprint4.

According to the Scrum Guide, estimates are made by the people doing the work, which is the Development Team. The Development Team is responsible for all estimates in the Product Backlog and the Sprint Backlog. The other options are not valid guidelines for estimating work in Scrum, as they are either too prescriptive (such as requiring story points or relative units), incorrect (such as forbidding estimating or having the Product Owner make estimates), or unnecessary (such as checking estimates with the Development Team).

According to the Scrum Guide1, the Developers are self-organizing and decide how to turn Product Backlog items into an Increment of value. No one tells them how to do their work. The Developers are accountable for creating a plan for the Sprint, the Sprint Backlog. The other roles are not responsible for making sure everyone on the Development Team does their tasks for the Sprint.

References: Scrum Guide

The Product Backlog is ordered by the Product Owner with the most valuable items placed at the top, as stated in [6]: “The Product Owner is responsible for ordering items on their product backlog based on their value to customers and users. Value can be measured by various factors, such as business value, customer satisfaction, risk reduction, learning opportunities, etc. The most valuable items are placed at the top of the product backlog so that they can be delivered sooner by the development team.”

According to the Scrum Guide, two intended outcomes of the Daily Scrum are a shared understanding of the most important work to be undertaken next to achieve the best possible progress toward the Sprint goal, and new impediments for the Scrum Master to take care of. The other options are not intended outcomes of the Daily Scrum, as they are either irrelevant (such as updating a Scrum board) or inappropriate (such as providing an update or a status report).

According to the Scrum Guide, two valid actions that the Developers can take when they realize that the workload may be greater than their capacity to complete the work are ensuring that the Scrum Team is aware, starting the Sprint, and monitoring progress, and removing or changing selected Product Backlog items. These actions are consistent with Scrum values and principles, such as transparency, adaptation, and collaboration. The other options are not valid actions, as they are either wasteful (such as recruiting additional Developers or canceling the Sprint) or unsustainable (such as working overtime).

According to the Scrum Guide, three behaviors that demonstrate that a team is self-organizing are creating their own sprint backlog, having all the skills needed to create a releasable Increment, and collaboratively selecting their own work during the Sprint. The other options are not behaviors that demonstrate self-organization, as they are either contrary to Scrum values and principles (such as stakeholders walking in at the Daily Scrum or working within functional boundaries) or unnecessary for self-organization (such as the Product Owner not being at Sprint Retrospectives or the Development Team inviting external people to the Sprint Planning).

 According to the Scrum Guide, a Development Team needs a Sprint Goal because it provides guidance and focus for building an Increment that delivers value. The other options are not valid reasons for having a Sprint Goal, as they are either incorrect (such as giving purpose only to Sprint 0 or ensuring implementation of all Product Backlog items) or irrelevant (such as knowing everything from the Product Backlog).

According to the Scrum Guide1, the Daily Scrum is an event for the Developers of the Scrum Team. The purpose of the Daily Scrum is to inspect progress toward the Sprint Goal and adapt the Sprint Backlog as necessary, adjusting the upcoming planned work. The Scrum Master and Product Owner may attend as observers, but only if it is useful for the Developers.

References: Scrum Guide