1. In a Retrospective, a Scrum Team decides to revise the Sprint length. The new Sprint length needs to be agreed upon by the Product Owner.
a) True
b) False
-------Answer-------
The Product Owner needs to ensure that the Sprint length is short enough to limit business risks and also short enough so the team can synchronize the development work with other business events. So it requires the approval of the Product Owner. Please note that the finalized Sprint length cannot be longer than 1 calendar month. Correct answer is ‘a.’
2. In the middle of the Sprint, the Development Team finds that some of the Product Backlog Items forecast for this Sprint cannot be finished because they need significant additional effort. However, the Development Team can still meet the Sprint Goal with rest of the items. The next thing to do is
a) Consult with the Product Owner. If they agree to cancel the current Sprint, plan a new Sprint with new estimates.
b) Do not cancel the Sprint. Extend the Sprint duration as required for the additional effort.
c) Collaborate with the Product Owner and negotiate the removal of the Product Backlog Items that cannot be finished. Add new items prioritized by the Product Owner up to team’s capacity. Complete the Sprint.
-------Answer-------
As a first step, the team needs to solve this on its own. If they cannot, they should capture this as an impediment and try to work with the Scrum Master. After that, if the impediment is not solved, they need to involve the Product Owner. Correct answer is ‘c.’
3. The Scrum Team gathers for the Sprint Planning meeting. The Product Owner has some stories but the team finds that the stories do not provide enough information to make a forecast. The next immediate step is
a) The Scrum Master cancels the Sprint.
b) The Development Team proceeds with starting with whatever is known.
c) The Development Team makes it transparent that they cannot make a forecast with insufficient information and negotiates with the Product Owner on refining the stories to a ready state.
d) The Scrum Team discusses the root cause in the Retrospective.
-------Answer-------
The Product Owner needs to help clarify the selected Product Backlog Items. The Scrum Master can also coach the Product Owner on how to accomplish this. One example is by having regular “backlog refinement sessions.” Answer ‘d’ is also correct, but the question asks about the “next immediate step.” Correct answer is ‘c.’
4. Conducting the Daily Scrum at the same time and same place every day makes it easier for the Product Owner and the Scrum Master to participate.
a) True
b) False
-------Answer-------
It is preferable to conduct the Daily Scrum at the same time and same place so it can reduce the complexity of meeting overhead. Unless the Product Owner and Scrum Master are also part of the Development Team, they are not required for the Daily Scrum. Correct answer is ‘b.’
5. A discussion of what to do next is an additional event in the Sprint Review.
a) False
b) True, and the scope of the next Sprint is also finalized here.
c) True, and it may capture probable Backlog Items for the next Sprint, but the scope of the next Sprint is deferred until Sprint Planning.
-------Answer-------
Every Scrum event is an opportunity for inspection and adaptation. In the Sprint Review, inspecting the product Increment provides insights and clarity. This newly found knowledge is used to ‘adapt the next steps,’ i.e., find out what to do next. Correct answer is ‘c.’
6. Given a complex product and its relevance to multiple departments, a Scrum Team expects that they need to invite many stakeholders for the Sprint Review. It estimates that the review will take more than 4 hours. The Scrum Team can increase the Sprint Review duration.
a) True
b) False
-------Answer-------
Every Scrum event is time-boxed to reduce risk and eliminate waste. If there are valid reasons that require more time, it might be due to reasons such as added complexity. A team needs to address these root causes, and the time box should be followed to contain risks. Correct answer is ‘b.’
More examples of where the time box is likely to be broken but should be safeguarded are
• A Daily Scrum cannot exceed 15 minutes even if the team size is increased.
• A Sprint cannot go beyond one month even if there are items almost done and may need just few more days to be completely “Done.”
7. A Development Team maintains a Sprint burn-down to track estimated remaining work. In the middle of the Sprint, the burn down graph shows an upward spike. This indicates
a) A planned work is removed.
b) The Product Owner added a new item to the Sprint.
c) The Development Team added new work.
-------Answer-------
A spike indicates added work. The Product Owner cannot add new work without the Development Team’s consent. Correct is answer is ‘c.’
8. The value attached to the Product Backlog Item is guaranteed to be realized.
a) True
b) False
-------Answer-------
The value is an estimate based on assumptions. It has to be validated by releasing the item. Scrum facilitates the early validation by making it available as a potentially releasable and useable Increment to the Product Owner who can then choose to release it to Production. Correct answer is ‘b.’
9. Who finalizes the number of Product Backlog Items that can be selected for the Sprint Backlog?
a) The Product Owner since they optimize the Development Team’s work
b) The Scrum Master since they coach the team on Scrum
c) The Development Team since they are the owners of the work
d) The Scrum Team together negotiates and reaches an agreement. They may use the team velocity as a standard to calculate how much work they can take.
-------Answer-------
The Product Owner optimizes the team’s work by keeping the Product Backlog ordered, and hence deciding what they work on next. Only the Development Team can finalize how many Product Backlog Items it can complete in the Sprint. Correct answer is ‘c.’
10. After Sprint Planning, the Product Backlog Items selected into the Sprint Backlog are frozen and cannot be modified. The only way to modify the Sprint Backlog is to have the Product Owner cancel the Sprint.
a) True
b) False
-------Answer-------
The Sprint Goal gives the Development Team some flexibility regarding the functionality implemented within the Sprint. As the Development Team works, it keeps the Sprint Goal in mind. If the work turns out to be different than the Development Team expected, they collaborate with the Product Owner to negotiate the scope of the Sprint Backlog within the Sprint. Correct answer is ‘b.’