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: Is it allowed to skip the Daily Scrum if there is nothing interesting to talk about?. Follow @CertPunch and visit certpunch.com for more certification practice exams and study content.
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What you will practice
- Is it allowed to skip the Daily Scrum if there is nothing interesting to talk about?
- The Scrum Team is self-managing which means:
- When technical debt occurs, the system might become more unstable as development progresses and code is added…
- The practice of Product Backlog refinement focuses on items for upcoming Sprints, not the current Sprint in p…
- Select the true statements. Before starting the first Sprint, what are the prerequisites?
- What is the optimal length 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. Is it allowed to skip the Daily Scrum if there is nothing interesting to talk about?
Answer: A. No
The Daily Scrum cannot be skipped because it provides critical daily inspection of progress toward the Sprint Goal. As an mandatory event, it ensures the Developers continuously adapt their plan to avoid falling behind.
Q2. The Scrum Team is self-managing which means:
Answer: A. It manages how to perform the development work
A self-managing Scrum Team decides internally how to perform its development work, assigning tasks and choosing methods independently. Remember that management or external roles do not dictate how the Developers accomplish their Sprint Backlog work.
Q3. When technical debt occurs, the system might become more unstable as development progresses and code is added, resulting in future work being slowed down.
Answer: A. True
Accumulated technical debt reduces transparency, increases complexity, and slows down future development as the system becomes harder to maintain. On the exam, always associate unchecked technical debt with decreased velocity, lower quality, and hidden risks.
Q4. The practice of Product Backlog refinement focuses on items for upcoming Sprints, not the current Sprint in progress.
Answer: A. True
The correct answer works because refinement targets future work rather than the active Sprint Backlog. A practical exam cue is to remember that the Product Owner can still clarify current Sprint items as needed.
Q5. Select the true statements. Before starting the first Sprint, what are the prerequisites?
Answer: A,B. Just enough Product Backlog Items with business ideas for the first Sprint || A staffed Scrum Team
A Sprint can start once a complete Scrum Team exists and enough Product Backlog items are ready to define the work. You do not need a complete Product Backlog or architecture, because Scrum embraces emergent requirements over rigid upfront planning.
Q6. What is the optimal length of a Sprint?
Answer: D. Short enough to minimize risk
The optimal Sprint length is short enough to minimize risk and allow for quick feedback without excessive overhead. Exam cue: never pick a rigid timebox like two weeks, because the optimal length varies based on the specific context and environment.
Q7. Which of the following is a way to reduce technical debt?
Answer: A. Improving the Definition of Done
Strengthening the Definition of Done forces the team to resolve quality issues immediately, which directly limits new technical debt. Be wary of external auditors, because quality must be internally owned by the Developers doing the actual work.
Q8. Who advises what to work on for the next Sprint?
Answer: C. The Product Owner
The Product Owner is responsible for managing the Product Backlog, which ultimately dictates what the Scrum Team works on next. Watch out for a Product Manager option, as that generic role does not inherently hold Scrum responsibilities.
Q9. Which of the following refers to the average amount of work done per Sprint?
Answer: B. Velocity
Velocity measures the average amount of work completed per Sprint. A practical exam cue is to distinguish velocity from capacity, which estimates available hours or effort, rather than historical completion rates.
Q10. Which activity or event takes place between the current Sprint and the next Sprint beginning?
Answer: A. None
No activity takes place between Sprints because a new Sprint starts immediately after the previous one concludes. For the exam, remember Scrum emphasizes continuous flow without any gaps or downtime between Sprints.
Q11. As a Scrum Master, what would you strive for if five new Scrum Teams were to work on one product?
Answer: C. The product has one Product Backlog and one Product Owner.
A single product must have exactly one Product Backlog and one Product Owner, regardless of the number of teams. Avoid the common trap of scaling by adding Product Owners or backlogs for each new team.
Q12. If an inspector determines that one or more aspects of a process deviate from acceptable limits, when must an adjustment be made?
Answer: D. As soon as possible to minimize further deviation
An adjustment must be made as soon as possible to minimize further deviation. Avoid options that add unnecessary approval steps or delay fixing the issue until another event like the Daily Scrum.
Q13. How often should Scrum practitioners review Scrum artifacts and monitor progress towards achieving a Sprint Goal?
Answer: B. Frequently, but it should not get in the way of the work
Artifacts and progress must be inspected frequently, but not so often that it gets in the way. Avoid the trap of picking extreme answers like inspecting as frequently as possible, which disrupts actual work.
Q14. Which statements about the Sprint Retrospective meeting are correct? (Choose 2 answers)
Answer: C,D. It's three hours in a one-month Sprint || It's an opportunity for inspection and adaptation
The Retrospective is a three-hour event for a one-month Sprint and serves as an opportunity for inspection and adaptation. Do not fall for distractors stating it happens before the Review or excludes the Product Owner.
Q15. Who is responsible for the development quality in Scrum?
Answer: C. Everyone who performs the development work
The entire Scrum Team is responsible for the quality of the development work. A good exam tip is that Scrum avoids traditional titles like lead developer or tester to enforce shared team accountability for quality.
Q16. What does the Burn-down Chart show?
Answer: C. How much work remains till the end of the Sprint
A burn-down chart visually tracks the remaining work against the Sprint timebox. While not an official artifact, it remains a widely accepted tracking tool on the exam for measuring progress.
Q17. What is the Sprint Retrospective?
Answer: C. It 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 is specifically designed for the Scrum Team to inspect its own interactions and processes, creating an actionable improvement plan. Avoid broad labels like inspect and adapt; the Sprint Review adapts the Product Backlog, not team processes.
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