Free Practice Questions for Scrum PSPO-I Exam

The Sprint Planning is an event that occurs at the beginning of each Sprint, where the Scrum Team plans how to deliver a valuable product Increment. The Sprint Planning consists of two topics: What can be done this Sprint? and How will the chosen work get done? The outcome of the Sprint Planning is an agreed-upon Sprint Goal, a Sprint Backlog, and a plan for delivering the Increment.

The timebox for the Sprint Planning event is proportional to the length of the Sprint. For a one-month Sprint, the timebox is 8 hours. For shorter Sprints, the timebox is usually shorter. The Scrum Team may decide how much time to spend on each topic within the timebox, depending on their needs and preferences.

The timebox for the Sprint Planning event ensures that the Scrum Team does not spend too much or too little time on planning their work for the Sprint. The timebox also ensures that the Scrum Team has enough clarity and alignment on what and how they want to achieve during the Sprint.

References:

Scrum Guide: https://www.scrumguides.org/scrum-guide.html

Sprint Planning: https://www.scrum.org/resources/what-is-sprint-planning

Correct Answers: A, C, and D.

Explanation: The Sprint Retrospective is an event where the Scrum Team reflects on how they worked together in the last Sprint and identifies ways to improve their collaboration, processes, and quality. Therefore, appropriate topics for discussion in a Sprint Retrospective are:

Team relations: The Scrum Team should discuss how they communicated, interacted, and supported each other during the Sprint. They should celebrate their successes, acknowledge their challenges, and address any conflicts or issues that arose. They should also share feedback, appreciation, and suggestions for improvement with each other.

How the Scrum Team does its work: The Scrum Team should inspect the methods, tools, and practices they used to deliver the product increment. They should evaluate what worked well and what could be improved. They should also identify any impediments, risks, or dependencies that affected their work and how they handled them.

Definition of Done: The Scrum Team should review their Definition of Done and check if it is still relevant, clear, and achievable. They should also assess how well they adhered to it and if they delivered a potentially releasable product increment that meets the quality standards. They should also consider if they need to update or adapt their Definition of Done based on new insights or feedback.

The following topics are not appropriate for discussion in a Sprint Retrospective:

The value of work currently represented in the Product Backlog: The value of the Product Backlog items is the responsibility of the Product Owner, who should continuously refine and order them based on stakeholder needs and feedback. The value of the Product Backlog items is not directly related to how the Scrum Team works together and does not affect their improvement actions for the next Sprint.

Arranging the Sprint Backlog for the next Sprint: The Sprint Backlog is the plan for the next Sprint that is created by the Scrum Team during the Sprint Planning event. The Sprint Backlog is based on the Product Backlog items that are selected for the next Sprint and how the Developers intend to accomplish them. The Sprint Retrospective is not a planning event but a reflection event that focuses on the past Sprint.

References:

[Scrum Guide], section 3.5: “The purpose of the Sprint Retrospective is to plan ways to increase quality and effectiveness.”

[Professional Scrum Product Owner], chapter 7: “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.”

What is a Sprint Retrospective? | Scrum.org: “During each Sprint Retrospective, the Scrum Team plans ways to increase product quality by improving work processes or adapting the definition of “Done” if appropriate and not in conflict with product or organizational standards.”

The Sprint Retrospective - What It Is & Tips for Making the Most of Your Meeting: “The focus is on how the team worked together in the last sprint, including: Communication Teamwork Process Tools Systems Work environment Missing competencies Collaboration with external parties”

A Product Owner orders a Product Backlog in any way they think will maximize the value of the product1. They take various factors into consideration when ordering the Product Backlog such as business value, risk, return on investment (ROI), dependencies and impact1. Dependencies between Product Backlog items and their relevance to achieving the Product Goal are two of these factors12. The availability of the Scrum Master and the number of stakeholders who approve of the item are not valid criteria for ordering the Product Backlog3.

The Definition of Done is a shared understanding of what it means for work to be complete, and ensures transparency of the quality of the work done1. A Product Backlog item is considered complete when it meets the Definition of Done, which means that it is usable and potentially releasable, and that it meets the quality standards set by the Scrum Team and the stakeholders2. The other options are not sufficient to determine the completeness of a Product Backlog item, as they may not reflect the actual value and quality of the product.

References:

1: The Scrum Guide, November 2020, p. 13

2: The Scrum Guide, November 2020, p. 6

The Product Backlog is an ordered list of everything that is known to be needed in the product. It is the single source of truth for the Scrum Team and the stakeholders. It contains all the requirements, features, functions, enhancements, fixes, and anything else that can deliver value to the customers and users of the product.

The Product Owner is accountable for ordering the Product Backlog. The Product Owner orders the items in the Product Backlog based on factors such as value, risk, priority, dependency, feedback, or market conditions. The order of the Product Backlog items provides a clear and consistent indication of what is most important and urgent for the product. The order of the Product Backlog items also helps the Scrum Team and the stakeholders to plan and forecast effectively.

The tools and techniques used to create, manage, or refine the Product Backlog are not a valid consideration when ordering the Product Backlog. The tools and techniques are means to an end, not an end in themselves. The tools and techniques do not affect the value or quality of the product or service delivered. The tools and techniques may vary from one Product Owner to another, depending on their preferences, skills, or context. The tools and techniques may also change over time, as new technologies or practices emerge or evolve.

References:

Scrum Guide: https://www.scrumguides.org/scrum-guide.html

Product Backlog: https://www.scrum.org/resources/what-is-a-product-backlog

Product Owner: https://www.scrum.org/resources/what-is-a-product-owner

 The Scrum Team member who is accountable for creating a valuable and usable Increment each Sprint is the Developers. This is because:

The Developers are accountable for creating a “Done” Increment in every Sprint. They must ensure that every Product Backlog item they work on meets the Definition of Done before it is considered complete.

The Definition of Done is a formal description of the state of the Increment when it meets the quality measures required for the product. It is a shared understanding among the Scrum Team and the stakeholders of what “Done” means for any Product Backlog item that is selected for a Sprint.

The Increment is a concrete and usable outcome of the Sprint that provides a measure of progress and value delivery. It must be in useable condition regardless of whether it will be released or not.

The Developers are self-managing professionals who organize and manage their own work. They decide how to best accomplish their work, rather than being directed by others outside the Scrum Team.

Other options, such as the CEO, the Product Owner, the Scrum Master, or the Scrum Team, are not accountable for creating a valuable and usable Increment each Sprint. They may have different roles and accountabilities in Scrum, but they do not do the actual work of creating a “Done” Increment.

References:

[Scrum Guide], page 7, section “Developers”

[Scrum Guide], page 10, section “Definition of Done”

[Scrum Guide], page 10, section “Increment”

[Scrum Guide], page 7, section “The Scrum Team”

Scrum does not require that the Product Owner must use any of the following items:

Burndown chart: A burndown chart is a graphical representation of work left to do versus time. It can be used to track progress and forecast completion dates of projects or Sprints. However, it is not mandatory or prescribed in Scrum. It is one of the possible techniques that a Product Owner may use to monitor and communicate product development.

Feature burn-up: A feature burn-up chart is a graphical representation of features completed versus time. It can be used to track progress and forecast scope changes of projects or Sprints. However, it is not mandatory or prescribed in Scrum. It is one of the possible techniques that a Product Owner may use to monitor and communicate product development.

Critical Path Analysis: Critical Path Analysis is a project management technique that identifies the sequence of tasks that must be completed on time for a project or Sprint to finish on schedule. It can be used to plan, monitor, and control complex projects or Sprints. However, it is not mandatory or prescribed in Scrum. It is one of the possible techniques that a Product Owner may use to manage product development.

Project Gantt chart: A project Gantt chart is a graphical representation of tasks, dependencies, durations, and milestones of a project or Sprint. It can be used to plan, monitor, and control complex projects or Sprints. However, it is not mandatory or prescribed in Scrum. It is one of the possible techniques that a Product Owner may use to manage product development.

Therefore, the correct answer is none of the above.

References:

[Scrum Guide], page 6, section “Product Owner”

[Scrum Guide], page 11, section “Product Backlog”

[Professional Scrum Product Owner™ Training], page 8, section “Release Management”

The Sprint Retrospective is one of the five events defined by Scrum. It is a formal opportunity for the Scrum Team to inspect itself and create a plan for improvements to be enacted during the next Sprint. The purpose of the Sprint Retrospective is to adapt the way of working so that it becomes more effective and enjoyable. The other options are not required by Scrum, but may be useful practices depending on the context. Developers do not have to stand up at the Daily Scrum, they can choose any format that works for them. A Sprint Burndown Chart is a common way to visualize the remaining work in a Sprint, but it is not mandated by Scrum. Release Planning is a topic that falls under the broader competency of Managing Products with Agility, but it is not a prescribed event in Scrum.

References:

The Scrum Guide

Understanding and Applying the Scrum Framework

Professional Scrum Product Owner™ I Certification

In accordance with Scrum theory, a group of 100 people should be divided into multiple Scrum Teams by understanding the product, the product vision and the rules of the Scrum framework, and then dividing themselves into teams because:

It respects the self-organization and empowerment of the people. The people are the ones who have the knowledge, skills, and experience to create and deliver the product. They are also the ones who will work together as Scrum Teams, collaborating and coordinating their efforts. Therefore, they should have the autonomy and authority to decide how to form their teams, based on their preferences, interests, and capabilities.

It supports the alignment and coherence of the Scrum Teams. The people should have a clear and shared understanding of the product, the product vision, and the rules of the Scrum framework before forming their teams. This can help them to align their goals and missions, to ensure that they are working on the same product and towards the same vision. It can also help them to follow the same principles and practices of Scrum, to ensure that they are working effectively and consistently.

It fosters the collaboration and synergy of the Scrum Teams. The people should form their teams in a way that maximizes their collaboration and synergy. This can mean choosing team members that complement each other’s skills and strengths, that have good rapport and trust, that can communicate and coordinate well, and that can deliver a valuable Increment each Sprint.

References:

Scrum Guide 2020, page 5: “Scrum Teams are cross-functional, meaning the members have all the skills necessary to create value in each Sprint.”

Scrum Guide 2020, page 5: “Scrum Teams are self-managing, meaning they internally decide who does what, when, and how.”

Scrum Guide 2020, page 9: “Multiple Scrum Teams working together on a product use one Product Backlog.”

Scrum Guide 2020, page 9: “The Product Owner is one person, not a committee.”

The Developers are accountable for creating a valuable and usable Increment each Sprint. They are the people in the Scrum Team who are committed to delivering a “Done” Increment that meets the Definition of Done and the Sprint Goal. They are responsible for managing and organizing their work within the Sprint, collaborating with the Product Owner and the Scrum Master, and applying their skills and creativity to create a product that delivers value to the stakeholders and customers.

References:

The Scrum Guide

The Developers

Understanding and Applying the Scrum Framework