Free Practice Questions for Scrum PSM-I Exam

In Scrum, the Developers have the autonomy to manage their work and the Sprint Backlog. When an unexpected request comes in, even from someone as authoritative as the CEO, it should not be added directly to the Sprint Backlog without discussion.  The correct approach is for the Developers to discuss the new item with the Product Owner and the rest of the Scrum Team to understand its impact on the current Sprint Goal and to collaboratively decide the best course of action 1 2 .

This is in line with the Scrum values of  Courage ,  Focus ,  Commitment ,  Respect , and  Openness .  The team must have the courage to push back on changes that could disrupt their Sprint Goal, stay focused on their commitments, respect the agreed-upon process, and be open about the implications of introducing new work mid-Sprint 1 .

The Scrum Guide also states that once the Sprint begins, no one can force the Development Team to work on different requirements than those they forecasted for the Sprint 1 . If the CEO’s request is deemed important enough to warrant a change in the Sprint’s direction, it may lead to a negotiation of scope with the Product Owner or, in extreme cases, to the cancellation of the Sprint if the Sprint Goal becomes obsolete.  However, these are decisions that should be made collaboratively by the entire Scrum Team, not unilaterally by any single member, regardless of their position in the company

A Scrum Master fulfills a different role than a traditional project manager, as stated in  2 : “A project manager helps manage the project timeline, resources, and scope in order to meet business requirements. A Scrum Master, however, helps ensure the Scrum Team follows Scrum theory, practices, and rules. The Scrum Master is a servant-leader who helps optimize the value created by the Scrum Team.”

According to the Scrum Guide 1 , the purpose of the Sprint Retrospective is to plan ways to increase quality and effectiveness. The Scrum Team inspects how the last Sprint went with regards to individuals, interactions, processes, tools, and their Definition of Done. Inspected elements often vary with domain, practices, and people involved. The Scrum Team identifies the most helpful changes to improve its effectiveness. The most impactful improvements are addressed as soon as possible. They may even be added to the Sprint Backlog for the next Sprint. The Sprint Retrospective is an opportunity for the Scrum Team to inspect itself and create a plan for improvements to be enacted during the next Sprint. The Scrum Master is part of the Scrum Team and should participate as a Scrum team member and facilitate as requested or needed.

The correct answers are A and B, because these are true about the Product Owner role. The Product Owner is one person, not a committee or a team, who is accountable for ordering the Product Backlog and maximizing the value of the product. The Scrum Guide states that “the Product Owner is responsible for maximizing the value of the product resulting from work of the Development Team. How this is done may vary widely across organizations, Scrum Teams, and individuals. … For the Product Owner to succeed, the entire organization must respect his or her decisions.”

The correct answer is B, because the Product Owner does not make sure the team selects enough from the Product Backlog for a Sprint to satisfy the stakeholders. The Scrum Guide states that “the number of items selected from the Product Backlog for the Sprint is solely up to the Development Team. Only the Development Team can assess what it can accomplish over the upcoming Sprint.” Therefore, the Development Team is responsible for choosing the scope of work for a Sprint.

The correct answer is C, because if necessary, the Development Team is responsible for removing a team member who is creating a hostile environment. The Scrum Guide states that “development Teams are self-organizing. No one (not even the Scrum Master) tells the Development Team how to turn Product Backlog into Increments of potentially releasable functionality.” Therefore, the Development Team should manage its own composition and dynamics, and may need help from the Scrum Master to facilitate this process.

According to the Scrum Guide 1 , the Product Backlog is an ordered list of everything that is known to be needed in the product. It is the single source of requirements for any changes to be made to the product. The Product Owner is accountable for maximizing value resulting from work by Developers. The Product Owner is also accountable for effective Product Backlog management, which includes:

Developing and explicitly communicating the Product Goal;

Creating and clearly communicating Product Backlog items;

Ordering Product Backlog items; and

Ensuring that the Product Backlog is transparent, visible and understood.

Therefore, the Product Owner is responsible for clearly expressing Product Backlog items.

According to the Scrum Guide, the Product Owner is accountable for clearly expressing Product Backlog items, as he or she is responsible for managing and prioritizing the Product Backlog. The other options are not valid, as they imply that the Product Owner can be replaced by a business analyst, or that the Scrum Master or the Developers can express the Product Backlog items.

According to the Scrum Guide, a Scrum Team must release each Increment when it makes sense to do so, based on the value and feedback obtained from stakeholders. The decision to release an Increment is made by the Product Owner, who is responsible for maximizing the value of the product and the work of the Development Team. The other options are not valid, as they imply that releasing an Increment is either mandatory (such as after every Sprint), conditional (such as when the product is free of defects), or irrelevant (such as when the Scrum Team finishes their work).