Professional Scrum Master I (PSM I)

Correct answer: C. The Scrum Team inspect progress toward the Sprint Goal and adapt the Sprint Backlog as necessary, adjusting the upcoming planned work

The Daily Scrum is where the Developers inspect progress toward the Sprint Goal and adapt the Sprint Backlog for the next 24 hours. The other options describe the Sprint Review, Sprint Planning, and Sprint Retrospective, so match each event to its purpose.

Correct answer: B. The Product Owner, The Scrum Master and The Developers

The Scrum Team is made of exactly three accountabilities: Product Owner, Scrum Master, and Developers. Any option adding a project manager or sponsor is wrong because those roles do not exist in Scrum.

Correct answer: B. The Scrum Team may add the most impactful improvement items to the next Sprint Backlog

The Scrum Guide says the team may add the most impactful improvements to the next Sprint Backlog, making it a choice rather than a mandate. Watch for absolute words like must, which usually signal a wrong answer on Scrum exams.

Correct answer: B. The Developers, The Product Owner and The Scrum Master

The Scrum Team consists of Developers, a Product Owner, and a Scram Master, nothing more. Options listing only part of the team or adding a sponsor are incomplete or introduce roles that do not exist in Scrum.

Correct answer: C. Daily Scrum, Sprint Retrospective, Sprint Review

Only the Daily Scrum, Sprint Retrospective, and Sprint Review are genuine Scrum events; the others mix in made-up names like Daily Standup and Sprint Kick-Off. Memorize the five events: the Sprint, Sprint Planning, Daily Scrum, Sprint Review, and Sprint Retrospective.

Correct answer: B. The Developers

The Developers own the daily plan and adjust it each day toward the Sprint Goal, mainly during the Daily Scrum. Choosing the whole Scrum Team is the common trap; the wording 'each day' points specifically to the Developers.

Correct answer: B. 15 minutes or less

The Daily Scrum is a 15-minute timebox for the Developers, and it is not a status report to anyone. The reporting options are classic traps; the Daily Scrum belongs to the Developers, not the Product Owner or Scrum Master.

Correct answer: C. Prior to the end of Sprint Planning

Sprint Planning produces the Sprint Goal, so it must be finalized before that event ends. Options about finishing it before planning starts or after the previous Sprint's events contradict that the goal emerges from planning itself.

Correct answer: B. The Product Goal

The Product Goal describes a future state of the product that the Scrum Team plans against over the long term. Distinguish it from the Sprint Goal, which is the shorter-term objective for just one Sprint.

Correct answer: A. Working software over comprehensive documentation

The Agile Manifesto values working software over comprehensive documentation. The other pairings are shuffled distractors; remember the four pairs, especially responding to change over following a plan and individuals over processes and tools.

Correct answer: C. Inform the Product Owner and the rest of the Scrum Team so an appropriate decision can be made

Developers should bring the request to the Product Owner and the team so a transparent, collaborative decision protects the Sprint Goal. Nobody unilaterally changes scope, and cancelling the Sprint is a rare Product Owner decision only for a lost Sprint Goal.

Correct answer: B. Inspection

The Sprint Review is where the Scrum Team and stakeholders inspect the Increment and progress toward the Product Goal, which is the pillar of Inspection. Transparency enables inspection, while adaptation is the resulting change, so inspection fits the wording best.

Correct answer: D. Creating a plan for the Sprint through the Sprint Backlog

Developers are accountable for creating and adapting the Sprint Backlog, which is their plan for the Sprint. The other duties belong to the Scrum Master, who coaches and ensures events, and the Product Owner, who manages the Product Goal.

Correct answer: C. Product Owner

The Product Owner is accountable for effective Product Backlog management, including ordering items to maximize value. Ordering is never delegated to the Developers or Scrum Master, even though others may contribute items to the backlog.

Correct answer: B. The Developers should collaborate with the Product Owner to negotiate the scope of the Sprint Backlog

When work differs from expectations, Developers collaborate with the Product Owner to renegotiate Sprint Backlog scope while keeping the Sprint Goal intact. Exam cue: the Sprint Goal is never casually changed mid-Sprint, and scope is renegotiated, not abandoned.

Correct answer: D. Describe the desired future state of the product

The Product Goal describes the future state of the product and serves as the long-term objective that the Product Backlog advances toward. It does not assign work, set release dates, or define the Sprint Goal, which is a separate, shorter-term objective.

Correct answer: C. Guiding the team's agile processes

The Scrum Master coaches the team and guides its agile processes rather than managing work or people. Remember, selecting Sprint work belongs to the Product Owner and Developers, and Scrum explicitly rejects the project manager and performance evaluation roles.

Correct answer: A. The Product Backlog

The Product Backlog is the single source of work undertaken by the Scrum Team, as stated in the Scrum Guide. Watch for the fake Project Backlog distractor, and remember the Sprint Backlog is only the plan for the current Sprint.

Correct answer: D. The Scrum Master

The Scram Master removes impediments, and stakeholder interruptions blocking the Sprint Goal are a classic impediment. The Product Owner manages stakeholder expectations but does not shield the team from disruptions, which is the strongest distractor here.

Correct answer: D. They internally decide who does what, when, and how

Self-managing teams internally decide who does what, when, and how, which is the exact Scrum Guide wording. Backlog ordering belongs to the Product Owner alone, and Scrum has no project manager role to distribute or rotate.

Correct answer: D. All of the above

All three statements describe proper Sprint length: one month or less, synchronized with business events, and keeping risk acceptable. When every option is individually true, an all-of-the-above choice is the correct pattern to recognize.

Correct answer: A. Yes, they can, but they remain accountable

The Product Owner may delegate work such as backlog ordering, but accountability always stays with the Product Owner. Remember the exam cue: responsibility can be delegated, accountability cannot be transferred.

Correct answer: A. Remove impediments toward the Sprint Goal

The Daily Scrum inspects progress toward the Sprint Goal, adapts the Sprint Backlog, and adjusts the plan for the next day. Impediments may surface there, but removing them is not the event's purpose; the Scrum Master causes their removal outside the event.

Correct answer: D. Ensuring that the Product Backlog is transparent, visible and understood

Product Backlog transparency and clarity are the Product Owner's accountability, not the Developers'. Developers own the Sprint Backlog: they create the Sprint plan, adapt it daily, and uphold quality through the Definition of Done.

Correct answer: A. Causing the removal of impediments to the Scrum Team's progress

A Scrum Master serves the team by causing the removal of impediments to its progress. Assigning tasks or resolving every conflict violates self-management, and the Product Owner maintains the Product Backlog.

Correct answer: A. Customer collaboration

The Agile Manifesto values customer collaboration over contract negotiation. Watch for near-synonyms like coordination or satisfaction; the exam expects the exact wording of the four values.

Correct answer: B. The Scrum Master

The Scrum Master is accountable for coaching the Scrum Team in self-management and cross-functionality. This is a direct accountability from the Scrum Guide, so the Scrum Master is the clear answer.

Correct answer: D. The only way to change the Product Backlog is by convincing the Product Owner

The Product Owner is solely accountable for the Product Backlog, so anyone wanting a change must convince the Product Owner to make it. Remember the Product Owner is one person, not a committee, and cannot be overridden by escalation to the Scrum Master.

Correct answer: D. To review completed Product Backlog Items and look for opportunities to improve the product

The Sprint Review inspects the Increment and completed Product Backlog items to gather feedback and adapt the Product Backlog, improving the product. It is a collaborative working session, not a presentation to management or a performance showcase.

Correct answer: C. The Product Backlog

The Product Backlog is defined as an emergent, ordered list of what is needed to improve the product. There is no Project Backlog in Scrum, and the Sprint Backlog only covers work for the current Sprint, so this wording points straight to the Product Backlog.

Correct answer: D. No, coach the Product Owner to respect the purpose of the Daily Scrum and avoid disrupting the Developers' discussion

The Product Owner may attend the Daily Scrum, but the event belongs to the Developers, so the Scrum Master coaches everyone to respect its purpose. Options calling attendance mandatory misstate the Scrum Guide, which makes participation optional for non-Developers.

Correct answer: B. Individuals and interactions over processes and tools

Valuing individuals and interactions over processes and tools most directly supports team empowerment and self-management. The wording asks about empowerment specifically, not change response, which makes responding to change a weaker distractor.

Correct answer: A. The Scrum Master

The Scrum Master is accountable for ensuring everyone understands Scrum theory and practice. A Lead Developer does not exist in Scrum, so that option is simply a distractor to ignore.

Correct answer: B. Their knowledge and experience

Developers are self-managing professionals who decide how to do their work using their own knowledge and experience. Neither the Scrum Master, the Product Owner, nor a nonexistent project manager directs them during the Sprint.

Correct answer: A. Sprint Goal

In the Sprint Review, the Increment is inspected in the context of the Sprint Goal. The other options are events, not a benchmark, so they cannot serve as the comparison point for the work done.

Correct answer: D. Understanding what functionality the Product Owner desires within the next Sprint and figuring out how to do it

Sprint Planning covers why the Sprint is valuable, what can be Done, and how the work will be accomplished, which matches understanding desired functionality and planning how to build it. Velocity calculations and release scope documents are not part of the event.

Correct answer: C. Just enough design

Scrum favors emergent design, doing just enough design for current needs and evolving it as understanding grows. Big design up front contradicts empiricism, while no design at all would be reckless and is not what Scrum recommends.

Correct answer: D. Improve the Scrum Team's effectiveness

The Scrum Master is accountable for the Scrum Team's effectiveness through coaching and facilitation. Release decisions belong to the Product Owner, and estimates come from the Developers.

Correct answer: A. The Scrum Team

The whole Scrum Team collaborates to understand the work needed to reach the Sprint Goal. Remember the Scrum Team includes the Product Owner, Scrum Master, and Developers, so broader options beat narrower ones like just the Developers.

Correct answer: A. Future

The Product Goal describes a future state of the product that the Scrum Team targets. It is a long-term objective, so options like current or past states contradict its forward-looking purpose.

Correct answer: D. Enough so that each Product Backlog item they select meets the Definition of Done

Each selected Product Backlog item must meet the Definition of Done to become part of a usable Increment. Options listing specific activities like testing or documentation ignore that the Definition of Done varies by team.

Correct answer: C. Transparency, inspection, adaptation

The three pillars of empiricism are transparency, inspection, and adaptation. Any option substituting collaboration or communication is a classic distractor worth memorizing.

Correct answer: D. The Sprint Backlog is derived from the Product Backlog and includes a plan for achieving the Sprint Goal

The Sprint Backlog is composed of the Sprint Goal, selected Product Backlog items, and the Developers' plan for delivering the Increment. It is always derived from the Product Backlog, never the reverse.

Correct answer: C. The Sprint

The Sprint is the container event for all other Scrum events, each held inside it. Exam cue: all events are time-boxed within the Sprint, which itself is a fixed-length container.

Correct answer: B. Product Owner

Scrum defines exactly three accountabilities: Product Owner, Scrum Master, and Developers, so Product Owner is correct. Remember that Scrum deliberately has no project manager or team lead roles, which makes those distractors wrong.

Correct answer: B. By facilitating the Developers decisions and removing impediments

The Scrum Master serves the Developers by facilitating decisions and removing impediments so they can be productive. Time-boxing meetings is a minor duty, and the Scrum Master never controls backlog ordering or blocks changes.

Correct answer: B. Scrum Team and Stakeholders

The Scrum Team and stakeholders together inspect the Increment and progress toward the Product Goal in the Sprint Review. Options listing only one group are incomplete, since the Review is intentionally collaborative.

Correct answer: D. The Developers

The entire set of Developers is accountable for creating a valuable, useful Increment each Sprint. The Scrum Team option is close, but the Scrum Guide assigns Increment creation specifically to the Developers.

Correct answer: B. The Scrum Master

The Scrum Master is accountable for ensuring Scrum events happen and stay within their timeboxes. Remember, while the Scrum Master manages the process, the whole team is responsible for the Sprint Goal itself.

Correct answer: C. User story

The three Scrum artifacts are the Product Backlog, Sprint Backlog, and Increment. User stories are just a common technique for writing Product Backlog items, not an official artifact.

Correct answer: D. The Product Owner

The Product Owner tracks progress toward business objectives and release goals and explains alternatives to stakeholders. Distractors like Project Manager fail because that role does not exist in Scrum.

Correct answer: D. The Product Owner and the Developers

When the forecast is at risk, the Developers work with the Product Owner to renegotiate scope while protecting the Sprint Goal. Stakeholders and project managers are not part of that negotiation.

Correct answer: C. Multiple Increments may be created within a Sprint

Multiple Increments may be created within a single Sprint, and each must be usable and meet the Definition of Done. Distractors claiming only one Increment is allowed misstate the Scrum Guide.

Correct answer: C. Developers

The Daily Scrum is the Developers' event, where they inspect progress and surface impediments. The Scrum Master removes impediments but is not required to attend or report them in this event.

Correct answer: A. They should consider reorganizing into multiple cohesive Scrum Teams

When a Scrum Team grows too large, it should reorganize into multiple cohesive Scrum Teams sharing the same Product Goal. Sub-projects, releases, or extra backlogs are not the Scrum answer to scaling.

Correct answer: D. Serving the team

The Scrum Master is a true leader who serves the Scrum Team and the organization rather than commanding it. Watch for any answer implying command-and-control or traditional project management; those contradict Scrum values.

Correct answer: C. the act of breaking down and further defining Product Backlog items

Product Backlog refinement is the act of breaking down and further defining Product Backlog items. It is an ongoing activity, not a formal Scrum event, so options calling it a fixed mid-Sprint meeting miss the mark.

Correct answer: C. There is a pre-determined time limit for the event

A timebox is a pre-determined maximum duration for an event. The key word is maximum or limit; a timebox sets no minimum, and it does not fix the exact clock time an event must start.

Correct answer: A. To improve communication

Scrum Teams are small primarily to improve communication and reduce coordination overhead. Cost savings or controlling the team are not the reason the Scrum Guide gives for the size guideline.

Correct answer: D. Adaptation

Adjusting the Product Backlog in response to new opportunities is adaptation, one of the three empirical Scrum pillars. Inspection without change is only the earlier step; adaptation is when something is actually adjusted.

Correct answer: A. Sprint Results

The Sprint Review is where the Scrum Team and stakeholders inspect the Sprint results and adapt the Product Backlog based on feedback. Watch for options describing the Sprint Retrospective, which covers problems and impediments instead.

Correct answer: D. To provide a long-term objective for the Scrum Team

The Product Goal describes a future state of the product and serves as a long-term objective for the Scrum Team. It does not replace the Product Backlog or determine release dates, so those distractors fail.

Correct answer: A. The Developers

The Daily Scrum is an event for the Developers, who are the only required participants. The Product Owner and Scrum Master may attend if the Developers invite them, but attendance is not required for them.

Correct answer: D. 8 hours for 1 month sprint

Sprint Planning is timeboxed to a maximum of eight hours for a one-month Sprint, proportionally shorter for shorter Sprints. The phrase 'and longer as needed' is wrong because timeboxes are never extended arbitrarily.

Correct answer: C. Product Owner

Scrum defines exactly three accountabilities: Product Owner, Scrum Master, and Developers. Business analyst, project manager, and lead developer are job titles or non-Scrum roles, so they are incorrect here.

Correct answer: C. Sprint Retrospective, Daily Scrum, Sprint Review

The five Scrum events are the Sprint, Sprint Planning, Daily Scrum, Sprint Review, and Sprint Retrospective. Fake events like Sprint Risk Planning or Retrospective Planning are inserted to catch rote memorization.

Correct answer: C. An increment of working software that matches the Definition of Done

Each Sprint should produce a usable Increment that meets the Definition of Done. Work that fails the Definition of Done cannot be part of the Increment, and Scrum never promises delivering the entire Product Backlog.

Correct answer: A. The Developers

The Developers decide how to turn Product Backlog items into a valuable Increment, since they self-manage how the work gets done. The Product Owner orders what is built and the Scrum Master guides process, so those distractors mix up accountabilities.

Correct answer: D. Individuals and interactions

The Agile Manifesto values individuals and interactions over processes and tools, its first value pair. Memorize all four pairs and their pairings, since the exam shuffles which half of each pair is asked about.

Correct answer: A. Responding to change over following a plan

The Agile Manifesto values responding to change over following a plan, which is the pair that addresses planning directly. The other options are real Manifesto values but pair with documentation, contracts, and tools respectively.

Correct answer: C. The Developers

The Developers do the work, so they have the best insight into task execution and daily progress. The Scrum Master and Product Owner support the process and the value, not the hands-on work.

Correct answer: C. They must mutually define and comply with the same Definition of Done

Multiple teams on one product share a single Product Backlog and must mutually define and follow the same Definition of Done. Separate backlogs would fragment the product and break transparency.

Correct answer: D. After the Daily Scrum, a separate meeting should be held with him to discuss the suggested solution

The Daily Scrum is a short 15-minute inspection and adaptation event, so detailed solution discussions move to a follow-up meeting. Voting or deciding within the Daily Scrum defeats its time-box and purpose.

Correct answer: D. The Daily Scrum

The Sprint Backlog is updated by the Developers whenever new information emerges, and the Daily Scrum is a natural checkpoint for adapting it. In practice it can be updated anytime, but the Daily Scrum is the intended answer here.

Correct answer: A. Developers should self-select the tasks based on their skills

Scrum Teams are self-managing, so Developers decide how to organize and perform their own work. Remember, the Scrum Master never assigns tasks and there is no lead developer role in Scrum.

Correct answer: D. Size

Common Product Backlog item attributes include description, order, and size, which support transparency and forecasting. Attributes like assignee or due date reflect traditional task management, not the Scrum Guide.

Correct answer: D. The Sprint Goal

The Sprint Goal stays fixed for the duration of the Sprint, giving the team focus and coherence. The Sprint Backlog is re-negotiated as more is learned, so scope and work items can change during the Sprint.

Correct answer: D. Support the Product Owner with insights and information into high value product and system capabilities. Support the Scrum Master to cause organizational change that fosters empiricism, self-management, bottom-up intelligence, and intelligent product delivery

Management's correct role is to support the Product Owner and Scrum Master in fostering empiricism, self-management, and intelligent product delivery. Remember that management supports the environment, not the team's daily work, so monitoring or staffing options fail.

Correct answer: D. Not more than 15 minutes

The Daily Scrum is a 15-minute timebox held every working day of the Sprint for the Developers. Timeboxes set a maximum, not a minimum or average, so options about extending or averaging the duration are incorrect.

Correct answer: C. The event can't take more than a maximum amount of time

A timeboxed event has a maximum duration it cannot exceed, and it may even end early. Watch for options adding minimum durations or fixed start times, since a timebox caps time rather than prescribing it.

Correct answer: B. The Scrum Master

The Scrum Master is accountable for establishing Scrum as defined in the Scrum Guide and helping everyone apply it effectively. No role called Project Sponsor exists in Scrum, so that option is an easy elimination.

Correct answer: B. Focus, Openness, Respect

The five Scrum Values are Commitment, Focus, Openness, Respect, and Courage, so only Focus, Openness, and Respect fits. Distractors sneak in lookalikes such as Transparency or Adaptation, which are not values.

Correct answer: C. Solve problems as they become apparent

The Daily Scrum is a quick inspection and adaptation checkpoint, not a problem-solving session, so solving problems should not happen there. Detailed discussions may follow afterward with whoever is needed, which is why the other inspection-and-adaptation options fit.

Correct answer: C. Daily Scrum

The Daily Scrum happens every working day of the Sprint, making it clearly the most frequent event. The other events occur once per Sprint, so frequency is the keyword to focus on here.

Correct answer: D. Weekly inspection

Scrum's formal events are the Sprint, Sprint Planning, Daily Scrum, Sprint Review, and Sprint Retrospective, and no weekly inspection exists. Knowing the closed set of events makes invented event names easy to eliminate.

Correct answer: A. The Sprint Backlog

The Sprint Backlog is composed of the Sprint Goal, the Product Backlog items selected for the Sprint, and the plan for delivering them. Sprint Planning is the event, not the artifact, so it fails as a distractor here.

Correct answer: C. Responding to change

The Agile Manifesto explicitly values responding to change over following a plan, so that is the correct pairing. Remember the other values pair working software with documentation and individuals and interactions with processes, so those options don't match the plan side.

Correct answer: A. The Product Owner

The Product Owner is accountable for the Product Backlog and for effectively communicating the Product Goal. The Scrum Master serves and coaches the team, but accountability for product direction and the Product Goal stays with the Product Owner.

Correct answer: D. The Product Goal

Each artifact has a commitment: the Product Backlog has the Product Goal, the Sprint Backlog has the Sprint Goal, and the Increment has the Definition of Done. Memorize these pairings, because the Definition of Done and Sprint Goal are strong distractors here.

Correct answer: C. Plan ways to increase quality and effectiveness

The Retrospective's purpose is to plan ways to increase quality and effectiveness by inspecting people, processes, tools, and the Definition of Done. Inspecting the outcome of the Sprint belongs to the Sprint Review, which is a common trap.

Correct answer: C. Collaboration

The three pillars of empiricism behind Scrum are transparency, inspection, and adaptation. Collaboration is a value Scrum emphasizes, but it is not one of the formal pillars, which is a classic exam trap.

Correct answer: D. Sprint Planning, Daily Scrum, Sprint Review, Sprint Retrospective

The Scrum events are Sprint Planning, Daily Scrum, Sprint Review, and Sprint Retrospective, all of which take place inside the Sprint. Watch for distractors using made-up names like Sprint Kick-Off or Sprint Closure, which do not exist in Scrum.

Correct answer: D. Burndown Chart

The three Scrum artifacts are the Product Backlog, the Sprint Backlog, and the Increment. A burndown chart is a common tracking tool, but it is not one of the artifacts, so it is the correct exception here.

Correct answer: C. The Scrum Team

The entire Scrum Team, including the Product Owner and Scrum Master, participates in the Sprint Retrospective to inspect people, processes, tools, and the Definition of Done. Choosing only the Developers is the classic trap, since retrospectives are not just for them.

Correct answer: D. The Definition of Done

The Sprint Backlog is made of the Sprint Goal, the selected Product Backlog items, and the Developers' plan for delivering the Increment. The Definition of Done guides quality but is not itself a component of the Sprint Backlog.

Correct answer: A. A Product Backlog item meets the Definition of Done

An Increment is created whenever a Product Backlog item meets the Definition of Done, and multiple Increments can be produced within one Sprint. Approval by the Product Owner or stakeholder sign-off is not what creates an Increment.

Correct answer: C. Definition of Done

The Definition of Done is the formal description of the state of the Increment when it meets the product's required quality measures. Remember that it applies to the Increment itself, not to individual backlog items or sprint plans.

Correct answer: B. The Developers

The Developers decide how much work to take on in a Sprint based on their capacity and forecast during Sprint Planning. The Product Owner may influence ordering and clarify items, but they never assign work to the Developers.

Correct answer: A. After the conclusion of the previous Sprint

A new Sprint starts immediately after the previous Sprint ends, with no gap between them. Option D fails because the Sprint Review inspects the outcome, but Sprints do not wait for inspection results before starting.

Correct answer: B. Product Backlog Refinement

Product Backlog Refinement is the ongoing activity of breaking down and further defining Product Backlog items into smaller, clearer pieces of work. Grooming is an outdated term, so watch for it as a trap on the exam.

Correct answer: A. The Product Backlog

The Product Goal is the commitment for the Product Backlog, describing the future state of the product. Remember the three commitments map to their artifacts: Product Goal, Sprint Goal, and Definition of Done.

Correct answer: A. Maximum of three hours for a one-month Sprint

The Sprint Retrospective is timeboxed to a maximum of three hours for a one-month Sprint. Eight hours is the Sprint Planning timebox, so keep the event timeboxes memorized to avoid mixing them up.

Correct answer: D. Facilitating the Daily Scrum

Facilitating the Daily Scrum is a Scrum Master service, not a Product Owner accountability, and the Daily Scrum belongs to the Developers. The Product Owner manages and orders the Product Backlog and inspects work at the Sprint Review.

Correct answer: A. Collaborate with the Product Owner and potentially remove or change items

When capacity is exceeded, the Developers collaborate with the Product Owner to adjust scope while protecting the Sprint Goal. Adding people mid-Sprint or working overtime violates Scrum principles and stable team sizing.

Correct answer: B. The Developers

The Developers estimate all Sprint work because they are the ones doing it, and self-management means they plan and size the Sprint Backlog themselves. The Product Owner may offer input, but accountability for estimating rests with the Developers, not the Scrum Master.

Correct answer: C. "The typical size of an effective Scrum Team is ten or fewer"

The Scrum Guide says a Scrum Team is typically ten or fewer people, because smaller teams communicate better and stay more productive. Options claiming bigger teams work better or that size doesn't matter contradict this guidance directly.

Correct answer: D. Whatever is deemed most appropriate by the product owner

The Product Owner orders the Product Backlog however they judge best to maximize value, weighing factors like value, risk, size, and dependencies. Any single-factor ordering rule like risk or size alone is too narrow to be correct.

Correct answer: D. Increment

The three Scrum artifacts are the Product Backlog, Sprint Backlog, and Increment, so the Increment is correct. Kanban boards, user stories, and burndown charts are common practices or tools but are not artifacts defined in the Scrum Guide.

Correct answer: C. Daily Scrum

The Daily Scrum is one of the five official Scrum events, along with the Sprint, Sprint Planning, Sprint Review, and Sprint Retrospective. The other options simply don't exist in Scrum terminology, so watch for invented names.

Correct answer: D. Deliver a high business-value Increment as quickly as possible consistent with the defined quality standards

Scrum aims to deliver a high-value Increment quickly while meeting quality standards defined by the Definition of Done. Options that drop either business value or quality are incomplete, so pick the one that keeps both.

Correct answer: A. Architecture emerges

Agile principles say the best architectures emerge from self-organizing teams, so architecture evolves rather than being fully planned upfront. Saying architecture is unimportant is wrong; Agile values architecture, just built up iteratively.

Correct answer: D. Yes, otherwise Product Owners may not be able to inspect what is done accurately

When several Scrum Teams build one product, their Increments must be integrated every Sprint so the Product Owner can accurately inspect a usable, integrated Increment. Options saying teams stand alone contradict transparency and the definition of a product Increment.

Correct answer: A. Scrum is a framework for developing and sustaining complex products

Scrum is a lightweight framework for developing, delivering, and sustaining complex products. It is not a pick-and-choose methodology, does not eliminate complexity, and is not just traditional management with self-organization swapped in.

Correct answer: C. The Developers

The Developers own the Sprint Backlog, deciding how to turn the selected Product Backlog items into a Done Increment. The Product Owner owns the Product Backlog, so watch which artifact the question asks about.

Correct answer: C. The Scrum Team

The entire Scrum Team collaborates to craft the Sprint Goal during Sprint Planning. Picking just the Developers or just the Product Owner misses that the goal is a shared, collaborative commitment for the Sprint.

Correct answer: D. The Sprint Goal

The Sprint Goal is the single commitment for the Sprint that gives the team one shared objective and focus. The Product Goal is longer term, so it does not create the per-Sprint alignment the question asks about.

Correct answer: D. The way the Scrum Team does Sprint Planning

The Sprint Retrospective is about improving how the team works, so processes like Sprint Planning are fair game. Progress, impediments, and results are Sprint Review or Daily Scrum topics, not retrospective ones.

Correct answer: B. Together with the Product Owner, focus on what can be done and find a way to deliver value at the end of each sprint

The best move is collaborating with the Product Owner to find a way to deliver value by the end of the Sprint. Escalating to the Scrum Master or waiting for the Daily Scrum delays action, and doing nothing contradicts Scrum's goal of delivering value every Sprint.

Correct answer: C. Scrum Master

The Scrum Master is accountable for establishing Scrum and ensuring the team and organization understand and apply it effectively. The whole team self-manages, but the Scrum Master holds this specific accountability.

Correct answer: B. Developers

The Developers create a valuable, usable Increment each Sprint that meets the Definition of Done. The Product Owner maximizes value but does not build the Increment, so that distractor fails on accountability.

Correct answer: B. Usable

Every Increment must be usable, meaning it meets the Definition of Done and could be released. High quality is expected but the defining requirement is usability; the Scrum Master never approves or signs off work.

Correct answer: B. By helping find techniques for effective Product Goal definition and Product Backlog management

Helping the Product Owner find techniques for effective Product Goal definition and Product Backlog management is verbatim Scrum Guide wording for how a Scrum Master serves the Product Owner. Options A and C are similar but reworded, so pick the exact guide phrasing on the exam.

Correct answer: C. Never. All Sprint Backlog Items are "owned" by the Developers, even though each one may be done by an individual developer

Sprint Backlog items are owned collectively by the Developers; individuals may work on specific items but ownership never transfers to one person. This tests shared accountability, a common trap where individuals claim items at planning.

Correct answer: A. Product Backlog

The Product Backlog is the ordered, single source of work for improving the product. The Sprint Backlog covers only the current Sprint, and Iteration Backlog is not a Scrum term.

Correct answer: D. Retrospective

The Sprint Retrospective is where the Scrum Team inspects the past Sprint and plans improvements, making it the equivalent of a lessons learned meeting. Daily standup wording is a distractor since that event focuses on progress toward the Sprint Goal.

Correct answer: C. Teach the Developers to keep the Daily Scrum within the 15 minute timebox

The Scrum Master ensures the Developers understand and apply the Daily Scrum correctly, including keeping it within the 15-minute timebox. The Developers run the event themselves, so leading it or enforcing the three questions is not the Scrum Master's role.

Correct answer: D. Multiple Scrum Teams should have dedicated Product Owner and Product Backlog

When scaling, teams should stay focused on one product and share the same Product Goal, Product Backlog, and Product Owner. Splitting into dedicated Product Owners and backlogs fragments alignment, so that option is the exception.

Correct answer: B. All teams must have a common Definition of Done

Multiple Scrum Teams working on one product need a common Definition of Done so all Increments integrate consistently and are transparently usable. The Product Owner does not create the Definition of Done; if needed, the organization sets a baseline.

Correct answer: B. There are multiple teams working on independent products. Each unique combination of team and product should have an independent Product Backlog

Each product has exactly one Product Backlog, so separate products maintained by separate teams warrant separate backlogs. Multiple teams building one product should share a single Product Backlog rather than fragmenting it by team or component.

Correct answer: B. Defined Process

A defined process control model assumes work can be fully understood and predicted in advance. Scrum instead relies on empirical process control, built on transparency, inspection, and adaptation for unpredictable work.

Correct answer: A. The Product Owner, Product

The Product Owner orders the Product Backlog and can change that order at any time to maximize value. Sprint Backlog contents are owned by the Developers during the Sprint, so that pairing is wrong.

Correct answer: B. second to last

The Sprint Review is the second-to-last event because only the Sprint Retrospective follows it before the next Sprint begins. Remember the closing order: Review first, then Retrospective.

Correct answer: A. Ongoing activity

Product Backlog refinement is an ongoing activity, not a formal Scrum event with a fixed timebox. Exam cue: refinement can happen any time during the Sprint, and it typically consumes no more than about ten percent of Developer capacity as a guideline.

Correct answer: C. The Sprint Goal, the selected Product Backlog Items, and the plan for delivering them

The Sprint Backlog has three parts: the Sprint Goal, the selected Product Backlog items, and the Developers' plan for delivering them. The Product Goal belongs to the Product Backlog, not the Sprint Backlog, which is the key distractor here.

Correct answer: C. It is when the Scrum Team and stakeholders inspect the outcome of the Sprint and figure out what to do in the upcoming Sprint

The Sprint Review is a working session where the Scrum Team and stakeholders inspect the Increment and adapt the plan based on what was learned. It is not just a demo or a status report, so options describing only a demonstration fall short.

Correct answer: C. Product Owner

The Product Owner is solely accountable for effective Product Backlog management, covering the Product Goal, ordering items, and ensuring transparency. Others may help update the backlog, but the accountability never transfers to the Scrum Team as a whole.

Correct answer: B. Simplicity – the art of maximizing the amount of work not done – is essential

The chosen answer is one of the twelve Agile Manifesto principles, while the other three are values from the four value statements. On the exam, watch for values versus principles as a common trap.

Correct answer: C. Turn the Product Backlog items they select into an Increment of useful and valuable product functionality

Developers need the full range of skills to turn selected Product Backlog items into a valuable, usable Increment each Sprint. Any option that carves out specialized work, like testing, contradicts cross-functionality.

Correct answer: D. When the Sprint Goal becomes obsolete

A Sprint is cancelled only when its Sprint Goal becomes obsolete, and only the Product Owner has that authority. Difficulty or incomplete forecast alone never justifies cancellation.

Correct answer: B. Working software

The Agile Manifesto names working software as the primary measure of progress. Metrics like requirements count, documentation, or earned value reflect traditional tracking and are not the Manifesto's answer.

Correct answer: B. Servant Leadership

Removing impediments like missing hardware is a classic act of servant leadership, which is the Scrum Master's core stance. The other options describe management styles Scrum explicitly avoids, so servant leadership is the clear fit.

Correct answer: A. Changes may be necessary, but they can temporarily reduce productivity as the team adapts

Team composition can change when needed, but the Guide warns it temporarily lowers productivity while the team rebuilds. Options claiming no impact, never changing, or forced rotation each Sprint all contradict Scrum's guidance on stable teams.

Correct answer: B. Customer collaboration over contract negotiation

The Agile Manifesto value is customer collaboration over contract negotiation. The distractors swap in the tail ends of the other three values, so memorize all four pairings to answer quickly.

Correct answer: D. Scrum is an implementation of Agile

Agile is a broad mindset of values and principles, and Scrum is one framework that implements it. Any option implying they are identical or reversed misrepresents the relationship between the two.

Correct answer: A. Deliver an increment of potentially shippable functionality

Every Sprint, including the first, should produce a usable Increment meeting the Definition of Done. Options about finalizing architecture or planning the whole project reflect predictive thinking that Scrum rejects.

Correct answer: A. Transparency

Making process and work visible to those performing and receiving the work is the definition of transparency. Inspection and adaptation are the other pillars but they act on what transparency reveals.

Correct answer: C. The Sprint Planning

The Sprint Goal is crafted during Sprint Planning as part of the discussion of why the Sprint is valuable. Refinement and the Daily Scrum may touch the backlog, but goal creation happens only in Planning.

Correct answer: C. Scrum Master

The Scrum Master is accountable for the team's effectiveness and leads removing impediments. Developers manage their own work and the Product Owner manages value, so neither owns impediment removal.

Correct answer: A. Cross-functional

A team holding all skills needed to deliver a usable Increment each Sprint is cross-functional. Location and sub-team structure are irrelevant to this definition, so distributed is a distractor.

Correct answer: B. The Definition of Done

The Definition of Done is the commitment for the Increment, ensuring transparency about its quality. Remember the three commitments: Product Goal for the Product Backlog, Sprint Goal for the Sprint Backlog, and Definition of Done for the Increment.

Correct answer: A. During Sprint Planning

The Sprint Goal is created during Sprint Planning and guides the Developers throughout the Sprint. Distractors like the Daily Scrum or Review involve inspecting progress, not setting the Sprint's objective.

Correct answer: C. The Scrum Team presents the results of their work to key stakeholders and progress toward the Product Goal is discussed

The Sprint Review is where the Scrum Team presents the results of their work to key stakeholders and progress toward the Product Goal is discussed. Option B describes the Daily Scrum's inspection of Sprint progress, which is the strongest distractor to watch for.

Correct answer: A. The Sprint Goal

Each artifact has a commitment, and the Sprint Backlog's commitment is the Sprint Goal. Memorize the pairing: Product Backlog to Product Goal, Sprint Backlog to Sprint Goal, and Increment to Definition of Done.

Correct answer: A. Product Owner

Only the Product Owner has the authority to cancel a Sprint, typically when the Sprint Goal becomes obsolete. Remember that cancellation is rare and no other role, including the Scrum Master, holds this authority.

Correct answer: C. The completed Sprint Backlog items are evaluated to be released and incomplete items are put back to the Product Backlog

When a Sprint is cancelled, any completed and usable work is reviewed for potential release, and incomplete items return to the Product Backlog for re-ordering. Work is never simply discarded, which rules out the option that ignores incomplete items.

Correct answer: A. The Sprint Backlog

The Sprint Goal is the commitment for the Sprint Backlog, so it lives inside the Sprint Backlog alongside the selected items and the plan. Remember there is no such artifact as a Project Backlog in Scrum.

Correct answer: C. Task assignments to team members

The Daily Scrum focuses on progress toward the Sprint Goal, upcoming work, and impediments, not on assigning tasks. Developers self-manage their work, so task allocation is the option that does not belong.

Correct answer: B. Never. The entire Scrum Team is accountable for creating value every Sprint

The whole Scrum Team is accountable for creating value each Sprint, not individual Developers for specific items. Watch for options that push individual accountability or task-level ownership, since Scrum emphasizes collective accountability.

Correct answer: A. Adapting the plan each day toward the Sprint Goal

Adapting the daily plan toward the Sprint Goal belongs to the Developers, who self-manage their work. The Product Owner focuses on the Product Goal, Product Backlog items, and their ordering and communication.

Correct answer: C. Reorganize into multiple cohesive Scrum Teams and share the same Product Goal and Product Backlog

Large Scrum Teams should reorganize into multiple cohesive teams sharing one Product Goal, Product Backlog, and Product Owner. Options creating separate Product Owners or functional sub-teams violate Scrum's emphasis on cross-functionality and shared product focus.

Correct answer: D. Coach the Scrum Team to help them understand the purpose of the Sprint Retrospective

The Scrum Master should coach the team on why the Sprint Retrospective matters, since all events are essential in Scrum. Letting the Developers decide fails because events cannot simply be dropped when someone finds them unnecessary.

Correct answer: A. Prioritize the Developers' activities

The Product Owner does not prioritize or assign the Developers' daily activities, because Developers self-manage their work. The Product Owner instead engages with stakeholders, gives feedback, and clarifies backlog items during the Sprint.

Correct answer: C. All teams should maintain the same Product Backlog

Multiple Scrum Teams working on the same product share one Product Backlog, one Product Goal, and one Product Owner. Remember the exam cue: one product means one Product Backlog, never separate backlogs per team.

Correct answer: D. What are the obstacles towards the sprint goal?

Sprint Planning addresses exactly three topics: why the Sprint is valuable, what can be Done, and how the work will get done. Obstacles may surface elsewhere, but they are not a formal Sprint Planning topic.

Correct answer: D. By helping employees and stakeholders understand and enact an empirical approach for complex work

The Scrum Master serves the organization by helping employees and stakeholders understand and enact an empirical approach for complex work. Options A through C describe services to the Product Owner, which is the key distinction here.

Correct answer: C. Modifying the Definition of Done

Product Backlog refinement includes breaking down, defining, ordering, and sizing items, but not modifying the Definition of Done. The Definition of Done belongs to the Increment and the organization, not to refinement activities.

Correct answer: B. The meeting should be kept within timebox

The only rule among these options is that the Daily Scrum is a 15-minute timeboxed event. Standing up, solving all problems, or the Scrum Master evaluating performers are myths not found in the Scrum Guide.

Correct answer: A. As needed, while taking into account a short-term reduction in productivity

Developers can be replaced as needed, while accounting for a short-term reduction in productivity as the team re-forms. Extreme answers like never or every Sprint are classic distractors on the exam.

Correct answer: C. It returns to the Product Backlog for future consideration

An item that does not meet the Definition of Done cannot be part of the Increment and returns to the Product Backlog for future consideration. Stakeholder approval never overrides the Definition of Done, a common trap answer.

Correct answer: D. Project Manager

Project Manager is not a role or accountability defined in the Scrum Guide. Scrum defines only Product Owner, Scrum Master, and Developers, so watch for management titles as classic distractors.

Correct answer: B. Optimizing the value of the work the Scrum Team does

The Product Owner is accountable for maximizing the value of the product resulting from the Scrum Team's work. Options about directing Developers or managing project commitments describe traditional management, not Scrum accountabilities.

Correct answer: C. Transparency

The three pillars of empiricism in Scrum are transparency, inspection, and adaptation. Commitment, focus, openness, respect, and courage are Scrum values, a common trap to recognize on exam day.

Correct answer: C. The Scrum Master

The Scrum Master is accountable for the Scrum Team's effectiveness by enabling the team to improve practices within the Scrum framework. The Product Owner owns value, while Developers own the Increment.

Correct answer: C. To develop a product increment that is potentially-ready to be delivered to the customer

Each Sprint produces a usable, valuable Increment that meets the Definition of Done and is potentially deliverable. The strongest distractor says ready for delivery, which overstates it, since releasing is a Product Owner decision.

Correct answer: C. The Developers

The Developers size or estimate Product Backlog items, since they do the work and know best. Refinement is collaborative, but the 2020 Scrum Guide assigns sizing explicitly to the Developers, not the whole Scrum Team.

Correct answer: B. The Increment may not meet stakeholders' expectations

Without the Product Owner available, questions go unanswered and priorities drift, so the Increment risks not meeting stakeholder expectations. Sprints are fixed length and never extended, and the Scrum Master never takes over Product Owner accountabilities.

Correct answer: A. 4 hours for a one-month Sprint

The Sprint Review is timeboxed to a maximum of four hours for a one-month Sprint, usually shorter for shorter Sprints. It is a firm maximum, so options allowing it to run longer as needed are incorrect.

Correct answer: C. Retrospective

The Sprint Retrospective is the event dedicated to inspecting people, interactions, process, and tools, then improving how the team works. Daily Scrum focuses on progress toward the Sprint Goal, not process improvement.

Correct answer: B. When the Product Owner determines that it makes no sense to finish it

Only the Product Owner has the authority to cancel a Sprint, typically when the Sprint Goal becomes obsolete. Difficulty of work or unfinished items never justify cancellation.

Correct answer: C. Developers

The Developers are accountable for creating a valuable, usable Increment each Sprint that meets the Definition of Done. A stray 'Project Sponsor' phrase in the stem is leftover cruft, not one of the options.