Professional Scrum Master Artifacts and Commitments 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which commitment is associated with the Sprint Backlog?
- Product Goal
- Definition of Done
- Sprint Goal (Correct answer)
- Release Plan
Correct answer: Sprint Goal
The Sprint Goal is the commitment for the Sprint Backlog, giving the Sprint purpose and guiding trade-off decisions.
Question 2: A Scrum Team finishes Sprint work early. What should they do with remaining Sprint time?
- End the Sprint early and start a new Sprint Planning immediately
- Pull in more items from the Product Backlog that align with the Sprint Goal (Correct answer)
- Declare the Sprint complete and take the rest of the time off
- Ask the Scrum Master to add technical debt items to the Sprint
Correct answer: Pull in more items from the Product Backlog that align with the Sprint Goal
The team collaborates with the Product Owner to pull in additional Product Backlog items that serve the Sprint Goal when capacity remains.
Question 3: Who may add items to the Sprint Backlog during a Sprint?
- Only the Product Owner
- Only the Scrum Master
- Only the Developers (Correct answer)
- Any Scrum Team member with approval from the Product Owner
Correct answer: Only the Developers
Only the Developers can add work to the Sprint Backlog during the Sprint, ensuring they maintain ownership of the plan.
Question 4: An Increment must be usable. What does 'usable' mean in the context of Scrum?
- It has been approved by the Product Owner
- It meets the Definition of Done and can potentially be released (Correct answer)
- It has been tested by an external QA team
- It has been demonstrated at the Sprint Review
Correct answer: It meets the Definition of Done and can potentially be released
An Increment is usable when it meets the Definition of Done, making it potentially releasable regardless of whether the Product Owner chooses to release it.
Question 5: The Scrum Team has been unable to achieve the Sprint Goal for two consecutive Sprints. What is the most appropriate action?
- Cancel all remaining Sprints and replan the project
- Inspect and adapt in the Sprint Retrospective to identify and resolve root causes (Correct answer)
- Extend Sprint length to give the team more time
- Remove the Sprint Goal requirement for future Sprints
Correct answer: Inspect and adapt in the Sprint Retrospective to identify and resolve root causes
The Sprint Retrospective is the dedicated event for inspecting the team's practices and adapting to improve future performance.
Question 6: What is true about the Product Backlog in a mature Scrum environment?
- It is complete and frozen once the project starts
- It is a dynamic artifact that evolves as the product and market change (Correct answer)
- It contains only user stories approved in the last Sprint Review
- It is maintained by the Scrum Master to reduce the Product Owner's workload
Correct answer: It is a dynamic artifact that evolves as the product and market change
The Product Backlog is never complete; it evolves as long as the product exists, reflecting new insights, feedback, and changing conditions.
Question 7: Can a Scrum Team release an Increment before the Sprint Review?
- No, the Sprint Review must happen first to validate the Increment
- Yes, the Product Owner may decide to release a Done Increment at any time (Correct answer)
- No, only the Scrum Master can authorize mid-Sprint releases
- Yes, but only if all stakeholders approve the early release
Correct answer: Yes, the Product Owner may decide to release a Done Increment at any time
The Product Owner may release a Done Increment at any point during or after a Sprint; the Sprint Review is not a gate for release.
Professional Scrum Master Artifacts and Commitments 4
Which commitment is associated with the Sprint Backlog?