CSM - Certified ScrumMaster Product Backlog Management Questions and Answers — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Who has the final say on the order of the Product Backlog?
- The stakeholders
- The Scrum Master
- The Product Owner (Correct answer)
- The Developers
Correct answer: The Product Owner
According to the Scrum Guide, the Product Owner is the sole person responsible for managing the Product Backlog, which includes ordering the items to best achieve goals and missions. While they may be influenced by stakeholders and the Developers, the ultimate accountability for the order rests with the Product Owner.
Question 2: A Product Owner is struggling to keep the Product Backlog organized due to a high volume of stakeholder requests. What is a valid action for the Product Owner to take?
- Delegate the responsibility of creating and communicating Product Backlog Items to the Developers, while remaining accountable. (Correct answer)
- Transfer ownership of the Product Backlog to a business analyst committee.
- Instruct the Scrum Master to prioritize the backlog based on stakeholder demands.
- Only allow the lead Developer to add new items to the Product Backlog.
Correct answer: Delegate the responsibility of creating and communicating Product Backlog Items to the Developers, while remaining accountable.
The Scrum Guide states that the Product Owner is accountable for effective Product Backlog management. However, they 'may do the above work or may delegate the responsibility to others.' The key is that the Product Owner remains accountable. Delegating the creation of items to Developers is a valid way to manage the workload.
Question 3: Which of the following BEST describes the Product Backlog?
- A static, comprehensive list of all requirements for the product, finalized before the first Sprint.
- The single source of work undertaken by the Scrum Team, which is emergent and ordered. (Correct answer)
- A plan for a single Sprint, containing all the tasks for the Developers.
- A list of technical tasks and architectural improvements managed by the Developers.
Correct answer: The single source of work undertaken by the Scrum Team, which is emergent and ordered.
The Product Backlog is an emergent, ordered list of what is needed to improve the product. It is the single source of all work performed by the Scrum Team. It is never complete and evolves as the product and its environment evolve.
Question 4: Product Backlog refinement is an ongoing activity. What is its primary goal?
- To finalize the Sprint Backlog for the next three Sprints.
- To provide performance reviews for the Developers based on completed items.
- To get Product Backlog Items into a 'ready' state for future Sprints. (Correct answer)
- To replace the need for a Sprint Planning event.
Correct answer: To get Product Backlog Items into a 'ready' state for future Sprints.
The purpose of Product Backlog refinement is to add details, estimates, and order to items. It's the act of breaking down and further defining Product Backlog items into smaller, more precise items so that they are 'ready' for selection in a future Sprint Planning event.
Question 5: Several stakeholders approach the Developers during a Sprint with new, urgent feature requests. What should the Developers do?
- Immediately add the new requests to the current Sprint Backlog.
- Complete the new requests first as they are marked 'urgent' by stakeholders.
- Implement the requests and inform the Product Owner at the Sprint Review.
- Redirect the stakeholders to the Product Owner to discuss adding the items to the Product Backlog. (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Redirect the stakeholders to the Product Owner to discuss adding the items to the Product Backlog.
The Product Owner is responsible for managing the Product Backlog and stakeholder expectations. To maintain transparency and proper ordering, all changes to the Product Backlog should go through the Product Owner. The Developers should focus on the Sprint Goal and the existing Sprint Backlog.
Question 6: The Product Backlog must have a Product Goal associated with it. What is the purpose of the Product Goal?
- To describe the specific work the Developers will perform in the current Sprint.
- To provide a long-term objective for the Scrum Team to plan against. (Correct answer)
- To list all the stakeholders and their contact information.
- To act as a contract that cannot be changed once the project begins.
Correct answer: To provide a long-term objective for the Scrum Team to plan against.
The Product Goal is the long-term objective for the Scrum Team. It is part of the Product Backlog. The Scrum Team must fulfill (or abandon) one objective before taking on the next. It provides context and a target for the team to plan against.
CSM - Certified ScrumMaster Product Backlog Management Questions and Answers
Who has the final say on the order of the Product Backlog?