Scrum SPS Practice Test - Questions Answers, Page 4

The Definition of Done is a set of quality standards that apply to the Integrated Increment, which is the combined work of all the Scrum Teams in the Nexus that meets the Nexus Sprint Goal 11. The Definition of Done creates transparency and alignment among the Scrum Teams and the stakeholders, and ensures that the Integrated Increment is potentially releasable 22. The Definition of Done can evolve over time as the Nexus learns from its experience and feedback, and as the product complexity and quality expectations change 33. The best place to discuss and update the Definition of Done is at the Nexus Sprint Retrospective, which is an event that occurs at the end of the Sprint where the Nexus inspects and adapts its processes, tools, and interactions 11. The Nexus Integration Team, which is a group of people who are accountable for ensuring the integration and delivery of the Integrated Increment, is responsible for the Definition of Done, but they can involve the other Scrum Team members and stakeholders in the discussion and decision 1144. Therefore, statement C is the correct answer.

Statement A is incorrect because it implies that the Nexus Integration Team can unilaterally change the Definition of Done without consulting the other Scrum Teams or stakeholders, which would undermine the transparency and collaboration that are essential for scaling Scrum 1144. Statement B is incorrect because it suggests that the Definition of Done is owned by the larger development organization, which may not be familiar with the specific needs and challenges of the Nexus, and that the changes are communicated by stakeholders, who may not have the technical expertise or authority to do so 1144. Statement D is incorrect because it assumes that the Scrum Masters have the sole power to decide on changes to the Definition of Done, which would exclude the input and agreement of the Nexus Integration Team, the other Scrum Team members, and the stakeholders 1144.

When six new Scrum Teams are working on one product, they should form a Nexus, which is a framework for scaling Scrum 11. A Nexus has a single Product Owner who is accountable for maximizing the value of the product and the work performed and integrated by the Scrum Teams 1122. Therefore, statement D is correct.

A Nexus also works off a single Product Backlog, which is an ordered list of the work to be done by the Scrum Teams in the Nexus 11. The Product Backlog has a single source of requirements and priorities for the product, and it is managed by the Product Owner 1122. Therefore, statement C is also correct.

Statements A, B, and E are incorrect because they imply that each Scrum Team has its own Product Owner and Product Backlog, which would create confusion, inconsistency, and duplication of work. Having multiple Product Owners and Product Backlogs would also undermine the transparency and alignment that are essential for scaling Scrum 1122.

The Nexus Sprint Retrospective is an event that occurs at the end of the Sprint where the Nexus, which is a group of approximately three to nine Scrum Teams working on the same product, plans ways to increase quality and effectiveness across the whole Nexus 11. The purpose of the Nexus Sprint Retrospective is to inspect and adapt the Nexus framework, the integrated work, the processes, the tools, and the interactions among the Scrum Teams 11. Therefore, statement C is correct.

The Nexus Sprint Retrospective follows a three-step process: first, representatives from each Scrum Team identify issues that affect multiple teams; second, each Scrum Team conducts its own Sprint Retrospective; and third, representatives from each team meet again to discuss any actions needed based on the shared challenges 112233. The Nexus Sprint Retrospective enables bottom-up intelligence to improve how the Scrum Teams in a Nexus are working together, as it allows the teams to share their insights, learn from each other, and collaborate on solutions 44. Therefore, statement A is also correct.

Statement B is incorrect because the Nexus Sprint Retrospective is not a forum for management to see how the Nexus is performing, but rather a time for the Nexus to self-organize and self-improve 1144. Statement D is incorrect because the Nexus Sprint Retrospective is not a single meeting to inspect and adapt how all Scrum Teams work together, but rather a combination of three meetings that involve both individual and collective reflection and action 112233.

The Nexus Sprint Review is an event where the Nexus, consisting of multiple Scrum Teams, presents the Integrated Increment to the stakeholders for inspection and feedback 1. The Integrated Increment is the sum of all the work done by the Scrum Teams in a Sprint that meets the Definition of Done 1. The purpose of the Nexus Sprint Review is to inspect the outcome of the Sprint, discuss the progress toward the Product Goal, discuss any changes in the environment, and collaborate on what to do next 2.

In Scenario A, the Nexus Sprint Review is not conducted effectively. The teams are not using a shared environment to demonstrate the Integrated Increment, but rather showing their individual work. This means that the stakeholders cannot see the whole product and how it works together. The teams are also delaying the integration of their work, which can lead to quality issues, technical debt, and increased complexity 1. The stakeholders do not provide much feedback, which means that the Nexus cannot adapt to the changing needs and expectations of the customers and users. The event ends without any clear outcomes or next steps.

If this pattern continues for multiple Sprints, the effects may be:

Quality will degrade as the teams delay creating a single Integrated Increment. This is answer B. By not integrating their work frequently and continuously, the teams will face more challenges and risks in ensuring that the product is functional, reliable, and usable. The teams will also miss the opportunity to validate their assumptions and learn from the feedback on the Integrated Increment 1.

Ability to adapt will suffer as the stakeholders continue to disengage and not give feedback. This is answer D. By not engaging the stakeholders in a meaningful dialogue and collaboration, the Nexus will lose the insight and direction that the feedback provides. The Nexus will also risk building the wrong product or features that do not meet the needs and expectations of the customers and users. The stakeholders will also lose trust and confidence in the Nexus and the product 2.

The other two answers are not correct because:

There will be more and more work to inspect so teams will need their own individual Sprint Reviews. This is answer A. This is not a valid effect because the Nexus Sprint Review replaces the individual Scrum Team Sprint Reviews 1. The Nexus Sprint Review is not a time for each team to present their work, but rather for the Nexus to present the Integrated Increment. The teams should not need their own Sprint Reviews, but rather focus on integrating their work and delivering a valuable product 1.

Empiricism will suffer as the teams cannot produce a shared velocity. This is answer C. This is not a valid effect because velocity is not a measure of empiricism. Empiricism is the principle of making decisions based on observation, inspection, and adaptation 1. Velocity is a measure of the amount of work done by a team or a Nexus in a Sprint. Velocity is not a mandatory artifact or metric in Scrum or Nexus, and it does not reflect the quality or value of the work done 1.

The answer is false because not all Scrum Team members are required to attend the Nexus Daily Scrum. According to the Online Nexus Guide1, the Nexus Daily Scrum is an event for appropriate representatives from individual Scrum Teams to inspect the current state of the Integrated Increment and to identify integration issues or newly discovered cross-team dependencies. The appropriate representatives are those who can best collaborate and communicate the progress and impediments of their Scrum Teams, and who can make and influence decisions regarding the integration and delivery of the product. The number and selection of the representatives may vary depending on the context and needs of the Nexus 234. The Nexus Daily Scrum does not replace the Daily Scrum of each Scrum Team, which is still held by all the Developers of the team to plan their work for the day 5.

The true statements regarding using Scrum for large-scale product delivery are:

A . Splitting a team member's time between multiple Scrum Teams is often less productive than focusing that team member on a single team's Sprint Backlog. This statement is true because splitting a team member's time between multiple teams can cause context switching, communication overhead, coordination challenges, and reduced commitment and accountability. It can also reduce the team's ability to self-organize and deliver a potentially releasable product increment at the end of each Sprint. Therefore, it is recommended that team members focus on one team's Sprint Backlog and work as a cross-functional and cohesive unit 1122.

D . A well-structured and refined Product Backlog can minimize and often eliminate dependencies between multiple Scrum Teams working together on a product during a Sprint. This statement is true because a well-structured and refined Product Backlog can help the Product Owner and the Scrum Teams to identify and prioritize the most valuable and feasible work items, and to decompose them into smaller and independent pieces that can be delivered by one or more teams. This can reduce the complexity and risk of integration and dependency management, and increase the flow and quality of value delivery 3344.

The other statements are false for the following reasons:

B . Scrum requires all team members work full time on a single team. This statement is false because Scrum does not prescribe how team members allocate their time or effort. Scrum only defines the roles, events, artifacts, and rules that guide the empirical process of product development. However, as mentioned above, it is often more productive and effective for team members to focus on one team's Sprint Backlog and avoid splitting their time between multiple teams [5].

C . Changes to the core Scrum framework are needed to be successful with Scrum at large-scale. This statement is false because Scrum is a lightweight and adaptable framework that can be applied to any complex product development context, regardless of the size or scale. Scrum does not need to be changed or modified to be successful at large-scale, but rather scaled up or down according to the needs and goals of the product organization. There are various frameworks and approaches that can help scale Scrum, such as Nexus, LeSS, SAFe, and Scrum@Scale, but they all adhere to the core principles and values of Scrum [6] [7].

The Nexus framework is a way of scaling Scrum for multiple teams working on a single product. The Nexus framework uses Scrum as its building block and extends it only where necessary to minimize and manage dependencies between teams 11. The Nexus framework defines the accountabilities, events, and artifacts that bind and weave together the work of the teams in a Nexus 11. One of the key artifacts in the Nexus framework is the Integrated Increment, which is the integrated aggregation of all work completed by all the Scrum Teams in a Nexus 112.

When multiple Scrum Teams work on a product at the same time, the statements that are true are:

The different Scrum Teams coordinate their work to deliver a single Increment. This is answer A. This is a valid answer because the different Scrum Teams in a Nexus are not working in isolation, but rather collaborating and coordinating their work to deliver a single Increment 113. The single Increment is the Integrated Increment, which is the sum of all the work done by the Scrum Teams in a Sprint that meets the Definition of Done 112. The single Increment is the potentially releasable outcome of the Sprint, which means it meets the quality standards and expectations of the stakeholders 112.

The Developers must integrate their work before the end of the Sprint. This is answer C. This is a valid answer because the Developers are the people who do the work of delivering a potentially releasable Increment of product value in each Sprint 114. The Developers must integrate their work before the end of the Sprint, which means they must combine and verify their work frequently and continuously throughout the Sprint 114. The integration of the work is essential for ensuring the quality and usability of the product, as well as for validating the assumptions and learning from the feedback 114.

The other three answers are not correct because:

Each Scrum Team develops one or more product components which the Nexus Integration team uses to assemble the Integrated Increment. This is answer B. This is not a valid answer because the Nexus Integration Team is not the one who assembles the Integrated Increment. The Nexus Integration Team is a role that consists of the Scrum Master, the Product Owner, and other members who are responsible for coordinating, coaching, and supervising the integration of the work done by the Scrum Teams in the Nexus 11[5]. The Nexus Integration Team facilitates the integration of the work, but does not do it for the teams 11[5]. The teams are responsible for integrating their own work and delivering a potentially releasable Increment of product value in each Sprint 11[5].

They are all on the same Scrum Team. This is answer D. This is not a valid answer because they are not all on the same Scrum Team. A Scrum Team is a small group of people who are cross-functional and self-organizing, and who deliver a potentially releasable Increment of product value in each Sprint 11[6]. A Scrum Team usually consists of one Scrum Master, one Product Owner, and a few Developers 11[6]. When multiple Scrum Teams work on a product at the same time, they are not on the same Scrum Team, but rather on different Scrum Teams that form a Nexus 11[6]. A Nexus is a group of three to nine Scrum Teams who work on a single product and who share a common Product Backlog, a common Definition of Done, and a common Sprint Goal 11[6].

The Scrum of Scrums assembles the components into an Integrated Increment. This is answer E. This is not a valid answer because the Scrum of Scrums is not a part of the Nexus framework. The Scrum of Scrums is a term that is sometimes used to describe a coordination mechanism for multiple Scrum Teams, where representatives from each team meet regularly to share information and align their work [7][7]. The Scrum of Scrums is not a formal event or role in Scrum or Nexus, and it is not the one who assembles the components into an Integrated Increment [7][7]. The teams are responsible for integrating their own work and delivering a potentially releasable Increment of product value in each Sprint 11[5].

When multiple Scrum Teams work from the same Product Backlog, they should choose the Product Backlog items that they can deliver as part of an Integrated Increment, which is the combined work of all the Scrum Teams that meets the Nexus Sprint Goal 11. The Developers, who are the people in the Scrum Teams who are accountable for creating and delivering the Increment, should pull work in agreement with the Product Owner, who is the person who is accountable for maximizing the value of the product and the work performed and integrated by the Scrum Teams 11. The Developers and the Product Owner should collaborate to select the Product Backlog items that are most valuable, feasible, and aligned with the Nexus Sprint Goal 2233. Therefore, statement B is the correct answer.

Statement A is incorrect because it implies that the Scrum Teams choose the Weighted Shortest Job First, which is a prioritization technique that ranks Product Backlog items based on their value and cost 44. However, the Scrum Guide does not prescribe any specific technique for ordering the Product Backlog, and the Product Owner is the sole person responsible for managing the Product Backlog [5]. Statement C is incorrect because it suggests that each Scrum Team takes an equal number of items, which may not reflect the value, complexity, or dependencies of the items 1122. Statement D is incorrect because it assumes that the Scrum Team with the highest velocity pulls Product Backlog items first, which may not be the best way to optimize the value delivery and integration across the Nexus 1122. Statement E is incorrect because it proposes that the Product Owner should provide each team with its own Product Backlog, which would create confusion, inconsistency, and duplication of work. Having multiple Product Backlogs would also undermine the transparency and alignment that are essential for scaling Scrum 1122.

The most important concern for multiple Scrum Teams when they are working from the same Product Backlog is minimizing dependencies between teams. Dependencies are the relationships or constraints that exist between the work items or the teams that affect the delivery of the product 11. Dependencies can cause delays, rework, waste, and quality issues, and they can reduce the agility and value delivery of the Scrum Teams 2233. Therefore, minimizing dependencies between teams is a critical concern for scaling Scrum effectively 112233.

Statement A is incorrect because meeting original scope projections is not a primary concern for multiple Scrum Teams working from the same Product Backlog. Scrum does not prescribe a fixed scope for the product, but rather embraces change and adaptation based on feedback and learning 44. The Product Backlog is a dynamic and emergent artifact that reflects the current understanding of the product vision, goals, and requirements 44. The Product Owner is responsible for managing the Product Backlog and ordering the items in a way that maximizes the value of the product and the work of the Scrum Teams 44. Therefore, meeting original scope projections is not a relevant or realistic concern for scaling Scrum.

Statement C is incorrect because clear definition of requirements is not the most important concern for multiple Scrum Teams working from the same Product Backlog. While having clear and well-defined requirements is desirable and beneficial for the Scrum Teams, it is not always possible or necessary in a complex and uncertain environment 44. Scrum does not require detailed upfront specifications, but rather encourages empirical discovery and experimentation through frequent delivery and feedback 44. The Product Backlog items are refined and clarified by the Product Owner and the Developers as they collaborate and learn more about the product and the users 44. Therefore, clear definition of requirements is not the most critical concern for scaling Scrum.

Statement D is incorrect because making sure there is enough work for everyone on every team is not the most important concern for multiple Scrum Teams working from the same Product Backlog. Scrum does not focus on maximizing the utilization of the Scrum Team members, but rather on maximizing the value of the product and the work of the Scrum Teams 44. The Scrum Teams are self-organizing and cross-functional, which means they can decide how to do their work and have all the skills needed to create a potentially releasable Increment 44. The Scrum Teams pull work from the Product Backlog in agreement with the Product Owner, and they commit to delivering an Integrated Increment that meets the Nexus Sprint Goal 1144. Therefore, making sure there is enough work for everyone on every team is not the most essential concern for scaling Scrum.