Scrum PAL-I Exam Questions Instant Access

Question 1

You manage a product development organization. You are looking at the progress reports from a number of Scrum Teams in your organization, when you notice that while most teams have a velocity of 35-40 story points per Sprint, one team consistently delivers only 15-20 per Sprint. Is this cause for concern? (choose the best answer)

AYes, this is cause for concern - the Scrum Master for this team is not making this team as productive as the others.

BNo, this is not cause for concern - velocity is not a meaningful measurement of the value delivered by agile teams.

CYes, this is cause for concern - the Product Owner for the team in question is not pushing the team hard enough.

DYes, this is cause for concern - the team in question has not calibrated their story points with the rest of the teams.

EYes, this is cause for concern - the team in question is performing worse than the rest.

FNo, this is not cause for concern - the team in question will probably increase their velocity over time.

Answer : B

Velocity is a measure of how much work is completed by a team in a Sprint but does not directly indicate the value being delivered. It is not appropriate to compare velocities across different teams because each team may estimate story points differently. The focus should be on whether the team is delivering valuable increments of work, not their velocity.

Question 2

A Scrum Team is finding it difficult to get work done since team members are distracted by being pulled away to take care of work requested by other teams. The team has been regularly failing to deliver on their Sprint Goals. As a Manager, if the Scrum Team asks you for help, what should you do to solve this problem? (choose the best two answers)

AWork with the Scrum Team and other teams to find ways to re-assign the interrupting work to people outside of the Scrum Team.

BAsk for more people on the team to compensate for the interruptions.

CMake their Sprints longer to account for the interruptions.

DExtend the length of a Sprint if they need more time to complete the Sprint Goal.

ECoach the Scrum Team to be more conservative in defining their Sprint Goal, to account for the time team members will need to spend doing other work.

Answer : A, E

To help the Scrum Team focus on their work, it's essential to remove distractions and interruptions. By re-assigning the unrelated work to other teams and ensuring the Sprint Goals are realistic, the Scrum Team can better focus on delivering value. Making Sprints longer or extending them compromises the Agile framework.

Question 3

Which Scrum event most helps a Scrum Team to continuously improve? (choose the best answer)

ASprint Planning.

BThe Daily Scrum.

CThe Sprint Retrospective.

DRefinement.

EThe Sprint Review.

Answer : C

The Sprint Retrospective is dedicated to continuous improvement. It provides an opportunity for the Scrum Team to reflect on their process, identify areas of improvement, and implement changes to improve effectiveness and efficiency in future Sprints. This focus on reflection and adaptation is key to the iterative nature of Scrum.

Question 4

You manage a development organization. The Scrum Master of one of the Scrum Teams you are responsible for requests that you only communicate with the team through her. What do you do? (choose the best answer)

AAgree to her request, yet indicate that there may be occasions where you may still communicate directly with the Scrum Team. As a leader, it is your responsibility to help the team retain focus.

BDo not agree to her request. Explain that management holds you accountable for the Scrum Team's results, and that you need access to the team to fulfill your responsibilities.

Answer : A

The Scrum Master facilitates communication within the team and shields it from unnecessary interruptions. While respecting the Scrum Master's role, there may be cases where direct communication is necessary for leadership purposes. Balancing both responsibilities maintains the Scrum framework's integrity while allowing for managerial oversight when needed.

Question 5

You manage a development organization. The organization currently rewards individual performance bonuses to only a few top-performers on a yearly basis. As a result, only one member of a team might get a bonus, while all others get nothing. Some of your teams feel that this is unfair since everyone on a team contributes to the success or failure to achieve goals. They would like to move toward team bonuses. What do you think needs to be done? (choose the best answer)

AAllocate the bonus to the team and let them decide how to split-up the bonus.

BNothing: you value high-performers and want to reward their contributions.

Answer : A

In Agile, success is the result of collective effort, and team-based rewards encourage collaboration and a shared sense of responsibility. When bonuses are allocated based on individual performance, it can create competition within teams, which may lead to disengagement or reduced teamwork. Allowing the team to split the bonus reinforces the Agile values of collaboration, trust, and transparency.

Question 6

You manage a product development organization. A Scrum Team comes to you with a request to add two more Developers to the Scrum Team in order to increase their capacity to get work done. You have a budget and headcount. The Scrum Team's case is compelling, and they have a good track record for delivery and making good decisions. In response to the Scrum Team's request, you decide to: (choose the best answer)

ALet the Scrum Team screen candidates, and pass candidates to you to interview and make the final hiring decision.

BLet the Scrum Team know you will write the job description and take care of the initial screening. Then pass along candidates to the Scrum Team to conduct their own interviews and make the final decision.

COffer an introduction to someone from the company's Talent Management department who can help the Scrum Team recruit, interview, and make a hiring decision.

Answer : C

This approach provides the necessary support while allowing the Scrum Team to retain control over who they bring on board. Involving Talent Management helps streamline the process while giving the team autonomy to make the final decision, which aligns with Agile's focus on self-organizing teams.

Question 7

Agile teams must balance many different objectives. Which one of the following is most important? (choose the best answer)

ADelivering all ''MUST HAVE'' requirements.

BControlling cost.

CImproving efficiency.

DMeeting schedule commitments.

EImproving customer satisfaction.

Answer : E

Customer satisfaction is central to Agile values. The Agile Manifesto emphasizes responding to customer feedback and continuously delivering valuable software as a priority. Cost, efficiency, and schedule are important, but they are secondary to delivering customer value.

Scrum Professional Agile Leadership Certification PAL-I Exam Questions