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: A Scrum Team is under pressure to get certain features of their product "Done" three Sprints earlier than their initial . Follow @CertPunch and visit certpunch.com for more certification practice exams and study content.
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What you will practice
- A Scrum Team is under pressure to get certain features of their product "Done" three Sprints earlier than the…
- Which of the following is not allowed in Scrum?
- What does the Product Owner do during the Sprint Review?
- Which statement is correct when the Developers are working in the middle of the Sprint?
- The Scrum Master serves the Scrum Team by:
- Which event is the most appropriate for discussing or updating 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. A Scrum Team is under pressure to get certain features of their product "Done" three Sprints earlier than their initial plan. In order to meet that goal, the Developers choose quicker and easier development solutions. What should the Produ…
Answer: C. He should explain to the stakeholders that the quicker development solutions could create a technical debt that could cost more in time, effort and money in the future than the longer development solutions would
The Product Owner must explain that choosing quicker development solutions can create technical debt that costs more time and money later. Developers are accountable for quality and should never simply ignore the long term consequences of technical compromises.
Q2. Which of the following is not allowed in Scrum?
Answer: C. Hardening Sprints
Hardening Sprints are not allowed because Scrum requires every Increment to be potentially shippable and meet the Definition of Done continuously. Allocating special Sprints for bug fixing or testing indicates a lack of continuous quality focus and violates core iterative delivery rules.
Q3. What does the Product Owner do during the Sprint Review?
Answer: C. The Product Owner explains to the present stakeholders what items from the product backlog were "Done" and what was not "Done" along with the entire Scrum Team
The Product Owner explains which Product Backlog items were Done and which were not alongside the entire Scrum Team. The Sprint Review is a collaborative dialogue rather than a formal presentation, so the team works together to discuss outcomes with stakeholders.
Q4. Which statement is correct when the Developers are working in the middle of the Sprint?
Answer: C. The scope may be clarified as more is learned.
Scope may be clarified and renegotiated with the Product Owner as the Developers learn more during the Sprint. A Sprint Backlog is never frozen; it naturally emerges and evolves as the team uncovers new information while working toward the Sprint Goal.
Q5. The Scrum Master serves the Scrum Team by:
Answer: B. Causing the removal of impediments to the Scrum Team's progress
The Scrum Master serves the team by causing the removal of impediments that hinder progress. The Product Owner is accountable for managing the Product Backlog and developing the Product Goal, whereas the Scrum Master focuses on team effectiveness and efficiency.
Q6. Which event is the most appropriate for discussing or updating the Definition of Done?
Answer: A. During the Sprint Retrospective
The Sprint Retrospective is the designated event for inspecting how the team works and adapting their processes, making it ideal for updating the Definition of Done. Modifying quality standards during planning or daily events distracts from the primary focus of those events.
Q7. What should happen if an item in the Sprint Backlog cannot be completed in the current Sprint?
Answer: D. The item is evaluated based on the team's rules for estimates and prioritization and then placed back into the Product Backlog.
Unfinished Sprint Backlog items are returned to the Product Backlog so the Product Owner can re-evaluate and reorder them. This maintains transparency and ensures work meets the Definition of Done before release.
Q8. In the Sprint Review, the purpose of presenting the product Increment to stakeholders is to:
Answer: C. To elicit feedback
Presenting the Increment is primarily intended to elicit feedback from stakeholders and foster collaboration. A common exam trap is confusing this event with a status meeting or a formal sign-off, which goes directly against the empiricism Scrum relies on.
Q9. The Developers' Daily Scrum is consistently taking longer than 15 minutes. Which statement best describes what should be done?
Answer: C. The Scrum Master should facilitate the event in a way that keeps it to the time box
The Scrum Master is responsible for ensuring that Scrum events occur and are kept within their time boxes. The Scrum Master should help the Developers understand the purpose of the Daily Scrum so they can keep it under 15 minutes without ending abruptly.
Q10. Which factor(s) should be considered when deciding to release an increment?
Answer: D. All answers are some possible things that should be considered when deciding to release an increment
Releasing an Increment involves multiple business considerations like risk, cost, benefits, and customer readiness. Remember that releasing can happen multiple times within a Sprint, and the decision is driven by maximizing value rather than waiting strictly for the Sprint Review.
Q11. What activities occur during the Sprint Review?
Answer: C. 1) The Scrum Team explains what has been "Done" and what has not been "Done"; 2) The Developers demonstrate the "Done" work; 3) The Product Owner discusses the current state of the product backlog; 4) They all review any changes to the marketplace or business that may impact the potential of the product;
The Sprint Review involves inspecting the increment and collaborating with stakeholders on the next steps. Option A incorrectly describes the Retrospective. Option B incorrectly focuses on pre-planning the next Sprint rather than reviewing the current outcome.
Q12. When several Scrum Teams are working on the same product, what is the most important concern from the list below?
Answer: A. Reducing / eliminating dependencies between the different Scrum Teams.
Minimizing dependencies between teams is crucial because it reduces bottlenecks and allows each team to deliver value independently. Synchronizing Sprint cadence is often helpful, but managing dependencies is the primary structural concern for multiple teams building a single product.
Q13. The Developers cannot deliver the Increment because they don't understand a functional requirement. What should they do?
Answer: C. Collaborate with the Product Owner to solve the problem
Developers should collaborate directly with the Product Owner to clarify functional requirements and determine the next best step. Unilaterally moving work to a future Sprint without this conversation breaks transparency and bypasses the accountability of managing the backlog.
Q14. What measure will you most likely use for calculating the velocity of the Team?
Answer: A. Story Points
Story points are the most common relative measure used for velocity in agile practices, though the 2020 Scrum Guide moved away from standardized estimates. Remember that Scrum does not mandate specific estimation techniques, making this a complementary agile question.
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