Practice for the Professional Scrum Master I (PSM I) exam with 18 exam-style practice questions, instant answer reveals, and concise explanations of every correct answer. Topics include: Who is allowed to participate in the Daily Scrum?. Follow @CertPunch and visit certpunch.com for more certification practice exams and study content.
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What you will practice
- Who is allowed to participate in the Daily Scrum?
- If it is not an organizational standard, who is responsible for creation of the Definition of Done?
- Why do the Developers need a Sprint Goal?
- What technique should be used for representing Product Backlog Items?
- When something about Scrum frustrates the Product Owner, he can delegate some accountabilities to the Scrum M…
- What are the prerequisites for starting a Sprint Planning? (choose the best answer)
Answers and explanations
Tap a question to expand the answer and the exam reasoning. Try to commit to your own pick first.
Q1. Who is allowed to participate in the Daily Scrum?
Answer: C. The Developers
The Daily Scrum is an internal meeting exclusively for the Developers to inspect progress toward the Sprint Goal. Be very careful here, the Scrum Master or Product Owner may attend as observers, but only the Developers actively participate.
Q2. If it is not an organizational standard, who is responsible for creation of the Definition of Done?
Answer: D. The Scrum Team
If there is no existing organizational standard, the entire Scrum Team is responsible for creating a Definition of Done appropriate for the product. Do not fall for the common distractor that assigns this accountability solely to the Developers.
Q3. Why do the Developers need a Sprint Goal?
Answer: C. The Developers are more focused with a common and specific goal
A Sprint Goal provides the Developers with a shared, specific focus and purpose, guiding them on why they are building the Increment. It does not guarantee that every single selected Product Backlog item will be fully implemented.
Q4. What technique should be used for representing Product Backlog Items?
Answer: C. Any technique, even a mix of several techniques
Scrum is highly flexible, meaning any technique or even a mix of techniques can be used to represent Product Backlog items. Do not fall for distractors like User Stories, because Scrum does not prescribe a specific format.
Q5. When something about Scrum frustrates the Product Owner, he can delegate some accountabilities to the Scrum Master.
Answer: A. False
A Product Owner may delegate specific tasks, but they remain completely accountable for the outcome. Remember the exam rule: accountabilities cannot be transferred or shared, even if others assist.
Q6. What are the prerequisites for starting a Sprint Planning? (choose the best answer)
Answer: B. There are no such prerequisites.
A new Sprint starts immediately following the conclusion of the previous one without formal prerequisites. Ignore distractors about fully refined backlogs or steering committee approvals, as Scrum operates continuously without enforced readiness gates.
Q7. Who can change the Sprint Backlog in the middle of the Sprint?
Answer: D. Only the Developers
Only the Developers own and modify the Sprint Backlog during a Sprint to reflect emerging work. While the Product Owner negotiates scope, they do not directly update the Sprint Backlog.
Q8. The Product Owner wants to apply some non-functional requirements to the Product. What is the best way to proceed?
Answer: A. Add the non-functional requirements to the DoD and check every Increment against these criteria
Adding recurring non-functional requirements to the Definition of Done ensures every Increment meets essential quality standards. Placing them as separate backlog items is sometimes valid, but the Definition of Done is typically preferred.
Q9. All increments to be created by Developers must come from the Product Backlog.
Answer: A. True
All work performed by Developers must originate from the Product Backlog. This single source of truth ensures the Scrum Team consistently maximizes value and aligns with business goals.
Q10. Who participates in the Sprint Review? Select all applicable variants.
Answer: A,B,C,E. The Scrum Master || The Developers || The Product Owner || The Key Stakeholders
The Sprint Review includes the entire Scrum Team and key stakeholders to inspect the outcome of the Sprint and figure out what to do next. Remember that the CEO can technically attend as a stakeholder, but option E is the definitive answer for outside attendees.
Q11. What are the areas of focus that can help a Product Owner ensure that the product delivers value? (choose the three best answers)
Answer: A,B,E. How much of the functionality of his product is being utilized. || Direct customer feedback. || How much can the customer absorb and use the product.
Product Owners measure value by looking at direct customer feedback, feature utilization, and how much customers can actually absorb. Avoid distractors focused on output metrics like story points or matching original requirements, because Agile prioritizes adapting to deliver outcome value.
Q12. What is the impact of technical debt on the Product Owner? (choose the two best answers)
Answer: A,D. More time and money is spent maintaining the product when you have technical debt. || Technical debt can reduce the velocity in which new functionality can be created.
Technical debt directly impacts the Product Owner because it drains time and money on maintenance, while simultaneously slowing down the creation of new features. Never assume technical debt is solely a Developer issue, as it ultimately destroys the product's potential value.
Q13. If multiple stakeholders have varied interests in the product and different viewpoints, what is the best strategy for the Product Owner?
Answer: A. Do an intelligent balancing of interests and try to maximize the value of the Product as a whole
The Product Owner must balance varied stakeholder interests to maximize the overall product value. Avoid options that prioritize only funding or speed, because the Product Owner optimizes value rather than pleasing a single group.
Q14. An organization that has just adopted Scrum wants to know how the interactions between the Product Owner and the Developers should take place. Which two statements best describe this relationship?
Answer: D,E. They collaborate frequently in order for the Developers to deliver Increments that address user and stakeholder needs. || They collaborate frequently in order for the Product Owner to make sound decisions in managing the Product Backlog.
The Product Owner and Developers collaborate frequently so the Developers deliver valuable Increments and the Product Owner makes sound backlog decisions. Avoid options where the Product Owner micromanages work or limits interaction to event boundaries.
Q15. The structure of the Daily Scrum is well-defined and constant. Every Developer should answer the three main questions.
Answer: E. False
This statement is false because the Developers choose the Daily Scrum structure. The three standard questions are an option, but remember the event only mandates focus on progress toward the Sprint Goal.
Q16. What should a Product Owner take into consideration when ordering the Product Backlog?
Answer: D. What is most appropriate to achieve the objectives of the product and optimise the value delivered to users while taking into account the dependencies.
The Product Owner orders items to achieve product objectives and optimize value while managing dependencies. Exam cue: reject absolute words like always, because ROI alone ignores context and sequencing.
Q17. Select all that apply. The Scrum Team participates in:
Answer: A,C,D. Sprint Retrospective || Sprint Planning || Sprint Review
The entire Scrum Team participates in Sprint Planning, the Sprint Review, and the Sprint Retrospective. The Daily Scrum is excluded because only Developers participate to inspect and adapt their progress.
Q18. Which statement regarding the Product Backlog is FALSE?
Answer: B. It is a finalized list of requirements to be done for the Product.
The Product Backlog is never finalized; it is a dynamic, living artifact that constantly evolves as the product and market change. The strongest distractor calls it an inventory of work, which is acceptable because it technically lists all desired features and requirements.
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