PSM-I Professional Scrum Master I Questions and Answers

The best answers are A, C, and E. The Definition of Done creates transparency by making everyone understand what it means for work to be complete. That makes Option C correct. It also creates a shared understanding of completion, which makes Option E correct. This is essential in Scrum because inspection is only meaningful when there is clarity about whether a Product Backlog item or Increment is actually done.

Option A is also correct because the Definition of Done helps Developers determine how much work they can realistically select during Sprint Planning. If the team understands the full quality criteria required for completion, they can make better decisions about how many Product Backlog items fit within the Sprint.

Option B is incorrect because Scrum does not support “mostly done.” Work is either done according to the Definition of Done or it is not done. Option D is incorrect because the Definition of Done does not describe Scrum events. It applies to the Increment and defines the quality measures required for completeness.

In Scrum, the Definition of Done is a critical tool for quality, transparency, and forecasting realistic Sprint scope.

According to the Scrum Guide 1 , self-organization is one of the essential characteristics of Scrum Teams. Self-organizing teams choose how best to accomplish their work, rather than being directed by others outside the team. Self-organization enables teams to deliver faster and better results by harnessing their creativity and skills. Some benefits of self-organization are:

Increased creativity, as team members have more freedom and autonomy to explore new ideas and solutions.

Increased self-accountability, as team members take ownership and responsibility for their work and outcomes.

Increased commitment, as team members are more engaged and motivated by having a say in how they work.

The other options are not benefits of self-organization, as they may imply external control or pressure.

The Product Owner is responsible for ensuring that the most valuable functionality is produced first, at all times, by ordering and prioritizing the Product Backlog. The Product Owner also interacts with stakeholders to understand their needs and expectations, and to communicate the vision and progress of the product. The other options are not part of the Product Owner role according to Scrum, as they are either too prescriptive or too technical.

Explanation of Correct Answer: According to the Scrum Guide 1 , the only required events in Scrum are Sprint Planning, Daily Scrum, Sprint Review, and Sprint Retrospective. These events enable transparency, inspection, and adaptation. The other options are not mandatory in Scrum, although they may be useful in some contexts.

According to the Scrum Guide 1 , 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”.

According to the Scrum Guide 1 , 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.

The correct answer is B because in Scrum, Developers are collectively accountable for creating a usable Increment every Sprint, and they share accountability for the Sprint Backlog. Scrum emphasizes self-management and collective ownership rather than assigning individual accountability for separate backlog items in the traditional sense. The Developers decide how to turn selected Product Backlog items into an Increment and how to organize their work, but the responsibility remains shared across the team.

This shared accountability supports collaboration, flexibility, and focus on the Sprint Goal. It prevents siloed behavior where individuals protect only their own tasks instead of working together to achieve the Sprint outcome. The Sprint Backlog is created by and for the Developers, and they adapt it throughout the Sprint as more is learned.

Option A is incorrect because accountability does not begin during the Daily Scrum. Option C is incorrect because capacity does not create individual ownership in Scrum. Option D is incorrect because Scrum does not require even task splitting or pre-assigned ownership at Sprint Planning. The Developers remain collectively accountable throughout the Sprint.

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.”

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.

The correct answers are B and D, because adding non-functional requirements to the Product Backlog and keeping the Product Owner posted on the expected effort helps prioritize and plan them in alignment with the product vision and goals. Additionally, adding non-functional requirements to the definition of ‘Done’ ensures that they are met every Sprint and do not accumulate technical debt.

According to the Scrum Guide 1 , 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.

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.

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 best two answers are A and C. These two ways of creating Scrum Teams are consistent with Scrum’s values because they respect the self-organization and empowerment of the people who will be working in the teams. They also foster openness and courage by allowing the people to express their preferences and opinions about the new structure.

B, D and E are not consistent with Scrum’s values because they impose a top-down approach that does not involve the people who will be affected by the change. They also undermine the commitment and focus of the teams by assigning them to work on something they may not be interested in or passionate about.

According to the Scrum Guide, estimates are made by the people doing the work, which is the Development Team. The Development Team is responsible for all estimates in the Product Backlog and the Sprint Backlog. The other options are not valid guidelines for estimating work in Scrum, as they are either too prescriptive (such as requiring story points or relative units), incorrect (such as forbidding estimating or having the Product Owner make estimates), or unnecessary (such as checking estimates with the Development Team).

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.

The correct answer is D, because the recommended size for a Development Team is 3 to 9 members. The Scrum Guide states that “fewer than three Development Team members decrease interaction and results in smaller productivity gains. Smaller Development Teams may encounter skill constraints during the Sprint, causing the Development Team to be unable to deliver a potentially releasable Increment. Having more than nine members requires too much coordination. Large Development Teams generate too much complexity for an empirical process to be useful.”

The correct answers are D and E, because these are two activities that a Product Owner can engage in during a Sprint. 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, the Product Owner can answer questions from the Development Team about items in the current Sprint, and work with the stakeholders to understand their needs and expectations.

According to the Scrum Guide 1 , only people who are actively working on items in the Sprint Backlog participate in updating it during a Sprint; this includes tracking progress made on those items. This is typically done by Developers updating their remaining work every day after their Daily Scrum. The Development Team tracks this total work remaining at least for every Daily Scrum to project the likelihood of achieving their Sprint Goal.

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, 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 topics that are appropriate for discussion are those that relate to how the team does its work, such as team relations, Definition of Done, and processes, tools, communication, collaboration, quality, etc. The other options are not appropriate topics for discussion in a Sprint Retrospective, as they belong to other Scrum events (such as arranging the Sprint Backlog for the next Sprint in the Sprint Planning or evaluating the value of work in the Product Backlog in the Sprint Review).

According to the Scrum Guide 1 , the Sprint Planning meeting has a time-box of eight hours or less for a one-month Sprint. The Scrum Master ensures that the meeting is time-boxed and keeps the Scrum Team focused on the objective. If the Development Team cannot forecast how many Product Backlog items it can complete, it should still start the Sprint and work on the most likely items to meet the Sprint Goal. The Sprint Backlog can be updated throughout the Sprint as more is learned. The Scrum Master should also support the team to discuss the reasons for the lack of clarity in the Product Backlog items and how to prevent it from happening again in the next Sprint Retrospective.

The Product Owner is accountable for maximizing the value of the product resulting from the work of the Scrum Team. Therefore, Option A is correct. This is one of the clearest and most important responsibilities defined in the Scrum Guide. The Product Owner manages the Product Backlog, orders work to best achieve goals and missions, and ensures that the backlog is transparent and understood. Their focus is on value optimization, not on controlling people or acting as a project manager.

Option B is incorrect because while the Product Owner may help with stakeholder collaboration, shielding Developers from all stakeholder interaction is not the core accountability. Option C is incorrect because Developers are self-managing, and the Product Owner does not direct their day-to-day work. Option D is also incorrect because Scrum does not define the Product Owner’s accountability as ensuring commitments to stakeholders are met in a traditional contractual sense. Instead, the Product Owner balances stakeholder needs, product direction, and value delivery.

A strong Product Owner makes sure the Scrum Team is always working on the most valuable thing first. That value-centered accountability is the best description of the role.

The correct answer is A. When multiple Scrum Teams work on the same product, they should share a common Definition of Done. This creates transparency across the product and ensures that all Increments are held to the same quality standard. Without one shared Definition of Done, it becomes difficult to inspect the integrated product accurately and determine whether work is truly complete.

Option B is incorrect because Scrum does not recommend separate Definitions of Done later reconciled in a hardening Sprint. Hardening Sprints are not part of Scrum and usually indicate that quality has not been built into normal development. Option C is also incorrect because merely making different definitions visible does not solve the inconsistency problem. A product needs one integrated standard of completion. Option D is incorrect because Scrum Masters do not define the Definition of Done on behalf of the teams. It must be mutually understood and used by the Scrum Teams working on that product, taking organizational standards into account.

A shared Definition of Done supports integration, quality, and releasability. It helps all teams contribute to one coherent product Increment rather than producing partially compatible outputs with differing completion standards.

The correct answer is C, because as soon as possible in the Sprint, the Development Team should work with the Product Owner to remove some work or Product Backlog items if they realize they have selected too much work to finish in the Sprint. The Scrum Guide states that “the Development Team may renegotiate the selected Product Backlog items with the Product Owner. If the Development Team realizes it has too much or too little work, it may renegotiate the selected Product Backlog items with the Product Owner. The Development Team may also invite other people to attend to provide technical or domain advice.”

According to the Scrum Guide 1 , the Sprint Review is an informal meeting at the end of the Sprint, where the Scrum Team and stakeholders collaborate about what was done in the Sprint. Based on that and any changes to the Product Backlog during the Sprint, attendees collaborate on what to do next. The Product Owner explains what Product Backlog items have been “Done” and what has not been “Done”; the Development Team discusses what went well during the Sprint, what problems it ran into, and how those problems were solved; and the Development Team demonstrates the work that it has “Done” and answers questions about the Increment. The entire group collaborates on what to do next, so that the Sprint Review provides valuable input to subsequent Sprint Planning. The Sprint Review is mainly an inspect and adapt opportunity for the Scrum Team and stakeholders.

According to the Scrum Guide 1 , the Developers are self-organizing and decide how to turn Product Backlog items into an Increment of value. No one tells them how to do their work. The Developers are accountable for creating a plan for the Sprint, the Sprint Backlog. The other roles are not responsible for making sure everyone on the Development Team does their tasks for the Sprint.

The correct answer is A, because the Product Owner does not need to be present at the Daily Scrum. 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. … The structure of the meeting is set by the Development Team and can be conducted in different ways if it focuses on progress toward the Sprint Goal.” Therefore, the Daily Scrum is an internal event for the Development Team, and the Product Owner can attend only if invited by the Development Team.

According to the Scrum Guide, the amount of work required of the Developers to complete a Product Backlog item selected during the Sprint Planning is as much as is required to meet the Scrum Team’s Definition of Done. This means that the Developers must ensure that every item they work on is in a usable condition and meets all quality standards agreed upon by the team. The other options are not valid descriptions of the amount of work required, as they are either too vague (such as all development work and some testing or a proportional amount of time) or incorrect (such as fitting as much as possible or deferring work to the next Sprint).

According to the Scrum Guide, the Development Team is responsible for creating a “Done” Increment that meets the Definition of “Done”. User documentation is part of the Definition of “Done” in this scenario, so the Development Team must create it. The other options are not consistent with Scrum values and principles, such as self-organization, cross-functionality, and empiricism.

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 Developers determine how many Product Backlog items they select for a Sprint, as stated in the Scrum Guide: “The Developers select items from the Product Backlog to include in the current Sprint. The Scrum Team may refine these items during this process, which increases understanding and confidence.”

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 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 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 Product Owner is responsible for engaging the stakeholders, as stated in the Scrum Guide 1 : “The Product Owner is one person, not a committee. The Product Owner may represent the desires of a committee in the Product Backlog, but those wanting to change a Product Backlog item’s priority must address the Product Owner.”

According to the Scrum Guide, a high-performance Scrum Team does not run a Release Sprint, as this is not a Scrum event. A Release Sprint is a term used to describe a Sprint that is dedicated to finalizing the product for release, such as fixing bugs, polishing features, or integrating components. This is contrary to the Scrum principle of delivering a potentially releasable Increment at the end of each Sprint, regardless of whether it is actually released or not. Therefore, the answer is false.

According to the Scrum Guide, two intended outcomes of the Daily Scrum are a shared understanding of the most important work to be undertaken next to achieve the best possible progress toward the Sprint goal, and new impediments for the Scrum Master to take care of. 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 an update or a status report).

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.

The correct answer is B, because a product Increment does not have to be released to production at the end of each Sprint. The Scrum Guide states that “at the end of a Sprint, the new Increment must be ‘Done,’ which means it must be in useable condition and meet the Scrum Team’s definition of ‘Done’. An increment is a body of inspectable, done work that supports empiricism at the end of the Sprint. The increment is a step toward a vision or goal.” Therefore, a product Increment must be potentially releasable, but the decision to release it is up to the Product Owner.

A Developer is accountable for creating a plan for the Sprint, the Sprint Backlog, and organizing the work required to meet the Sprint Goal, as stated in the Scrum Guide: " Developers are the people in the Scrum Team that are committed to creating any aspect of a usable Increment each Sprint. The specific skills needed by the Developers are often broad and will vary with the domain of work. However, the Developers are always accountable for:

Creating a plan for the Sprint, the Sprint Backlog;

Instilling quality by adhering to a Definition of Done;

Adapting their plan each day toward the Sprint Goal; and,

Holding each other accountable as professionals. "

The next Sprint begins immediately after the conclusion of the previous Sprint, as stated in the Scrum Guide: “Sprints have consistent durations throughout a development effort. A new Sprint starts immediately after the conclusion of the previous Sprint.”

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 correct answer is B, because the Product Owner does not make sure the team selects enough from the Product Backlog for a Sprint to satisfy the stakeholders. The Scrum Guide states that “the number of items selected from the Product Backlog for the Sprint is solely up to the Development Team. Only the Development Team can assess what it can accomplish over the upcoming Sprint.” Therefore, the Development Team is responsible for choosing the scope of work for a Sprint.

The correct answer is D, because one of the services that a Scrum Master can provide in regard to the Daily Scrum is to teach the Development Team to keep the Daily Scrum within the 15 minute time-box. 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.”

According to the Scrum Guide 1 , 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, implementation of a Product Backlog item is considered complete when the item has no work remaining in order to be potentially released.

According to the Scrum Guide 1 , 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. If the frequency of the Daily Scrum were to be lowered to every two or three days, some key concerns would be:

Opportunities to inspect and adapt the Sprint Backlog are lost, which may result in wasted work or missed dependencies.

Impediments are raised and resolved more slowly, which may hinder the progress and quality of the work.

The Sprint plan may become inaccurate, as changes in requirements, risks, or priorities are not reflected in a timely manner.

The other options are not valid concerns, as they are not aligned with Scrum values and principles.

According to the Scrum Guide, every Scrum Team should have the competencies and skills needed to deliver an Increment in a Sprint. This means that the Developers can work on any aspect of the product without depending on others outside the team. The other options are not valid descriptions of what every Scrum Team should have, as they either imply that the Developers work in silos or rely on external people (such as a lead developer or representatives from different departments).

Scrum promotes self-management by empowering the Scrum Team to take ownership of their work and processes. The best three answers are:

A. By having the Scrum Master protect the Scrum Team: The Scrum Master plays a key role in shielding the team from external distractions and impediments, allowing the team to focus on self-management and delivering value.

B. By the Scrum Team deciding what work to do in a Sprint: During Sprint Planning, the Scrum Team collaboratively selects and commits to the work they can accomplish within the Sprint, fostering self-organization and decision-making.

C. By being a lightweight framework: Scrum ' s simplicity and minimal structure provide the team with the flexibility to adapt and manage their work, encouraging self-management without imposing rigid controls.

According to the Scrum Guide, a Development Team is cross-functional if it has all the skills to create a potentially releasable Increment by the end of every Sprint. The other options are not indicators of cross-functionality, as they are either specific practices (such as pair programming or test driven development) or irrelevant factors (such as conflicts within the team or ability to perform every task).

According to the Scrum Guide, the Sprint Backlog may include any items that are a decomposition of the selected Product Backlog items, such as user stories, tasks, use cases, tests, or others. The Sprint Backlog is the Developers’ plan for the Sprint, and it contains all the work that they forecast they can do to achieve the Sprint Goal and create a “Done” Increment. The other options are not valid, as they are either too specific (such as user stories or tasks) or too vague (such as tests).

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, a Scrum Team is not only allowed to meet with stakeholders during Sprint Review, but also during Sprint Planning and throughout the Sprint as needed. The Sprint Review is an opportunity for the Scrum Team and the stakeholders to collaborate on what was done in the Sprint and what to do next. However, it is not the only time that stakeholder feedback is welcomed and valued.

According to the Scrum Guide, two valid actions that the Developers can take when they realize that the workload may be greater than their capacity to complete the work are ensuring that the Scrum Team is aware, starting the Sprint, and monitoring progress, and removing or changing selected Product Backlog items. These actions are consistent with Scrum values and principles, such as transparency, adaptation, and collaboration. The other options are not valid actions, as they are either wasteful (such as recruiting additional Developers or canceling the Sprint) or unsustainable (such as working overtime).

According to the Scrum Guide 1 , 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 purpose of the Sprint Retrospective is to plan ways to increase quality and effectiveness. The Product Owner is part of the Scrum Team and should participate as a Scrum Team member in the Sprint Retrospective.

 According to the Scrum Guide, the Daily Scrum is held at the same time and same place to reduce complexity and promote consistency. The other options are not valid reasons for holding the Daily Scrum at the same time and same place, as they are either irrelevant (such as naming the place) or incorrect (such as being demanded by the Product Owner or booking rooms in advance).

The correct answer is D, because there is no gap between Sprints in Scrum. The Scrum Guide states that “a new Sprint starts immediately after the conclusion of the previous Sprint.” Therefore, there is no time required after a Sprint to prepare for the next Sprint.

According to the Scrum Guide 1 , 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, 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.

An example of an Increment is a valuable, useful set of product features, as stated in [4]: “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, each Increment must be usable.”

According to the Scrum Guide 1 , 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.

The best answers are B and C because the Scrum Master serves both the Product Owner and the Scrum Team by helping address quality concerns in a constructive, transparent, and Scrum-consistent way. Quality in Scrum is not handled outside the team or delegated only to testers. When a stakeholder raises a concern about low quality, the issue should be made visible and addressed through the Product Backlog, the Definition of Done, and direct collaboration within the Scrum Team.

Option B is correct because quality expectations and stakeholder concerns should be reflected in Product Backlog items when appropriate, and the Developers need to understand those concerns clearly. Option C is also correct because the Scrum Master helps the Product Owner find an effective way to work with the Developers and address the issue empirically.

Option A is incorrect because acceptable quality standards are not solely for Developers to decide in isolation. Option D is incorrect because Scrum does not create a separate tester role responsible for quality. Option E is too passive and delayed. A significant quality concern should be addressed promptly, not simply postponed to the Sprint Retrospective.

According to the Scrum Guide, the Development Team should do two things during the first Sprint: develop at least one piece of functionality and create an increment of potentially releasable software. These are the goals of every Sprint, regardless of its order. The other options are not things that the Development Team should do during the first Sprint, as they are either out of scope (such as making a plan for the rest of the project or defining major product features and release plan architecture) or unnecessary (such as analyzing, describing, and documenting requirements for subsequent Sprints).

https://scrumguides.org/docs/scrumguide/v2020/2020-Scrum-Guide-US.pdf

Scrum is a framework for developing, delivering, and sustaining complex products. Scrum has three roles: the Product Owner, the Scrum Master, and the Developers. The Developers are the people in the Scrum Team who are committed to creating any aspect of a usable Increment in each Sprint. The Developers are not limited by titles such as programmer, designer, tester, architect, engineer, etc. The Developers are responsible for all aspects of quality, including finding and fixing bugs, tracking quality metrics, and verifying the work of other Developers. Therefore, Scrum has no “tester” role, and the Developers are responsible for quality.

According to the Scrum Guide, multiple Scrum Teams working on the same product do not have to have the same Sprint start date. They may start their Sprints at different times, as long as they synchronize their work and integrate their Increments at least by the end of each Sprint. The other option is not valid, as it implies that having the same Sprint start date is mandatory for multiple Scrum Teams.

The correct answers are B and D, because the Scrum Guide states that “the number of items selected from the Product Backlog for the Sprint is solely up to the Development Team. Only the Development Team can assess what it can accomplish over the upcoming Sprint.” Therefore, the Development Team can remove or change selected Product Backlog items in agreement with the Product Owner if they see that the workload is greater than they can handle. The Development Team should also ensure that the Product Owner is aware of the situation, start the Sprint, and monitor progress.

The correct answer is E because Scrum depends on transparency, collaboration, and collective accountability. If a Developer raises concerns about data security, the Scrum Master should encourage that concern to be brought to the Scrum Team as soon as possible so it can be openly inspected and addressed. Security is a serious product quality concern, and in Scrum, important issues should not remain private between two people when they affect the whole team’s work and the quality of the Increment.

Option A may sound reasonable, but the Scrum Master should not unilaterally add security to the Definition of Done. The Definition of Done is created and evolved appropriately through the Scrum Team’s work and organizational standards. Option B is too directive and bypasses team inspection and collaboration. Option C could eventually happen, but immediately creating a Product Backlog item does not address the need for transparency within the Scrum Team. Option D is incorrect because Scrum does not rely on a separate tester role to own quality concerns.

The Scrum Master should help the team surface the issue quickly so they can determine the right action together.

The correct answer is A because the Sprint Backlog is created during Sprint Planning. The Sprint Backlog is composed of the Sprint Goal, the Product Backlog items selected for the Sprint, and a plan for delivering them. During Sprint Planning, the Scrum Team collaborates to decide why the Sprint is valuable, what can be done during the Sprint, and how the chosen work will be accomplished. This is when the Sprint Backlog comes into existence.

Option B is incorrect because although Product Backlog refinement may prepare items before Sprint Planning, the Sprint Backlog itself is not created until the Sprint Planning event. Option C is incorrect because refinement supports readiness and clarity of Product Backlog items, but it does not establish the Sprint Backlog. Option D is incorrect because the Sprint Retrospective is focused on improvement of the team’s effectiveness and ways of working, not on creating the Sprint Backlog for the next Sprint.

This distinction matters in Scrum because Sprint Planning formally begins the Sprint by creating a clear commitment around the Sprint Goal and the work needed to produce a useful Increment.

According to the Scrum Guide, the Product Owner has the final decision about the order of items in 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.

The correct answer is C, because if necessary, the Development Team is responsible for removing a team member who is creating a hostile environment. The Scrum Guide states that “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, the Development Team should manage its own composition and dynamics, and may need help from the Scrum Master to facilitate this process.

The correct answers are B and C because security is part of product quality and should be addressed within the Scrum Team’s ongoing work, not delegated away or deferred to a later phase. Option B is correct because security concerns can and should be made visible in the Product Backlog when there is specific work needed to address them. This ensures transparency and allows the team to inspect, prioritize, and act on those concerns as part of product development.

Option C is also correct because if security is necessary for an Increment to be complete and releasable, it belongs in the Definition of Done. This ensures that security expectations are consistently applied every Sprint rather than treated as optional or postponed.

Option A is incorrect because Scrum does not rely on handing responsibility to a separate department. Option D is incorrect because delaying security work undermines transparency and increases risk. Option E is incorrect because security should not be isolated into one future Sprint as a separate cleanup effort. Scrum promotes integrating quality, including security, continuously into development so each Increment is usable and meets appropriate standards.

The correct answer is F, because all of the Scrum Values are affected by a lack of trust in the Scrum Team. Trust is essential for the Scrum Team to work effectively and deliver value. Without trust, the Scrum Team may lose focus, respect, openness, courage, and commitment.

During the Sprint Retrospective, the Scrum Team may add items to the Sprint Backlog for the next Sprint, as stated in [5] : “The purpose of each Sprint Retrospective is to plan ways to increase quality and effectiveness. The Scrum Team plans ways to implement improvements identified during this meeting into its way of working. By doing this it reinforces empiricism throughout its work. Improvements may be implemented at any time during a Sprint or they may be planned for subsequent Sprints.”

The correct answer is B. To present the Scrum Teams with insights and resources that help them improve. According to the Scrum Guide 1 , “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 collaboration 2 . 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 Team 3 . Management’s function in Scrum is to enable and empower the Scrum Team to deliver value and continuously improve.

According to the Scrum Guide 1 , 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.

According to the Scrum Guide, the Scrum Master is responsible for promoting and supporting Scrum as defined in the Scrum Guide 1 .  Scrum Masters do this by helping everyone understand Scrum theory, practices, rules, and values 1 .  The Scrum Master is accountable for establishing Scrum 2 .  They do this by helping everyone understand Scrum theory and practice, both within the Scrum Team and the organization while serving the Scrum Team as well as the larger organization 2 .

Option B is incorrect because keeping track of resource allocation is not a responsibility of the Scrum Master. The Scrum Master does not manage or control the resources of the Scrum Team or the organization.  The Scrum Team is self-organizing and responsible for managing its own work within a Sprint 1 .

Option C is incorrect because managing the performance of the Scrum Team is not a responsibility of the Scrum Master. The Scrum Master does not evaluate or appraise the performance of the Development Team or the Product Owner.  The Scrum Master serves the Development Team by coaching them on self-organization and cross-functionality, and serves the Product Owner by ensuring that goals, scope, and product domain are understood by everyone on the Scrum Team 1 .

Option D is incorrect because the meetings and the objectives that a Scrum Team sets for itself are not a responsibility of the Scrum Master. The Scrum Master does not dictate or prescribe what meetings or objectives a Scrum Team should have.  The Scrum Master facilitates the Scrum Events as requested or needed, and ensures that they are positive, productive, and kept within the time-box 1 .

According to the Scrum Guide 1 , 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.

a burndown chart is a graphical representation of work left to do versus time. It is very useful for predicting when all of the work will be completed. It is often used in agile software development methodologies such as Scrum. However, burndown charts can be applied to any project containing measurable progress over time. A release burndown chart tracks progress across multiple Sprints towards a product release. It shows how much work remains in the Product Backlog at any given time during the release cycle. A trend line through a release burndown chart indicates when the work remaining will likely be completed if nothing changes on the Product Backlog or the Development Team.

According to the Scrum Guide 1 , 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.

According to the Scrum Guide 1 , 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.

According to the Scrum Guide, a Sprint concludes when the Sprint Retrospective is complete. This is the last event of the Sprint cycle, where the Scrum Team inspects itself and creates a plan for improvements. The other options are not valid indicators of the conclusion of a Sprint, as they are either irrelevant (such as the Product Owner deciding enough has been delivered) or incomplete (such as all tasks or Product Backlog items being done).

The correct answer is E because all of the listed topics are appropriate subjects for a Sprint Retrospective. The Scrum Guide states that during the Sprint Retrospective, the Scrum Team inspects how the last Sprint went with regard to individuals, interactions, processes, tools, and their Definition of Done. The team then identifies improvements to increase quality and effectiveness.

Methods of communication are relevant because communication strongly affects collaboration and transparency. The way Sprint Planning is conducted is also valid to inspect if the team believes planning could be more effective. Skills needed to improve delivery are appropriate because a Scrum Team continuously seeks to become more capable and cross-functional. The Definition of Done is explicitly a valid retrospective topic because it may need refinement as the team matures and raises quality standards.

The Sprint Retrospective is the Scrum Team’s formal opportunity to inspect and adapt its ways of working. It is not limited to one narrow process area. Anything that affects the team’s effectiveness, quality, collaboration, or ability to deliver valuable Increments can be discussed, making “All of the above” the best answer.

According to the Scrum Guide, the Sprint Backlog is the Developers’ plan for the Sprint, as it contains all the Product Backlog items selected for the Sprint and a plan for delivering them. The other options are not valid descriptions of the Sprint Backlog, as they are either incorrect (such as having a designated owner, being ordered by the Product Owner, or being a complete list of all work) or unnecessary (such as estimating each task in hours).

The Product Backlog is ordered by the Product Owner with the most valuable items placed at the top, as stated in [6]: “The Product Owner is responsible for ordering items on their product backlog based on their value to customers and users. Value can be measured by various factors, such as business value, customer satisfaction, risk reduction, learning opportunities, etc. The most valuable items are placed at the top of the product backlog so that they can be delivered sooner by the development team.”

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 Guide 1 , 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, one good way for a Scrum Team to ensure security concerns are satisfied is to add security concerns to the definition of “Done”. Another good way is to have the Scrum Team create Product Backlog items for each concern, as they are responsible for managing and refining the Product Backlog.