Pass the Scrum Professional Scrum Master PSM-I Questions and answers with CertsForce

According to the Scrum Guide1, each Increment is additive to all prior Increments and thoroughly verified, ensuring that all Increments work together. In order to provide value, the Increment must be usable. Multiple Increments may be created within a Sprint. The sum of the Increments is presented at the Sprint Review thus supporting empiricism. However, an Increment may be delivered to stakeholders prior to the end of the Sprint. The Sprint Review should never be considered a gate to releasing value. Therefore, a good way to continue is for the Development Team to make sure that all of the selected scope per Sprint is as “Done” as possible. The undone work is estimated and added to the Sprint Backlog of the next Sprint, so it doesn’t mess up the Product Backlog.

References: Scrum Guide

The correct answer is C, because the Development Team should inform the Product Owner so he/she can work with the CEO. The Scrum Guide states that “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, if the CEO wants to add a “very important” item to a Sprint that is in progress, he or she should communicate with the Product Owner, who can then decide whether to cancel or continue the current Sprint.

According to the Scrum Guide, the Scrum Master is responsible for coaching the Scrum Team to improve its skills, tools and environment over time and adjust the Definition of Done accordingly1. The Definition of Done is a formal description of the state of the Increment when it meets the quality measures required for the product1. The Definition of Done should be possible to achieve given current circumstances2. Therefore, option B and E are appropriate for a Scrum Master to do, if the Scrum Team does not have the tools and environment to completely finish each selected Product Backlog item.

Option A is not appropriate because declaring the Scrum Team not ready for Scrum implies that there is a fixed set of prerequisites for using Scrum, which is not true. Scrum is a framework that can be applied to any complex product development effort1.

Option C is not appropriate because encouraging the Product Owner to accept partially done Increments until the situation improves violates the principle of transparency. Transparency requires that the Increment is a usable product that meets the current Definition of Done1. Accepting partially done Increments also increases technical debt and reduces value delivery3.

Option D is not appropriate because refocusing the current Sprint on establishing the Scrum Team’s environment instead of delivering an Increment goes against the purpose of a Sprint. A Sprint is a time-boxed event that serves as a container for the other Scrum events and activities. The goal of each Sprint is to deliver a potentially releasable Increment that adheres to the current Definition of Done1.

References: 1: The Scrum Guide 2: Suggested Reading for Professional Scrum Master™ I 3: Mastering Professional Scrum

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 C, because the Scrum Guide states that “the Scrum Master ensures that the Development Team has the meeting, but the Development Team is responsible for conducting the Daily Scrum. The Scrum Master teaches the Development Team to keep the Daily Scrum within the 15-minute time-box.” Therefore, the main reason for the Scrum Master to be at the Daily Scrum is to ensure that it happens, but he or she does not have to be there.

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, 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 of “Done” is created by the development organization (or Development Team if none is available from the development organization). The definition guides the Development Team in creating a “Done” Increment.

References: Scrum Guide

 Scrum Teams are cross-functional, meaning the members have all the skills necessary to create value each Sprint. They are responsible for all product-related activities from stakeholder collaboration, verification, maintenance, operation, experimentation, research and development, and anything else that might be required12. The Scrum Team’s goal is to deliver a “Done” Increment that meets the Definition of Done and the Sprint Goal3.

References: 1: The Scrum Team | Scrum.org 2: The Professional Scrum™ Competencies | Scrum.org 3: The 2020 Scrum Guide | Scrum.org

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