Scrum Professional Scrum Master II PSM-II Exam Questions

Answer : A, D

A) They discuss in the upcoming Sprint Retrospective why this happened and what changes will make it less likely to recur. This is a good action to take, as it shows that the Scrum Team is willing to inspect and adapt their process and improve their collaboration and communication. The Sprint Retrospective is an opportunity for the Scrum Team to identify the root causes of the problem and create a plan for implementing improvements in the next Sprint.

D) The Developers forecast the most likely Product Backlog items to meet the business objective and create a Sprint Backlog based on a likely initial design and plan. Once the timebox for the Sprint Planning event is over, they start the Sprint and continue to analyze, decompose, and create additional functionality during the Sprint. This is also a good action to take, as it shows that the Scrum Team is flexible and adaptive, and does not let uncertainty or ambiguity prevent them from delivering value. The Developers can use the Sprint Goal as a guide to select and refine the Product Backlog items during the Sprint, and collaborate with the Product Owner to ensure that they are meeting the expectations and needs of the stakeholders.

The Scrum Guide, section 3.1 (The Sprint), page 8

The Scrum Guide, section 3.3 (The Sprint Goal), page 9

The Scrum Guide, section 3.5 (The Sprint Planning), page 10

The Scrum Guide, section 3.7 (The Sprint Retrospective), page 12

The Scrum Master Learning Path, module 2 (The Scrum Framework), lesson 2 (The Sprint), lesson 3 (The Sprint Goal), lesson 4 (Sprint Planning) and lesson 6 (The Sprint Retrospective)

Answer : D

The best way to determine if the Product Owner is interacting with the Developers enough throughout a Sprint is to observe whether both parties are satisfied with the Increment.The Increment is a concrete stepping stone toward the Product Goal1.It must be usable and meet the Definition of Done1.The Product Owner is accountable for maximizing the value of the product resulting from the work of the Developers1.The Developers are accountable for creating a valuable, useful, and potentially releasable Increment every Sprint1. Therefore, if both the Product Owner and the Developers are happy with the quality and value of the Increment, it means that they have communicated and collaborated effectively throughout the Sprint.

Some reasons why the other options are not correct are:

A: The Developers should determine the percentage of time the Product Owner is required to be present and monitor whether the Product Owner's average presence is around this figure. This option is not correct because it implies that there is a fixed or optimal amount of time that the Product Owner should spend with the Developers, which may not be true. The Product Owner's interaction with the Developers may vary depending on the context, complexity, and uncertainty of the product and the Sprint.The Scrum Guide does not prescribe any specific time or frequency for the Product Owner's involvement with the Developers1.The Product Owner should be available to provide guidance and feedback to the Developers as needed, but not interfere with their self-organization and autonomy1.

B: Check the Daily Scrum reports to see whether the Product Owner was present at the majority of the Daily Scrum meetings. This option is not correct because it assumes that the Daily Scrum is a meeting where the Product Owner should be present, which is not true.The Daily Scrum is an event for and by the Developers12, not for reporting or accountability to anyone else.The Product Owner may attend as an observer or a collaborator, but only if invited by the Developers12. The presence or absence of the Product Owner at the Daily Scrum does not indicate how much they interact with the Developers throughout the Sprint.

C: Observe whether the Developers need to ask the Product Owner questions at times other than during the Daily Scrum. This option is not correct because it implies that asking questions is a sign of insufficient interaction, which may not be true. Asking questions is a natural and healthy part of communication and collaboration between the Product Owner and the Developers. It shows that they are engaged, curious, and willing to learn from each other. It also helps them to clarify requirements, expectations, and feedback, and to resolve any ambiguities or conflicts. Asking questions does not necessarily mean that there is a lack of interaction, but rather that there is a need for more information or clarification.

What is an Increment? | Scrum.org

What Is a Daily Standup? | A Guide to Running Effective Standup Meetings | Atlassian

Answer : B, D, E

The Scrum values of courage, openness, and respect are touched in this situation. Courage means that the Scrum Team members have the courage to do the right thing and work on tough problems, and also to speak up when they have concerns or disagreements. Openness means that the Scrum Team members and stakeholders agree to be open about all the work and the challenges with performing the work. Respect means that the Scrum Team members respect each other to be capable, independent people, and also respect the opinions and ideas of others.

In this case, the newest developer showed courage by expressing his feelings during the Sprint Retrospective, which is an opportunity for the Scrum Team to inspect itself and create a plan for improvements. The rest of the Developers should have been more open to listening to his perspective and ideas throughout the Sprint, as they might have valuable insights or suggestions for improving the product or the process. The Developers should also have respected the newest developer as a member of the team, and given him a fair chance to contribute and collaborate with them.

The Scrum Guide, November 2020, p. 13-14

What are the 5 Scrum Values?, Visual Paradigm, accessed on September 30, 2023

Scrum Values Poster, Scrum.org, accessed on September 30, 2023

Answer : A, D

The Product Owner is responsible for maximizing the value of the product and the work of the Developers. The Product Owner is also accountable for managing the Product Backlog, which is an ordered list of what is needed in the product. The Product Owner should collaborate with the Developers and the stakeholders to create and refine the Product Backlog, as well as to define and communicate the product vision and goals. Therefore, as a Scrum Master, you should direct the new Product Owner towards focusing on:

Building a good relationship with the stakeholders of the product (A), which is a valid option as it helps the Product Owner to understand and align with the changing organizational or market expectations, as well as to invite and receive feedback from the appropriate stakeholders during the Sprint Review, which is an event that inspects the outcome of the Sprint and determines future adaptations.

Relying on others in the Scrum Team and the stakeholders to formulate the Product Backlog (D), which is another valid option as it helps the Product Owner to leverage the functional and business insights of the Developers and the stakeholders, who are more familiar with the product and the customer needs. By questioning them and working with them, the Product Owner will quickly become more productive and effective.

The other options are not correct because they:

Inform the Product Owner that it is important that the Developers are updated on changing business priorities on a daily basis at the Daily Scrum (B), which is not a good option as it shows a misunderstanding of the purpose and format of the Daily Scrum, which is an event for the Developers to inspect their progress and plan their work for the next 24 hours, not a status report or a meeting for changing requirements or scope. The Product Owner should respect and support the Developers' commitment to their Sprint Goal and Sprint Backlog, and only introduce changes that do not endanger them.

Tell the Product Owner to make sure that there are no ambiguities or possible misunderstandings in the items on the Product Backlog by capturing the functional requirements during an analysis phase , which is not a good option as it shows a misunderstanding of the nature and process of the Product Backlog, which is a dynamic and emergent artifact that can change as more is learned about the product, users, market, and technology. The Product Owner should collaborate with the Developers to refine and clarify the Product Backlog items throughout the product development, not create detailed documents that are considered as final outputs of analysis Sprints.

Answer : B, C

B: Ask the Developers and the Product Owner if removing regression testing from the Definition of Done allows the team to produce useful and valuable Increments at the end of every Sprint. This is a good way to challenge the decision and make them think about the consequences of lowering the quality standards. The Scrum Master can help them understand the importance of delivering a potentially releasable product increment that meets the expectations of the stakeholders and customers.

C: Ask the Developers and the Product Owner what problem they are going to solve by altering the Definition of Done during the Sprint to remove regression testing. Will this raise transparency or improve quality? This is a good way to explore the root cause of the issue and find out why they are not able to complete regression testing for all of the selected Product Backlog items in the Sprint. The Scrum Master can help them identify and remove any impediments or inefficiencies that prevent them from achieving their Sprint Goal.

Scrum Guide 2020, page 9: ''The Definition of Done is a formal description of the state of the Increment when it meets the quality measures required for the product.''

Scrum Guide 2020, page 13: ''The Scrum Master serves the Scrum Team in several ways, including coaching the team members in self-management and cross-functionality.''

Professional Scrum Master II Course, page 12: ''The Definition of Done is a crucial aspect of transparency. If it is not clear when work is done, then stakeholders may make wrong assumptions about the state of the software.''

Answer : C, D

C) They are added to the Product Backlog and addressed throughout the next Sprints, combined with creating the business functionality in those Sprints, no matter how small that business functionality.

This is a good way because it is consistent with the Scrum principle ofempiricism, which means that the Scrum Team learns and adapts based on the actual outcomes and feedback, rather than following a predefined plan12. By adding these security concerns to the Product Backlog, the Product Owner can prioritize and refine them according to the value and urgency, and communicate them to the stakeholders.By addressing them throughout the next Sprints, the Scrum Team can deliver valuable and functional increments that also meet the security requirements34. D. During the Sprint Retrospective, the Scrum Team assesses how to add these expectations to the Definition of Done so every future Increment will live up to these requirements. If needed they can work with external specialists to better understand the requirements

This is another good way because it is consistent with the Scrum value ofopenness, which means that the Scrum Team and the stakeholders have a clear and common understanding of the product vision, goals, progress, and risks12. By adding these expectations to the Definition of Done, the Scrum Team can ensure that every future Increment meets the quality standards and satisfies the stakeholder needs.By working with external specialists, the Scrum Team can also leverage their expertise and experience to better understand and implement the security requirements34.

Answer : A, C

The Sprint Review is an event that inspects the outcome of the Sprint and determines future adaptations. The Product Owner has the authority to release the Increment to production at any time, but this does not mean that the Sprint has to be stopped or changed. The stakeholders can provide feedback and suggestions for the product, but they cannot interfere with the Sprint Goal or the Sprint Backlog within the Sprint. The Scrum Team can decide to:

Continue sprinting but shorten the Sprint length to allow for shorter feedback loops (A), which is a valid option if the Scrum Team agrees that this will improve their agility and value delivery. However, this should not be done frequently or arbitrarily, as it may disrupt the rhythm and focus of the team.

Continue sprinting and include the customer feedback in the Product Backlog , which is the most appropriate option as it respects the empirical nature of Scrum and allows the Product Owner to prioritize and order the Product Backlog based on new insights and stakeholder needs.