Professional Scrum Master Scrum Artifacts and Commitments 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When does an Increment come into existence?
- Only at Sprint Review
- Only when the Product Owner accepts it
- As soon as a Product Backlog item meets the Definition of Done during a Sprint (Correct answer)
- At the end of the Sprint when all items are complete
Correct answer: As soon as a Product Backlog item meets the Definition of Done during a Sprint
An Increment is created as soon as any Product Backlog item meets the Definition of Done — multiple Increments can be created within a single Sprint.
Question 2: The organization's standards exceed the Scrum Team's Definition of Done. Which standard applies?
- The team's Definition of Done takes precedence
- The higher organizational standard must be used as a minimum (Correct answer)
- Both standards are optional
- The Product Owner decides which standard to use
Correct answer: The higher organizational standard must be used as a minimum
If organizational standards exist, the Definition of Done must comply with them as a minimum — the team's DoD can be stricter but never looser.
Question 3: What happens to the Product Backlog when a product is retired?
- It is archived and maintained forever
- It is eliminated along with the product (Correct answer)
- It becomes the Sprint Backlog
- It is transferred to another product team
Correct answer: It is eliminated along with the product
The Product Backlog exists as long as the product exists — when the product is retired, the Product Backlog is eliminated as well.
Question 4: A Scrum Team produces an Increment that is potentially releasable but the Product Owner decides not to release it. Is this acceptable?
- No, every Increment must be released
- Yes, the Product Owner decides whether and when to release (Correct answer)
- No, the Scrum Master must approve releases
- Yes, but only if stakeholders agree
Correct answer: Yes, the Product Owner decides whether and when to release
The Product Owner decides whether to release an Increment — the team's job is to make it potentially releasable; the release decision belongs to the Product Owner.
Question 5: Which Scrum value is MOST directly reinforced by the three artifact commitments?
- Courage
- Transparency (Correct answer)
- Respect
- Focus
Correct answer: Transparency
The three commitments (Product Goal, Sprint Goal, Definition of Done) exist to reinforce transparency by reducing ambiguity about each artifact's purpose and quality.
Question 6: The Developers discover mid-Sprint that the Sprint Goal is unachievable due to new technical findings. What is the recommended action?
- Cancel the Sprint immediately
- Continue the Sprint and collaborate with the Product Owner to rescope work within the Sprint Goal (Correct answer)
- Ignore the finding and deliver what was planned
- Extend the Sprint deadline
Correct answer: Continue the Sprint and collaborate with the Product Owner to rescope work within the Sprint Goal
Developers should collaborate with the Product Owner to negotiate the Sprint Backlog scope while keeping the Sprint Goal intact when possible — cancellation is a last resort.
Question 7: Product Backlog refinement results in items being split, estimated, and clarified. Who is responsible for this work?
- Only the Product Owner
- Only the Developers
- The Scrum Team collaboratively (Correct answer)
- The Scrum Master facilitates and decides
Correct answer: The Scrum Team collaboratively
Product Backlog refinement is a collaborative activity involving the entire Scrum Team — the Product Owner clarifies intent while Developers provide technical insight.
Professional Scrum Master Scrum Artifacts and Commitments 4
When does an Increment come into existence?