PSM-1 Practice Questions

The correct answer is A, because the role of management in Scrum is to facilitate the Scrum Teams

with insights and resources that help them improve. The Scrum Guide states that “the organization

respects their self-organization by not telling them how they should do their work.” Therefore,

management should support the Scrum Teams by providing them with an environment that fosters

collaboration, learning, and innovation.

The two effective ways for the Scrum Team to make non-functional requirements visible are C and D .

C . Add them to the Definition of Done so the work is taken care of every Sprint.

The Definition of Done (DoD) is a shared understanding of what it means for a Product Backlog item

to be complete and potentially releasable1. The DoD can include non-functional requirements that

apply to the entire product or system, such as performance, security, usability, etc. By adding them to

the DoD, the Scrum Team ensures that they are met every Sprint and that the quality of the product

is maintained2.

D . Add them to the Product Backlog to ensure transparency.

The Product Backlog is an ordered list of everything that is known to be needed in the product1. The

Product Backlog can include non-functional requirements that are specific to certain features or

functionalities, such as response time, availability, scalability, etc. By adding them to the Product

Backlog, the Scrum Team ensures that they are visible to all stakeholders and that they are prioritized

and refined along with the functional requirements3.

A and B are not effective ways for the Scrum Team to make non-functional requirements visible.

A . Run the integration and regression tests before the end of the Sprint, and capture the open work

for the Sprint Backlog of the next Sprint.

This approach does not make non-functional requirements visible, but rather postpones them until

the end of the Sprint. This can lead to incomplete or low-quality Increments that do not meet the

expectations of the customers or users. Moreover, this approach does not account for any changes or

feedback that may occur during the Sprint4.

B . Put them on a separate list on the Scrum board, available for all to see.

This approach does not make non-functional requirements transparent, but rather isolates them

from the functional requirements. This can lead to confusion or inconsistency in how they are

handled by the Scrum Team. Moreover, this approach does not align with the principle of having a

single source of truth for the product requirements, which is the Product Backlog5.

The correct answer is B, because the Sprint Backlog is created during the Sprint Planning meeting.

The Scrum Guide states that “the Sprint Backlog is the set of Product Backlog items selected for the

Sprint, plus a plan for delivering the product Increment and realizing the Sprint Goal.”

According to the Scrum Guide1, a Sprint can be cancelled before the Sprint time-box is over. Only the

Product Owner has the authority to cancel the Sprint, although he or she may do so under influence

from the stakeholders, the Developers, or the Scrum Master. A Sprint would be cancelled if the Sprint

Goal becomes obsolete. This might occur if the company changes direction or if market or

technology conditions change. In general, a Sprint should be cancelled if it no longer makes sense

given the circumstances. But, due to the short duration of Sprints, cancellation rarely makes sense.

Reference: Scrum Guide

According to the Nexus Guide2, which is a framework for scaling Scrum, one way to form multiple

Development Teams from a large group of people is to ask them to self-organize into teams based on

dependencies, skills, domain knowledge, and personal p

. This approach respects the

autonomy and empowerment of the Developers and allows them to choose how they want to work

together.

Reference: Nexus Guide

According to the Scrum Guide1, 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. Therefore, two

appropriate topics for discussion during a Sprint Retrospective are:

Identifying high priority process improvements for the next Sprint.

How the team collaborates.

The other options are not relevant or appropriate for the Sprint Retrospective.

Reference: Scrum Guide

The correct answer is B, because the Scrum Guide states that “at the end of a Sprint, the new

Increment must be ‘Done,’ which means it must be in useable condition and meet the Scrum Team’s

definition of ‘Done’. An increment is a body of inspectable, done work that supports empiricism at

the end of the Sprint. The increment is a step toward a vision or goal.” Therefore, all the increments

from different Scrum Teams working on the same product should be integrated every Sprint to

enable inspection and adaptation by the Product Owner and stakeholders.

The correct answer is D, because the recommended size for a Development Team is 3 to 9 members.

The Scrum Guide states that “fewer than three Development Team members decrease interaction

and results in smaller productivity gains. Smaller Development Teams may encounter skill constraints

during the Sprint, causing the Development Team to be unable to deliver a potentially releasable

Increment. Having more than nine members requires too much coordination. Large Development

Teams generate too much complexity for an empirical process to be useful.”

The correct answers are A, B, and D, because these techniques would be most helpful in this

situation. Consulting with the Development Team may help identify the root causes of the

impediments and possible solutions. Prioritizing the list and working on them in order may help

reduce the backlog and focus on the most important or urgent issues. Alerting management to the

impediments and their impact may help escalate the problems and get support from the

organization.

The correct answer is C, because the Development Team should inform the Product Owner so he/she

can work with the CEO. The Scrum Guide states that “only the Product Owner has the authority to

cancel the Sprint, although he or she may do so under influence from the stakeholders, the

Development Team, or the Scrum Master.” Therefore, if the CEO wants to add a “very important”

item to a Sprint that is in progress, he or she should communicate with the Product Owner, who can

then decide whether to cancel or continue the current Sprint.