Free Scrum PSM-II Practice Exam with Questions & Answers | Set: 2

The Scrum Master should do this because it is the most effective way to ensure that the Scrum Teams are self-organizing, cross-functional, and collaborative. The Scrum Master can help the Scrum Teams to understand the benefits of working together as one integrated team, rather than as separate component teams. The Scrum Master can also facilitate the communication and coordination among the Scrum Teams, and support them in resolving any dependencies or conflicts that may arise.

References:

• Scrum Guide 2020, page 7: “Scrum Teams are cross-functional, meaning the members have all the skills necessary to create value in each Sprint.”
• Scrum Guide 2020, page 7: “Scrum Teams are self-managing, meaning they internally decide who does what, when, and how.”
• Nexus Guide 2020, page 5: “When multiple Scrum Teams are working together on the same product, there are additional complexities that arise. These complexities can be reduced by having the teams adhere to a common definition of “Done” and a single Product Backlog.”

Adding a second team to work on the same product will introduce some challenges and overheads that can affect the velocity of the original team. For example, the teams will need to coordinate and communicate more frequently, integrate their work more often,resolve any dependencies or conflicts, and align their standards and practices. These activities will consume some time and effort that could otherwise be spent on delivering value. Therefore, the velocity of the original team is likely to decrease and be lower than 18, at least in the short term.

References:

• Professional Scrum Master II Course, page 16: “Adding more people to a complex product development effort does not necessarily increase productivity or reduce time to market.In fact, it often has the opposite effect.”
• Nexus Guide 2020, page 5: “When multiple Scrum Teams are working together on the same product, there are additional complexities that arise. These complexities can be reduced by having the teams adhere to a common definition of “Done” and a single Product Backlog.”

• A: There is one Product Owner for each product (five in total). Each Product Owner may delegate to others for specific value, capabilities, and functionality within their product. The five Product Owners share and align work via Product Backlog. This is a reasonable alternative, as it allows each Product Owner to focus on one product and its vision, value proposition, and stakeholder needs. The Product Owner can also leverage the expertise and input of other people who can help with the product development, such as business analysts, domain experts, or user representatives. The five Product Owners can coordinate and collaborate with each other through the Product Backlog, which is a single source of truth for the product requirements and priorities.
• D: There is one Product Owner responsible for all five products. This person may delegate work to others for specific value, capabilities, and functionality within each product to scale their accountability. This is another reasonable alternative, as it allows one Product Owner to have a holistic view of the five products and their interdependencies, synergies, and trade-offs. The Product Owner can also delegate some of the work to other people who can act as proxies or representatives for the different aspects of the products, such as features, modules, or components. The Product Owner can still maintain the ultimate authority and responsibility for the Product Backlog and the product value delivery.

References:

• Scrum Guide 2020, page 7: “The Product Owner is accountable for maximizing the value of the product resulting from the work of the Scrum Team.”
• Scrum Guide 2020, page 8: “The Product Backlog is an emergent, ordered list of what is needed to improve the product. It is the single source of work undertaken by the Scrum Team.”
• Professional Scrum Master II Course, page 22: “The Product Owner may delegate some of their work to others who can help them with the product development, such as business analysts, domain experts, or user representatives. However, the Product Owner remains accountable for the Product Backlog and its content.”
• Professional Scrum Master II Course, page 23: “The Product Owner may scale their role by working with other Product Owners who are responsible for different products, features, modules, or components. However, there should be only one Product Owner per product who has the final say on the product vision and value proposition.”

• A: Opportunities to inspect and adapt the Sprint Backlog are reduced. Re-aligning is bound to become even more difficult. This is a valid concern, as the Daily Scrum is an event where the Developers can inspect the progress toward the Sprint Goal and adapt the Sprint Backlog accordingly. If the Daily Scrum is held less frequently, the Developers may miss some opportunities to adjust their plan and collaborate effectively.
• C: Less progress information will be shared, causing the plan for the Sprint to become inaccurate and transparency over progress toward the Sprint Goal is reduced. This is a valid concern, as the Daily Scrum is an event where the Developers can share their work status, challenges, and dependencies with each other. If the Daily Scrum is held less frequently, the Developers may have less visibility and awareness of what is going on in the Sprint, and may face more surprises or risks.
• D: Impediments are raised and resolved more slowly which might impact productivity and progress. This is a valid concern, as the Daily Scrum is an event where the Developers can identify and communicate any impediments or issues that hinder their work. If the Daily Scrum is held less frequently, the Developers may have to wait longer to get help or support from their peers or the Scrum Master, and may lose some momentum or efficiency.

References:

• Scrum Guide 2020, page 11: “The purpose of the Daily Scrum is to inspect progress toward the Sprint Goal and adapt the Sprint Backlog as necessary, adjusting the upcoming planned work.”
• Scrum Guide 2020, page 12: “The Developers can select whatever structure and techniques they want, as long as their Daily Scrum focuses on progress toward the Sprint Goal and produces an actionable plan for the next day of work.”
• Professional Scrum Master II Course, page 14: “The Daily Scrum is a key opportunity for inspection and adaptation at the team level. It helps the team to synchronize their work, identify impediments, and collaborate on solutions.”

 The Product Owner is responsible for maximizing the value of the product resulting from the work of the Scrum Team1. One of the ways to do this is to order the Product Backlog in a way that reflects the flow of value to the stakeholders and customers2. The Product Owner can use various factors to order the Product Backlog, such as value, risk, dependencies, learning opportunities, and feedback loops3.

However, sometimes the Product Owner may face challenges or constraints that affect the ordering of the Product Backlog, such as external dependencies, market changes, technical issues, or stakeholder requests4. In such cases, the Product Owner needs to balance between delivering value and managing risks. The Product Owner may need to adjust the Product Backlog ordering to account for these factors, but not at the expense of compromising the value delivery5.

In this scenario, the Developers are waiting for an external supplier to deliver a specific product component that they need to integrate and use. Without that component there will not be enough work in the next Sprint to occupy the full team. They ask their Product Owner to re-order the Product Backlog. The Product Owner asks the Scrum Master for help. A good advice for the Product Owner would be to tell them that their primary concern is the flow of value reflected in the ordering of the Product Backlog. Timeline of the flow might be influenced by such dependencies and require some level of Product Backlog re-ordering.

This advice would help the Product Owner to focus on delivering value while also considering the impact of the external dependency. The Product Owner could work with the Developers and stakeholders to identify and prioritize other valuable work that can be done in the next Sprint without relying on the external component. The Product Owner could also communicate with the external supplier and try to minimize or eliminate the dependency as much as possible.

The other options are not good advice for the Product Owner. Telling them that they need to re-order the Product Backlog to maximize utilization of the Developers would imply that keeping productivity high is more important than delivering value. This would go against the Scrum values of focus and respect. Telling them to remove all work involving the external component from the Product Backlog and create a new backlog for it would imply that they are ignoring or avoiding the dependency rather than managing it. This would go against the Scrum values of courage and openness.

References:

• The Scrum Guide 2020, section “The Product Owner”
• What is a Product Backlog?| Scrum.org, section “Ordering”
• Product Backlog Ordering - Zen Ex Machina, section “Ordering by Value”
• Product Backlog Ordering - Zen Ex Machina, section “Ordering by Risk”
• Ordered Not Prioritized | Scrum.org, section “Ordering by Dependencies”
• [The Scrum Values | Scrum.org], section “The Scrum Values”

 Done means that the Increment is in a usable condition and meets the Scrum Team’s 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 Definition of Done creates transparency by providing everyone a shared understanding of what work was completed as part of the Increment. Having an Increment that could be released to end users means that it is potentially releasable, which is one of the goals of Scrum. All work performed meets the Definition of Done means that the Developers have ensured that every Product Backlog item selected for the Sprint conforms to the agreed quality standards.

References:

• The Scrum Guide, November 2020, p. 10-11
• What is a Definition of Done?, Scrum.org, accessed on September 30, 2023
• DONE Understanding Of The Definition Of "Done”, Scrum.org, December 16, 2019

Explanation: As a Scrum Master, you are accountable for establishing an environment where the Scrum Team can be effective and deliver valuable products1. One of the ways to do this is by supporting the Product Owner in managing the Product Backlog and engaging with the stakeholders2. In this situation, where there is a performance issue with the product, your best option is:

• Encourage the Product Owner to bring the performance concerns to the rest of the Scrum Team and work together to improve the Definition of Done. This option aligns with the principle of empiricism, which is the foundation of Scrum3. Empiricism means that you make decisions based on what is known, rather than what is assumed or predicted3. By encouraging the Product Owner to bring the performance concerns to the rest of the Scrum Team, you are helping them inspect the product Increment and adapt the Product Backlog based on transparent feedback from the stakeholder4. You are also helping them collaborate on improving the Definition of Done, which is a shared understanding of what it means for a product Increment to be complete and potentially releasable. The Definition of Done should reflect the quality standards and expectations of the stakeholders, andshould be updated as needed to ensure that the product meets their needs and delivers value.

The other options are not advisable because:

• Wait to bring this up in the next Sprint Retrospective as this is the appropriate time for the Developers to re-consider the Definition of Done. This option is incorrect because it contradicts your accountability as a Scrum Master. The Sprint Retrospective is an opportunity for the Scrum Team to reflect on their performance and identify improvements for the next Sprint. However, it is not the only time for them to inspect and adapt their product and process. As a Scrum Master, you should promote continuous improvement and help the Scrum Team address any issues or impediments as soon as they arise1. Waiting to bring this up in the next Sprint Retrospective would mean delaying feedback and action, which can lead to waste or dissatisfaction.
• Bring the concern to the quality assurance members of the Scrum Team and ask them to improve how the system is tested. This option is incorrect because it goes against your role as a facilitator, who helps the participants have constructive and respectful conversations. By bringing the concern to only a subset of the Scrum Team, you are creating silos and excluding others from contributing or learning. You are also implying that quality is only their responsibility, rather than a shared accountability of the whole Scrum Team. Moreover, you are not asking them for their input or feedback, but telling them what to do, which can undermine their autonomy and motivation.
• Explain to the Product Owner that it is up to the Developers to decide on acceptable performance standards as they own the Definition of Done. This option is incorrect because it contradicts your role as a coach, who helps people grow and improve their skills and behaviors. By explaining to the Product Owner that it is up to the Developers to decide on acceptable performance standards, you are dismissing their concern and creating a gap between them and the Developers. You are also ignoring their valuable perspective and input as a stakeholder representative, who has a clear vision of what value means for the product. Instead of explaining, you should be asking questions and listening actively, and facilitating a dialogue between them and the Developers.

References: 1: https://www.scrum.org/resources/what-is-a-scrum-master  2: https://www.scrum.org/resources/blog/scrum-master-supporting-product-owner  3: https://www.scrum.org/resources/what-is-empiricism-and-why-is-it-important-to-scrum  4: https://www.scrum.org/resources/what-is-a-sprint-review : https://www.scrum.org/resources/blog/definition-done : https://www.scrum.org/resources/what-is-a-sprint-retrospective : https://www.scrum.org/resources/blog/facilitation-scrum-masters-superpower : https://www.scrum.org/resources/blog/quality-shared-responsibility : https://www.scrum.org/resources/blog/coaching-scrum-masters-superpower : https://www.scrum.org/resources/what-is-a-product-owner

• C: Velocity has no direct relationship with value. This is a true statement, as velocity is a measure of the amount of work done by a Scrum Team in a Sprint, not the value or quality of that work. Velocity can vary depending on many factors, such as the size, complexity, and priority of the Product Backlog items, the skills and experience of the Developers, the Definition of Done, and the Sprint length. Therefore, velocity is not a reliable indicator of value creation or team performance.
• D: Velocity is the amount of business functionality that a Scrum Team creates in a Sprint. It is unique to that team and used as an input to Sprint Planning. This is a true statement, as velocity is a team-specific metric that reflects how much business functionality the Scrum Team can deliver in a Sprint. Velocity can help the Scrum Team to forecast how many Product Backlog items they can select for the next Sprint, based on their past performance and current capacity. However, velocity is not a goal or a target for the Scrum Team, and it should not be compared across teams.

References:

• Professional Scrum Master II Course, page 15: “Velocity is a measure of how much work a team can complete in a given time period. It is usually expressed in terms of story points or function points per Sprint.”
• Professional Scrum Master II Course, page 16: “Velocity is not a measure of value or quality. It does not tell us anything about the usefulness, usability, or desirability of the product increment.”
• Professional Scrum Master II Course, page 17: “Velocity is unique to each team and depends on many factors, such as the size and complexity of the work items, the skills and experience of the team members, the definition of done, and the length of the Sprint.”
• Professional Scrum Master II Course, page 18: “Velocity can be used as an input for Sprint Planning, to help the team forecast how much work they can realistically accomplish in the next Sprint. However, velocity is not a goal or a target for the team, and it should not be used to compare or evaluate teams.”

• This is a good option because the Scrum Master’s role is to help the Scrum Team understand and apply the Scrum framework and its principles12. The Scrum Master should also facilitate and enable the team’s self-organization and collaboration12. By coaching the Scrum Team, the Scrum Master can help them realize that the Daily Scrum is not a status update or a performance review, but a time to inspect and adapt their progress toward the Sprint Goal3 . D. Tell the Product Owner your concerns about how his behavior may impact the Developers, and ask him to stop attending the Daily Scrum for some time.
• This is another good option because the Scrum Master’s role is to protect the Scrum Team from external interference and distractions12. The Scrum Master should also coach the Product Owner on how to maximize the value of the product and collaborate effectively with the Developers12. By telling the Product Owner your concerns, you can help him understand that his behavior may create pressure, dependency, or resentment among the Developers, which can harm their motivation,creativity, and autonomy . By asking him to stop attending the Daily Scrum for some time, you can give the Developers some space to self-manage their work and communication.

References: 1: What is a Scrum Master? | Scrum.org 2: What is a scrum master? [+ Responsibilities] | Atlassian 3: What’s the role of the Product Owner at the Daily Scrum? | by Maarten Dalmijn | Serious Scrum | Medium : Scrum Guide | Scrum Guides : Product Owner’s Role in a Daily Scrum: How to Support the … - Eleken : The Power of Intrinsic Motivation - Forbes

Using Scrum does not ensure that adding more resources to a project proportionally increases the value delivered. In fact, adding more resources may have the opposite effect, as it can introduce more complexity, communication overhead, coordination challenges, and integration issues12. Scrum values quality over quantity, and focuses on delivering the most valuable and feasible outcomes in a given timebox3 . Scrum also encourages teams to be self-organizing and cross-functional, which means that they can work autonomously and collaboratively without relying on external resources or dependencies3 .

References: 1: Adding more resources in Scrum will proportionally increase the value … 2: The Mythical Man-Month - Wikipedia 3: Scrum - What is it, how it works, & how to start - Atlassian : How Scrum Teams can Complement Scrum by Adding Practices, Tools and …