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PSM practice questions

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Question 1Understanding and Applying the Scrum Framework: Empiricism, Scrum Values, Scrum Team, Events, Artifacts, Done

Which statement best describes empiricism as used in Scrum?

  1. Knowledge comes from documenting every requirement before work begins.
  2. Knowledge comes from experience and decisions are based on what is observed. Correct answer.
  3. Knowledge comes from following a detailed plan created at the start of the project.
  4. Knowledge comes from the authority of the most senior person on the team.

Explanation

Empiricism holds that knowledge comes from experience and from making decisions based on observation. Scrum applies this through transparency, inspection, and adaptation so that the team responds to what actually happens rather than to assumptions.

Question 2Understanding and Applying the Scrum Framework: Empiricism, Scrum Values, Scrum Team, Events, Artifacts, Done

The three pillars that uphold every implementation of empirical process control in Scrum are:

  1. Estimation, commitment, and delivery
  2. Transparency, inspection, and adaptation Correct answer.
  3. Planning, execution, and review
  4. Vision, value, and velocity

Explanation

Scrum is founded on empirical process control, which rests on transparency, inspection, and adaptation. Transparency makes the state of the process visible, inspection checks progress toward goals, and adaptation adjusts the process when deviations are found.

Question 3Understanding and Applying the Scrum Framework: Empiricism, Scrum Values, Scrum Team, Events, Artifacts, Done

A Scrum Team keeps its Sprint Backlog in a shared tool that all members update daily. Which pillar does this practice most directly support?

  1. Self-management
  2. Transparency Correct answer.
  3. Inspection
  4. Adaptation

Explanation

Transparency requires that significant aspects of the process be visible to those responsible for the outcome. A shared, current Sprint Backlog makes the work and its state visible, which is the precondition for meaningful inspection and adaptation.

Question 4Understanding and Applying the Scrum Framework: Empiricism, Scrum Values, Scrum Team, Events, Artifacts, Done

Which set contains only Scrum Values?

  1. Speed, quality, innovation, ownership, accountability
  2. Commitment, focus, openness, respect, courage Correct answer.
  3. Transparency, inspection, adaptation, empiricism, feedback
  4. Collaboration, documentation, estimation, delivery, review

Explanation

The five Scrum Values are commitment, focus, openness, respect, and courage. They guide the behavior of the Scrum Team and shape how the pillars of empiricism are lived day to day.

Question 5Understanding and Applying the Scrum Framework: Empiricism, Scrum Values, Scrum Team, Events, Artifacts, Done

During a refinement discussion, a developer says plainly that the current design will not meet the performance target. Which Scrum Value does this behavior most exemplify?

  1. Commitment
  2. Focus
  3. Respect
  4. Courage Correct answer.

Explanation

Courage is shown when team members raise difficult truths and take on tough problems. Openly stating that a design will fail the target is exactly the kind of uncomfortable but necessary disclosure the value describes.

Question 6Understanding and Applying the Scrum Framework: Empiricism, Scrum Values, Scrum Team, Events, Artifacts, Done

Which statement about the Scrum Team is correct?

  1. It is a temporary group that disbands at the end of every Sprint.
  2. It contains a separate quality assurance sub-team that reports to the Scrum Master.
  3. It is a group of people who share the same manager and performance review.
  4. It is a small team of people with all skills needed to create value each Sprint. Correct answer.

Explanation

The Scrum Team is a small, cross-functional group of people who have all the skills necessary to create value each Sprint. It is self-managing and endures across Sprints rather than being re-formed each time.

Question 7Understanding and Applying the Scrum Framework: Empiricism, Scrum Values, Scrum Team, Events, Artifacts, Done

What is the maximum size guideline for a Scrum Team in the Scrum Guide?

  1. Ten people Correct answer.
  2. Five people
  3. Three people
  4. Twenty people

Explanation

The Scrum Guide states that the Scrum Team is typically ten or fewer people. Smaller teams communicate better and are more productive, while larger groups need more coordination and may need to split into multiple cohesive teams.

Question 8Understanding and Applying the Scrum Framework: Empiricism, Scrum Values, Scrum Team, Events, Artifacts, Done

Which three accountabilities make up the Scrum Team?

  1. Developers, Scrum Master, and Product Owner Correct answer.
  2. Scrum Master, Stakeholders, and Developers
  3. Product Owner, Project Manager, and Developers
  4. Product Owner, Business Analyst, and Scrum Master

Explanation

The Scrum Team consists of one Scrum Master, one Product Owner, and Developers. These are accountabilities within a single self-managing team, not separate sub-teams or job titles with fixed hierarchies.

Question 9Understanding and Applying the Scrum Framework: Empiricism, Scrum Values, Scrum Team, Events, Artifacts, Done

A Scrum Master notices the team is blocked by an organizational policy and works to change that policy. Which aspect of the Scrum Master accountability does this illustrate?

  1. Serving the team by removing impediments and coaching the organization Correct answer.
  2. Owning and ordering the Product Backlog
  3. Approving Sprint scope changes requested by stakeholders
  4. Maximizing the value delivered by the Developers

Explanation

The Scrum Master serves the Scrum Team and the wider organization, which includes removing impediments and helping the organization adopt Scrum effectively. Changing a blocking policy is true servant-leadership work rather than delivery or backlog work.

Question 10Understanding and Applying the Scrum Framework: Empiricism, Scrum Values, Scrum Team, Events, Artifacts, Done

Which description best matches the Product Owner accountability?

  1. Facilitates the events and coaches the team on Scrum theory.
  2. Maximizes the value of the product resulting from the Scrum Team's work. Correct answer.
  3. Ensures the Definition of Done is applied consistently by the Developers.
  4. Removes organizational impediments so the team can focus.

Explanation

The Product Owner is accountable for maximizing the value of the product and manages the Product Backlog to that end. This includes ordering items and communicating the Product Goal clearly to the team.

Question 11Understanding and Applying the Scrum Framework: Empiricism, Scrum Values, Scrum Team, Events, Artifacts, Done

Who is accountable for creating the Definition of Done when the organization has not defined one?

  1. The Developers Correct answer.
  2. The Scrum Master alone
  3. The stakeholders during Sprint Review
  4. The Product Owner alone

Explanation

If the organization's standards do not already define done, the Developers must create a Definition of Done for the product. It must meet the organization's standards as a minimum and is used to assess when work on the Increment is complete.

Question 12Understanding and Applying the Scrum Framework: Empiricism, Scrum Values, Scrum Team, Events, Artifacts, Done

Which statement about the Sprint is correct?

  1. It is a container for the other Scrum events and lasts one month or less. Correct answer.
  2. It can be skipped when the Product Backlog contains only small items.
  3. It may be extended beyond one month when the team is behind schedule.
  4. It is a meeting held at the end of each week to review progress.

Explanation

The Sprint is a fixed-length container of one month or less in which the other events occur and an Increment is produced. Its length is held constant to create a predictable cadence and limit risk to the cost of one Sprint.

Question 13Understanding and Applying the Scrum Framework: Empiricism, Scrum Values, Scrum Team, Events, Artifacts, Done

Which event is described as the heart of Scrum because it enables inspection and adaptation of progress toward the Sprint Goal?

  1. Sprint Retrospective
  2. Sprint Review
  3. Sprint Planning
  4. Daily Scrum Correct answer.

Explanation

The Daily Scrum is a 15-minute event for the Developers to inspect progress toward the Sprint Goal and adapt the Sprint Backlog. It is described as held every working day of the Sprint and is central to daily inspection and adaptation.

Question 14Understanding and Applying the Scrum Framework: Empiricism, Scrum Values, Scrum Team, Events, Artifacts, Done

What is the primary purpose of the Sprint Retrospective?

  1. To demonstrate the Increment to stakeholders and gather feedback.
  2. To update the Definition of Done with new acceptance criteria.
  3. To decide which Product Backlog items to include in the next Sprint.
  4. To plan ways to increase quality and effectiveness. Correct answer.

Explanation

The Sprint Retrospective is for the Scrum Team to inspect how the last Sprint went and identify the most helpful changes to improve quality and effectiveness. The most impactful improvements may be addressed as soon as possible, even added to the Sprint Backlog.

Question 15Understanding and Applying the Scrum Framework: Empiricism, Scrum Values, Scrum Team, Events, Artifacts, Done

A team's Sprints last four weeks. What is the timebox for Sprint Planning?

  1. Four hours
  2. Two hours
  3. Eight hours Correct answer.
  4. One day

Explanation

Sprint Planning is timeboxed to a maximum of eight hours for a one-month Sprint, and is shorter for shorter Sprints. For a four-week Sprint, the full eight-hour timebox applies.

Question 16Understanding and Applying the Scrum Framework: Empiricism, Scrum Values, Scrum Team, Events, Artifacts, Done

What is the maximum timebox for the Sprint Review when the Sprint lasts one month?

  1. Four hours Correct answer.
  2. Two hours
  3. Fifteen minutes
  4. One hour

Explanation

The Sprint Review is timeboxed to a maximum of four hours for a one-month Sprint and is shorter for shorter Sprints. Its purpose is to inspect the outcome of the Sprint and determine future adaptations with stakeholders.

Question 17Understanding and Applying the Scrum Framework: Empiricism, Scrum Values, Scrum Team, Events, Artifacts, Done

Which statement about the Sprint Goal is correct?

  1. It is a fixed list of Product Backlog items committed to at Sprint Planning.
  2. It is the single objective for the Sprint that provides flexibility on the work needed. Correct answer.
  3. It is set by the Product Owner alone before Sprint Planning begins.
  4. It must be achieved exactly as written or the Sprint is considered failed.

Explanation

The Sprint Goal is the single objective for the Sprint and is created during Sprint Planning by the whole Scrum Team. It gives the Developers flexibility about the exact work needed, and if the work turns out different than expected they collaborate with the Product Owner to negotiate scope.

Question 18Understanding and Applying the Scrum Framework: Empiricism, Scrum Values, Scrum Team, Events, Artifacts, Done

Which two artifacts does the Scrum framework explicitly describe as having a commitment attached?

  1. Product Backlog with the Product Goal, and Sprint Backlog with the Sprint Goal Correct answer.
  2. Product Backlog with the Definition of Done, and Increment with the Sprint Goal
  3. Definition of Done with the Increment, and Sprint Backlog with the Sprint Goal
  4. Sprint Backlog with the Definition of Done, and Product Backlog with the Product Goal

Explanation

Each artifact contains a commitment to reinforce transparency and focus: the Product Backlog has the Product Goal, and the Sprint Backlog has the Sprint Goal. The Increment's commitment is the Definition of Done.

Question 19Understanding and Applying the Scrum Framework: Empiricism, Scrum Values, Scrum Team, Events, Artifacts, Done

What is the commitment associated with the Increment?

  1. The Definition of Done Correct answer.
  2. The Sprint Goal
  3. The Sprint Backlog
  4. The Product Goal

Explanation

The Definition of Done is the commitment for the Increment. It is a formal description of the state of the Increment when it meets the quality measures required for the product, and work cannot be considered part of an Increment until it meets it.

Question 20Understanding and Applying the Scrum Framework: Empiricism, Scrum Values, Scrum Team, Events, Artifacts, Done

Who is responsible for sizing Product Backlog items?

  1. The stakeholders, because they request the work
  2. The Developers, because they do the work Correct answer.
  3. The Scrum Master, because they facilitate refinement
  4. The Product Owner, because they order the backlog

Explanation

The Developers who will perform the work are the ones who size Product Backlog items. Their estimate reflects their understanding of the effort and complexity, and the Product Owner uses that information when ordering the backlog.

Question 21Understanding and Applying the Scrum Framework: Empiricism, Scrum Values, Scrum Team, Events, Artifacts, Done

A Scrum Team produces a usable Increment every Sprint. What does this most directly enable?

  1. Fixed scope for the remainder of the project
  2. A guarantee that the Product Goal will never change
  3. Removal of the need for a Sprint Review
  4. Continuous delivery of value and earlier feedback from stakeholders Correct answer.

Explanation

Producing a usable Increment each Sprint supports continuous value delivery and gives stakeholders something concrete to inspect and give feedback on. That feedback lets the Product Owner adapt the Product Backlog based on real evidence rather than speculation.

Question 22Understanding and Applying the Scrum Framework: Empiricism, Scrum Values, Scrum Team, Events, Artifacts, Done

Which situation best demonstrates the Scrum Value of openness?

  1. The Product Owner keeps the Product Goal private until the release date.
  2. The Developers tell the Product Owner early that a backlog item is far more complex than assumed. Correct answer.
  3. The Scrum Master decides alone which improvements the team will adopt.
  4. The Developers work overtime to hide a delay until the Sprint Review.

Explanation

Openness means the Scrum Team and its stakeholders agree to be transparent about the work and the challenges. Surfacing complexity early lets the Product Owner reorder the backlog and the team adapt before the problem grows.

Question 23Understanding and Applying the Scrum Framework: Empiricism, Scrum Values, Scrum Team, Events, Artifacts, Done

During Sprint Planning, the Developers realize they cannot forecast enough work to meet the Sprint Goal as drafted. What is the most appropriate action?

  1. Have the Scrum Master assign the remaining work to specific developers.
  2. Collaborate with the Product Owner to adjust the Sprint Goal and scope. Correct answer.
  3. Extend the Sprint length so more work fits in the timebox.
  4. Commit to the original Sprint Goal and plan to catch up with overtime.

Explanation

The Sprint Goal is created collaboratively during Sprint Planning, so the Developers and Product Owner negotiate scope until the goal is achievable within the timebox. Changing the Sprint length or forcing overtime to protect a draft goal undermines empiricism and sustainable pace.

Question 24Understanding and Applying the Scrum Framework: Empiricism, Scrum Values, Scrum Team, Events, Artifacts, Done

Midway through a Sprint, the Developers discover that a Sprint Backlog item will take substantially longer than forecast. Which response best aligns with Scrum?

  1. Ask the Scrum Master to approve a change to the Sprint Goal.
  2. Negotiate the scope of the Sprint Backlog with the Product Owner while protecting the Sprint Goal. Correct answer.
  3. Silently drop the item and report the Sprint as complete at the review.
  4. Add the item to the next Sprint and keep the current Sprint Backlog unchanged.

Explanation

As more is learned, the Developers and Product Owner collaborate to negotiate the scope of the Sprint Backlog without affecting the Sprint Goal. The Sprint Backlog is updated throughout the Sprint to reflect the emerging reality.

Question 25Understanding and Applying the Scrum Framework: Empiricism, Scrum Values, Scrum Team, Events, Artifacts, Done

An organization mandates that all work must meet its existing quality standards before release, and the Scrum Team wants a stricter internal Definition of Done. Which statement is correct?

  1. The Definition of Done is optional when the organization already has standards.
  2. The team may define a weaker Definition of Done if the Product Owner agrees.
  3. The team's Definition of Done must be at least as strict as the organizational standard. Correct answer.
  4. The team must adopt the organizational standard exactly and cannot add criteria.

Explanation

When organizational standards exist, the Scrum Team must follow them as a minimum and may add stricter criteria. The Definition of Done creates transparency about what completed work means, so it cannot be weaker than the organization requires.

Question 26Understanding and Applying the Scrum Framework: Empiricism, Scrum Values, Scrum Team, Events, Artifacts, Done

Which statement best describes empiricism as it applies to Scrum?

  1. Knowledge comes from the authority of the most senior person on the team.
  2. Knowledge comes from experience and from making decisions based on what is observed. Correct answer.
  3. Knowledge comes from following a detailed plan that is fixed at the start of the project.
  4. Knowledge comes from documenting every requirement before work begins.

Explanation

Empiricism holds that knowledge comes from experience and that decisions should be based on observation of reality rather than on speculation. Scrum applies this through transparency, inspection, and adaptation so that the team can respond to what actually happens.

Question 27Understanding and Applying the Scrum Framework: Empiricism, Scrum Values, Scrum Team, Events, Artifacts, Done

Which three pillars support every empirical process control in Scrum?

  1. Estimating, committing, and delivering
  2. Transparency, inspection, and adaptation Correct answer.
  3. Documenting, reviewing, and approving
  4. Planning, executing, and closing

Explanation

Scrum rests on the three pillars of transparency, inspection, and adaptation. Transparency makes the state of the process visible, inspection examines that state frequently, and adaptation adjusts the process or product when the inspection reveals a deviation.

Question 28Understanding and Applying the Scrum Framework: Empiricism, Scrum Values, Scrum Team, Events, Artifacts, Done

A Scrum Team claims transparency, yet the Developers report progress using a burndown that is updated only at Sprint end. Which pillar is most directly weakened?

  1. Inspection, because stakeholders cannot examine the true state of progress
  2. Transparency, because the reported state does not reflect reality in a timely way Correct answer.
  3. Empiricism itself, because Scrum forbids burndown charts
  4. Adaptation, because the team cannot change the plan at all

Explanation

Transparency requires that the emergent state of the work be visible to those who need it, and a chart updated only at the end hides the real state during the Sprint. Inspection and adaptation both depend on that visibility, so the most direct failure is transparency.

Question 29Understanding and Applying the Scrum Framework: Empiricism, Scrum Values, Scrum Team, Events, Artifacts, Done

Which behavior most clearly reflects the Scrum Value of courage?

  1. The Product Owner keeps the Product Backlog private to avoid distracting the team.
  2. A team member raises a quality concern and refuses to release work that does not meet the Definition of Done. Correct answer.
  3. The Scrum Master avoids conflict by letting the team decide everything without facilitation.
  4. The Developers accept every request from stakeholders to keep them satisfied.

Explanation

Courage in Scrum means doing the right thing and tackling hard problems, including speaking up about quality or scope even when it is uncomfortable. Refusing to release work that fails the Definition of Done is a concrete expression of that value.

Question 30Understanding and Applying the Scrum Framework: Empiricism, Scrum Values, Scrum Team, Events, Artifacts, Done

What does the Scrum Value of respect primarily require of Scrum Team members?

  1. Agreeing with the majority decision even when they disagree.
  2. Avoiding technical debate so that meetings finish on time.
  3. Treating one another as capable, independent professionals who are accountable for their own work. Correct answer.
  4. Deferring all decisions to the Scrum Master as the team's leader.

Explanation

Respect in Scrum means team members regard each other as capable and independent people who own their accountabilities. It supports self-management because people trust one another to do their work well rather than being directed.

Question 31Understanding and Applying the Scrum Framework: Empiricism, Scrum Values, Scrum Team, Events, Artifacts, Done

A Product Owner wants to change the Sprint Goal midway through the Sprint because a competitor launched a similar feature. What is the most appropriate response within Scrum?

  1. The Developers should add the competitor feature to the current Sprint without adjusting scope.
  2. The Product Owner should collaborate with the Developers to assess the impact and adapt the Sprint Backlog while preserving the Sprint Goal where possible. Correct answer.
  3. The Developers should cancel the Sprint and immediately start a new one.
  4. The Scrum Master should reject the request until the next Sprint Review.

Explanation

The Sprint Goal gives the Sprint its coherence, and the Product Owner and Developers collaborate on the Sprint Backlog as more is learned. Changes in the market may justify renegotiating scope with the Developers, but the Sprint Goal is only abandoned if it becomes obsolete.

Question 32Understanding and Applying the Scrum Framework: Empiricism, Scrum Values, Scrum Team, Events, Artifacts, Done

Which statement accurately describes the Developers' accountability within the Scrum Team?

  1. They decide the order of the Product Backlog and the content of the Sprint Goal.
  2. They create a plan for the Sprint and are accountable for delivering a usable Increment that meets the Definition of Done each Sprint. Correct answer.
  3. They approve the organization's quality standards before the team may start work.
  4. They manage the Scrum Master's facilitation duties when the Scrum Master is absent.

Explanation

The Developers are the people committed to creating an Increment each Sprint, and they own the Sprint Backlog and its adaptation. Their accountability centers on producing a usable, Done Increment that realizes the Sprint Goal.

Question 33Understanding and Applying the Scrum Framework: Empiricism, Scrum Values, Scrum Team, Events, Artifacts, Done

How does the Scrum Team's size relate to its ability to self-manage effectively?

  1. A smaller team is always more effective because communication is simpler.
  2. The team should be small enough to remain nimble and large enough to complete significant work within a Sprint. Correct answer.
  3. Team size has no bearing on effectiveness as long as the roles are filled.
  4. A larger team is always more effective because it has more capacity.

Explanation

Scrum guidance favors a team small enough to stay nimble and large enough to deliver meaningful work in a Sprint. Beyond roughly ten people, communication overhead grows and the benefits of a single focused team diminish.

Question 34Understanding and Applying the Scrum Framework: Empiricism, Scrum Values, Scrum Team, Events, Artifacts, Done

The Scrum Team is one unit, yet it contains three distinct accountabilities. Which pairing of accountability and primary focus is correct?

  1. Product Owner: facilitating events; Scrum Master: ordering the backlog; Developers: coaching the organization
  2. Product Owner: managing the team's daily work; Scrum Master: writing acceptance criteria; Developers: reporting status to stakeholders
  3. Product Owner: maximizing value from the product; Scrum Master: the Scrum Team's effectiveness; Developers: creating the Increment Correct answer.
  4. Product Owner: creating the Increment; Scrum Master: maximizing value; Developers: removing impediments

Explanation

The Product Owner is accountable for maximizing product value, the Scrum Master for the Scrum Team's effectiveness, and the Developers for creating the Increment. These accountabilities are complementary and all sit inside the single Scrum Team.

Question 35Understanding and Applying the Scrum Framework: Empiricism, Scrum Values, Scrum Team, Events, Artifacts, Done

What is the primary purpose of the Daily Scrum?

  1. To report individual status to the Scrum Master.
  2. To inspect progress toward the Sprint Goal and adapt the Sprint Backlog as needed. Correct answer.
  3. To refine the Product Backlog with stakeholders.
  4. To decide whether the Sprint should be cancelled.

Explanation

The Daily Scrum is a Developers' event for inspecting progress toward the Sprint Goal and adjusting the Sprint Backlog accordingly. It is a working session for planning the next day's work rather than a status report.

Question 36Understanding and Applying the Scrum Framework: Empiricism, Scrum Values, Scrum Team, Events, Artifacts, Done

During the Daily Scrum, a Developer reports a newly discovered dependency that threatens the Sprint Goal. What should happen next?

  1. The Scrum Master records the issue and schedules a separate meeting next week.
  2. The Product Owner is required to rewrite the Sprint Goal immediately.
  3. The team stops work until the dependency is fully resolved by management.
  4. The Developers discuss and adapt their Sprint Backlog plan to address the dependency. Correct answer.

Explanation

The Daily Scrum exists so the Developers can inspect progress and adapt their plan. A dependency that threatens the Sprint Goal is exactly the kind of information that should trigger a replanning conversation within the event.

Question 37Understanding and Applying the Scrum Framework: Empiricism, Scrum Values, Scrum Team, Events, Artifacts, Done

Which statement about the Sprint Review is correct?

  1. It is a status presentation prepared by the Scrum Master for senior management.
  2. It is a formal gate where stakeholders approve or reject the Increment.
  3. It is a meeting where the Developers alone inspect their process and tools.
  4. It is a working session in which the Scrum Team and stakeholders inspect the Increment and adapt the Product Backlog. Correct answer.

Explanation

The Sprint Review is a working session, not a gate or a presentation, where the Scrum Team and stakeholders inspect the outcome of the Sprint and collaborate on what to do next. That collaboration informs adaptation of the Product Backlog.

Question 38Understanding and Applying the Scrum Framework: Empiricism, Scrum Values, Scrum Team, Events, Artifacts, Done

A team never holds a Sprint Retrospective because members say they are too busy delivering. What is the most likely consequence?

  1. The team loses its formal opportunity to inspect how it works and adapt its process and practices. Correct answer.
  2. The Sprint Review will be cancelled as a result.
  3. The Product Owner will automatically take over the team's improvement work.
  4. The team will deliver faster because it saves meeting time.

Explanation

The Retrospective is the event where the Scrum Team inspects how the last Sprint went and identifies improvements. Skipping it removes the structured mechanism for process adaptation, so the team is likely to repeat the same problems.

Question 39Understanding and Applying the Scrum Framework: Empiricism, Scrum Values, Scrum Team, Events, Artifacts, Done

How do the Scrum events support the principle of limiting work in progress?

  1. They allow work to continue indefinitely until it is perfect.
  2. Each event is timeboxed, which creates regularity and prevents unbounded discussion or work. Correct answer.
  3. They require all events to be combined into a single weekly meeting.
  4. They eliminate the need for a Definition of Done.

Explanation

Each Scrum event has a maximum duration, and this timeboxing keeps events focused and prevents them from expanding without limit. The regular cadence also bounds how much work is taken on within a Sprint, supporting focus and flow.

Question 40Understanding and Applying the Scrum Framework: Empiricism, Scrum Values, Scrum Team, Events, Artifacts, Done

Which of the following is an artifact defined by Scrum?

  1. The project charter
  2. The release plan
  3. The Sprint Backlog Correct answer.
  4. The risk register

Explanation

Scrum defines three artifacts: the Product Backlog, the Sprint Backlog, and the Increment. The Sprint Backlog is composed of the Sprint Goal, the selected Product Backlog items, and the plan for delivering them.

Question 41Understanding and Applying the Scrum Framework: Empiricism, Scrum Values, Scrum Team, Events, Artifacts, Done

What commitment is associated with the Product Backlog?

  1. The release burnup
  2. The Product Goal Correct answer.
  3. The Definition of Done
  4. The Sprint Goal

Explanation

Each Scrum artifact carries a commitment that reinforces transparency and focus. The Product Backlog's commitment is the Product Goal, which describes a future state of the product that the team works toward.

Question 42Understanding and Applying the Scrum Framework: Empiricism, Scrum Values, Scrum Team, Events, Artifacts, Done

A Product Owner keeps adding new items to the top of the Product Backlog every few days, and the Developers never know what is coming next. Which artifact property is most harmed?

  1. The Sprint Retrospective's timebox
  2. The Increment's completeness
  3. The Definition of Done's applicability
  4. The Product Backlog's ability to provide a transparent, ordered picture of what the team intends to work on Correct answer.

Explanation

The Product Backlog should be an ordered, transparent representation of the work needed to achieve the Product Goal. Constant unannounced reordering destroys that transparency and makes it hard for the Developers to plan coherently.

Question 43Understanding and Applying the Scrum Framework: Empiricism, Scrum Values, Scrum Team, Events, Artifacts, Done

Which statement best describes the Sprint Backlog?

  1. It is owned by the Product Owner and updated only at the Sprint Review.
  2. It is a copy of the Product Backlog created at Sprint Planning.
  3. It is a highly visible, real-time picture of the work the Developers plan for the Sprint, and it emerges as the Sprint proceeds. Correct answer.
  4. It is a fixed list of tasks that cannot change once the Sprint begins.

Explanation

The Sprint Backlog is composed of the Sprint Goal, the selected items, and the plan to deliver them, and it is updated throughout the Sprint as more is learned. It belongs to the Developers and is a real-time view of their plan.

Question 44Understanding and Applying the Scrum Framework: Empiricism, Scrum Values, Scrum Team, Events, Artifacts, Done

The organization has no standard, so the Scrum Team writes its own Definition of Done. Work later reveals the definition is too weak to guarantee quality. What should the team do?

  1. Remove the Definition of Done so the Developers can decide case by case.
  2. Inspect and strengthen the Definition of Done as the team learns what quality requires. Correct answer.
  3. Keep the definition unchanged for the entire product to preserve consistency.
  4. Ask the Scrum Master to write a stricter definition unilaterally.

Explanation

The Definition of Done is a living agreement that the Scrum Team can refine as it learns. When the current definition fails to ensure quality, the team should strengthen it, and multiple teams working on one product should share a common definition.

Question 45Understanding and Applying the Scrum Framework: Empiricism, Scrum Values, Scrum Team, Events, Artifacts, Done

What does it mean when a Product Backlog item is described as Done?

  1. The item has been demonstrated at least once to a stakeholder.
  2. The Product Owner has verbally accepted it.
  3. The Developers have finished writing code for it.
  4. The item meets the Definition of Done, making it part of a usable Increment. Correct answer.

Explanation

Done means the work meets the Definition of Done, which is the team's shared understanding of the quality required for the Increment. Only work that satisfies it can be considered part of a usable Increment.

Question 46Understanding and Applying the Scrum Framework: Empiricism, Scrum Values, Scrum Team, Events, Artifacts, Done

At the Sprint Review, stakeholders discover that several Increment items fail to meet the Definition of Done. What is the most accurate interpretation?

  1. The Developers should mark the items Done and fix them in a later release.
  2. The Sprint Review should be repeated until the items pass.
  3. The Definition of Done can be waived for this Sprint to avoid embarrassment.
  4. The items are not part of the Increment and should not be presented as complete. Correct answer.

Explanation

Work that does not meet the Definition of Done cannot be considered part of the Increment, because the definition is what makes completeness transparent. Presenting such work as complete misrepresents the state of the product.

Question 47Understanding and Applying the Scrum Framework: Empiricism, Scrum Values, Scrum Team, Events, Artifacts, Done

Why is it valuable for the Scrum Team to release an Increment to stakeholders frequently?

  1. It creates opportunities for real feedback that can reshape the Product Backlog and reduce the risk of building the wrong thing. Correct answer.
  2. It guarantees that no defects will ever reach production.
  3. It allows the Product Owner to skip ordering the Product Backlog.
  4. It removes the need for a Sprint Review.

Explanation

Frequent Increments expose working product to real users and stakeholders, generating empirical feedback that informs the Product Backlog. That feedback loop reduces the risk of investing in features that do not deliver value.

Question 48Understanding and Applying the Scrum Framework: Empiricism, Scrum Values, Scrum Team, Events, Artifacts, Done

A Scrum Team is distributed across three time zones and proposes to replace the Daily Scrum with a written status email. Which assessment is most consistent with Scrum?

  1. The email is acceptable because the Daily Scrum is optional for distributed teams.
  2. The Developers should find a way to hold the Daily Scrum, adapting its format and timing, because it is a required event for inspecting progress toward the Sprint Goal. Correct answer.
  3. The team should cancel the Daily Scrum and rely on the Sprint Review instead.
  4. The Scrum Master should hold the Daily Scrum alone and distribute minutes.

Explanation

The Daily Scrum is a required event for the Developers, and distributed teams are expected to adapt format and timing rather than eliminate it. A written status update typically loses the interactive inspection and replanning that give the event its value.

Question 49Understanding and Applying the Scrum Framework: Empiricism, Scrum Values, Scrum Team, Events, Artifacts, Done

Which situation best illustrates the Scrum Value of focus?

  1. The Scrum Master attends every team meeting to stay informed.
  2. The Developers limit their work to the items selected for the Sprint Goal and defer unrelated requests. Correct answer.
  3. The Product Owner changes the Sprint Goal daily to reflect new ideas.
  4. The Developers accept urgent requests from any stakeholder at any time.

Explanation

Focus means concentrating on the work of the Sprint and the Sprint Goal, which requires deferring unrelated requests. Protecting that focus is what allows the team to deliver a Done Increment within the Sprint.

Question 50Understanding and Applying the Scrum Framework: Empiricism, Scrum Values, Scrum Team, Events, Artifacts, Done

A Scrum Team wants to reduce the risk that its Definition of Done silently erodes over time. Which practice best supports this?

  1. Review the Definition of Done during the Retrospective and whenever quality problems surface, and make it visible to the team. Correct answer.
  2. Rely on the Product Owner to inspect quality at the Sprint Review only.
  3. Let each Developer apply a personal definition of Done.
  4. Freeze the Definition of Done in the first Sprint and never revisit it.

Explanation

Because the Definition of Done is a shared agreement, keeping it visible and revisiting it in the Retrospective helps the team notice erosion and strengthen it. Quality problems are a signal to inspect the definition rather than to work around it.