PSD study plan
PSD · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 6 hours per week
Scrum theory and framework applied to software development
Define the three Scrum pillars and five Scrum values and give one concrete software-team example of each
Diagram the Scrum framework from memory, labeling the five events, three artifacts, and three accountabilities plus their intended flow
Explain how empiricism and lean thinking justify timeboxing, and contrast this with predictive planning in a software context
Write out the purpose of each Scrum event and what would break if it were removed or extended beyond its timebox
Your checkpoint
A one-page hand-drawn Scrum framework diagram plus a 300-word written comparison of empirical versus predictive planning, self-graded against the Scrum Guide
Scrum theory and framework applied to software development
Distinguish the accountabilities of Product Owner, Scrum Master, and Developers and identify which decisions belong to each
Explain the commitment attached to each artifact (Product Goal, Sprint Goal, Definition of Done) and how they create transparency
Describe how the Sprint acts as a container for all other events and why no changes are made that endanger the Sprint Goal
Identify common anti-patterns such as backlog grooming as a separate event, status-report Daily Scrums, and Sprint reviews used only as demos
Your checkpoint
A table mapping ten realistic team scenarios to the accountable role and the artifact or event involved, with a one-sentence justification per row
Scrum theory and framework applied to software development & Development practices and techniques that support building software with Scrum
Trace how the Definition of Done creates transparency and when it may be strengthened mid-Sprint
Explain how refinement is an ongoing activity rather than a scheduled event and how it keeps the Product Backlog ready
Describe how the Developers forecast work during Sprint Planning and why forecasting differs from committing
Apply the concept of emergent work to a mid-Sprint scope change and justify how the team responds
Your checkpoint
A written Definition of Done for a sample software product with at least six verifiable criteria, plus a 250-word justification of how each criterion increases transparency
Development practices and techniques that support building software with Scrum
Compare refinement techniques such as story splitting, example mapping, and impact mapping for a large feature
Apply at least three backlog refinement heuristics to split an oversized item into Sprint-sized pieces
Explain how acceptance criteria and the Definition of Done differ and where each belongs
Draft a Sprint Goal that expresses value rather than a list of backlog items
Your checkpoint
A refined backlog of eight items for a sample product, each with acceptance criteria, an estimate, and a Sprint Goal statement covering the first four
Development practices and techniques that support building software with Scrum & Cross-functional, self-managing team collaboration and accountabilities of Developers
Describe how technical practices such as test-driven development, continuous integration, refactoring, and pair programming support the Increment
Explain how automated testing and build pipelines make the Definition of Done achievable every Sprint
Distinguish self-managing from self-organizing and describe what decisions a self-managing team makes
Explain how cross-functionality reduces dependencies and what the team does when a skill gap remains
Your checkpoint
A written proposal for a continuous integration and automated test setup for a sample product, tying each element to a Definition of Done criterion it enables
Cross-functional, self-managing team collaboration and accountabilities of Developers
Explain the Scrum Master's true role as a servant leader and coach rather than a project manager or task assigner
Describe how Developers self-manage their work without a team lead allocating tasks
Identify collaboration patterns that surface impediments early, such as Daily Scrum focused on progress toward the Sprint Goal
Explain how conflict and disagreement inside a self-managing team can be resolved without escalation by default
Your checkpoint
Three role-played or written coaching scenarios with a documented response for each, showing how a Scrum Master would intervene without taking over the team's decisions
Delivering a potentially releasable Increment each Sprint
Define what makes an Increment potentially releasable and why multiple Increments may exist within one Sprint
Explain how the Sprint Review invites stakeholder feedback and updates the Product Backlog rather than only presenting a demo
Describe how the Sprint Retrospective produces at least one actionable improvement that is tracked into the next Sprint
Explain how value delivery is measured through the Increment rather than through activity or output volume
Your checkpoint
A Sprint Review agenda and a Sprint Retrospective format for a sample team, each annotated with the purpose of every segment and at least two risks of running it poorly
Scrum theory and framework applied to software development & Development practices and techniques that support building software with Scrum & Cross-functional, self-managing team collaboration and accountabilities of Developers & Delivering a potentially releasable Increment each Sprint
Synthesize all four domains into one end-to-end narrative of a single Sprint from planning to review
Diagnose ten deliberately flawed team scenarios and name the Scrum principle each violates
Answer timed practice questions across all domains and review every miss against the source concept
Identify and close the two weakest remaining areas with targeted review
Your checkpoint
A full-length timed practice test with a written error log listing every missed question, the underlying concept, and the corrected reasoning
Milestones
Week 2: Can reproduce the Scrum framework diagram from memory and correctly assign the accountable role for ten scenarios without notes
Week 4: Can explain the Definition of Done and refinement well enough to write a defensible Definition of Done and split a large item into Sprint-sized pieces
Week 6: Can articulate the Scrum Master and Developer accountabilities and describe a coaching response to a team dysfunction without taking over the team's decisions
Week 8: Scores at least 80 percent on a full-length timed practice test and has a written error log covering every missed question