PSM-II Sample Questions Answers

• C: Velocity has no direct relationship with value. This is a true statement, as velocity is a measure of the amount of work done by a Scrum Team in a Sprint, not the value or quality of that work. Velocity can vary depending on many factors, such as the size, complexity, and priority of the Product Backlog items, the skills and experience of the Developers, the Definition of Done, and the Sprint length. Therefore, velocity is not a reliable indicator of value creation or team performance.
• D: Velocity is the amount of business functionality that a Scrum Team creates in a Sprint. It is unique to that team and used as an input to Sprint Planning. This is a true statement, as velocity is a team-specific metric that reflects how much business functionality the Scrum Team can deliver in a Sprint. Velocity can help the Scrum Team to forecast how many Product Backlog items they can select for the next Sprint, based on their past performance and current capacity. However, velocity is not a goal or a target for the Scrum Team, and it should not be compared across teams.

References:

• Professional Scrum Master II Course, page 15: “Velocity is a measure of how much work a team can complete in a given time period. It is usually expressed in terms of story points or function points per Sprint.”
• Professional Scrum Master II Course, page 16: “Velocity is not a measure of value or quality. It does not tell us anything about the usefulness, usability, or desirability of the product increment.”
• Professional Scrum Master II Course, page 17: “Velocity is unique to each team and depends on many factors, such as the size and complexity of the work items, the skills and experience of the team members, the definition of done, and the length of the Sprint.”
• Professional Scrum Master II Course, page 18: “Velocity can be used as an input for Sprint Planning, to help the team forecast how much work they can realistically accomplish in the next Sprint. However, velocity is not a goal or a target for the team, and it should not be used to compare or evaluate teams.”

User documentation is part of your Definition of Done, which means that it is a requirement for delivering a potentially releasable product increment. Your Scrum Team cannot ignore or postpone this requirement, even if there are not enough technical writers for all teams. Your Scrum Team is responsible for creating and maintaining the user documentation, and the Developers are the ones who have the skills and authority to do so. The Scrum Master can help the Developers learn how to write effective user documentation, and the Product Owner can provide feedback on its quality and value.

References:

• Scrum Guide 2020, page 9: “The Definition of Done is a formal description of the state of the Increment when it meets the quality measures required for the product.”
• Scrum Guide 2020, page 10: “The Developers are the people in the Scrum Team that are committed to creating any aspect of a usable Increment each Sprint.”
• Professional Scrum Master II Course, page 12: “The Definition of Done is a crucial aspect of transparency. If it is not clear when work is done, then stakeholders may make wrong assumptions about the state of the software.”

B. You inform management of organizational impediments that prevent the Scrum Team from being more productive. You enlist their help to remove these impediments.

• This is a good answer because it is consistent with the Scrum Master’s accountability to serve the Scrum Team and the organization by identifying and addressing the factors that hinder the team’s effectiveness12. By informing management of the organizational impediments, you can leverage their authority and influence to resolve them. By enlisting their help, you can also foster a collaborative and supportive relationship with them. C. You explain how a Scrum Team uses the velocity of a Sprint primarily to forecast work for the next Sprint, not to perfectly predict future productivity. You refer management to the Product Owner for all information concerning the progress of development.
• This is another good answer because it is consistent with the Scrum Master’s accountability to educate and coach the organization on the Scrum framework and itsprinciples12. By explaining how velocity is used in Scrum, you can help management understand that it is not a reliable metric for measuring performance or comparing teams. By referring management to the Product Owner, you can also respect the Product Owner’s accountability to manage the product backlog and communicate the value and status of the product34.

References: 1: What is a Scrum Master? | Scrum.org 2: What is a scrum master? [+ Responsibilities] | Atlassian 3: What is a Product Owner? | Scrum.org 4: What is a product owner? [+ Responsibilities] | Atlassian : Scrum Guide | Scrum Guides

The Sprint Review is an event that inspects the outcome of the Sprint and determines future adaptations. The Product Owner has the authority to release the Increment to production at any time, but this does not mean that the Sprint has to be stopped or changed. The stakeholders can provide feedback and suggestions for the product, but they cannot interfere with the Sprint Goal or the Sprint Backlog within the Sprint. The Scrum Team can decide to:

• Continue sprinting but shorten the Sprint length to allow for shorter feedback loops (A), which is a valid option if the Scrum Team agrees that this will improve their agility and value delivery. However, this should not be done frequently or arbitrarily, as it may disrupt the rhythm and focus of the team.
• Continue sprinting and include the customer feedback in the Product Backlog ©, which is the most appropriate option as it respects the empirical nature of Scrum and allows the Product Owner to prioritize and order the Product Backlog based on new insights and stakeholder needs.

References: : [Scrum Guide], The Sprint Review : [Scrum Guide], The Product Owner : [Scrum Guide], The Sprint : [Scrum Guide], The Product Backlog

The best two answers are A and C.

A. Timeboxing work to allow for frequent inspection. This is a relevant boundary for self-management provided by the Scrum framework, as it helps the Scrum Team to organize their work into fixed-length Sprints and other events, such as the Daily Scrum, the Sprint Planning, the Sprint Review, and the Sprint Retrospective. Timeboxing enables the Scrum Team to inspect their progress, adapt their plan, and deliver value regularly and predictably.

C. Creating a valuable and useful Increment by the end of each Sprint. This is also a relevant boundary for self-management provided by the Scrum framework, as it guides the Scrum Team to focus on delivering a product Increment that meets the Sprint Goal and the Definition of Done. Creating a valuable and useful Increment requires the Scrum Team to collaborate, communicate, and coordinate effectively, and to apply their skills and creativity to solve complex problems.

References:

• The Scrum Guide, section 2.3 (The Scrum Team), page 7
• The Scrum Guide, section 3.1 (The Sprint), page 8
• The Scrum Guide, section 3.4 (The Increment), page 10
• The Scrum Master Learning Path, module 2 (The Scrum Framework), lesson 2 (The Sprint), lesson 3 (The Sprint Goal), lesson 4 (Sprint Planning) and lesson 5 (The Sprint Review)
• The Professional Scrum Master II (PSM II) Assessment, question 40

B. Developers with an interest in Stella’s domain could volunteer to take on this work in their respective Scrum Teams.

• This is a good solution because it is consistent with the Scrum value of commitment, which means that the Scrum Team members are willing to learn new skills and take on new challenges to deliver value12. By volunteering to take on this work, the Developers can reduce the dependency on Stella, increase their cross-functionality, and collaborate more effectively within and across the Scrum Teams34. F. Ask Stella for a plan to hire and train additional people in her domain, and in the meantime work with the Product Owner and Scrum Teams to re-prioritize the work so that tasks not depending on Stella can be done first
• This is another good solution because it is consistent with the Scrum principle of empiricism, which means that the Scrum Team learns and adapts based on the actual outcomes and feedback, rather than following a predefined plan12. By asking Stella for a plan to hire and train additional people, the Scrum Master can help address the root cause of the dependency and create more capacity and diversity in Stella’s domain. By working with the Product Owner and Scrum Teams to re-prioritize the work, the Scrum Master can also help optimize the value and feasibility of the product backlog items, and enable the Scrum Teams to deliver valuable and functional increments every Sprint34. G. Create a team with Stella and identify people from the Scrum Teams to temporarily work in Stella’s domain to learn to better serve the existing teams
• This is also a good solution because it is consistent with the Scrum value of respect, which means that the Scrum Team members appreciate and value eachother’s skills and perspectives12. By creating a team with Stella, the Scrum Master can acknowledge and leverage Stella’s expertise and experience in her domain. By identifying people from the Scrum Teams to temporarily work in Stella’s domain, theScrum Master can also facilitate knowledge transfer and skill development among the team members, which can improve their self-organization and collaboration34.

References: 1: Scrum Values | Scrum.org 2: Scrum Values - Atlassian 3: Scrum Guide | Scrum Guides 4: Scrum - What is it, how it works, & how to start - Atlassian

 The most effective way to recover is to restore transparency and trust by informing the Product Owner that the progress she has perceived to date is not correct. The Increment is not releasable because it does not meet the Definition of Done12, which is a shared understanding of what it means for work to be complete12. The Developers should give the Product Owner their estimate of the effort it would take to get the past work done, and suggest doing that work first before proceeding with new features. This way, the Developers can ensure that they deliver a valuable, useful, and potentially releasable Increment every Sprint12. The Developers should also re-estimate the effort to complete the remaining backlog, including all testing, and communicate any changes or risks to the Product Owner. In the end, it is the Product Owner’s call to continue the project or to cancel it, based on the value and feasibility of the product12.

Some reasons why the other options are not correct are:

• A: The Developers set the open work aside to be performed in one or more release Sprints. They remind Marian to find funding for enough Release Sprints in which this remaining work can be done. This option is not correct because it violates the Scrum framework and the Scrum values. The Scrum framework does not prescribe any release Sprints or separate phases for testing or integration12. The Scrum values include commitment, focus, openness, respect, and courage12. The Developers should commit to delivering a potentially releasable Increment every Sprint, not postpone or hide their undone work. The Developers should focus on creating value for the customers and users, not on meeting artificial deadlines or metrics. The Developers should be open and honest about their progress and challenges, not mislead or deceive the Product Owner. The Developers should respect the Product Owner’s authority and accountability for maximizing the value of the product and the work of the Developers12, not shift the responsibility or blame to them. The Developers should have the courage to face their problems and seek help, not avoid or ignore them.
• B: Transparency needs to be restored by adding the undone work to the Product Backlog. The Developers must figure out a way to deliver in the upcoming Sprints a velocity of not only 13 units of new work, but also two additional points to catch up undone work. It is the Scrum Master’s duty to assess whether such repair is possible. If not, the Scrum Master initiates a restart with a more reliable team orcancels the project. The Scrum Master will have to inform Product Owner and the stakeholders. This option is not correct because it violates the Scrum framework and the Scrum roles. The Scrum framework does not prescribe any velocity or points as measures of progress or success12. The Scrum roles include Product Owner, Scrum Master, and Developers12. The Product Owner is accountable for maximizing the value of the product and the work of the Developers12, not for tracking or controlling their velocity or points. The Scrum Master is accountable for establishing Scrum as defined in the Scrum Guide1, causing change that increases the productivity of the Scrum Team1, and working with other Scrum Masters to increase the effectiveness of the application of Scrum in the organization1, not for assessing or judging the performance of the Developers or initiating a restart or cancellation of the project. The Developers are accountable for creating a valuable, useful, and potentially releasable Increment every Sprint12, not for meeting a predetermined velocity or points target.
• C: In the next Sprints, the Developers keep making sure that all of the selected scope per Sprint is as done as possible, at least at the past level of 90%. In every Sprint the undone work of the previous Sprint is estimated and added to the Sprint Backlog. It comes on top of the expected forecast of 13 units, so it does not mess up progress on the product Backlog. This option is not correct because it violates the Scrum framework and the Scrum values. The Scrum framework requires that each Sprint delivers a potentially releasable Increment that meets the Definition of Done12, not a partially done or incomplete product that accumulates technical debt or quality issues. The Scrum values include commitment, focus, openness, respect, and courage12. The Developers should commit to delivering a potentially releasable Increment every Sprint, not compromise on quality or value. The Developers should focus on creating value for the customers and users, not on meeting artificial deadlines or metrics. The Developers should be open and honest about their progress and challenges, not hide or ignore their undone work. The Developers should respect the Product Owner’s authority and accountability for maximizing the value ofthe product and the work of the Developers12, not burden them with additional work or risk. The Developers should have the courage to face their problems and seek help, not avoid or ignore them.

References:

• What is an Increment? | Scrum.org
• What is a Product Increment?| Scrum.org

A. Having one Product Owner will improve the clarity of accountability to the teams and to the product management department. This is a good suggestion, as it ensures that there is a single person who is responsible for maximizing the value of the product and managing the Product Backlog. Having one Product Owner also avoids confusion, duplication, or conflict among multiple Product Owners who may have different visions, priorities, or expectations for the product.

D. A single Product Backlog should be maintained holding all requirements for the new product. This is also a good suggestion, as it ensures that there is a single source of truth for the product requirements and that they are transparent and visible to all stakeholders. Having a single Product Backlog also enables the Product Owner to order the items based on their value, risk, dependency, and urgency, and to collaborate with the Scrum Teams to select and refine the items for each Sprint.

References:

• The Scrum Guide, section 2.3 (The Scrum Team), page 7
• The Scrum Guide, section 4.1 (The Product Backlog), page 11
• The Scrum Master Learning Path, module 2 (The Scrum Framework), lesson 4 (Sprint Planning) and lesson 5 (The Sprint Review)

• This is a good option because the Scrum Master’s role is to help the Scrum Team understand and apply the Scrum framework and its principles12. The Scrum Master should also facilitate and enable the team’s self-organization and collaboration12. By coaching the Scrum Team, the Scrum Master can help them realize that the Daily Scrum is not a status update or a performance review, but a time to inspect and adapt their progress toward the Sprint Goal3 . D. Tell the Product Owner your concerns about how his behavior may impact the Developers, and ask him to stop attending the Daily Scrum for some time.
• This is another good option because the Scrum Master’s role is to protect the Scrum Team from external interference and distractions12. The Scrum Master should also coach the Product Owner on how to maximize the value of the product and collaborate effectively with the Developers12. By telling the Product Owner your concerns, you can help him understand that his behavior may create pressure, dependency, or resentment among the Developers, which can harm their motivation,creativity, and autonomy . By asking him to stop attending the Daily Scrum for some time, you can give the Developers some space to self-manage their work and communication.

References: 1: What is a Scrum Master? | Scrum.org 2: What is a scrum master? [+ Responsibilities] | Atlassian 3: What’s the role of the Product Owner at the Daily Scrum? | by Maarten Dalmijn | Serious Scrum | Medium : Scrum Guide | Scrum Guides : Product Owner’s Role in a Daily Scrum: How to Support the … - Eleken : The Power of Intrinsic Motivation - Forbes

C. They are added to the Product Backlog and addressed throughout the next Sprints, combined with creating the business functionality in those Sprints, no matter how small that business functionality.

• This is a good way because it is consistent with the Scrum principle of empiricism, which means that the Scrum Team learns and adapts based on the actual outcomes and feedback, rather than following a predefined plan12. By adding these security concerns to the Product Backlog, the Product Owner can prioritize and refine them according to the value and urgency, and communicate them to the stakeholders. By addressing them throughout the next Sprints, the Scrum Team can delivervaluable and functional increments that also meet the security requirements34. D.During the Sprint Retrospective, the Scrum Team assesses how to add these expectations to the Definition of Done so every future Increment will live up to these requirements. If needed they can work with external specialists to better understand the requirements
• This is another good way because it is consistent with the Scrum value of openness, which means that the Scrum Team and the stakeholders have a clear and common understanding of the product vision, goals, progress, and risks12. By adding these expectations to the Definition of Done, the Scrum Team can ensure that every future Increment meets the quality standards and satisfies the stakeholder needs. By working with external specialists, the Scrum Team can also leverage their expertise and experience to better understand and implement the security requirements34.

References: 1: Scrum Values | Scrum.org 2: Scrum Values - Atlassian 3: Scrum Guide | Scrum Guides 4: Scrum - What is it, how it works, & how to start - Atlassian

Short Explanation: Scrum is a framework for delivering value to customers and stakeholders in an iterative and incremental way. Scrum does not prescribe how project budgeting and financial forecasting should be performed, but it does provide some principles and practices that can help with this process.

One of these principles is that each Sprint should produce a potentially releasable product Increment that delivers value and meets the Definition of Done.This means that several Sprints may be funded as a single release, with the result of each Sprint being releasable product12. This allows the Product Owner to decide when to release the product based on the feedback from the customers and stakeholders, and the market conditions.

Another principle is that Scrum promotes transparency, inspection, and adaptation.This means that the budgeting and forecasting process should be revisited as frequently as each Sprint to ensure value is being delivered for the investment spent13. This allows the Scrum Team to inspect the outcomes of the delivered Sprint Increments, compare them with the expected benefits and costs, and adapt the product backlog and the release plan accordingly.

Scrum does not align with traditional accounting practices that require fixed scope, cost, and time. However, this does not mean that Scrum Teams do not need a budgeting process or that they only need to cover the run cost (time and materials) of the Scrum Teams.Scrum Teams still need to estimate the size and value of the product backlog items, forecast the delivery date and cost of the product or release, and track the actual spending and revenue of the product or release43. The difference is that these estimates and forecasts are based on empirical data from previous Sprints, rather than on upfrontassumptions or guesses. They are also subject to change as new information emerges or new requirements arise.

References:

• Scrum Guide 2020, section “The Sprint”, “The Increment”, “Empiricism”.
• Tips for Effective Agile Budgeting and Forecasting | Toptal®, section “Establish Context and Set Expectations”, “Budget for Value”.
• Project forecasts and budgets | Microsoft Learn, section “Project forecasting”.
• Planning and Budgeting in Scrum Projects - PMHut, section “Budgeting in Scrum Projects”.

• B: Productivity, in terms of lines of code or story points, will probably suffer during the transition, although even then delivery of business value is still likely to increase. This is a realistic expectation, as the teams will need to learn new skills, collaborate more effectively, and adapt to changing requirements. However, the benefit of feature teams is that they can deliver working software that provides value to thecustomers and stakeholders every Sprint, rather than waiting for the integration of different components.
• C: Feature teams will require time to become productive as people from the different layers and components become accustomed to working and delivering unified functionality together, as one Scrum Team. This is a natural consequence of changing the team structure and culture, as the teams will need to overcome some challenges and conflicts, build trust and rapport, and establish a shared vision and goal. The Scrum Master can help the teams with this transition by facilitating communication, coaching, and mentoring.

References:

• Professional Scrum Master II Course, page 17: “Feature teams are cross-functional teams that can deliver end-to-end functionality for a product. They have all the skills and competencies needed to work on multiple layers of the system.”
• Professional Scrum Master II Course, page 18: “Component teams are teams that specialize in one layer or component of the system. They often depend on other teams to deliver a complete functionality for a product.”
• Professional Scrum Master II Course, page 19: “Feature teams have many advantages over component teams, such as faster feedback, higher quality, lower complexity, and more customer value.”

According to the Scrum Guide 2020, the Developers can choose the location and structure of their Daily Scrum, as long as it is consistent and conducive to inspection and adaptation. The Daily Scrum is an event for the Developers, not for the Scrum Master, the Product Owner, or the management. The Developers are responsible for planning their work for the next 24 hours and synchronizing their progress toward the Sprint Goal.

References:

• Scrum Guide 2020, page 11: “The Developers can select whatever structure and techniques they want, as long as their Daily Scrum focuses on progress toward the Sprint Goal and produces an actionable plan for the next day of work.”
• Scrum Guide 2020, page 12: “The Daily Scrum is held at the same time and place each day to reduce complexity.”

Technical debt is the implied cost of rework caused by choosing an easy solution now instead of a better approach that would take longer1. Reducing the Definition of Done for the next three Sprints will create technical debt, which will have negative impacts on the product quality, value, and delivery. Two ways to explain these impacts to the Product Owner are:

• Releasing the version creates false assumptions about the actual state of the system. This is likely to result in interruptions during future Sprints in order to react to unforeseen problems arising from not having met the Definition of Done2. This will reduce the transparency, predictability, and adaptability of the Scrum process, and compromise the trust and satisfaction of the customers and stakeholders.
• As development progresses and functionality is added upon the reduced Definition of Done, unknown errors will creep in. The system becomes more difficult to stabilize. Work for the actual release as well as future releases will be slowed down in unpredictable ways3. This will increase the complexity, risk, and cost of the product development, and lower the value and quality of the product.

References:

• What is Technical Debt in Scrum?| StarAgile, section “The technical debt is created when”.
• Technical Debt & Scrum: Who Is Responsible?| Scrum.org, section “What Is Technical Debt?”.
• Managing Technical Debt in a Scrum Project | SCRUMstudy Blog, section “Technical debt accrues”.

A Scrum Master is not a management position in the traditional sense of the word. A Scrum Master does not have authority over the team members, the product, or the project. A Scrum Master is a servant leader who helps the team self-organize, collaborate, and deliver value. A Scrum Master is accountable for managing the Scrum process, ensuring that the team follows the Scrum values and principles, and facilitating the team’s interactions with stakeholders and the organization. A Scrum Master is also accountable for removing organizational impediments that limit the team’s progress and productivity, such as bureaucracy, silos, or conflicts. A Scrum Master is not accountable for reporting on the performance of a team, managing the project plan and the project deliverables, or managing the capacity and utilization of the Developers. These are responsibilities of the Product Owner, the Developers, or other roles in the organization.

References:

• Scrum Guide 2020, section “The Scrum Master”, “The Scrum Team”.
• What is a scrum master?[+ Responsibilities] | Atlassian, section “Scrum master responsibilities”.
• Scrum Master Roles and Responsibilities [2023] | Simplilearn, section “What Does a Scrum Master Do?”, “Scrum Master Responsibilities”.