PSPO Scrum Events and Artifacts 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What should the Product Owner prepare before each Sprint Review?
- A formal presentation of completed features for management
- An updated Product Backlog reflecting current priorities and an understanding of what was accomplished vs. the Sprint Goal (Correct answer)
- A performance review of each Developer's Sprint contributions
- A release approval document for stakeholders to sign
Correct answer: An updated Product Backlog reflecting current priorities and an understanding of what was accomplished vs. the Sprint Goal
The Product Owner should arrive at the Sprint Review with a current, prioritized backlog and clear context about Sprint Goal achievement to facilitate productive stakeholder discussions.
Question 2: What does transparency in Scrum artifacts mean for a Product Owner?
- Sharing all internal team discussions with stakeholders
- Ensuring the Product Backlog and Increment accurately represent the true state of the product for informed decisions (Correct answer)
- Publishing all team metrics publicly
- Allowing stakeholders to modify the Product Backlog directly
Correct answer: Ensuring the Product Backlog and Increment accurately represent the true state of the product for informed decisions
Transparency means artifacts must honestly reflect reality so that decisions based on them are well-informed; a misleading backlog undermines the entire empirical process.
Question 3: How often should Product Backlog refinement occur?
- Once per quarter during product planning sessions
- Only during Sprint Planning
- Continuously throughout the Sprint as a regular activity, typically consuming no more than 10% of the team's capacity (Correct answer)
- Only when the Product Owner identifies a problem
Correct answer: Continuously throughout the Sprint as a regular activity, typically consuming no more than 10% of the team's capacity
Backlog refinement is an ongoing activity that keeps upcoming items ready for Sprint Planning, typically using about 10% of the team's Sprint capacity.
Question 4: What is the Scrum Master's role relative to the Product Owner?
- The Scrum Master manages the Product Owner and approves backlog decisions
- The Scrum Master helps the Product Owner understand effective backlog management and facilitates Scrum events (Correct answer)
- The Scrum Master creates the Product Backlog on behalf of the PO
- The Scrum Master reports the PO's performance to management
Correct answer: The Scrum Master helps the Product Owner understand effective backlog management and facilitates Scrum events
The Scrum Master serves the Product Owner by coaching backlog management practices, facilitating events, and removing impediments that affect the PO's effectiveness.
Question 5: What is an Increment, and how is it different from a release?
- An Increment and a release are always the same thing
- An Increment is work that meets the Definition of Done; a release is the decision to make an Increment available to users (Correct answer)
- A release is created every Sprint; an Increment is created only at major milestones
- An Increment is approved by stakeholders; a release is approved by Developers
Correct answer: An Increment is work that meets the Definition of Done; a release is the decision to make an Increment available to users
Every Sprint produces an Increment meeting the Definition of Done, but the Product Owner decides separately whether to release that Increment to users.
Question 6: What is the purpose of the Sprint Review in terms of empiricism?
- To formally approve completed work and close the Sprint
- To inspect the Increment and adapt the Product Backlog based on outcomes and environment changes (Correct answer)
- To measure team performance against Sprint velocity targets
- To present a project status report to management
Correct answer: To inspect the Increment and adapt the Product Backlog based on outcomes and environment changes
The Sprint Review is an empirical inspect-and-adapt event where the team and stakeholders evaluate progress and use new information to adapt the backlog.
PSPO Scrum Events and Artifacts 2
What should the Product Owner prepare before each Sprint Review?