Professional Scrum Master Scrum Artifacts and Commitments 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What distinguishes the Sprint Backlog from a simple to-do list?
- The Sprint Backlog is created by the Scrum Master
- It includes the Sprint Goal and a plan for delivering the Increment, not just tasks (Correct answer)
- It contains only user stories in a specific format
- It is fixed at Sprint Planning and never changes
Correct answer: It includes the Sprint Goal and a plan for delivering the Increment, not just tasks
The Sprint Backlog contains the Sprint Goal, selected Product Backlog items, AND the plan for delivering the Increment — making it a purposeful, goal-driven artifact.
Question 2: A team finishes all Sprint Backlog items with three days remaining. What should they do regarding the Sprint artifacts?
- End the Sprint early
- Pull in additional Product Backlog items that support the Sprint Goal (Correct answer)
- Wait until the Sprint ends without doing more work
- Extend their Definition of Done retroactively
Correct answer: Pull in additional Product Backlog items that support the Sprint Goal
Developers may pull in additional Product Backlog items from the backlog — with Product Owner input — as long as they do not endanger the Sprint Goal.
Question 3: Who creates the Definition of Done when none exists in the organization?
- The Scrum Master alone
- The Product Owner alone
- The Scrum Team creates one appropriate for the product (Correct answer)
- An external auditor defines it
Correct answer: The Scrum Team creates one appropriate for the product
If no organizational standard exists, the Scrum Team must create a Definition of Done appropriate for their product.
Question 4: An Increment from Sprint 3 is later found to have defects. How does the Definition of Done factor into this situation?
- The Definition of Done was irrelevant since the Sprint ended
- It suggests the Definition of Done may have been insufficient or not properly followed (Correct answer)
- The Product Owner should have caught defects at Sprint Review
- Defects after release are the customer's responsibility
Correct answer: It suggests the Definition of Done may have been insufficient or not properly followed
Post-Sprint defects indicate the Definition of Done may have lacked adequate quality checks or was not properly applied during the Sprint.
Question 5: Why must the Product Goal be achieved or abandoned before a new Product Goal is set?
- Scrum teams can only track one goal at a time in their tools
- To maintain focus — having multiple concurrent Product Goals dilutes the team's purpose (Correct answer)
- Because the Product Backlog can only hold one goal at a time technically
- The Scrum Guide requires a retrospective between goals
Correct answer: To maintain focus — having multiple concurrent Product Goals dilutes the team's purpose
The Scrum Team pursues one Product Goal at a time to maintain strategic focus — pursuing multiple long-term objectives simultaneously creates confusion and dilutes effort.
Question 6: A Scrum Team's Definition of Done does not include testing. A stakeholder says 'testing is optional.' What is the Scrum Master's best response?
- Agree, since the Definition of Done is flexible
- Explain that while the content is team-defined, a DoD without testing likely cannot produce a releasable Increment (Correct answer)
- Escalate to the Product Owner to decide
- Accept it but add a note in the Sprint Review
Correct answer: Explain that while the content is team-defined, a DoD without testing likely cannot produce a releasable Increment
The Scrum Master should help the team understand that a Definition of Done without testing undermines the ability to produce a truly Done, releasable Increment.
Question 7: Which of the following is NOT one of the three Scrum artifacts?
- Product Backlog
- Sprint Backlog
- Increment
- Release Plan (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Release Plan
The three Scrum artifacts are the Product Backlog, Sprint Backlog, and Increment — a Release Plan is not a formal Scrum artifact.
Professional Scrum Master Scrum Artifacts and Commitments 5
What distinguishes the Sprint Backlog from a simple to-do list?