Scrum PSM-II Professional Scrum Master II Exam Practice Test

Answer : A, C

The best two answers are A and C.

A) Timeboxing work to allow for frequent inspection. This is a relevant boundary for self-management provided by the Scrum framework, as it helps the Scrum Team to organize their work into fixed-length Sprints and other events, such as the Daily Scrum, the Sprint Planning, the Sprint Review, and the Sprint Retrospective. Timeboxing enables the Scrum Team to inspect their progress, adapt their plan, and deliver value regularly and predictably.

C) Creating a valuable and useful Increment by the end of each Sprint. This is also a relevant boundary for self-management provided by the Scrum framework, as it guides the Scrum Team to focus on delivering a product Increment that meets the Sprint Goal and the Definition of Done. Creating a valuable and useful Increment requires the Scrum Team to collaborate, communicate, and coordinate effectively, and to apply their skills and creativity to solve complex problems.

The Scrum Guide, section 2.3 (The Scrum Team), page 7

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

The Scrum Guide, section 3.4 (The Increment), page 10

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 5 (The Sprint Review)

The Professional Scrum Master II (PSM II) Assessment, question 40

Answer : B, D, E

The possible explanations for why this Scrum Team is struggling to craft a Sprint Goal are B, D, and E.

B) The Sprints are too long. A four-week Sprint is the maximum duration allowed by the Scrum Guide, and it may not be suitable for complex and uncertain work that requires frequent feedback and adaptation. A shorter Sprint may help the Scrum Team to focus on a clear and coherent Sprint Goal that aligns with the Product Goal and delivers a valuable Increment.

D) The Product Owner is not communicating the Product Goal that they want to achieve in upcoming Sprints. The Product Goal is a long-term objective for the Scrum Team that provides direction and purpose for their work. The Product Owner is responsible for communicating the Product Goal to the Developers and collaborating with them to create Sprint Goals that move them closer to the Product Goal. Without a clear Product Goal, the Scrum Team may lack a shared vision and end up working on unrelated items.

E) The Scrum Team is too big. The Scrum Guide recommends that the Scrum Team consists of 10 or fewer people, including the Scrum Master and the Product Owner. A larger team may have difficulties in collaborating effectively, self-organizing, and creating a meaningful Sprint Goal that reflects the collective commitment of the Developers. A smaller team may improve the communication, coordination, and cohesion among the Developers and help them to create and achieve a Sprint Goal.

The Scrum Guide, section 2.3 (The Scrum Team), page 7

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 4.1 (The Product Backlog), page 11

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

Answer : D

The Scrum Master should do this because it is the most effective way to ensure that the Scrum Teams are self-organizing, cross-functional, and collaborative. The Scrum Master can help the Scrum Teams to understand the benefits of working together as one integrated team, rather than as separate component teams. The Scrum Master can also facilitate the communication and coordination among the Scrum Teams, and support them in resolving any dependencies or conflicts that may arise.

Scrum Guide 2020, page 7: ''Scrum Teams are cross-functional, meaning the members have all the skills necessary to create value in each Sprint.''

Scrum Guide 2020, page 7: ''Scrum Teams are self-managing, meaning they internally decide who does what, when, and how.''

Nexus Guide 2020, page 5: ''When multiple Scrum Teams are working together on the same product, there are additional complexities that arise. These complexities can be reduced by having the teams adhere to a common definition of ''Done'' and a single Product Backlog.''

Answer : B, F, G

B) Developers with an interest in Stella's domain could volunteer to take on this work in their respective Scrum Teams.

This is a good solution because it is consistent with the Scrum value ofcommitment, which means that the Scrum Team members are willing to learn new skills and take on new challenges to deliver value12.By volunteering to take on this work, the Developers can reduce the dependency on Stella, increase their cross-functionality, and collaborate more effectively within and across the Scrum Teams34. F. Ask Stella for a plan to hire and train additional people in her domain, and in the meantime work with the Product Owner and Scrum Teams to re-prioritize the work so that tasks not depending on Stella can be done first

This is another good solution 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 asking Stella for a plan to hire and train additional people, the Scrum Master can help address the root cause of the dependency and create more capacity and diversity in Stella's domain.By working with the Product Owner and Scrum Teams to re-prioritize the work, the Scrum Master can also help optimize the value and feasibility of the product backlog items, and enable the Scrum Teams to deliver valuable and functional increments every Sprint34. G. Create a team with Stella and identify people from the Scrum Teams to temporarily work in Stella's domain to learn to better serve the existing teams

This is also a good solution because it is consistent with the Scrum value ofrespect, which means that the Scrum Team members appreciate and value each other's skills and perspectives12. By creating a team with Stella, the Scrum Master can acknowledge and leverage Stella's expertise and experience in her domain.By identifying people from the Scrum Teams to temporarily work in Stella's domain, the Scrum Master can also facilitate knowledge transfer and skill development among the team members, which can improve their self-organization and collaboration34.

Answer : F

The Scrum Value of openness can easily impact all of the aspects listed in the question. Openness means that the Scrum Team and the stakeholders agree to be transparent about their work, their challenges, their learnings, and their progress. This fosters a culture of collaboration, trust, feedback, and continuous improvement. Openness also helps to ensure that the product quality meets the expectations of the customers and the stakeholders, and that the product is delivered in a timely manner. Openness also contributes to employee satisfaction, as it allows the Scrum Team members to express their opinions, share their ideas, and learn from each other.

The Scrum Guide, section 2.2 (Scrum Values), page 6

The Scrum Master Learning Path, module 1 (Scrum Theory), lesson 3 (Scrum Values)

Answer : A, B, C

The complexity of the problem being solved and the complexity of the requirements are both sources of uncertainty and variability that can impact the Sprint Goal and the Sprint Backlog. The skills and working relationships of the people on the Scrum Team(s) are also crucial for delivering a valuable product increment in a Sprint. The Scrum Master is accountable for establishing an environment where the Scrum Team can be effective and improving the professionalism of the Scrum Team.

Scrum Guide 2020, page 6: ''The Scrum Master is accountable for establishing Scrum as defined in the Scrum Guide. They do this by helping everyone understand Scrum theory and practice, both within the Scrum Team and the organization.''

Scrum Guide 2020, page 10: ''The Sprint Goal is an objective set for the Sprint that can be met through the implementation of Product Backlog items. This provides guidance to the Development Team on why it is building the Increment.''

Scrum Guide 2020, page 11: ''The Sprint Backlog is composed of the Sprint Goal (why), the set of Product Backlog items selected for the Sprint (what), as well as an actionable plan for delivering the Increment (how).''

Evidence-Based Management Guide, page 9: ''Uncertainty is inherent in complex work. The more complex work is, the more uncertainty there is. Uncertainty comes from two sources: variability and emergence.''

Answer : E

The situation described in the question indicates that there are multiple problems in the Scrum Team that have led to the increase of technical debt and the dissatisfaction of the Product Owner. These problems include:

The Scrum Team has not used the past Sprint Retrospectives effectively to inspect and adapt. The Sprint Retrospective is an opportunity for the Scrum Team to reflect on their performance and identify improvements for the next Sprint. If the Scrum Team has not been using this event properly, they may have missed some issues or opportunities that could have improved their quality and value delivery.

The Developers have not been paying enough attention to quality. The Developers are accountable for creating a potentially releasable product increment that meets the Definition of Done and the Sprint Goal. If the Developers have not been focusing on quality, they may have introduced defects, errors, or inefficiencies that compromise the functionality and usability of the product.

The Scrum Team is not having conversations around technical debt. Technical debt is the accumulation of work that needs to be done to ensure that a product is maintainable and extensible in the future. If the Scrum Team is not discussing and managing technical debt, they may be neglecting some important aspects of the product architecture, design, or code that could affect its scalability, performance, or security.

The Scrum Master has not ensured that the Scrum Team is being transparent. The Scrum Master is responsible for establishing an environment where transparency, inspection, and adaptation can occur. If the Scrum Master has not ensured that the Scrum Team is being transparent, they may have allowed some hidden problems or assumptions to persist that could affect the quality and value of the product.

Scrum Guide 2020, page 13: ''The purpose of the Sprint Retrospective is to plan ways to increase quality and effectiveness.''

Scrum Guide 2020, page 10: ''The Developers are the people in the Scrum Team that are committed to creating any aspect of a usable Increment each Sprint.''

Professional Scrum Master II Course, page 12: ''Technical debt is a metaphor for expressing how doing things in a suboptimal way can accumulate over time and make it harder to change or improve a product in the future.''

Scrum Guide 2020, page 6: ''The Scrum Master is accountable for establishing Scrum as defined in the Scrum Guide. They do this by helping everyone understand Scrum theory and practice, both within the Scrum Team and the organization.''