Practice for the Professional Scrum Master I (PSM I) exam with 17 exam-style practice questions, instant answer reveals, and concise explanations of every correct answer. Topics include: What are the three questions the Sprint Planning answers?. Follow @CertPunch and visit certpunch.com for more certification practice exams and study content.
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What you will practice
- What are the three questions the Sprint Planning answers?
- Who creates a Product Backlog item's estimate?
- By the end of the Sprint Retrospective, the Scrum Team should have identified:
- The Sprint Retrospective is an opportunity for the Scrum Team to:
- When does the second Sprint start?
- Which of these may a Scrum Team deliver at the end of a Sprint?
Answers and explanations
Tap a question to expand the answer and the exam reasoning. Try to commit to your own pick first.
Q1. What are the three questions the Sprint Planning answers?
Answer: C. Why, What and How ?
Sprint Planning answers why the Sprint is valuable, what can be completed, and how the chosen work will get done. Remember that the event focuses on value, scope, and actionable planning rather than strict scheduling.
Q2. Who creates a Product Backlog item's estimate?
Answer: B. The Developers after clarifying requirements with the Product Owner
The people doing the work create the estimates. The Product Owner might influence them by clarifying details, but the Developers hold the final say to ensure commitment and accuracy.
Q3. By the end of the Sprint Retrospective, the Scrum Team should have identified:
Answer: A. Improvements that it may implement in the next Sprint
The outcome of the Sprint Retrospective is identifying actionable improvements for the next Sprint. It focuses on process adaptation rather than finalizing the exact work scope for the next Sprint.
Q4. The Sprint Retrospective is an opportunity for the Scrum Team to:
Answer: A. inspect itself and create a plan for improvements
The Sprint Retrospective is dedicated to team introspection and creating actionable improvement plans. Choosing the next Sprint's scope happens during Sprint Planning, not the Retrospective.
Q5. When does the second Sprint start?
Answer: C. Immediately after the first Sprint
A new Sprint starts immediately after the conclusion of the previous Sprint. Sprints are continuous cycles with no gaps in between. Eliminate any options suggesting dependencies on external approvals or integration phases between Sprints.
Q6. Which of these may a Scrum Team deliver at the end of a Sprint?
Answer: C. An increment of working product that is "done"
The team delivers an increment of working product that is done. Remember that an increment must meet the definition of done and be usable. Options involving bugs or documents are incorrect because they violate this quality requirement.
Q7. Which of the following points could be discussed by the Scrum Team during a Sprint Retrospective?
Answer: B. All answers are correct
A sprint retrospective examines interactions, processes, tools, and the definition of done. Option B is correct because all listed items are valid discussion topics. This event focuses on continuous improvement rather than the product itself.
Q8. What is the source of the requirements for any changes to the product? (choose the BEST answer)
Answer: A. The Product Backlog
The Product Backlog is explicitly defined in the Scrum Guide as the single source of requirements for any changes made to the product. For the exam, remember that stakeholders or the CEO provide input, but the structured requirements live only in the Product Backlog.
Q9. Who is responsible for conducting the Daily Scrum?
Answer: B. The Developers
The Developers are solely responsible for conducting the Daily Scrum to inspect progress toward the Sprint Goal. The Scrum Master ensures the event happens and stays within the time-box, but does not run the meeting.
Q10. Who must attend the Daily Scrum?
Answer: C. The Developers
Only the Developers are required to attend the Daily Scrum to inspect progress and adapt their plan. The Product Owner or Scrum Master may attend if they are actively doing development work, but the event is specifically for the Developers.
Q11. What is the main reason for the Scrum Master to be at the Daily Scrum?
Answer: C. He or she does not have to be there; he or she only has to ensure the Developers have a Daily Scrum
The Scrum Master does not need to attend the Daily Scrum; their primary accountability is simply ensuring that the Developers hold the event. The Daily Scrum is owned by the Developers, so the Scrum Master acts as a facilitator only if requested.
Q12. When is the Sprint Backlog created?
Answer: A. During the Sprint Planning meeting
The Sprint Backlog is initially created during the Sprint Planning event as the team determines the Sprint Goal and the work required. It is highly visible and can then be updated throughout the Sprint as new work is discovered.
Q13. A Scrum Team is only allowed to meet with stakeholders during the Sprint Review.
Answer: A. False
Scrum strongly encourages ongoing collaboration with stakeholders throughout the entire Sprint, not just during the Sprint Review. The Sprint Review is a formal checkpoint, but developers can clarify requirements with stakeholders anytime.
Q14. What best describes the Sprint Backlog? (choose the best answer)
Answer: B. The Product Backlog items selected for this Sprint plus the plan for delivering them.
The Sprint Backlog consists of the selected Product Backlog items for the Sprint, the Sprint Goal, and an actionable plan for delivering them. Choosing an option without the delivery plan ignores the highly visible nature of this artifact.
Q15. Who determines when it is appropriate to update the Sprint Backlog during a Sprint?
Answer: C. The Developers
The Sprint Backlog belongs solely to the Developers, giving them exclusive authority to update it during the Sprint. The Scrum Master and Product Owner do not direct these daily technical adjustments, ensuring the team remains self-managing.
Q16. A Product Owner wants advice from the Scrum Master on estimating work in Scrum. Which of these is the guideline that the Scrum Master should give?
Answer: A. Estimates are made by the Developers
The Developers performing the work are solely responsible for all sizing and estimation. The Product Owner might clarify details, but mandating specific units like story points goes against Scrum principles of team autonomy.
Q17. Who is responsible for representing the stakeholders?
Answer: C. The Product Owner
The Product Owner represents the stakeholders to the Scrum Team, ensuring their needs are reflected in the Product Backlog. Traditional roles like Project Manager do not exist in Scrum, making this accountability exclusive to the Product Owner.
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