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: When might a Sprint be abnormally terminated?. Follow @CertPunch and visit certpunch.com for more certification practice exams and study content.
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What you will practice
- When might a Sprint be abnormally terminated?
- A Developer on the Scrum Team takes the Scrum Master aside to express concerns about data security issues. Wh…
- When Developers have difficulty delivering a functional increment because they don't understand a functional…
- During the Sprint, if new work is required, the Developers can add it to the current Sprint Backlog.
- A Scrum Team is required to deliver a done increment by the end of a Sprint. Select two statements that expla…
- What are the three pillars of product ownership?
Answers and explanations
Tap a question to expand the answer and the exam reasoning. Try to commit to your own pick first.
Q1. When might a Sprint be abnormally terminated?
Answer: C. When the Sprint Goal becomes obsolete
A Sprint is abnormally terminated only when the Sprint Goal becomes completely obsolete. If work remains unfinished, the team simply continues the Sprint, as cancellation is rare and costly due to short timeboxes.
Q2. A Developer on the Scrum Team takes the Scrum Master aside to express concerns about data security issues. What should the Scrum Master do?
Answer: B. Ask the person to share the issue with the rest of the Scrum Team as soon as possible
The Scrum Master should ask the Developer to share the issue with the entire Scrum Team to foster transparency and collective problem-solving. Unilaterally adding security to the Definition of Done bypasses the team's autonomy.
Q3. When Developers have difficulty delivering a functional increment because they don't understand a functional requirement, what should they do?
Answer: A. Collaborate with the Product Owner to determine what is possible and acceptable
Developers should collaborate directly with the Product Owner to determine what is possible and acceptable. Deferring work or partially completing it without this clarification avoids the necessary clarification needed to satisfy stakeholder needs.
Q4. During the Sprint, if new work is required, the Developers can add it to the current Sprint Backlog.
Answer: A. True
The Sprint Backlog emerges throughout the Sprint as the Developers learn more about the work needed to achieve the Sprint Goal. The Developers own the Sprint Backlog and can add new items whenever necessary.
Q5. A Scrum Team is required to deliver a done increment by the end of a Sprint. Select two statements that explain what "Done" means. (Choose 2)
Answer: A,C. No work left from the definition of "Done" || All work to create software that is ready to be released to end users
Done means no work remains according to the Definition of Done, ensuring the Increment is potentially releasable to users. Remember that quality standards are set by the whole Scrum Team, not just the Product Owner.
Q6. What are the three pillars of product ownership?
Answer: B. Value, Decision Making, Engagement
Product ownership is built on value, decision making, and engagement. The Product Owner maximizes value, makes important product decisions, and actively engages with stakeholders and the Scrum Team.
Q7. Which three phrases best describe the purpose of a Definition of Done? (Choose 3)
Answer: B,C,D. It guides the Developers in creating a forecast at the Sprint Planning || It defines what it takes for an increment to be potentially ready for release || It creates transparency over the work inspected at the Sprint Review
The Definition of Done guides the Sprint forecast, clarifies Increment release readiness, and ensures transparency during the Sprint Review. It is not a task checklist or a percentage tracker, but rather a quality gate.
Q8. Which topics are covered during Sprint Planning?
Answer: A. Why is this Sprint valuable, What can be Done this Sprint and How will the chosen work get done?
Sprint Planning covers why the Sprint is valuable, what can be done, and how the work will get done. Avoid options that assign tasks or dictate roles, as self-managing Developers determine their own plan.
Q9. What happens if the Developers cannot complete their work by the end of the Sprint?
Answer: A. The Sprint length holds and the Developers continuously learn what is actually possible to do within a sprint of this length
A Sprint is fixed in length and is never extended, serving as a predictability mechanism. Incomplete Product Backlog items are returned to the Product Backlog for future consideration.
Q10. How should the Developers deal with non-functional requirements?
Answer: A. Ensure every Increment meets them
Developers must ensure every Increment meets non-functional requirements. Often captured in the Definition of Done, these standards apply continuously, making hardening phases unnecessary.
Q11. When does the next Sprint begin?
Answer: B. Immediately after the conclusion of the previous Sprint
A new Sprint begins immediately after the previous Sprint concludes. This creates a consistent, predictable rhythm with no gaps. Avoid distractors that suggest waiting for a specific day or requiring prior approval to continue.
Q12. Who determines how work is performed during the Sprint?
Answer: B. The Developers
Developers determine exactly how to perform the work during the Sprint. They are self-managing and create their own plan. External managers or architects cannot dictate daily work to a self-managing Scrum Team.
Q13. When is a Sprint over?
Answer: A. When the time-box expires
A Sprint ends precisely when its fixed time-box expires. Work completion does not alter the schedule. Maintaining strict time-boxes ensures predictable inspection cycles and stable planning.
Q14. A Scrum Master is introducing Scrum to a new Scrum Team. The Developers have decided that a Sprint Retrospective is unnecessary. What action should the Scrum Master take?
Answer: B. Begin facilitating productive and useful Scrum Retrospectives
The Scrum Master must ensure all Scrum events take place and remain productive. If a new team wants to skip the Retrospective, the Scrum Master steps in to facilitate it, because self-management does not mean abandoning required Scrum events.
Q15. Who is responsible for ensuring that the new increments meet the Definition of Done?
Answer: A. The Developers
The Developers are responsible for ensuring that every Increment meets the Definition of Done. A practical exam cue is to always associate quality and meeting the Definition of Done directly with the Developers, never the Scrum Master or Product Owner.
Q16. For the purpose of transparency, when does Scrum say a new increment must be available?
Answer: B. At the end of every Sprint
Scrum requires a new Increment to be available at the end of every Sprint. Ignore options suggesting specific phases or multiple Sprints; always tie Increment creation directly to the conclusion of each Sprint boundary.
Q17. Who has the final say on the order of the Product Backlog?
Answer: E. The Product Owner
The Product Owner has the final say on Product Backlog ordering to maximize value. While others may influence the Product Owner, the ultimate accountability for backlog ordering and content always rests solely with this role.
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