PSPO-II practice question 6 of 10

If a Scrum Team uses Product Backlog refinement, when should it occur? (choose the best two answers)

Domain Understanding and Applying the Scrum Framework

Answer options

A: The Product Owner takes the time between the Sprints to do it.

B: Business Analysts in the organization should do this work for the Scrum Team 1- 2 Sprints ahead of the development Sprints.

C: The Product Owner and the Developers can refine the Product Backlog during any Sprint as needed, ideally in advance of the upcoming Sprint. Correct answer

D: The Product Owner must do this as essential work in Sprint 0.

E: The Product Owner and the Developers do it in the current Sprint if they have been unable to do it in preceding Sprints. Correct answer

Correct Answer:

C. The Product Owner and the Developers can refine the Product Backlog during any Sprint as needed, ideally in advance of the upcoming Sprint.; E. The Product Owner and the Developers do it in the current Sprint if they have been unable to do it in preceding Sprints.

Explanation

Product Backlog refinement is an ongoing activity where the Product Owner and Developers collaborate to add detail, order, and size to Product Backlog items. The Scrum Guide specifies that this occurs continuously throughout the Sprint. Ideally, items are refined in advance of upcoming Sprints to ensure they are "Ready" for Sprint Planning (Option C). However, if items are not sufficiently refined beforehand, the team must refine them during the current Sprint (often during Sprint Planning or as work progresses) to ensure they can be understood and turned into a valuable Increment (Option E). This continuous collaboration ensures the Product Backlog remains transparent and actionable.

Why Incorrect

A: Incorrect because there is no time between Sprints; a new Sprint starts immediately after the conclusion of the previous one. B: Incorrect because refinement is the responsibility of the Scrum Team (specifically the Product Owner and Developers), not external Business Analysts. D: Incorrect because Scrum does not recognize a "Sprint 0"; all Sprints must produce a potentially releasable Increment.

References

Schwaber

& Sutherland

J. (2020). The Scrum Guide. Section: Scrum Artifacts - Product Backlog.

Schwaber

& Sutherland

J. (2020). The Scrum Guide. Section: The Sprint.

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