This page contains questions about the quizzes and the web site.
Mikhail: Yes, the quizzes are based on the latest Scrum Guide version. I created them in 2015, but I am tracking all the Scrum Guide changes and update the quizzes appropriately. You can find information about the corresponding Scrum Guide version in the beginning of every quiz description.
Mikhail: This is a quiz engine feature. When you press “Check” button for an “Order It” question, it always sets the answers in the correct order and marks in red the answers that were at wrong places.
So, the following happened before the situation shown at the screen shot. The user placed Sprint Retrospective as #3, Sprint Review as #4 and pressed “Check” button. The quiz engine swapped the two last answers and marked them in red.
Mikhail: What about PSM II, the certifications at Scrum.org are changing. The new PSM III is the former PSM II (essay questions + multiple choice) and the new PSM II is the former PSP (only multiple choice questions).
So, now PSM II is simpler than it was before. No more essay questions. The number of questions is just 30, but the questions are tough (think about the hardest questions in PSM I).
PSM II covers wider subject areas: additional questions from PSPO subject area and from Nexus.
Mikhail: As far as I know, the both certifications are equally recognized. However, there are some important differences:
- To get certified with ScrumAlliance it is mandatory to take their course (and pay for it). For PSM I certification no courses required, but you can take their course if you want.
- PSM I exam is harder to pass (but it is still completely manageable). PSM has 80 questions and 85% passing score whereas CSM has only 35 questions and 69% passing score.
So, there are two points to consider when you are choosing between PSM and CSM:
- Do you need a Scrum training? If yes, there is no much difference between the certifications. Look at the available trainings: location, time, reviews, opinions about specific trainer and choose the one that suits you best.
- Do you have extra money for the training (about $1000)? If not, your choice is PSM certification.
Mikhail: At the PSM I page you can find that: “Passwords have no expiration date, but are valid for one attempt only.”
So, when you pay for the exam, the next day you have a password to start the exam. The password has no expiration date.
Mikhail: I created my quiz reading the Scrum Guide and composing questions about every paragraph. So, it is pretty straightforward. It helps to study the Scrum Guide well.
However, my quiz asks nothing about applying Scrum in the real life. Questions about it I name as “second level” questions. They have no direct answer in the Guide, however if you think about it, you should be able to deduce the answer.
Fortunately, the real PSM I exam contains just a few of them. Such questions are the base for the next level PSM certifications. So, I ask people to score about 100% in the open assessments to pass the exam even if the harder questions are answered wrong.
I believe it is possible to create more “second level questions” than direct questions about the Scrum Guide. So, I cannot invent all of them and include into the quiz. However, adding 4-5 “second level” questions into the quiz looks as a good idea.
What would the correct answer to this?
The daily scrum event happens every day. What would be three concerns if the frequency were to be lowered to every two to three days?
a. Opportunities to inspect and adapt in the Sprint Backlog or lost
b. The Scrum master loses the ability to update the Gantt chart properly
c. Too much work is spent updating the scrum board before meeting
d. Sprint plan may become inaccurate.
e. Impediments are raised and resolved more slowly
f. The product owner cannot accurately report to the stakeholders
i think for this is a,b,e
I do not think b is the answer as scum does not recognize use of any tool and specially not Gantt Chart.
I feel the ans should be : a,d, e
a – because scrum events are an opportunity to inspect and adapt
d – The lower frequency to communicate in the daily scrum will impact the sprint plan
e – if the team does not meet/ communicate on timely manner, impediments will not be known and might create problem.
Please let me know what you think?
I believe this is the correct answer, A, D and E. I just had this exact question on the PSPO I exam and those were my answers. I received a 97.5% on the exam with 100% on the Events focus.
a, c, e
a,e,f
Reason:
a: In DS SB is inspected and adapted.
e: Less DS, less communication and hence fewer chances to discuss the impediments (because in DS what is done, plan for day and impediments are reported by each member)
f: PO reports to stakeholders on the basis of progress/ completion on SB, if SB is not inspected and adapted that will cause inaccuracy and in DS the SB is checked by the dev team. (explanation is related to a)
Why not:
b: Guide doesn’t talk about the gantt charts
c: Neither guide talks about scrum board as an artifact which needs to be updated before DS. This is just a complementary practice. The team may or may not use a scrum board.
d: Sprint plan, not in the scrum guide. This is a practical outcome though but the guide doesn’t mention the sprint plan being compromised due to a few DS.
A
I think e
a,d,e
Here are a few other confusing Questions that need answers?? Anybody?
2. You are the scrum master of the newly formed Scrum Team. Which two of the following activities would probably help the team in starting up?
a. Have a Development Manager for each development team member introduce their direct reports and go over their responsibilities on the Scrum Team
b. Ensure the team understands they need a definition of “Done”
c. Introduce a bonus system for top performers in the team.
d. Ensure scrum team members have compatible personalities
e. Ask the product owner to discuss the product, its vision, history, goals, and context, as well as answer the questions.
3. What is included in the sprint backlog?
a. User stories
b. Tasks
c. Use cases
d. Tests
e. Any of the above (or others) which are the decomposition of the selected product backlog items.
4. A Scrum Master is working with a Development team that as members in different physical locations. The development team meets in a variety of meeting rooms and has much to do logistically (for example, set up conference calls) before the daily scrum. What action should Scrum Master take?
a. Setup a meeting and tell the development team that is how it will be done.
b. Inform management and ask them to solve it
c. Allow the development team to self-manage and determine itself what to do
d. Ask the development team members to alternate who is responsible for meeting setup
5. When many scrum teams are working on the same product, should all their increments be integrated into every sprint?
a. No, each scrum team stands alone
b. No, that is too hard and must be done in a hardening sprint
c. Yes, but only for scrum teams whose work has dependencies
d. Yes, otherwise the product owner (and stakeholders) may not be able to accurately inspect what is done.
6. Cross-functional teams are optimized to work on one technical layer of a system only (e.g. GUI, Database, middle tier, interfaces)
a. True
b. False
7. What are the ways that architecture and infrastructure are handled in Scrum?
a. They are implemented along with the functional development of the product
b. They are discussed, determined and documented before the actual feature development Sprints.
c. They are built by a separate team through the creation of an architectural runway
d. They are added to the product backlog and addressed in early sprints, while always requiring at least some business functionality, no matter how small.
Hi mouryan, did u manage to get the answer for this?
No rudi.. still figuring out..
In my opinion:
Q2 : b , e
Reason : Since its a new scrum Team, It is important that the scrum team understands the scope, goal of the project. And scrum Master can help facilitating it. Also, DoD can be implemented accordingly.
Other options do not make sense to me.
Q3 : e
The scrum guide does not specify what can be included in the sprint backlog expect the fact that it should meet the sprint goal and should result in an increment. so, a sprint backlog can contain User stories, task , Use case, Tests even bugs, defects etc.
Q4: c
Well, the Development team is supposed to be self-organizing and should try to figure out on own how to solve the problems, The scrum master can help in facilitating/removing impediments.
Q5 : is a bit tricky, all the options does not make sense to me.And I feel that in multiple scrum teams, the increments should be integrated into as frequently as possible to reduce dependency but only when it meets a logical end. However, I would like to know your thoughts too on this.
Q6: False.
By cross-functional mean that the scrum team have all competencies needed to accomplish the work without depending on others as per scrum guide. so , the scrum team should not be limited to only technical layer.
Q7: d
Scrum believes in adding functional/business value and hence all the items are added to product backlog.There is no hardening sprint in scrum.
It would be nice to know your opinion too 🙂
So, I found the Ans for Q6: D
The Nexus Guide states: “A Nexus consists of multiple cross-functional Scrum Teams working together to deliver a potentially releasable Integrated Increment at least by the end of each Sprint.”
So, all the teams should integrate their increments by the end of each Sprint. The answer is D.
The question has also appeared in Scrum -questions menu Q72. so you can refer it 🙂
Q4, little confused with answer C –
my views
a. Setup a meeting and tell the development team that is how it will be done. ( SM should coach and facilitate the meetings- will this not come under coaching the team and removing impediments)
b. Inform management and ask them to solve it. (If company has an option to facilitate a easy conference options- SM should approach the organization to resolve it)
c. Allow the development team to self-manage and determine itself what to do (Scrum Guide mentions- DT should be self organized- sure about this option to be right)
d. Ask the development team members to alternate who is responsible for meeting setup( Wrong option- as SM cannot direct DT team to specify who should work – agains the logic of DT to be self organized)
I would choose and for question 7. as They are implemented along with the functional development of the product make sense because its from the first sprint that architecture items are starting to emerge as we do development.
Q5 – (d)
Every Increment should be potentially shippable increment- when multiple DT are working on same Product Backlog, to make it an shippable increment it should potentially be integrated in every sprint.
No rudi.. still figuring out..
Dear Mikhail Lapshin, do you mind helping me explain bellow question?
1. Who is responsible for estimates in the Product Backlog?
A. The Development team.
B. The development team after clarifying requirements with the product owner.
C. The Product owner
=> Which answer is the best choice? A or B?
2. A properly functioning Scrum Team will have at least one Release Sprint and may well have several.
True or False?
3. Who is responsible for managing the Product backlog?
A. The Product owner
B. The Development team
C. The Scrum Master.
In the quiz, I choose A & B but the result is incorrect.
According the Scrum Guide about Product backlog management: “PO may do the above work, or have the Development Team do it.”
So I have a little confuse with this question, can you explain to me?
Thanks.
Q1: B is right answer because DT do estimates but do clarify requirement in detail with PO
Q2: There is nothing called Release Sprint in Scrum. word ‘release’ is confusing here. SO answer is False
Q3: PO is responsible for managing the PB. DT can update/add items as per PO wish but responsibility lies with PO
hope this helps.
Hi Mikhail,
I’m preparing for the PSM I exam and currently getting 100% in all the Open assessment from Scrum.org (Scrum Open and PSPO Open)
Should I take the PSD and Nexus Open as well? or is it okay to stick with Scrum and PO Open?
Thanks
Can you please with the answers of these questions with explanation
1)A product’s success is measured by:(choose best 3)
A. Impact on customer satisfaction
B. Impact on Revenue
C. Impact on Cost
D. The delivery of agreed upon scope compared to the expected time
E. Impact on my performance rating
2) Dependencies could influence how the product owner orders product backlog items,true or false ?
3)Product Owners must specify complete acceptance criteria for a Product Backlog item before the team can select the item in Sprint Planning.true or false ?
4)Scrum requires product owner to use which of these ?(choose all of those who apply)
A)Release burndown diagram
B)Burndown chart
C)Feature burn-up
D)Critical Path Analysis
E)Refactoring
F)Project Gantt Chart
G)none of the above
5)What are three advantages of a Product Owner with a solid product vision?(choose best three)
A)It helps scrum team keep focus and they can check any decision against it ,even within a sprint.
B)It helps the scrum team maintain focus on when the complete product backlog should be finished.
C)It is easier to inspect incremental process at the Sprint Review
D)It’s not mandatory in Scrum.There’s no real advantage
E)It gives a good overall direction so Sprints will feel less like isolated pieces of work
Hello, what is the rigth answer to the questions above?
Hi, I’ll give it a try and looking forward to your opinion.
1) A, B, C — it’s all about the value. What has D to do with the product success? Could look very promising even for a useless product. “My performance rating”…sounds like personal jugdeing, therefore also not chosen.
2) True – sounds logical that dependencies COULD influence the rank. F.ex. a task with a lot of dependencies may not have the highest rank.
3) False, scrum doesn’t know such a requirement. Don’t get me wrong: It’s useful but not a must (also stated somewhere here in older comments)
4) G – Scrum doesn’t require a usage of specified methods. There are some and use adequate one for your product.
5) A, C, E – if D is right, the question would be nonsense (and this isn’t the case, as product vision is important). B there is no defined end-point and as PO you are responsible for an emergent product backlog, so no timetable.
Hi Mikhail,
First Thank you for all the effort you have put in bring all the scrum Quizzes.
I wanted to know whether the scrum quizzes are updated and in line with Scrum Guide-2020.
if not i would recommend to do so and thanking you in advance.
with regards
chandra
Michael – Thanks so much for helping out in the Scrum materials and practice Tests . I was able to complete the PSM I with 89 % – Thanks for all your help and support
I think answers for these questions need to revised as the 2020 updated scrum guide is no longer mandating the process improvement must be added to following sprint backlog.
1) The purpose of the Sprint Retrospective is to (select three):
Create a plan for implementing improvements to the way the Scrum Team does its work
Get feedback from the Key Stakeholders invited by the Product Owner
Identify and order the major items that went well and potential improvements
Get technical or domain advice from specialists invited by The Development Team or The Scrum Master
Inspect how the last Sprint went with regards to people, relationships, process, and tools
2) Imagine the following situation. At the Sprint Retrospective meeting the Scrum Team identified some improvements that can be done. What should the Scrum Team do? Select the best option.
Assign a responsible team member for at least one improvement. Check the progress at the next Retrospective.
Assign responsible team members for every improvement. Check the progress at the next Retrospective.
Make sure the Sprint Backlog for the next Sprint includes at least one high priority process improvement.
Make sure the Sprint Backlog for the next Sprint includes all the improvements.
The updated scrum guide no where talks about the product backlog refinement activity, especially about the percentage of development team members it uses. So I believe the below question should be revised.
What part of the capacity of the Development Team does Product Backlog refinement usually consume?
Not more than 5%
Not more than 10%
Not more than 20%
The Development Team is not authorized for Product Backlog refinement
The updated scrum guide doesn’t propose ordering product backlog items based on value, size , how clear,etc.
According to scrum guide whatever the product owner is deeming more appropriate is the order the product backlog will be arranged.
So the below question might need revision from scrum guide and PSM 1 exam perspective.
What is the order of items in the Product Backlog?
The less clear items at the top
Alphabetical
Less valuable and most unclear items at the bottom
The recently added items at the top
Hi Mikhail,
Thank you for all the effort. I want to know whether the scrum quizzes are updated and in line with Scrum Guide-2020.
Kind Regards,
Scrum Guide, 2020 now states that – “If it is not an organizational standard, ‘the Scrum Team’ must create a Definition of Done appropriate for the product.” where as the Scrum Guide,2017 stated – “If “Done” for an increment is not a convention of the development organization, the Development Team of the Scrum Team must define a definition of “Done””.
Now what should be the correct answer if the question is about – Who creates the DoD?
Thanks neaSingh,
I was about to ask Mikhail, the same question..
But according to the 2020 Scrum Guide version, the answer is “the Scrum Team”
(maybe Mikhail didn’t update the answer)
I was asking the same question, does anyone can confirm it?
There is a questions you have for PSM (RM):
Who is responsible for creation of the Definition of “Done”?
The Scrum Master
The Scrum Team
The Development Team
The Product Owner
Your answer: Development Team
If the definition of “done” for an increment is part of the conventions, standards or guidelines of the development organization, all Scrum Teams must follow it as a minimum. If “done” for an increment is not a convention of the development organization, the Development Team of the Scrum Team must define a definition of “done” appropriate for the product. If there are multiple Scrum Teams working on the system or product release, the development teams on all of the Scrum Teams must mutually define the definition of “Done.”
HOWEVER, in Scrum guide, it says in Definition of Done: “If the Definition of Done for an increment is part of the standards of the organization, all Scrum Teams must follow it as a minimum. If it is not an organizational standard, the Scrum Team must create a Definition of Done appropriate for the product. The Developers are required to conform to the Definition of Done”.
So I think the answer should be Scrum Team not Development Team. Can you please verify if this question you made is with the wrong answer? Thans.
Hello,
Cleared the PSM1 assessment with 92.5% (less than 48 hours ago)
Few pointers for Interested aspirants only (beware long post) :
SCRUM Guide Version : Ensure to always refer the latest version of The SCRUM Guide, currently it is November 2020
PSM vs CSM : but this basically depends on what one expects from the certification, the industry relevance and learning goals. For me the discussions with my peers in the IT industry and the mentors at my PMP® training provider gave me useful insights.
Preparation : Conceptual understanding of the SCRUM Guide is the key. In my case Real life project work helped to set the context really well.
Lots of time was spent on the SRUM Guide. Udemy cleared concepts on Story Points, User Stories, Team Velocity, Planning Poker, Burn-down and Burn-up and Cone and Uncertainty. Last 2.5 days of the preparation was focused on taking the mock-tests till I was consistently scoring above 98%.
Resources : I relied on – The SCRUM Guide v2020, SCRUM Open, Product Owner Open, Quizzes on https://mlapshin.com and Scrum Master Certification Training & PSM1 Sample Exam by Valdimir Raykov (Udemy)
Final assessment : was quite tough and clearly only doing SCRUM / PO Open are not enough. Ensure to solve at least 10 real mock-tests based on 2020 version with scores upward of 95%
o Be mindful, you must solve 80 MCQs in 60 minutes and I had just around a minute to spare.
o Even though the easier ones take less than 20 seconds some questions can take over 2 minutes just to read and understand.
o Finally, if you try by yourself each attempt will cost you USD 150 and all the man-days of preparation – so stay focused and prepare well.
These tips worked well for me and helped me cleared the PSM1 assessment with 92.5%.
So happy learning and best of luck in your career progression.
BIG THANKS TO Mikhail!
Regards,
NC
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/nitin-chandran-532a3646_professional-scrum-master-1-psm1-cleared-activity-6803729925414227968-p6ev
Hello,
I would like to know who should identify the key stakeholders ? Answer given is PO but the whole scrum team also makes sense to me.
Regards
I checked this question on https://mplaza.training/exam-simulators/psm/exams/
32- The performance of the Sprint should be measured at least __.
Yours Expected
✓ ✘ a. Before or after each release
✘ ✘ b. Once per Sprint
✘ ✓ c. Once a day
✘ ✘ d. Once a week
The performance of the project is measured at least once per Sprint (by the Product Owner), and the Sprint performance is measured daily (by the Developers).
is this true?
here’s another one
47- The Developers are ready to start the first Sprint, but the Product Backlog is not yet ready. What should the Product Owner do?
Yours Expected
✓ ✘ a. Ask the Developers to help you refine the Product Backlog instead of starting the first Sprint.
✘ ✓ b. Let the team start the first Sprint, and continue refining the Product Backlog.
✘ ✘ c. Let the Sprint begin, but only with the goal of completing the Product Backlog.
So? if the product backlog is not ‘ready’. how do they start refining? what are the developers refining?
Hello Mikhail,
thanks for the great quiz.
Regarding question I think the scrum guide has changed and it should be check if the answers must be adapted. Please see below.
Br, Wolf
59. Question
Category: Scrum Artifacts
Imagine the following situation. At the Sprint Retrospective meeting the Scrum Team identified some improvements that can be done. What should the Scrum Team do? Select the best option.
-Assign a responsible team member for at least one improvement. Check the progress at the next Retrospective.
-Assign responsible team members for every improvement. Check the progress at the next Retrospective.
-Make sure the Sprint Backlog for the next Sprint includes all the improvements.
-Make sure the Sprint Backlog for the next Sprint includes at least one high priority process improvement.
Incorrect
The Sprint Backlog makes visible all the work that the Development Team identifies as necessary to meet the Sprint Goal. To ensure continuous improvement, it includes at least one high priority process improvement identified in the previous Retrospective meeting.
New Scrum Guide 2020
Sprint Retrospective
The purpose of the Sprint Retrospective is to plan ways to increase quality and effectiveness.
The Scrum Team inspects how the last Sprint went with regards to individuals, interactions, processes, tools, and their Definition of Done. Inspected elements often vary with the domain of work. Assumptions that led them astray are identified and their origins explored. The Scrum Team discusses what went well during the Sprint, what problems it encountered, and how those problems were (or were not) solved.
The Scrum Team identifies the most helpful changes to improve its effectiveness. The most impactful improvements are addressed as soon as possible. They may even be added to the Sprint Backlog for the next Sprint.
The Sprint Retrospective concludes the Sprint. It is timeboxed to a maximum of three hours for a one-month Sprint. For shorter Sprints, the event is usually shorter.
Hello Mikhail,
please check question 73. I guess the scrum guide was changed. Please see below. Thanks! Br, Wolf
73. Question
Category: Scrum Theory
Who is responsible for creation of the Definition of “Done”?
The Development Team
The Scrum Master
The Product Owner
The Scrum Team
Incorrect
If the definition of “done” for an increment is part of the conventions, standards or guidelines of the development organization, all Scrum Teams must follow it as a minimum. If “done” for an increment is not a convention of the development organization, the Development Team of the Scrum Team must define a definition of “done” appropriate for the product. If there are multiple Scrum Teams working on the system or product release, the development teams on all of the Scrum Teams must mutually define the definition of “Done.”
new scurm guide
Commitment: Definition of Done
The Definition of Done is a formal description of the state of the Increment when it meets the quality
measures required for the product.
The moment a Product Backlog item meets the Definition of Done, an Increment is born.
The Definition of Done creates transparency by providing everyone a shared understanding of what
work was completed as part of the Increment. If a Product Backlog item does not meet the Definition of
Done, it cannot be released or even presented at the Sprint Review. Instead, it returns to the Product
Backlog for future consideration.
If the Definition of Done for an increment is part of the standards of the organization, all Scrum Teams
must follow it as a minimum. If it is not an organizational standard, the Scrum Team must create a
Definition of Done appropriate for the product.
The Developers are required to conform to the Definition of Done. If there are multiple Scrum Teams
working together on a product, they must mutually define and comply with the same Definition of Done.