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: The Developers have suggested moving the Daily Scrum to every two days instead of every day. What is the most appropriat. Follow @CertPunch and visit certpunch.com for more certification practice exams and study content.
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What you will practice
- The Developers have suggested moving the Daily Scrum to every two days instead of every day. What is the most…
- Which statement best describes the Sprint Backlog in an active Sprint?
- A Product Owner is applying value estimations to Product Backlog items. Is this acceptable? (choose the best…
- A discussion of what to do next is part of the Sprint Review.
- There can be a maximum of one release per Sprint.
- In some cases, work can be considered part of an Increment even if it doesn't meet the Definition of Done.
Answers and explanations
Tap a question to expand the answer and the exam reasoning. Try to commit to your own pick first.
Q1. The Developers have suggested moving the Daily Scrum to every two days instead of every day. What is the most appropriate action for the Scrum Master to take?
Answer: A. Learn why the Developers want this, coach the team on why the Daily Scrum is important and work with them to improve the outcome of the Daily Scrum.
The Scrum Master should coach the Developers on why a daily inspection is critical for adapting the plan. While the team self-manages, supporting an arbitrary reduction misses the core value of daily progress inspection.
Q2. Which statement best describes the Sprint Backlog in an active Sprint?
Answer: A. The scope may be re-negotiated as more is learned.
The Sprint Backlog is a living artifact, and its scope can be clarified and renegotiated between the Product Owner and Developers. Remember that swapping items purely for priority changes distracts from the Sprint Goal.
Q3. A Product Owner is applying value estimations to Product Backlog items. Is this acceptable? (choose the best answer)
Answer: B. Yes. It's OK as it can help the Product Owner order the Product Backlog and validate the expected value against the actual delivered value.
Applying value estimations is perfectly acceptable because it helps the Product Owner order the Product Backlog effectively. Avoid distractors claiming certain estimation practices are strictly mandated by Scrum.
Q4. A discussion of what to do next is part of the Sprint Review.
Answer: A. True, and it may capture probable Backlog Items for the next Sprint, but the scope of the next Sprint is deferred until Sprint Planning
A discussion of what to do next is a core feature of the Sprint Review to help guide the next Sprint. Remember that final scope decisions are strictly deferred until Sprint Planning.
Q5. There can be a maximum of one release per Sprint.
Answer: A. False
You can release multiple Increments within a single Sprint, as long as each meets the Definition of Done. The exam expects you to know that a Sprint does not strictly limit the number of releases.
Q6. In some cases, work can be considered part of an Increment even if it doesn't meet the Definition of Done.
Answer: A. False
The correct answer is false because an Increment must meet the Definition of Done to be considered complete. Watch for options suggesting partially done work can be included; it violates core transparency.
Q7. An organization that is new to Scrum wants to know how the interactions should be between the Product Owner and the Stakeholders. Which statement best describes the relationship? (choose the best answer)
Answer: A. The Product Owner proactively seeks feedback and expectations from stakeholders in order to make changes to the Product Backlog.
The Product Owner actively collaborates with stakeholders to gather feedback and refine the Product Backlog. Avoid options positioning stakeholders as approvers or requiring handoffs of documentation.
Q8. The items in the Product Backlog are ordered by value only.
Answer: A. False
Ordering considers more than just value, including dependencies, risk, and effort. While value is important, dependencies often force lower-value items to be completed first.
Q9. What are two typical activities for a Product Owner in a Sprint?
Answer: B,E. Work with the Developers on Product Backlog refinement. || Collaborate with stakeholders, user communities and product managers.
The Product Owner refines the backlog with Developers and collaborates with stakeholders. Distractors involving daily task management or mandatory attendance exceed the role's defined boundaries.
Q10. Which two alternatives are viable when the Product Owner is unavailable? (choose the best two answers)
Answer: B,D. If the Product Owner is consistently absent, a replacement must be designated. The Scrum framework requires the presence of a Product Owner role. || During the Sprint, Developers make optimal decisions to progress toward the Sprint Goal and reconnect with the Product Owner once he/she is available again.
If a Product Owner is permanently absent, a replacement is mandatory. For temporary absences, self-managing Developers make optimal decisions to achieve the Sprint Goal.
Q11. A Scrum Master may cancel a sprint at any time.
Answer: A. False
The Product Owner is the only role with the authority to cancel a Sprint. Remember that while the Scrum Master, Developers, or stakeholders can influence this decision, the final say rests exclusively with the Product Owner.
Q12. Which three statements are correct about non-functional requirements?
Answer: C,D,E. Some of them can be added to the Product Backlog. || Some of them can be added to the Definition of Done. || They should be incorporated into every increment.
Non-functional requirements guide how the product functions and can reside in the Product Backlog, the Definition of Done, or apply globally. Discard distractors mentioning integration sprints or separate backlogs, as these are outdated concepts.
Q13. Paul is a Scrum Master and leads a team of eight people. He wants to add a ninth person (a Developer) to help strengthen some areas where current skills are lacking. He has recently received approval from his managers to hire an additional…
Answer: D. Paul should include the current Developers in the hiring decision. They should know what skills they need for their team and have a chance to evaluate potential additions to the Scrum Team
Scrum Teams are self-managing and should make their own decisions about team composition and hiring. The Developers know exactly what skills they lack. For the exam, remember that Scrum Masters and HR should act as facilitators rather than dictating team structure.
Q14. Which statement is true about projects with one product and multiple Scrum Teams?
Answer: B. It should have one Product Backlog and one Product Owner
A single product must always have exactly one Product Backlog and one Product Owner to maintain clear accountability. Having multiple backlogs fragments the vision. This one-to-one-to-one ratio is a core Scrum concept for the exam.
Q15. What action can the Scrum Master take to ensure communication between the Developers and Product Owner is effective?
Answer: A. Observe the communications between them and facilitate discussions if needed or by request.
The Scrum Master serves as a facilitator and servant leader, observing interactions and guiding effective communication. Acting as a gatekeeper or forcing technical language fails because the Product Owner should focus on business value.
Q16. What are the five values of Scrum?
Answer: A. Commitment, respect, focus, openness, courage
The five Scrum values are commitment, focus, openness, respect, and courage. These values bring the pillars of transparency, inspection, and adaptation to life. Watch out for options that incorrectly mix the three empirical pillars into the values list.
Q17. If Developers cannot complete all of the required elements of a Sprint, what should they do?
Answer: C. The Developers should meet with the Product Owner and adjust the Sprint Backlog if needed
If the Developers realize they cannot complete the planned work, they must collaborate with the Product Owner to negotiate and adjust the Sprint Backlog scope. Extending the Sprint is never allowed, and the Developers manage their own scope.
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