Professional Scrum Master Scrum Theory and Empiricism Questions and Answers — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Scrum is founded on empirical process control theory. Which of the following best describes the core principle of empiricism in the context of Scrum?
- Following a detailed, upfront plan and tracking variances against that plan throughout the project.
- Making decisions based on what is observed, experienced, and experimented with, rather than on speculation or theory alone. (Correct answer)
- Relying on the expertise of a single authority figure, like a project manager, to make all key decisions.
- Implementing a fixed set of processes and techniques that have been proven successful in past projects.
Correct answer: Making decisions based on what is observed, experienced, and experimented with, rather than on speculation or theory alone.
Empiricism asserts that knowledge comes from experience and making decisions based on what is known and observed. Scrum uses an iterative and incremental approach to optimize predictability and control risk, which is the opposite of following a detailed, fixed, upfront plan.
Question 2: A Scrum Team is in the middle of a Sprint. The Developers realize they have significantly underestimated the effort for a Product Backlog Item. To maintain transparency, what is the most appropriate immediate action?
- Continue working on the item and hope to finish it by the end of the Sprint, without mentioning the difficulty.
- Wait until the Sprint Review to inform the stakeholders that the item is not complete.
- Make the issue visible immediately, for instance, by updating the Sprint Backlog and communicating within the Scrum Team during the Daily Scrum. (Correct answer)
- Ask the Product Owner to remove the item from the Sprint Backlog to protect the team's velocity.
Correct answer: Make the issue visible immediately, for instance, by updating the Sprint Backlog and communicating within the Scrum Team during the Daily Scrum.
Transparency is a pillar of empiricism and is crucial for effective inspection and adaptation. Hiding the problem (low transparency) prevents the team and stakeholders from inspecting the true situation and adapting the plan. Making the problem visible as soon as it's discovered allows for timely inspection and adaptation, which are core to Scrum.
Question 3: Which Scrum event is the primary opportunity for stakeholders to inspect the Increment and for the Scrum Team to adapt the Product Backlog based on feedback?
- The Daily Scrum
- The Sprint Retrospective
- The Sprint Review (Correct answer)
- Sprint Planning
Correct answer: The Sprint Review
The Sprint Review is a formal event designed for the Scrum Team and stakeholders to collaborate. During this event, the team presents the results of the Sprint, and progress toward the Product Goal is discussed. It is the key inspect-and-adapt event for the product itself, allowing for direct feedback which may lead to adaptations in the Product Backlog.
Question 4: If one of the three pillars of empiricism (Transparency, Inspection, Adaptation) is weak or missing, what is the likely outcome?
- The other two pillars will become stronger to compensate for the weakness.
- The Scrum Team will deliver value more efficiently as there are fewer rules to follow.
- The value delivered will be diminished, and risk will increase. (Correct answer)
- The Scrum Master's role becomes unnecessary.
Correct answer: The value delivered will be diminished, and risk will increase.
The three pillars of empiricism are interdependent. Transparency enables true inspection. Inspection without transparency is misleading. Inspection without adaptation is pointless. If any pillar is weak, the empirical process breaks down, leading to poor decisions, increased risk, and a lower likelihood of delivering a valuable product.
Question 5: A Product Owner is being pressured by stakeholders to provide a fixed-scope, fixed-date release plan for the next six months. As a Scrum Master, how would you coach the Product Owner to respond in a way that aligns with Scrum and empiricism?
- Agree to the request and create a detailed Gantt chart to satisfy the stakeholders.
- Explain that forecasting is impossible in Scrum and refuse to provide any long-term outlook.
- Work with the Product Owner to create a forecast based on the team's current velocity and the state of the Product Backlog, while clearly communicating that this is a projection, not a guarantee, and will be adapted based on what is learned each Sprint. (Correct answer)
- Tell the stakeholders that their request is against Scrum rules and direct them to read the Scrum Guide.
Correct answer: Work with the Product Owner to create a forecast based on the team's current velocity and the state of the Product Backlog, while clearly communicating that this is a projection, not a guarantee, and will be adapted based on what is learned each Sprint.
Scrum operates on empiricism, acknowledging that more is unknown than known at the start of a project. While fixed guarantees are not compatible with this approach, forecasting is. A Scrum Master should coach the Product Owner to use empirical data (like velocity) to create a forecast, while emphasizing that the plan is emergent and will be adapted as new knowledge is gained through inspection of the Increments.
Question 6: Which of the following is NOT a direct implementation of the empirical pillar of 'Adaptation' in Scrum?
- Adjusting the Sprint Backlog during the Sprint in response to new discoveries.
- Modifying the Product Backlog during the Sprint Review based on stakeholder feedback.
- The Scrum Team creating an improvement action item in the Sprint Retrospective to change their process.
- The Product Owner defining a clear, long-term Product Goal. (Correct answer)
Correct answer: The Product Owner defining a clear, long-term Product Goal.
Adaptation is about making an adjustment based on the results of an inspection to minimize further deviation. Adjusting the Sprint Backlog, modifying the Product Backlog, and creating an improvement plan are all direct adaptations based on inspections. Defining a Product Goal is an act of providing focus and a long-term objective; while the path to the goal will be adapted, the goal itself is a commitment, not an adaptation in response to an inspection.
Professional Scrum Master Scrum Theory and Empiricism Questions and Answers
Scrum is founded on empirical process control theory.
Which of the following best describes the core principle of empiricism in the context of Scrum?