Scrum PSM-II Exam Practice Test Instant Access

Question 1

You are a Scrum Master entering an organization that wants to "evolve" their product development to Scrum. The organization's teams are organized into component teams. This means that teams address one single application layer only (for example, front end, middle tier, back end, and interfaces).

You introduce the concept of feature teams, where teams have the skills to work on multiple layers throughout a Sprint and deliver working software every Sprint. What are two things you take into consideration when moving away from component teams toward feature teams?

(choose the best two answers)

AYou cannot do Scrum without feature teams. Do not continue adopting Scrum until teams are reorganized in feature teams.

BProductivity, in terms of lines of code or story points, will probably suffer during the transition, although even then delivery of business value is still likely to Increase.

CFeature teams will require time to become productive as people from the different layers and components become accustomed to working and delivering unified functionality together, as one Scrum Team.

DWith feature teams, it is easier to calculate and compare the productivity per team. Incentives on productivity are likely to speed up the transition to feature teams, and therefore the adoption of Scrum.

Answer : B, C

B: Productivity, in terms of lines of code or story points, will probably suffer during the transition, although even then delivery of business value is still likely to increase. This is a realistic expectation, as the teams will need to learn new skills, collaborate more effectively, and adapt to changing requirements. However, the benefit of feature teams is that they can deliver working software that provides value to the customers and stakeholders every Sprint, rather than waiting for the integration of different components.

C: Feature teams will require time to become productive as people from the different layers and components become accustomed to working and delivering unified functionality together, as one Scrum Team. This is a natural consequence of changing the team structure and culture, as the teams will need to overcome some challenges and conflicts, build trust and rapport, and establish a shared vision and goal. The Scrum Master can help the teams with this transition by facilitating communication, coaching, and mentoring.

Professional Scrum Master II Course, page 17: ''Feature teams are cross-functional teams that can deliver end-to-end functionality for a product. They have all the skills and competencies needed to work on multiple layers of the system.''

Professional Scrum Master II Course, page 18: ''Component teams are teams that specialize in one layer or component of the system. They often depend on other teams to deliver a complete functionality for a product.''

Professional Scrum Master II Course, page 19: ''Feature teams have many advantages over component teams, such as faster feedback, higher quality, lower complexity, and more customer value.''

Question 2

During Sprint Planning, Developers work with the Product Owner to create a forecast for the Sprint. A forecast is a selection of Product Backlog items that the Developers believe are possible to get done by the end of the Sprint. Select two things that explain what done means.

(choose the best two answers)

AHaving an Increment that could be released to end users.

BAll work for which enough expertise and skills are present in the Scrum Team.

CAll work performed meets the Definition of Done.

DAll work to create an Increment that is ready for testing.
E. All work to create an Increment that is ready for acceptance testing by the
Product Owner.

Answer : A, C

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

Question 3

An important aspect of Scrum are timeboxes. Select two ways in which timeboxing reinforces the creation of value.

(choose the best two answers)

ATimeboxing assures that a Product Owner does not interrupt the Developers during a Sprint.

BScrum Teams can determine on their own how much overtime is acceptable for a timebox- generally expressed as a percentage of the timebox.

CTimeboxes encourage the people who are closest to the problem to create the best possible result in the time allotted, given the current context.

DTimeboxes help everyone focus on the same problem at the same time.

Answer : C, D

C) Timeboxes encourage the people who are closest to the problem to create the best possible result in the time allotted, given the current context.

This is true because timeboxes limit the amount of time that can be spent on an activity, which forces the Scrum Team to focus on the most valuable and feasible outcomes.Timeboxes also empower the Scrum Team to make decisions based on their own expertise and experience, rather than relying on external authorities or instructions12. D. Timeboxes help everyone focus on the same problem at the same time.

This is true because timeboxes create a shared sense of urgency and alignment among the Scrum Team and the stakeholders.Timeboxes also enable frequent feedback and inspection, which help the Scrum Team adapt to changing requirements and expectations12.

Question 4

Another team's Scrum Master seeks your advice. The Daily Scrum always runs longer than 15 minutes. The Developers suggest splitting the Scrum Team into two teams. What is your response?

(choose the best answer)

AYou disagree --- there is not enough information to justify splitting a team into two teams. You ask if there is anything you can do to help your colleague, for example observe one of the Daily Scrums with them.

BYou agree - this is an appropriate solution to the problem.

CYou disagree - you tell the Scrum Master that as Scrum Master they need to manage the timebox better.

DYou agree - splitting the team into two teams is a good strategy to allow them to learn how to run Daily Scrums quickly and effectively. Once they have learned to limit the Daily Scrum to 15 minutes, you can combine the teams again.

Answer : A

Splitting a team into two teams is a major decision that should not be taken lightly. It may have implications for the product vision, the product backlog, the sprint goal, the sprint backlog, the definition of done, and the team dynamics. It may also reduce the effectiveness of the Scrum Team by creating dependencies, communication overhead, and coordination challenges. Therefore, before considering such a drastic measure, it is advisable to explore other options to improve the quality and efficiency of the Daily Scrum. One option is to ask for help from another Scrum Master who can observe the Daily Scrum and provide feedback and suggestions.

The Scrum Guide, section 3.2 (The Daily Scrum), page 9

The Scrum Master Learning Path, module 4 (The Daily Scrum), lesson 4 (Common Challenges) and lesson 5 (Tips for an Effective Daily Scrum)

Question 5

You are the Scrum Master for a Scrum Team whose Daily Scrum is scheduled to start at 10:00 each day. Developers routinely turn up late, and once everyone has assembled, the Daily Scrum starts. By then it is typically 4 to 5 minutes later than scheduled. Other meetings in the organization typically allow 4 to 5 minutes for people to transport within the building.

Some Developers complain that it is now hard to achieve the purpose of the Daily Scrum within the timebox, since there is only 10 or 11 minutes left after waiting for people to show up. The Developers ask for your advice.

(choose the best answer)

AYou suggest an experiment: moving the event to a time that better suits the team.

BYou escalate this issue to management since you are responsible for ensuring Scrum is understood and enacted.

CTo incentivize showing up on time, you tell the Developers that when people come late to the Daily Scrum, they will pay a small fee.

DYou turn the question back to the Developers and ask what they think should be done to ensure their Daily Scrum is effective and meets its purpose.
E. You suggest that when someone shows up late they cannot join that day's Daily
Scrum.

Answer : D

This is the best answer because it empowers the Developers to take ownership of their own process and find a solution that works for them. The Scrum Master can facilitate the discussion and help the Developers understand the value and importance of the Daily Scrum, but not impose or dictate any specific action or rule. The Scrum Master can also support the Developers in conducting an experiment and evaluating the results, if they decide to do so.

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 14: ''The Daily Scrum is a key opportunity for inspection and adaptation at the team level. It helps the team to synchronize their work, identify impediments, and collaborate on solutions.''

Professional Scrum Master II Course, page 21: ''The Scrum Master can help the team to resolve conflicts by facilitating dialogue, listening actively, asking powerful questions, and supporting collaborative decision making.''

Question 6

Which two statements are true regarding the nature of large-scale product development with Scrum?

(choose the best two answers)

AA well-structured Product Backlog can minimize and often eliminate Developers
working on multiple Scrum Teams during a Sprint.

BChanges to the core Scrum framework are needed to be successful with Scrum
at large scale.

CA person working on multiple Scrum Teams at the same time is often less
productive than when that person can focus on the Sprint Backlog of a single
Scrum Team.

DScrum Team members must be working full time on a team.

Answer : A, C

According to the Large-Scale Scrum (LeSS) framework, one of the principles for scaling agile development is to descale the organization, which means simplifying the structure and reducing dependencies and handoffs. A well-structured Product Backlog can help achieve this by enabling feature teams, which are cross-functional and cross-component teams that can deliver a complete customer-centric feature. Feature teams minimize and often eliminate Developers working on multiple Scrum Teams during a Sprint, as they can focus on one Product Backlog item at a time. This also improves productivity, quality, and learning, as Developers can avoid context switching and multitasking, which are known to reduce efficiency and effectiveness. A person working on multiple Scrum Teams at the same time is often less productive than when that person can focus on the Sprint Backlog of a single Scrum Team.

The Large-Scale Scrum (LeSS) framework also states that Scrum does not change when scaling up to multiple teams. The core Scrum framework remains intact, with one Product Owner, one Product Backlog, and potentially releasable Increments every Sprint. The only changes are adding a few coordination practices to cope with the increased complexity and interdependencies. Therefore, changes to the core Scrum framework are not needed to be successful with Scrum at large scale.

Scrum Team members do not have to be working full time on a team, as long as they are committed to the Sprint Goal and deliver a Done Increment every Sprint. However, it is recommended that they spend as much time as possible with their team, as this fosters collaboration, communication, and alignment.

The Large-Scale Scrum (LeSS) framework | Atlassian, accessed on September 30, 2023

Overview - Large Scale Scrum (LeSS), accessed on September 30, 2023

Practices for Scaling Lean & Agile Development: Large, Multisite, and Offshore Product Development with Large-Scale Scrum, Craig Larman and Bas Vodde, 2010

Leading Large Scale Product Development with Large-Scale Scrum (LeSS), Kamlesh Ravlani, 2015

Question 7

Scrum requires a Definition of Done. Which phrases describe the purpose of the Definition of Done?

(choose the best three answers)

AIt serves to track the percent completeness of a Product Backlog item during the Sprint.

BDuring the Sprint it helps the Developers identify the work remaining for an
Increment to be ready for release by the end of a Sprint.

CIt creates transparency into the state of the Increment when it is inspected at the Sprint Review.

DIt guides the Developers when creating a forecast at the Sprint Planning.

EIt provides a template for the documentation of the product Increment.

FIt is a checklist to inspect whether the Developers have performed their tasks by the end of a Sprint.

Answer : B, C, D

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.

Scrum PSM-II Professional Scrum Master II Exam Practice Test