PSM-I Sample Questions Answers

The correct answer is B, because when multiple Scrum Teams work from the same Product Backlog, they should pull in work in agreement with the Product Owner. 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.” Therefore, they should collaborate and coordinate with each other and with the Product Owner to select Product Backlog items that align with their shared product goal.

The correct answer is D, because one of the services that a Scrum Master can provide in regard to the Daily Scrum is to teach the Development Team to keep the Daily Scrum within the 15 minute time-box. 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.”

According to the Scrum Guide1, when multiple Scrum Teams are working together on one product, they must coordinate their work with each other. One way to do this is through Nexus, a framework for scaling Scrum. Nexus helps to reduce cross-team dependencies and integration issues by making them more transparent. Multiple Scrum Teams working on one product use one Product Backlog.

References: Scrum Guide, Nexus 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. The 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.

References: Scrum Guide

According to the Scrum Guide, the Developers on the Scrum Team should write the user documentation, as they are responsible for creating a “Done” Increment that meets the Definition of Done and the Sprint Goal. The other options are not valid, as they imply that the user documentation can be deferred, ignored, or outsourced, which is not consistent with Scrum values and principles.

According to the Scrum Guide, a high-performance Scrum Team does not run a Release Sprint, as this is not a Scrum event. A Release Sprint is a term used to describe a Sprint that is dedicated to finalizing the product for release, such as fixing bugs, polishing features, or integrating components. This is contrary to the Scrum principle of delivering a potentially releasable Increment at the end of each Sprint, regardless of whether it is actually released or not. Therefore, the answer is false.

According to the Scrum Guide1, during each Daily Scrum, each Developer answers three questions:

• What did I do yesterday that helped meet our Sprint Goal?
• What will I do today to help meet our Sprint Goal?
• Do I see any impediment that prevents me or our Development Team from meeting our Sprint Goal?

The Developers can select whatever structure and techniques they want, as long as their Daily Scrum focuses on progress toward achieving their Sprint Goal and producing a usable Increment. The Developers can start with any one person and proceed in any order.

References: Scrum Guide

The correct answer is C, because when a Development Team is having trouble delivering a working Increment because they don’t understand a functional requirement, they should collaborate with the Product Owner to determine what is possible and acceptable. 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.” Therefore, the Product Owner should clarify the functional requirement and negotiate the scope of work with the Development Team.

The best answer is C. The function or purpose of management in Scrum is to present the Scrum Teams with insights and resources that help them improve. According to the article What is the Function or Purpose of Management in Scrum?, management is still critical to providing vision, securing resources, hiring talent, training teams, removing roadblocks, and continuously improving. Management also encourages collaboration and establishes Scrum Team autonomy, which are essential for Scrum’s values and principles.

A, B and D are not good answers because they imply a command-and-control approach that contradicts Scrum’s values of respect, openness, and self-organization. Management in Scrum is not supposed to micromanage, judge, or interfere with the work of the Developers, but rather support them and enable them to deliver value.

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).

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.”

Correct Answer: C and E

Short Explanation: According to the Scrum Guide 20201, the product has one Product Backlog, which is the single source of work undertaken by the Scrum Team. The Product Backlog is ordered by the Product Owner, who is accountable for maximizing the value of the product resulting from the work of the Scrum Team. There should be only one Product Owner per product, who 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 Owner1. Having multiple Product Owners or Product Backlogs would create confusion, inconsistency, and waste in the Scrum process.

The correct answers are C, E, and F, because these phrases best describe the purpose of a definition of “Done”. It creates transparency over the work inspected at the Sprint Review, as it defines what it means for an Increment to be potentially releasable. It guides the Development Team in creating a forecast at the Sprint Planning, as it helps them estimate how much work they can accomplish in a Sprint. It defines what it takes for an Increment to be ready for release, as it ensures that the product meets the quality expectations of the stakeholders.

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.

According to the Scrum Guide, the Product Backlog is an ordered list of everything that is known to be needed in the product. It is allowed to grow and change as more is learned about the product and its customers. The other options are not accurate descriptions of the Product Backlog, as they are either too restrictive (such as providing just enough information or baselining to follow change management processes) or too comprehensive (such as containing all foreseeable tasks and requirements or enabling a complete project plan).

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 D, because there is no gap between Sprints in Scrum. The Scrum Guide states that “a new Sprint starts immediately after the conclusion of the previous Sprint.” Therefore, there is no time required after a Sprint to prepare for the next Sprint.

The Developers determine how many Product Backlog items they select for a Sprint, as stated in the Scrum Guide: “The Developers select items from the Product Backlog to include in the current Sprint. The Scrum Team may refine these items during this process, which increases understanding and confidence.”

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

The correct answer is B. The Scrum Team includes skilled individuals who together have all the skills necessary to create value each Sprint. According to the Scrum Guide1, “Scrum Teams are cross-functional, meaning the members have all the skills necessary to create value in each Sprint.” This does not mean that every individual has all the skills, but rather that the team as a whole does. Cross-functionality enables the Scrum Team to deliver a potentially releasable Increment of “Done” product at the end of each Sprint, without depending on others outside the team.

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.

References: Scrum Guide

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 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, when the Scrum Team gets caught in an internal disagreement about which development techniques to apply, two techniques that the Scrum Master could use are:

• Involve the complete Development Team, as they are responsible for managing and refining their own work.
• Use coaching techniques, such as open questions and active listening, to help the Development Team resolve their conflict and reach a consensus.

The other options are not appropriate, as they may undermine the self-organization and empowerment of the Developers.

References: Scrum Guide

According to the Scrum Guide1, 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. Therefore, a good way to continue is for the Development Team to make sure that all of the selected scope per Sprint is as “Done” as possible. The undone work is estimated and added to the Sprint Backlog of the next Sprint, so it doesn’t mess up the Product Backlog.

References: Scrum Guide

The best two answers are A and B. As a Scrum Team, prioritizing the list and working on them in order is a good technique to tackle the impediments. This way, the team can focus on the most urgent and important issues first and avoid being overwhelmed by the number of impediments. The Scrum Master discusses the impediments with the Scrum Team is also a helpful technique, as it allows the team to share their perspectives, identify the root causes, and come up with possible solutions. The Scrum Master can also coach the team on how to remove or prevent impediments in the future.

The correct answer is B, because a Scrum Master is not the same thing as a traditional PM (Project Manager). The Scrum Guide states that “the Scrum Master is responsible for promoting and supporting Scrum as defined in the Scrum Guide. Scrum Masters do this by helping everyone understand Scrum theory, practices, rules, and values.” Therefore, a Scrum Master is not a manager, but a servant-leader and a coach for the Scrum Team and the organization.

The correct answer is B, because the Scrum Guide states that “the Development Team modifies the Sprint Backlog throughout the Sprint, and the Sprint Backlog emerges during the Sprint. This emergence occurs as the Development Team works through the plan and learns more about the work needed to achieve the Sprint Goal.” Therefore, new work or further decomposition of work can be added to the Sprint Backlog as soon as possible after they are identified by the Development Team.

The correct answer is C, because if burndown charts are used to visualize progress, they track work remaining across time. A burndown chart is a graphical representation of the amount of work left to do versus the time available. It helps the Scrum Team monitor and forecast the progress toward the Sprint Goal.

The correct answer is B, because the guideline that a Scrum Master should give is that estimates are made by the Development Team. The Scrum Guide states that “the number of items selected from the Product Backlog for the Sprint is solely up to the Development Team. Only the Development Team can assess what it can accomplish over the upcoming Sprint.” Therefore, the Development Team should estimate the work in Scrum, using any method or unit they prefer.

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 Daily Scrum optimizes the probability that the Developers will meet the Sprint Goal. Every day, the Developers should understand how they intend to work together as a self-organizing team to accomplish the Sprint Goal and create the anticipated Increment by the end of the Sprint. Management external to the Scrum Team is not involved in the Daily Scrum, as they may interfere with the self-management and empowerment of the Developers.

References: Scrum Guide

During the Sprint Retrospective, the Scrum Team may add items to the Sprint Backlog for the next Sprint, as stated in [5]: “The purpose of each Sprint Retrospective is to plan ways to increase quality and effectiveness. The Scrum Team plans ways to implement improvements identified during this meeting into its way of working. By doing this it reinforces empiricism throughout its work. Improvements may be implemented at any time during a Sprint or they may be planned for subsequent Sprints.”

According to the Scrum Guide, two intended outcomes of the Daily Scrum are identification of impediments that may prevent the Developers from achieving the Sprint Goal and a shared understanding of the most important work to be undertaken next to achieve the best possible progress toward the Sprint Goal. These outcomes help the Developers to inspect their progress, plan their work, and collaborate effectively. 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 a status report or an update of completed tasks).

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 Daily Scrum optimizes the probability that the Developers will meet the Sprint Goal. Every day, the Developers should understand how they intend to work together as a self-organizing team to accomplish the Sprint Goal and create the anticipated Increment by the end of the Sprint. If the frequency of the Daily Scrum were to be lowered to every two or three days, some key concerns would be:

• Opportunities to inspect and adapt the Sprint Backlog are lost, which may result in wasted work or missed dependencies.
• Impediments are raised and resolved more slowly, which may hinder the progress and quality of the work.
• The Sprint plan may become inaccurate, as changes in requirements, risks, or priorities are not reflected in a timely manner.

The other options are not valid concerns, as they are not aligned with Scrum values and principles.

References: Scrum Guide

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

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.

All of the above topics should be discussed in the Sprint Review, as stated in [4]: "The purpose of this meeting is to inspect what was delivered during this sprint and adapt what we want to deliver next. This means we will discuss three things:

• What did we do this sprint?
• How did we do it?
• What do we want to do next?"

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, when multiple Scrum Teams are working together on the same product, they must mutually define and comply with the same definition of “Done”, which includes creating an integrated Increment at least by the end of each Sprint. The Scrum Master should teach and coach the Developers that it is their responsibility to work with other Scrum Teams to create an integrated Increment that meets the definition of “Done”. The other options are not aligned with Scrum values and principles.

References: Scrum Guide

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.

According to the Scrum Guide1, the Sprint Goal is an objective set for the Sprint that can be met through the implementation of Product Backlog. It provides guidance to the Developers on why it is building the Increment. It also provides a basis for inspecting and adapting during the Sprint Review and Sprint Retrospective. The Sprint Goal is a result of Sprint Planning, as is the Sprint Backlog.

References: Scrum Guide

The correct answer is A, because the Product Owner does not determine how many Product Backlog items the Development Team selects for a Sprint. The Scrum Guide states that “the number of items selected from the Product Backlog for the Sprint is solely up to the Development Team. Only the Development Team can assess what it can accomplish over the upcoming Sprint.” Therefore, the Development Team is responsible for choosing the scope of work for a Sprint.

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."

The correct answer is C, because as soon as possible in the Sprint, the Development Team should work with the Product Owner to remove some work or Product Backlog items if they realize they have selected too much work to finish in the Sprint. The Scrum Guide states that “the Development Team may renegotiate the selected Product Backlog items with the Product Owner. If the Development Team realizes it has too much or too little work, it may renegotiate the selected Product Backlog items with the Product Owner. The Development Team may also invite other people to attend to provide technical or domain advice.”

According to the Scrum Guide, a Scrum Team must release each Increment when it makes sense to do so, based on the value and feedback obtained from stakeholders. The decision to release an Increment is made by the Product Owner, who is responsible for maximizing the value of the product and the work of the Development Team. The other options are not valid, as they imply that releasing an Increment is either mandatory (such as after every Sprint), conditional (such as when the product is free of defects), or irrelevant (such as when the Scrum Team finishes their work).

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 B, because the Development Team determines how work is performed during the Sprint. 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 has the autonomy and responsibility to organize and manage its own work.

The correct answer is D, because this statement best describes the Sprint Review. The Scrum Guide states that “a Sprint Review is held at the end of the Sprint to inspect the Increment and adapt the Product Backlog if needed. During the Sprint Review, the Scrum Team and stakeholders collaborate about what was done in the Sprint.” Therefore, the Sprint Review is when the Scrum Team and stakeholders inspect the outcome of a Sprint and figure out what to do next.

According to the Scrum Guide, Scrum is a framework to generate value through adaptive solutions for complex problems. It is based on empiricism, self-organization, and collaboration. The other options are not accurate descriptions of Scrum, as they are either too rigid (such as a defined and predictive process or a complete methodology), too vague (such as a cookbook), or irrelevant (such as scientific management).

According to the Scrum Guide, the Development Team is responsible for creating a “Done” Increment that meets the Definition of “Done”. User documentation is part of the Definition of “Done” in this scenario, so the Development Team must create it. The other options are not consistent with Scrum values and principles, such as self-organization, cross-functionality, and empiricism.

The product has one Product Backlog, as it is a single source of requirements for any changes to be made to the product. There should be only one Product Owner, who is accountable for maximizing the value of the product and the work of the Development Team. Having multiple Product Owners or Product Backlogs would create confusion, inconsistency, and waste.

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 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.

The correct answers are D and E, because these are two activities that a Product Owner can engage in during a Sprint. The Scrum Guide states that “the Product Owner is responsible for maximizing the value of the product resulting from work of the Development Team.” Therefore, the Product Owner can answer questions from the Development Team about items in the current Sprint, and work with the stakeholders to understand their needs and expectations.

The correct answer is A, because if two Scrum Teams are added to the development of a product that previously had only one Scrum Team, the immediate impact on the productivity of the original Scrum Team is likely to decrease. This is because adding more teams may introduce some challenges and trade-offs, such as increased communication and coordination overhead, reduced alignment and cohesion, and potential conflicts or dependencies.

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

 According to the Scrum Guide, the time-boxed events in Scrum are Sprint Retrospective, Sprint Planning, and Daily Scrum. These events have a maximum duration that cannot be exceeded. The other options are not time-boxed events in Scrum, as they are either not part of Scrum (such as Release Planning, Release Retrospective, Sprint Testing, and Sprint 0) or not events at all (such as Definition of Done).

According to the Scrum Guide1, when multiple Scrum Teams are working together on one product, they must coordinate their work with each other. One way to do this is through Nexus, a framework for scaling Scrum. Nexus helps to reduce cross-team dependencies and integration issues by making them more transparent. The key concern when multiple Development Teams are working from the same Product Backlog is minimizing dependencies between teams so that they can deliver an integrated Increment that meets the definition of “Done”.

References: Scrum Guide, Nexus Guide

The correct answers are B and C, because technical debt impacts transparency in these ways. It leads to false assumptions about the current state of the system, specifically of an Increment being releasable at the end of a Sprint, as it may contain hidden defects or incomplete functionality. It also results in future work being slowed down in unpredictable ways, as development progresses and code is added, the system becomes more difficult to stabilize and maintain.

According to 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. The topics that are appropriate for discussion are those that relate to how the team does its work, such as team relations, Definition of Done, and processes, tools, communication, collaboration, quality, etc. The other options are not appropriate topics for discussion in a Sprint Retrospective, as they belong to other Scrum events (such as arranging the Sprint Backlog for the next Sprint in the Sprint Planning or evaluating the value of work in the Product Backlog in the Sprint Review).

The best two answers are B and D. These two ways of dealing with regulatory compliance issues are consistent with Scrum’s values and principles, as they allow the Scrum Team to deliver valuable and potentially releasable increments of the product while meeting the necessary standards and regulations. They also enable the Scrum Team to inspect and adapt their compliance strategy based on feedback and changing requirements.

A is not a good answer because it creates a separate silo of responsibility for compliance issues, which can lead to delays, conflicts, and inefficiencies. It also violates the Scrum value of transparency, as the compliance team may not have full visibility into the product development process.

C is not a good answer because it implies a waterfall approach that assumes all the compliance requirements are known and fixed upfront, which is rarely the case. It also reduces the flexibility and responsiveness of the Scrum Team, as they may have to follow a rigid plan that does not reflect the current reality of the product or the market.

According to the Scrum Guide, multiple Scrum Teams working on the same product do not have to have the same Sprint start date. They may start their Sprints at different times, as long as they synchronize their work and integrate their Increments at least by the end of each Sprint. The other option is not valid, as it implies that having the same Sprint start date is mandatory for multiple Scrum Teams.

According to the Scrum Guide1, the purpose of the Sprint Retrospective is to plan ways to increase quality and effectiveness. The Scrum Team inspects how the last Sprint went with regards to individuals, interactions, processes, tools, and their Definition of Done. Inspected elements often vary with domain, practices, and people involved. The Scrum Team identifies the most helpful changes to improve its effectiveness. The most impactful improvements are addressed as soon as possible. They may even be added to the Sprint Backlog for the next Sprint. Therefore, two appropriate topics for discussion during a Sprint Retrospective are:

• Identifying high priority process improvements for the next Sprint.
• How the team collaborates.

The other options are not relevant or appropriate for the Sprint Retrospective.

References: Scrum Guide

According to the Scrum Guide1, Scrum promotes self-organization by giving autonomy and empowerment to the Developers who decide how to do their work within a Sprint. The Developers have no titles other than Developer, regardless of their specialization or skills. Scrum is a lightweight framework that minimizes prescription and maximizes flexibility and adaptability.

References: Scrum Guide

The Scrum Master should ask the person to share the issue with the team as soon as possible, as stated in [5]: “The Scrum Master should encourage transparency and collaboration within the team and with other stakeholders. If there is a concern about data security issues, it should be brought up to the team and discussed openly. The team can then decide how to handle it, whether by creating a Product Backlog item, updating the definition of “Done”, or taking some other action.”

According to the Scrum Guide, the Sprint Backlog is the Developers’ plan for the Sprint, as it contains all the Product Backlog items selected for the Sprint and a plan for delivering them. The other options are not valid descriptions of the Sprint Backlog, as they are either incorrect (such as having a designated owner, being ordered by the Product Owner, or being a complete list of all work) or unnecessary (such as estimating each task in hours).

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).

The correct answer is F, because all of the Scrum Values are affected by a lack of trust in the Scrum Team. Trust is essential for the Scrum Team to work effectively and deliver value. Without trust, the Scrum Team may lose focus, respect, openness, courage, and commitment.

The correct answer is A, because a Sprint Retrospective should be held at the end of each Sprint. The Scrum Guide states that “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 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.”