Free Practice Questions for Scrum PAL-I Exam

In Agile, progress is measured by value delivered toward the Product Goal, not by tracking detailed forecasts or comparing velocities. Asking teams to demonstrate their progress toward the Product Goal allows stakeholders to see meaningful progress without introducing unnecessary bureaucracy​​.

In Agile, future planning should be based on empirical evidence, using past performance to inform what might be realistically achieved in the future. Probabilistic forecasting gives a more realistic view by accounting for variability in team performance and aligning with Agile’s iterative, adaptive approach. It avoids overcommitment and provides transparency, promoting better stakeholder communication​​.

Agile leadership focuses on enabling and empowering teams rather than directing and controlling their work. The role of an Agile leader is to foster an environment where teams can self-organize, continuously improve, and deliver high-value products efficiently.

Analysis of Each Answer Option:

✅Option B: Ensure teams have what they need to succeed and help them to remove impediments.

This aligns with Agile leadership principles, which emphasize servant leadership, coaching, and enabling teams rather than directing them.

Agile leaders act as enablers, removing obstacles that hinder team performance and fostering a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement.

This aligns with theScrum Guide (2020)andProfessional Agile Leadership Essentials (PAL-E) Guide, which highlight the importance of creating an environment where teams can thrive.

❌Option A: Prioritize work; make sure that high-value work gets done.

While ensuring high-value work gets done is important, prioritization is typically the responsibility of theProduct Owner, not an Agile leader.

Agile leaders focus on facilitating teams rather than directly prioritizing their work.

❌Option C: Set priorities, plan work, monitor progress, and take corrective action.

This describes atraditional project manager’srole rather than an Agile leader’s role.

Agile teams are self-organizing and responsible for planning their work, while leaders focus on fostering an Agile mindset and removing obstacles.

❌Option D: Set Sprint Goals and make sure the team achieves those goals.

Sprint Goals arecollaboratively set by the team and the Product Ownerduring Sprint Planning.

Agile leaders do not dictate goals; instead, they create an environment where teams can define and achieve their goals autonomously.

❌Option E: Hire team members and organize teams.

While Agile leaders may be involved in organizational design and hiring, this is not theirprimary responsibility.

Teams in Agile frameworks, especially in Scrum, are self-organizing, meaning they have a say in how they structure themselves.

References from Professional Agile Leadership (PAL) Documents:

Scrum Guide (2020)– Emphasizes the importance of self-organizing teams and the role of leaders in supporting them.

Professional Agile Leadership Essentials (PAL-E) Guide– Highlights the responsibility of Agile leaders in removing impediments and fostering an environment for success.

Agile Manifesto – Principles Behind the Agile Manifesto– Encourages leaders to build projects around motivated individuals and support them with the right environment.

Servant Leadership Model (Robert K. Greenleaf)– Defines leadership as a service to the team, where the leader’s primary role is to enable and empower rather than control.

Thus, thebest answer is Option B, as Agile leaders primarily focus on supporting teams and removing barriers to success.

Distributed teams often face challenges related to communication, collaboration, and knowledge sharing, especially if they are in different time zones or have varying levels of experience. In such cases, managers should focus on supporting the team by facilitating effective communication and ensuring that all members have access to the information they need​​.

The Scrum Master facilitates communication within the team and shields it from unnecessary interruptions. While respecting the Scrum Master’s role, there may be cases where direct communication is necessary for leadership purposes. Balancing both responsibilities maintains the Scrum framework’s integrity while allowing for managerial oversight when needed​​.

The Scrum Master’s role is to facilitate the Scrum process, remove impediments, and coach the team to improve their delivery. They focus on improving the team's productivity and helping the team adopt Agile practices more effectively​​.

The Product Owner’s primary responsibility is to maximize the value of the product by prioritizing the most valuable features and ensuring that the Scrum Team is focused on delivering work that meets customer needs. The Product Owner acts as the bridge between the Scrum Team and stakeholders​​.

This approach provides the necessary support while allowing the Scrum Team to retain control over who they bring on board. Involving Talent Management helps streamline the process while givingthe team autonomy to make the final decision, which aligns with Agile’s focus on self-organizing teams​​.

Cross-functional teams encourage team members to develop a broad range of skills and to work collaboratively on different aspects of the product. This often results in members stepping outside their specializations to contribute to the team’s overall success, rather than deepening their technical specializations​​.