PSM-I Professional Scrum Master I Questions and Answers

According to the Scrum Guide1, one aspect of Scrum Teams inspecting how they work toward their Product Goal is that they improve their definition of “Done” over time. 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. Therefore, it is most appropriate for a Development Team to change the definition of “Done” during the Sprint Retrospective.

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 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]

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-boxed events in Scrum are:

• Sprint Planning (eight hours or less for a one-month Sprint)
• Daily Scrum (15 minutes or less for a one-month Sprint)
• Sprint Review (four hours or less for a one-month Sprint)
• Sprint Retrospective (three hours or less for a one-month Sprint)

The other options are not time-boxed events in Scrum.

References: Scrum Guide

The correct answer is A. 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, “If there are multiple Scrum Teams working on the system or product release, the development teams on all of the Scrum Teams must mutually define the definition of “Done”.” This ensures that the product increment is integrated, consistent, and potentially releasable at the end of each Sprint. The other options are incorrect because they allow for different Definitions of Done for different teams, which can lead to confusion, inconsistency, and technical debt.

The correct answer is D, because if a new Development Team decides that a Sprint Retrospective is unnecessary, the Scrum Master should begin facilitating productive and useful Sprint Retrospectives. The Scrum Guide states that “the purpose of the Sprint Retrospective is to plan ways to increase quality and effectiveness. … During each Sprint Retrospective, the Scrum Team plans ways to improve product quality by adapting the definition of ‘Done’ as appropriate.” Therefore, the Scrum Master should help the Development Team understand the value and importance of the Sprint Retrospective, and make it an engaging and constructive event.

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.”

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

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 Guide1, Scrum is not a process, technique, or definitive method. Rather, it is a framework within which you can employ various processes and techniques. Scrum makes clear the relative efficacy of your product management and work techniques so that you can continuously improve the product, the team, and the working environment.

The correct answer is E, because all of these topics can be discussed during a Sprint Retrospective. The Scrum Guide states that “the purpose of the Sprint Retrospective is to plan ways to increase quality and effectiveness. … During each Sprint Retrospective, the Scrum Team plans ways to improve product quality by adapting the definition of ‘Done’ as appropriate.” Therefore, the Scrum Team can discuss any aspect of their process, communication, skills, or definition of ‘Done’ that may help them improve.

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.

The correct answers are B and E, because Scrum has no “tester” role and everyone in the Development Team is responsible for quality. 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. The resulting synergy optimizes the Development Team’s overall efficiency and effectiveness.”

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

The correct answer is B. To present the Scrum Teams with insights and resources that help them improve. According to the Scrum Guide1, “The role of management in Scrum is to support the Product Owner with insights and information into high-value product and system capabilities.” Management also helps the Scrum Team by providing an environment that fosters agility, learning, and collaboration2. Management does not directly control or monitor the work of the Developers, nor does it interfere with the self-organization and autonomy of the Scrum Team3. Management’s function in Scrum is to enable and empower the Scrum Team to deliver value and continuously improve.

According to the Scrum Guide, the Developers do the work to make sure Product Backlog items conform to the Definition of Done, as they are responsible for creating a “Done” Increment that meets the Definition of Done. The other options are not valid, as they imply that the work is done by someone else outside the Development Team (such as Quality Assurance Team) or by another role on the Scrum Team (such as Product Owner or Scrum Master).

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 A, because the Scrum Guide states that “a Sprint can be cancelled before the Sprint time-box is over. Only the Product Owner has the authority to cancel the Sprint, although he or she may do so under influence from the stakeholders, the Development Team, or the Scrum Master.” Therefore, a Development Team cannot cancel a Sprint by itself.

According to the Scrum Guide, the Product Owner has the final say on the order of the Product Backlog, as he or she is responsible for maximizing the value of the product and the work of the Development Team. The other roles do not have this authority, although they may provide input and suggestions to the Product Owner.

According to the Scrum Guide, the action that the Scrum Master should take when the Team decides that a Sprint Retrospective is unnecessary is to begin facilitating productive and useful Sprint Retrospectives. The Sprint Retrospective is an essential event for the Scrum Team to inspect itself and create a plan for improvements to be enacted during the next Sprint. The Scrum Master is responsible for ensuring that this event takes place and that positive outcomes are achieved. The other options are not valid actions, as they either imply that the Scrum Master complies with or ignores the decision of the Team (such as complying with it, calling a meeting with senior management, or consulting with the Product Owner), which is not consistent with Scrum values and principles.

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.

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

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.

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 Product Owner should know the most about the progress toward a business objective or a release, as stated in the Scrum Guide: “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.”

According to the Scrum Guide, the Scrum Team is responsible for removing a Developer from the Scrum Team if necessary, as they are self-managing and accountable for creating valuable Increments. The other options are not valid, as they imply that someone else outside the Scrum Team has the authority to remove a Developer (such as the Scrum Master, the Product Owner, or the hiring manager), which is not consistent with Scrum values and principles.

According to the Scrum Guide1, a Sprint can be cancelled before the Sprint time-box is over. Only the Product Owner has the authority to cancel the Sprint, although he or she may do so under influence from the stakeholders, the Developers, or the Scrum Master. A Sprint would be cancelled if the Sprint Goal becomes obsolete. This might occur if the company changes direction or if market or technology conditions change. In general, a Sprint should be cancelled if it no longer makes sense given the circumstances. But, due to the short duration of Sprints, cancellation rarely makes sense.

References: Scrum Guide

The correct answer is B, because a Product Owner is best described as a value optimizer. 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, a Product Owner should focus on delivering value to the customers and stakeholders through the product.

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, 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, if a Product Backlog item worked on during the Sprint does not meet the definition of “Done”, two things that should happen with the undone Product Backlog item are:

• Put it on the Product Backlog for the Product Owner to decide what to do with it, as they are accountable for effective Product Backlog management and ordering.
• Do not include the item in the Increment this Sprint, as it does not meet the quality standards and may compromise value.

The other options are not appropriate, as they may compromise transparency, inspection, or adaptation.

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.

When a Development Team determines that it will not be able to finish the complete forecast, both the Product Owner and the Development Team have to be present when reviewing and adjusting the Sprint work selected, as stated in [6]: “If there is not enough work remaining for all members of a Development Team then they can renegotiate scope with their Product Owner. If there is too much work remaining then they can also renegotiate scope with their Product Owner.”

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).

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 Guide, the Developers are accountable for tracking the remaining work toward the Sprint Goal, as they are responsible for creating a valuable Increment that meets the Definition of Done and the Sprint Goal. The other options are not valid, as they imply that someone else outside the Development Team (such as the Scrum Master, the Product Owner, or the Project Manager) is accountable for tracking the remaining work, which is not consistent with Scrum values and principles.

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.

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, the best description of an increment of working software is additional features in a usable state that complement those delivered in previous iterations.

References: Scrum Guide

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 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 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 answers are A, C, and E, because these are feedback loops in Scrum. The Sprint Review is a feedback loop that allows the Scrum Team and the stakeholders to inspect the Increment and adapt the Product Backlog. The Sprint Retrospective is a feedback loop that allows the Scrum Team to inspect itself and create a plan for improvements. The Daily Scrum is a feedback loop that allows the Development Team to inspect its progress and plan its work for the next 24 hours.

According to the Scrum Guide, when many Scrum Teams are working on a single product, they must have a Definition of Done that makes their combined work potentially releasable. This ensures that there is a clear and consistent understanding of what “Done” means for the product and that there is no technical debt or unfinished work at the end of each Sprint. The other options are not valid descriptions of the Definition of Done for multiple Scrum Teams, as they either create inconsistency, confusion, or waste (such as having different definitions, discussing and reconciling differences during a hardening Sprint, or having the Scrum Masters define a common Definition of Done).

The correct answer is B, because the time-box for a Daily Scrum is 15 minutes. The Scrum Guide states that “the Daily Scrum is a 15-minute time-boxed event for the Development Team to synchronize activities and create a plan for the next 24 hours.”

According to the Scrum Guide, the Product Owner does not make sure that the Developers select enough from the Product Backlog for a Sprint to satisfy the stakeholders. The Developers are responsible for selecting how much work they can do in a Sprint, based on their capacity and past performance. The Product Owner may influence them by ordering and clarifying the Product Backlog items, but does not control their selection.

 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, 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, changing the terminology of Scrum may have negative consequences, such as losing the benefits of Scrum, not understanding what has changed, or having very little change at all. Therefore, all answers apply to this question. The Scrum Guide recommends using the same terminology as in the guide to avoid confusion and misunderstanding.

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.

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).

A Sprint burndown chart shows an estimate of the total work remaining for the Sprint, as stated in 3: “A sprint burndown chart tracks work remaining in a sprint. It shows how much work remains at any given point during a sprint. It helps teams monitor whether they will finish all planned tasks by the end of a sprint.”

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.”

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.

There is no such thing as Sprint 0 in Scrum, as stated in [7]: “Sprint 0 is a term used by some people who use Scrum to describe an initial period before starting Sprints where they do some upfront planning or analysis. However, this is not part of Scrum and contradicts its principles of empirical process control, iterative delivery, and responding to change.”

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 Guide, the Sprint Review is a time for the Scrum Team and the stakeholders to inspect the product Increment and adapt the Product Backlog if needed. The Product Owner is responsible for keeping the stakeholders aware of the progress of the project and inviting them to the Sprint Review. If the Product Owner has not been doing this, or if the stakeholders have not been using the Sprint Review to inspect and evaluate progress, then they may be disappointed and angry at the seventh Sprint Review. The other options are not likely factors that led to this situation, as they are either irrelevant (such as the PMO or the development area) or incorrect (such as delaying the release).

According to the Scrum Guide1, 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. The resulting synergy optimizes the Development Team’s overall efficiency and effectiveness. Cross-functional teams have all competencies needed to accomplish the work without depending on others not part of the team. The team model in Scrum is designed to optimize flexibility, creativity, and productivity.

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 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. A project manager is not part of the Scrum Team, as Scrum does not recognize titles or sub-teams. None of the above is also not a correct answer, as it implies that there is no Scrum Team at all.

The correct answer is D. 10 or fewer. According to the Scrum Guide 20201, “The Scrum Team is small enough to remain nimble and large enough to complete significant work within a Sprint, typically 10 or fewer people.” The other options are outdated or incorrect. Option A was based on the previous version of the Scrum Guide, which suggested a range of 3 to 9 developers2. Option B is too vague and does not account for the upper limit of team size. Option C is too specific and does not allow for flexibility.

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).

he correct answer is A, because doing all work needed to meet the definition of “Done” enhances the transparency of an increment. The Scrum Guide states that “when a Product Backlog item or an Increment is described as ‘Done’, everyone must understand what ‘Done’ means.” Therefore, by meeting the definition of “Done”, an increment becomes transparent to all stakeholders and ready for release.

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, 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

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).

The correct answer is A, because the Scrum Guide states that “the definition of ‘Done’ is a formal description of the state of the Increment when it meets the quality measures required for the product.” Therefore, non-functional requirements should be part of the definition of ‘Done’ and ensure every Increment meets them.

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 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 answer is B, because there is no role called “Project Manager” in Scrum. The Scrum Guide states that “Scrum recognizes no titles for Development Team members other than Developer, regardless of the work being performed by the person; there are no exceptions to this rule.” Therefore, Scrum has only three roles: Product Owner, Scrum Master, and Developer.

According to the Scrum Guide, the Product Owner is accountable for clearly expressing Product Backlog items, as he or she is responsible for managing and prioritizing the Product Backlog. The other options are not valid, as they imply that the Product Owner can be replaced by a business analyst, or that the Scrum Master or the Developers can express the Product Backlog items.

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