Scrum PSM II Practice Test - Questions Answers

User acceptance testing is a process of verifying that the product meets the user's needs and expectations. It is an important feedback mechanism that helps the Scrum Team validate their assumptions, inspect the value and quality of the Increment, and adapt their plans accordingly. Scrum requires that the Increment be transparent, meaning that it is observable and understandable by anyone with a stake in the outcome. Scrum also requires that the feedback loop be short, meaning that the Scrum Team can receive and respond to feedback quickly and frequently.

Therefore, it is not a good idea to have user acceptance testing done every third Sprint, because:

The Increment will not be transparent (B), meaning that the Scrum Team and the stakeholders will not have a clear and shared understanding of what has been done and what remains to be done. This may lead to misalignment, confusion, or conflict over the product vision, scope, and quality.

The feedback loop is too long (B), meaning that the Scrum Team will not be able to inspect and adapt based on the user's feedback in a timely manner. This may lead to wasted effort, missed opportunities, or reduced value delivery.

The other options are not correct because:

It does not depend on what is stated in their Definition of Done (A), which is a formal description of the state of the Increment when it meets the quality standards required for the product. The Definition of Done does not dictate how or when user acceptance testing should be done, but rather what criteria must be met for the Increment to be considered ''Done''.

The Scrum Team is a self-managing team , which means that they have the autonomy and authority to organize and manage their own work within the boundaries of Scrum. However, this does not mean that they can ignore or postpone user feedback, which is essential for delivering value and satisfying customer needs.

The Scrum Team needs stability in the Sprint (D), which means that they need to have a clear and consistent Sprint Goal, Sprint Backlog, and Definition of Done throughout the Sprint. However, this does not mean that they need to avoid or resist user feedback, which is a source of learning and improvement for the product and the process.

The Sprint Goal is a short and clear description of what the Scrum Team wants to achieve in the Sprint. It is a commitment that provides guidance and focus for the Scrum Team throughout the Sprint. The Sprint Goal is:

Created by the Scrum Team during the Sprint Planning, based on the Product Owner's proposal and the Developers' forecast (A).

Respected by the Product Owner, who does not change it or add new work that endangers it during the Sprint (B).

Helpful for increasing focus, as it helps the Scrum Team align their actions and decisions with a common objective .

Discussed openly by the Scrum Team, who can explore different ways to reach it and adapt their plan as needed within the Sprint (D).

Fixed and immutable for the duration of the Sprint, unless a significant change occurs that makes it obsolete or invalid. In that case, the Sprint may be cancelled by the Product Owner (E).

Communicated courageously by the Developers, who inform the Product Owner as soon as possible if they encounter any impediments or risks that may prevent them from achieving it (F).

Therefore, the statement that is incorrect is that the Sprint Goal is only a forecast and may change within the Sprint as more is learned (E), because this contradicts the principle of commitment and stability that underlies the Sprint Goal.

A Scrum Team is self-managing, meaning that they have the autonomy and authority to organize and manage their own work within the boundaries of Scrum. A self-managing Scrum Team:

Creates their own Sprint Backlog, reflecting all work that is part of the Definition of Done , which is a valid option as it shows that the Developers are responsible for planning and executing the work needed to deliver a potentially releasable Increment at the end of each Sprint.

Collaboratively selects and re-plans their work during the Sprint (D), which is another valid option as it shows that the Developers are able to adapt to changing requirements, priorities, or circumstances within the Sprint, without relying on external instructions or approvals.

The other options are not correct because they:

Invite management to the Daily Scrum for a progress update and subsequently work with the Scrum Master to optimize the plan for the next day (A), which is not a good option as it shows that the Scrum Team is not self-managing, but rather dependent on management intervention and direction. The Daily Scrum is an event for the Developers to inspect their progress and plan their work for the next 24 hours, not a status report for management or anyone else.

Work strictly within the boundaries of their function description, and hand off work in a timely fashion to the other members within the team (B), which is not a good option as it shows that the Scrum Team is not self-managing, but rather following a rigid and siloed structure. The Developers are cross-functional, meaning that they have all the skills necessary to create a ''Done'' Increment, and they collaborate and coordinate their work as one team, not as separate individuals or roles.

Invite the right external people to the Sprint Planning to help them create a complete and detailed Sprint Backlog before the meeting timebox expires (E), which is not a good option as it shows that the Scrum Team is not self-managing, but rather relying on external assistance and input. The Sprint Planning is an event for the Scrum Team to create a Sprint Goal and a Sprint Backlog, based on the Product Owner's proposal and the Developers' forecast. The Scrum Team may invite other people to provide advice or expertise, but they are ultimately accountable for their own plan.

The Definition of Done is a formal description of the state of the Increment when it meets the quality standards required for the product. The purpose of the Definition of Done is to:

During the Sprint, it helps the Developers identify the work remaining for an Increment to be ready for release by the end of a Sprint (B), by providing a clear and shared understanding of what ''Done'' means for each Product Backlog item and the Increment as a whole.

It creates transparency into the state of the Increment when it is inspected at the Sprint Review , by ensuring that everyone involved in the product development has the same expectations and criteria for evaluating the value, usability, and quality of the Increment.

It guides the Developers when creating a forecast at the Sprint Planning (D), by enabling them to estimate how much work they can realistically complete within a Sprint, based on their capacity, skills, and Definition of Done.

https://www.scrum.org/resources/what-is-a-daily-scrumThe Daily Scrum is a 15-minute event for the Developers of the Scrum Team to inspect progress toward the Sprint Goal and adapt the Sprint Backlog as necessary, adjusting the upcoming planned work1.It is one of the five events of the Scrum framework and enables the three pillars of the empirical process of Scrum: transparency, inspection, and adaptation2.The Daily Scrum is not a status meeting, but a chance for the Developers to collaborate, coordinate, and plan their work3.

As a Scrum Master, you could help the Developers understand that lowering the frequency of communication will only increase the feeling of disconnect between the team members, especially when they are working from globally distributed locations. You could also coach the Developers on why a daily frequency is important as an opportunity to update the Sprint Plan and how it helps the team organize work toward achieving the Sprint Goal. You could suggest alternative conferencing tools or methods that are easily available and effective for the team. You could also facilitate the Daily Scrum by ensuring that it is positive, productive, and focused on the Sprint Goal.

Acknowledging and supporting this self-managing team's decision might seem like a good option, but it would not help the team to improve their collaboration and alignment. Having the Developers vote to make sure there is consensus within the team might also seem like a democratic way to handle the situation, but it would not address the underlying issue of why the team wants to reduce the frequency of the Daily Scrum.

The Scrum Guide 2020, section ''The Daily Scrum''

What Is the Daily Scrum?, A Guide to the Daily Event - Scrum Alliance

The Importance of Daily Scrum Meetings| Grata Software

The most effective way to recover is to restore transparency and trust by informing the Product Owner that the progress she has perceived to date is not correct.The Increment is not releasable because it does not meet the Definition of Done12, which is a shared understanding of what it means for work to be complete12. The Developers should give the Product Owner their estimate of the effort it would take to get the past work done, and suggest doing that work first before proceeding with new features.This way, the Developers can ensure that they deliver a valuable, useful, and potentially releasable Increment every Sprint12. The Developers should also re-estimate the effort to complete the remaining backlog, including all testing, and communicate any changes or risks to the Product Owner.In the end, it is the Product Owner's call to continue the project or to cancel it, based on the value and feasibility of the product12.

Some reasons why the other options are not correct are:

A: The Developers set the open work aside to be performed in one or more release Sprints. They remind Marian to find funding for enough Release Sprints in which this remaining work can be done. This option is not correct because it violates the Scrum framework and the Scrum values.The Scrum framework does not prescribe any release Sprints or separate phases for testing or integration12.The Scrum values include commitment, focus, openness, respect, and courage12. The Developers should commit to delivering a potentially releasable Increment every Sprint, not postpone or hide their undone work. The Developers should focus on creating value for the customers and users, not on meeting artificial deadlines or metrics. The Developers should be open and honest about their progress and challenges, not mislead or deceive the Product Owner.The Developers should respect the Product Owner's authority and accountability for maximizing the value of the product and the work of the Developers12, not shift the responsibility or blame to them. The Developers should have the courage to face their problems and seek help, not avoid or ignore them.

B: Transparency needs to be restored by adding the undone work to the Product Backlog. The Developers must figure out a way to deliver in the upcoming Sprints a velocity of not only 13 units of new work, but also two additional points to catch up undone work. It is the Scrum Master's duty to assess whether such repair is possible. If not, the Scrum Master initiates a restart with a more reliable team or cancels the project. The Scrum Master will have to inform Product Owner and the stakeholders. This option is not correct because it violates the Scrum framework and the Scrum roles.The Scrum framework does not prescribe any velocity or points as measures of progress or success12.The Scrum roles include Product Owner, Scrum Master, and Developers12.The Product Owner is accountable for maximizing the value of the product and the work of the Developers12, not for tracking or controlling their velocity or points.The Scrum Master is accountable for establishing Scrum as defined in the Scrum Guide1, causing change that increases the productivity of the Scrum Team1, and working with other Scrum Masters to increase the effectiveness of the application of Scrum in the organization1, not for assessing or judging the performance of the Developers or initiating a restart or cancellation of the project.The Developers are accountable for creating a valuable, useful, and potentially releasable Increment every Sprint12, not for meeting a predetermined velocity or points target.

C: In the next Sprints, the Developers keep making sure that all of the selected scope per Sprint is as done as possible, at least at the past level of 90%. In every Sprint the undone work of the previous Sprint is estimated and added to the Sprint Backlog. It comes on top of the expected forecast of 13 units, so it does not mess up progress on the product Backlog. This option is not correct because it violates the Scrum framework and the Scrum values.The Scrum framework requires that each Sprint delivers a potentially releasable Increment that meets the Definition of Done12, not a partially done or incomplete product that accumulates technical debt or quality issues.The Scrum values include commitment, focus, openness, respect, and courage12. The Developers should commit to delivering a potentially releasable Increment every Sprint, not compromise on quality or value. The Developers should focus on creating value for the customers and users, not on meeting artificial deadlines or metrics. The Developers should be open and honest about their progress and challenges, not hide or ignore their undone work.The Developers should respect the Product Owner's authority and accountability for maximizing the value of the product and the work of the Developers12, not burden them with additional work or risk. The Developers should have the courage to face their problems and seek help, not avoid or ignore them.

What is an Increment? | Scrum.org

What is a Product Increment? | Scrum.org

Done means that the Increment is in a usable condition and meets the Scrum Team's Definition of Done. The Definition of Done is a formal description of the state of the Increment when it meets the quality measures required for the product. The Definition of Done creates transparency by providing everyone a shared understanding of what work was completed as part of the Increment. Having an Increment that could be released to end users means that it is potentially releasable, which is one of the goals of Scrum. All work performed meets the Definition of Done means that the Developers have ensured that every Product Backlog item selected for the Sprint conforms to the agreed quality standards.

The Scrum Guide, November 2020, p. 10-11

What is a Definition of Done?, Scrum.org, accessed on September 30, 2023

DONE Understanding Of The Definition Of 'Done'', Scrum.org, December 16, 2019

When multiple Scrum Teams work on the same product, they share one Product Backlog that contains all the requirements for the product. The Product Owner is responsible for ordering and refining the Product Backlog items, but does not assign them to specific teams. Instead, the Scrum Teams pull in work from the Product Backlog in agreement with the Product Owner and the other teams, based on their capacity, skills, dependencies, and Sprint Goals. This way, the Scrum Teams can self-organize and collaborate to deliver a coherent and valuable product Increment.

The Scrum Guide, November 2020, p. 7-8

Can two teams work on one product backlog?, Scrum.org, January 6, 2020

B) You inform management of organizational impediments that prevent the Scrum Team from being more productive. You enlist their help to remove these impediments.

This is a good answer because it is consistent with the Scrum Master's accountability to serve the Scrum Team and the organization by identifying and addressing the factors that hinder the team's effectiveness12. By informing management of the organizational impediments, you can leverage their authority and influence to resolve them. By enlisting their help, you can also foster a collaborative and supportive relationship with them. C. You explain how a Scrum Team uses the velocity of a Sprint primarily to forecast work for the next Sprint, not to perfectly predict future productivity. You refer management to the Product Owner for all information concerning the progress of development.

This is another good answer because it is consistent with the Scrum Master's accountability to educate and coach the organization on the Scrum framework and its principles12. By explaining how velocity is used in Scrum, you can help management understand that it is not a reliable metric for measuring performance or comparing teams.By referring management to the Product Owner, you can also respect the Product Owner's accountability to manage the product backlog and communicate the value and status of the product34.