Scrum PSM-II Exam Practice Test Instant Access

Question 1

Your Scrum Team has been working together for over a dozen Sprints. The Scrum Team consists of 10 members. Each Sprint takes four weeks. As a Scrum Master, you observe that the Developers are hardly collaborating; during the Sprint, members are primarily working on their own items. You also notice that the items on the Sprint Backlog are mostly unrelated. You suspect that the lack of a Sprint Goal might be the cause.

Although you have encouraged the use of a Sprint Goal, both the Product Owner and the Developers have concluded that they are unable to create Sprint Goals based on the wide variety of items on their Product Backlog.

What might explain why this Scrum Team is struggling to craft a Sprint Goal?

(choose all that apply)

AScrum might not be the best framework for the work done by this team.

BThe Sprints are too long.

CThe Product Owner does not have the mandate to make decisions about items on the Product Backlog nor their ordering.

DThe Product Owner is not communicating the Product Goal that they want to achieve in upcoming Sprints.

EThe Scrum Team is too big.

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)

Question 2

You are the Scrum Master of a Scrum Team that has one Developer who disagrees with team decisions. Their disagreements are becoming disruptive and slowing progress. The Developer often returns to earlier team decisions and re-opens the issue.

What are two ways to go about this problem?

(choose the best two answers)

AYou organize an offsite team building activity to establish a foundation of trust. You observe whether the problem persists after the offsite activity.
B. You take the Developer aside to express your concern over their disagreements
and tell them to act as a team player and to comply with the team's decision.
C. At the Sprint Retrospective you observe whether the topic is raised. If it does not happen, you check on how comfortable everybody is with the way team
decisions are made.
D. You go to the Human Resources department and ask them to have a
conversation with the Developer based on the issues the team has raised.

ETo every team member expressing this concern you suggest raising this with the full team. You offer to help initiate the conversation but not to resolve the concern yourself.

Answer : A, E

A: You organize an offsite team building activity to establish a foundation of trust. You observe whether the problem persists after the offsite activity. This is a good way to foster a positive team culture and improve the relationships among the team members. The offsite activity can help the team to have fun, relax, and bond with each other. It can also create an opportunity for the team to discuss their issues and concerns in a more informal and friendly setting. The Scrum Master can observe whether the problem of disagreement is resolved or reduced after the offsite activity, and provide feedback and support as needed.

E: To every team member expressing this concern you suggest raising this with the full team. You offer to help initiate the conversation but not to resolve the concern yourself. This is a good way to empower the team to address their own problems and find their own solutions. The Scrum Master can encourage the team members to speak up and share their perspectives and feelings with the whole team, rather than keeping them to themselves or complaining to others. The Scrum Master can also facilitate the conversation and ensure that it is respectful, constructive, and productive, but not intervene or impose their own opinion or decision.

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 20: ''The Scrum Master can help the team to build trust by creating a safe environment where people can express themselves openly and honestly, without fear of judgment or retaliation.''

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 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

What can the Scrum Value of openness easily impact?

(choose the best answer)

ACollaboration.

BProduct quality.

CEmployee satisfaction.

DTime to market.

EStakeholder trust.

FAll of the above.

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)

Question 5

True or False: Using Scrum ensures that adding more resources to a project proportionally increases the value delivered.

ATrue

BFalse

Answer : B

Using Scrum does not ensure that adding more resources to a project proportionally increases the value delivered.In fact, adding more resources may have the opposite effect, as it can introduce more complexity, communication overhead, coordination challenges, and integration issues12.Scrum values quality over quantity, and focuses on delivering the most valuable and feasible outcomes in a given timebox3.Scrum also encourages teams to be self-organizing and cross-functional, which means that they can work autonomously and collaboratively without relying on external resources or dependencies3.

Question 6

You are a Scrum Master helping to establish five Scrum Teams that will be building a product.

You discuss with them the high level of integration that the product Increment will require by the end of their first Sprint. It is a highly anticipated product, both by consumers and by the organization. Of the options raised by the future Scrum Team members, which option do you encourage?

(choose the best answer)

AEach Scrum Team provides a separate Increment with the functionality added by the individual team. The Sprint Review is used to identify the work needed to integrate with the other Scrum Teams. This work is then added to the Product Backlog.

BEach Scrum Team delivers done Increments in its own area of responsibility. Upon functional acceptance at the Sprint Review, the code is isolated for future stabilization. The release date is adjusted according to the expected work and time of such integration phase.

CIn the first Sprint, integration is less important. The goal is to deliver business value. Functionality that is not integrated with the work of other Scrum Teams by the end of a Sprint is still reviewed to assess its potential business value. It can still be released at the Product Owner's discretion, and silent consent of the stakeholders.

DAll Scrum Teams agree on a shared Definition of Done that describes all work needed to deliver an Increment that is the integrated sum of the work from all Scrum Teams.

Answer : D

The Scrum Guide states that ''the moment a Product Backlog item meets the Definition of Done, an Increment is born'' and that ''the Increment is the sum of all the Product Backlog items completed during a Sprint and the value of the increments of all previous Sprints''. Therefore, to deliver a product Increment that is integrated and potentially releasable, all Scrum Teams must have a shared understanding of what ''Done'' means and ensure that their work meets that standard. This also enables transparency, inspection, and adaptation across the Scrum Teams.

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

The Scrum Master Learning Path, module 5 (The Increment), lesson 1 (What is an Increment?) and lesson 2 (Definition of Done)

Question 7

During a Sprint Review, the Product Owner determines that she is going to release the current Increment to production. The stakeholders ask to stop the Sprint to react more quickly to the user feedback that is expected after this release. The Product Owner prefers to continue the Sprint to make progress with the next release. You facilitate a discussion on how to proceed.

What are two acceptable results of this discussion?

(choose the best two answers)

AContinue sprinting but shorten the Sprint length to allow for shorter feedback loops.
B. Stop sprinting and let the Developers work on new customer requests as they
arise.

CContinue sprinting and include the customer feedback in the Product Backlog.

DContinue sprinting but allow customer feedback to change the Sprint Goal within the Sprint.

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.

Scrum Professional Scrum Master II PSM-II Exam Practice Test