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Tools for Optimum Performance

preparation for

Agile Scrum Master Certification

Professional Scrum Master level I

~
Sample Examination
with Answers and Notices

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PSM I Sample Examination with Answers and Notices

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Question 1
Please select the option(s) that NOT adhere to the purpose of Sprint
Retrospective:
Your answer(s):
[]

[]

[x]

[]

Create a plan for implementing improvements to the way the Scrum

Team does its work.
Finding ways to increase product quality by adapting the Definition
of "Done" as appropriate.
Inspect how the product increment satisfies the Product Backlog
items.
Identify and order the major items that went well and list the
potential improvements.

Notice:
The Sprint Retrospective is an opportunity for the Scrum Team to inspect itself and
create a plan for identified and agreed-upon improvements to be enacted during the next
Sprint(s). Thus, the Sprint Retrospective provides a formal opportunity to focus on
inspection and adaptation.

Question 2
Please select which statement is the MOST accurate:
Correct answer:
[x]

[]
[]

B
C

[]

Grooming is a part-time activity during a Sprint between the Product

Owner and the Development Team.
Grooming is a full-time activity during a Sprint for the Scrum Team.
Grooming is a part-time activity during a Sprint between the Product
Owner and the Scrum Master.
Grooming is a full-time activity during a Sprint between the Product
Owner and the Development Team.

Notice:
Product Backlog grooming is the act of adding detail, estimates, and order to items in the
Product Backlog. This is an ongoing process in which the Product Owner and the
Development Team collaborate on the details of the Product Backlog items. Grooming
usually consumes no more than 10% of the capacity of the Development Team.
During Product Backlog grooming, items are reviewed and revised, based on feedback
from the Development Team and possibly other stakeholders. However, items can be
updated at any time by the Product Owner or at the Product owner's discretion.

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PSM I Sample Examination with Answers and Notices

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Question 3
What is the maximum length of a Sprint?
Correct answer:
[]
[]

A
B

[]
[x]

C
D

Not so long that the risk is unacceptable to the Product Owner.

Not so long that other business events can't be readily synchronized
with the development work.
No more than one calendar month.
All of these answers are correct.

Notice:
Sprints are limited to one calendar month. When a Sprint's horizon is too long the
definition of what is being built may change, complexity may rise, and risk may increase.
Inspection at least every calendar month promotes adaptation and progress toward the
project goal, and limit risk to at most one calendar month of cost.

Question 4
Who is responsible for updating the work estimates during a Sprint?
Correct answer:
[x]
[]
[]
[]

A
B
C
D

The
The
The
The

Development Team
Scrum Master
Product Owner
most junior member of the Team.

Notice:
At any point in time in a Sprint, the total work remaining in the Sprint Backlog items can
be summed. The Development Team tracks this total work remaining at least for every
Daily Scrum. Hence the estimates for the remaining work are updated at a daily basis.
Scrum does not consider the time spent working on Sprint Backlog Items. The work
remaining and date are the only variables of interest.
Effort estimates for items in the Product Backlog are given by the Development Team to
the Product Owner, to facilitate correct ordening of the Product Backlog.

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PSM I Sample Examination with Answers and Notices

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Question 5
The Sprint Backlog and its contents are fully formulated in the Sprint Planning
meeting and do not change during the Sprint
Correct answer:
[]
[x]

True
False

Notice:
During the Sprint Planning meeting, the Sprint Backlog and its contents are formulated
and detailed according to what is known at that point in time. Not all the work can be
forecasted, so the Sprint Backlog allowed for a certain level of flexibility to allow for
modification and adaptation during the Sprint.

Question 6
A Scrum Master is keeping a list of open impediments, but it is growing and
he/she has been able to resolve only a small portion of the impediments. Which
three techniques would be most helpful in this situation?
Correct answer:
[x]
[x]
[]
[]

A
B
C
D

[]
[x]

E
F

Prioritize the list and work on them in order.

Alert management to the impediments and their impact.
Arrange a triage meeting with all other project managers.
Discuss the absence of management support with the Development
Team.
Tell the Product Owner that Scrum isn't working.
Consult with the Development Team.

Notice:
It is recommended to list the impediments in a prioritized Impediment Backlog. In some
cases, resolving impediments is outside the circle of influence of the Scrum Master. In
that case, management has a responsibility to help to resolve pending impediments. The
level of managerial support is directly related to the success of Scrum.

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PSM I Sample Examination with Answers and Notices

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Question 7
Which of the following statements is NOT true?
Correct answer:
[]

[]
[]

B
C

[x]

The Product Backlog evolves as the product and the environment in

which it will be used evolves.
The Product Backlog is dynamic.
The Product Backlog constantly changes to identify what the product
needs to be.
The Product Backlog is complete when the final product Increment is
considered "Done"

Notice:
As a product in used and gains value, and the marketplace provides feedback, the
Product Backlog become a larger and more exhaustive list. Requirements never stop
changing, so a Product Backlog is a living artifact - it is never complete. Changes in
business requirements, market conditions, or technology may cause changes in the
Product Backlog. As long as a product exists, its Product Backlog also exists.

Question 8
Who is required to attend the Daily Scrum?
Correct answer:
[x]
[]
[]
[]
[]

A
B
C
D
E

The
The
The
The
The

Development Team
Scrum Team
Development Team and Scrum Master.
Development Team and Product Owner.
Scrum Master and Product Owner.

Notice:
Only the people doing the work described on the Sprint Backlog need to inspect and
adapt at the Daily Scrum. If the Scrum Master or Product Owner is also on the
Development Team, they will need to be at the Daily Scrum. Otherwise, the Scrum
Master simply has to make sure the Development Team knows how to conduct a Daily
Scrum and does so.

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PSM I Sample Examination with Answers and Notices

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Question 9
Please select which option has the MOST accurate list of what drives the ordering
of Product Backlog items.
Correct answer:
[]
[]
[x]
[]

A
B
C
D

Value, risk, time, and priority

Cost, risk, time, and necessity
Value, risk, priority, and necessity
Priority, value, risk, and available resources

Notice:
The Product Backlog lists all features, functions, requirements, enhancements, and fixed
that constitute the changes to be made to the product in future releases. The Product
Backlog is often ordered by value, risk, priority, and necessity. Top-ordered Product
Backlog items drive immediate development activities. The higher the order, the more a
Product Backlog item has been considered, and the more consensus exits regarding it
and its value.

Question 10
What does it mean to say that an event has a time-box?
Correct answer:
[]
[]
[]
[x]

A
B
C
D

The
The
The
The

event
event
event
event

must happen at a set time.

must happen by a given time.
must take at least a minimum amount of time.
can take no more than a maximum amount of time.

Notice:
Scrum uses time-boxed events, such that every event has a maximum duration. Timeboxing ensures that an appropriate amount of time is spent, minimizing the waste
associated with open-end meetings without any time-restriction.
Scrum events are using the following time-boxes:
Sprint: one month or less
Daily Scrum: 15 minutes for a Sprint of any duration
Sprint Planning Meeting: eight hours for a one-month Sprint
Sprint Review: four hours for a one-month Sprint
Sprint Retrospective: three hours for a one-month Sprint
For shorter Sprints, the events have proportionately shorter time-box.

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PSM I Sample Examination with Answers and Notices

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Question 11
An abnormal termination of a Sprint is called when the Development Team
realizes that the work is too hard for their skillset.
Correct answer:
[]
[x]

True
False

Notice:
A Sprint can be cancelled before the Sprint time-box is over. Only the Product Owner has
the authority to cancel the Sprint, although he or she may do so under influence from the
stakeholders, the Development Team, or the Scrum Master.
A Sprint would be cancelled if the Sprint Goal becomes obsolete. This might occur if the
company changes direction or if market or technology conditions change. In general, a
Sprint should be cancelled if it no longer makes sense given the circumstances. But, due
to the short duration of Sprints, cancellation rarely makes sense.

If a sprint is abnormally terminated, the next step is to conduct a new Sprint

planning meeting, where the reason for the termination is reviewed.

Question 12
It is important that the product increment be released to production or shipped
to customers at the end of each Sprint.
Correct answer:
[]
[x]

A
B

True
False

Notice:
The product increment should be usable and 'potentially releasable' at the end of every
Sprint, but it does not have to be released.

These are questions taken from the full-blown 80-question Agile Scrum Master
sample examination, which is part of the Agile Scrum Master Workshop.
Participants recieve a preparation guide, the full examination, and afterwards
they receive their score, the correct answers + explanation. See for more info:
http://www.improvement-services.nl/agile-scrum-master-training.html

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PSM I Sample Examination with Answers and Notices

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