Practice for the Professional Scrum Master I (PSM I) exam with 15 exam-style practice questions, instant answer reveals, and concise explanations of every correct answer. Topics include: Select the true answer. During the Sprint:. Follow @CertPunch and visit certpunch.com for more certification practice exams and study content.
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What you will practice
- Select the true answer. During the Sprint:
- Does Scrum have Project Managers?
- Which of the following limits work in progress?
- What does "Done" signify within the Definition of Done framework?
- The Scrum Master is accountable for…
- True or False: All work to be done by the Developers must ultimately originate from the Product Backlog?
Answers and explanations
Tap a question to expand the answer and the exam reasoning. Try to commit to your own pick first.
Q1. Select the true answer. During the Sprint:
Answer: B. No changes are made that would endanger the Sprint Goal.
During the Sprint, no changes are made that would endanger the Sprint Goal. Remember that while the overall scope might be negotiated with the Product Owner as learning occurs, the core Sprint Goal remains fixed to maintain focus and deliver a valuable Increment.
Q2. Does Scrum have Project Managers?
Answer: B. No
Scrum does not define a project manager role. Accountability is distributed among the Developers, Product Owner, and Scrum Master. If a question mentions a project manager, treat it as a traditional management role outside the framework.
Q3. Which of the following limits work in progress?
Answer: D. Using timeboxes
Timeboxes limit work in progress by restricting how long a task can take, forcing the team to focus on a realistic scope. Sprint Reviews and Retrospectives are events for inspection and adaptation, not explicit work-in-progress limits.
Q4. What does "Done" signify within the Definition of Done framework?
Answer: C. The increment built in a Sprint should be in a functional state and align with the Scrum Team's criteria for being "Done" (as per their Definition of Done)
The Definition of Done ensures an increment is functional and meets the quality criteria set by the Scrum Team. Neither a program manager nor the Scrum Master defines it. The team owns it to guarantee transparency.
Q5. The Scrum Master is accountable for…
Answer: D. Ensuring Scrum is understood and enacted
The Scrum Master is accountable for ensuring Scrum is understood and enacted. They coach the team rather than managing budgets, directing daily work, or solving every problem. Watch for traditional project manager duties as distractors.
Q6. True or False: All work to be done by the Developers must ultimately originate from the Product Backlog?
Answer: B. True
Scrum dictates that all work done by Developers must originate from the Product Backlog to maintain transparency. This ensures the single source of requirements is respected. Any technical tasks needed must serve a Product Backlog item.
Q7. In which situation might a Sprint be cancelled?
Answer: C. When the Sprint Goal becomes obsolete
A Sprint can only be cancelled if the Sprint Goal becomes obsolete. This decision can be made by the Product Owner, who might also consult others. An unachievable workload is managed by negotiation, not cancellation.
Q8. Who should know the most about the overall Product roadmap and milestones?
Answer: B. The Product Owner
The Product Owner is responsible for maximizing product value and managing the Product Backlog, giving them the clearest view of the roadmap. Remember that Scrum replaces the traditional Project Manager with distinct accountabilities.
Q9. How should multiple Scrum Teams, working on the same product, manage their Definition of Done?
Answer: A. All Scrum Teams must share a common Definition of Done that allows all of their completed work to be integrated into a single product.
Multiple teams building a single product must share a common Definition of Done so their combined work integrates into a cohesive increment. If they used different definitions, the integrated product would lack a consistent quality standard.
Q10. Scrum is a newer way of doing things to address complex problems. It is a new way because
Answer: D. It increases the opportunity to control risk and optimize the predictability of progress
Scrum increases the opportunity to control risk and optimize the predictability of progress through empiricism. While it offers new terminology, that is just a side effect rather than the core reason it effectively addresses complex problems.
Q11. What factors might determine the optimal Sprint duration, given the importance of maintaining consistency throughout the development process?
Answer: B. All of these answers are correct.
All the listed factors correctly determine Sprint duration because Sprints must be short enough to manage risk while producing a usable Increment. Remember that a Sprint is strictly limited to a maximum of one month to effectively control risk.
Q12. James is a Product Owner for a Scrum Team. The customer has expressed concerns about releasing new software after every Sprint. How should James address this situation?
Answer: A. An increment only needs to be potentially releasable, James may hold back several increments and work with the customer on a release schedule that fits their needs
An Increment must be potentially releasable, but multiple Increments can be combined and released later based on user needs. The strongest distractor incorrectly states that an actual release is strictly mandatory at the end of every single Sprint.
Q13. Claire is a Scrum Master for a Scrum Team. She has received new information that may cause issues during the next Sprint. What should Claire do?
Answer: D. Claire should work with the Scrum Team to figure out the issues and their impact, but move forward with the next sprint using the best available information; if needed, the Developers should refrain from working on items most at risk and work on other items in the Product Backlog
Claire should collaborate with the team to assess the issue and proceed using the best available information for the Sprint. Sprints start immediately after the previous one concludes, so avoid options that suggest delaying the next Sprint.
Q14. What is the best approach for Scrum teams to produce valuable increments?
Answer: C. Each Scrum Team is accountable for building complete and functional increments from beginning to end.
Scrum Teams are accountable for building complete, functional Increments from beginning to end rather than working on isolated components. The strongest distractors fail because independent layers or components disrupt integration and limit accountability.
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