CSM Certified ScrumMaster Exam Questions and Answers

TheScrum Masteris responsible for leading and coaching the organization in its Scrum adoption. They play a critical role in helping the organization understand and implement Scrum practices, fostering an environment of empiricism and continuous improvement.

According to the2020 Scrum Guide, the Scrum Master serves the organization by:

Leading, training, and coaching the organization in Scrum adoption.

Helping employees and stakeholders understand and enact an empirical approach to work.

Removing barriers between stakeholders and Scrum Teams.

Why the other options are incorrect:

A. Customer:Customers provide requirements and feedback but do not lead or coach the organization in Scrum adoption.

B. Product Owner:The Product Owner manages the Product Backlog and focuses on delivering value but is not responsible for organizational Scrum adoption.

C. Developers:Developers are responsible for delivering the Increment and are not accountable for coaching the organization.

TheScrum Masterworks with theScrum Teamand other involved parties (such as stakeholders) to ensure that artifacts aretransparent. Transparency is one of the three pillars of empiricism in Scrum and is critical for effective inspection and adaptation. If artifacts (e.g., Product Backlog, Sprint Backlog, Increment) are not transparent, it can hinder decision-making and progress.

According to the2020 Scrum Guide, the Scrum Master is responsible for ensuring that everyone involved understands:

The purpose of the artifacts(e.g., Product Backlog, Sprint Backlog, Increment).

The Definition of Done, to ensure shared understanding of what constitutes a completed work item.

Why the other options are incorrect:

A. End users:While feedback from end users is important, they are not directly responsible for ensuring transparency of artifacts.

C. Management team:Management is not directly involved in artifact transparency, as this is primarily a collaboration between the Scrum Team and relevant stakeholders.

D. Project Manager:There is no role of "Project Manager" in Scrum.

Scrum teams plan workone Sprint at a time, using theSprint Planning eventto adapt the Sprint Backlog based on what was learned in previous Sprints. This approach aligns with Scrum'sempirical process control, which relies on inspection and adaptation to plan effectively.

According to the2020 Scrum Guide:

Sprint Planning creates aSprint Backlog, which includes the Sprint Goal, selected Product Backlog items, and the plan to deliver them.

Teams adjust their plans Sprint by Sprint, responding to new information, feedback, and changing circumstances.

Why the other options are incorrect:

A. One release at a time, adjusting the number of Sprints to the prior releases’ average velocity:Scrum does not prescribe release-driven planning or adjusting Sprint duration based on velocity.

C. One project at a time, adjusting each Sprint Backlog Item to meet the release date negotiated at inception:Scrum encourages iterative planning within Sprints, not fixed plans tied to predetermined release dates.

D. One Sprint at a time in the Product Backlog Refinement meeting with participation of stakeholders:Product Backlog Refinement is an ongoing activity, not a Sprint planning process. Stakeholders typically participate in Sprint Reviews, not in backlog refinement.

When the Scrum Team does not understand the goal, scope, or product domain, theScrum Master should facilitate a discussion between the Stakeholders, Product Owner, and Developers. This ensures clarity and shared understanding, enabling the team to move forward effectively.

According to the2020 Scrum Guide, the Scrum Master serves the team by:

Facilitating stakeholder collaborationas needed.

Ensuring that the Product Backlog is understoodby the Scrum Team.

Removing any barriers that hinder the team's ability to achieve the Sprint Goal.

Why the other options are incorrect:

A. Direct the Developers to stop working until the Product Owner improves the acceptance criteria:Stopping work is not productive, and collaboration with the Product Owner and stakeholders is the proper approach to resolving misunderstandings.

B. Cancel the Sprint and schedule a new Planning meeting:Cancelling the Sprint should be an absolute last resort and is typically done only when the Sprint Goal becomes unachievable.

C. Do nothing because this is the responsibility of the Product Owner:While the Product Owner owns the Product Backlog, the Scrum Master is responsible for facilitating collaboration and resolving impediments.

The Scrum Team must demonstrateCommitmentto achieve the Sprint Goal. Commitment is one of the five Scrum Values, and it reflects the team’s dedication to the Sprint Goal, the work planned in the Sprint Backlog, and to collaborating effectively. Without commitment, the team cannot focus on delivering the Increment or achieving the Sprint Goal.

According to the2020 Scrum Guide, the Scrum Values are:

Commitment: Dedication to the team’s goals and delivering value.

Focus: Concentrating on the Sprint Goal and avoiding distractions.

Openness: Being transparent about challenges and progress.

Respect: Valuing each team member and their contributions.

Courage: Facing challenges and making tough decisions.

Why the other options are incorrect:

A. Completion:This is not a Scrum Value. Commitment drives completion, but "completion" itself is not a value.

C. Agreement:While agreement is important, Scrum does not define it as a core value.

D. Alignment:While alignment is critical to achieving goals, it is not one of the five Scrum Values.

When Developers ask for help or admit they do not know something, they demonstrateCourage, one of the five Scrum Values. It takes courage to be open about challenges or limitations and seek assistance, as it fosters collaboration, transparency, and trust within the team.

According to the2020 Scrum Guide, the Scrum Values include:

Commitment: Dedicated to the team’s goals and delivering value.

Focus: Concentrating on the Sprint Goal and avoiding distractions.

Openness: Transparent about work and progress.

Respect: Valuing each other's contributions and perspectives.

Courage: Taking risks, speaking up, and tackling challenges.

Why the other options are incorrect:

A. Respect:Respect is about valuing team members' contributions, but asking for help reflects personal courage.

C. Commitment:Commitment relates to dedication to achieving goals, not specifically asking for help.

D. Focus:Focus involves prioritizing and working toward the Sprint Goal, not addressing knowledge gaps or challenges.

Thetypical size of an effective Scrum Team is ten or fewer people, as stated in the2020 Scrum Guide. This includes the Product Owner, Scrum Master, and Developers. Smaller teams ensure better communication, collaboration, and effectiveness, as larger teams can introduce inefficiencies and coordination challenges.

Why the other options are incorrect:

B. Size doesn't matter as long as the Scrum Master coordinates the work in collaboration with the Product Owner:Scrum Teams are self-managing and self-organizing; they do not rely on the Scrum Master to coordinate work. Team size does matter for effectiveness.

C. Bigger teams communicate better, are more productive and produce better results:Larger teams often face communication and coordination challenges, reducing productivity and effectiveness.

D. When a team expands beyond ten, activities, like verification and operations, are assigned to a different team:Scrum encourages cross-functional teams that handle all activities required to deliver a usable Increment without assigning work to other teams.

Thethree Scrum artifacts—Product Backlog,Sprint Backlog, andIncrement—providetransparencyinto the work and enable opportunities forinspection and adaptation. These artifacts are essential to ensuring the Scrum Team and stakeholders can inspect progress and adapt plans to maximize value.

According to the2020 Scrum Guide:

Product Backlog: Represents all the work needed to achieve the Product Goal and allows inspection and prioritization of upcoming work.

Sprint Backlog: A real-time plan for the Sprint that provides transparency into what the team is working on and allows inspection and adaptation during the Sprint.

Increment: The outcome of the Sprint that is usable and meets the Definition of Done, enabling stakeholders to inspect progress and provide feedback.

Why the other options are incorrect:

A. Burndown Charts, release plan and Product Backlog:Burndown charts and release plans are complementary tools, but they are not official Scrum artifacts.

C. Definition of Done and Product Backlog:The Definition of Done is not an artifact but a shared understanding of when work is complete.

D. Definition of Done, Sprint Backlog and Product Backlog:While the Sprint Backlog and Product Backlog are artifacts, the Definition of Done is not.

When a Scrum Master encounters resistance from outside the Scrum Team, their role is to act as aservant leader and coach, ensuring the organization's adoption of Scrum is effective. Resistance often stems from a lack of understanding or buy-in regarding the value of Scrum.

According to the2020 Scrum Guide, the Scrum Master serves the organization in several ways, including:

Leading, training, and coaching the organization in its Scrum adoption.

Planning and advising Scrum implementations within the organization.

Helping employees and stakeholders understand and enact an empirical approach for complex work.

In this case, the Scrum Master collaborates with other Scrum Masters to amplify the effectiveness of Scrum across the organization. This collaboration is essential for addressing systemic challenges or resistance to Scrum.

Why the other options are incorrect:

A. Escalate to management to reprimand the resisters:Escalating and seeking reprimand is not aligned with the Scrum Master's role as a facilitator and coach. This approach could create conflict rather than resolve resistance.

B. Not intervene in the business of others:The Scrum Master’s role involves actively addressing impediments and resistance. Avoiding intervention undermines their responsibility to promote Scrum.

C. Create a status update meeting for all Scrum Masters to coordinate teamdependencies:While collaboration among Scrum Masters is essential, "status update meetings" are not a Scrum practice, and coordination of dependencies is typically handled within Sprint Planning or during collaborative refinement sessions.

One of the key accountabilities of aScrum Masteris toimprove the Scrum Team's effectiveness. This aligns with the Scrum Master's role as a servant leader who helps the team deliver value through better practices, collaboration, and adherence to Scrum principles.

According to the2020 Scrum Guide, the Scrum Master is accountable for:

Establishing Scrum as defined in the Scrum Guide, helping everyone understand its theory and practices.

Improving the Scrum Team's effectivenessby enabling the team to self-manage, improve cross-functionality, and focus on delivering high-value Increments.

Removing impedimentsthat hinder progress and supporting the team in achieving its Sprint Goals.

Why the other options are incorrect:

A. Set the budget:The Scrum Master does not manage budgets. Budgeting decisions are outside the scope of the Scrum framework.

B. Provide estimates:Developers are responsible for providing estimates during Product Backlog refinement and Sprint Planning.

D. Decide when to release the product:Decisions about releases are made collaboratively by theProduct Owner, often based on business needs and stakeholder input.

The primary activity of the Product Owner ismaximizing the value of the Scrum Team's work. This involves managing the Product Backlog, ensuring that the most valuable work is prioritized, and collaborating with stakeholders to define clear goals and objectives for the Scrum Team.

According to the2020 Scrum Guide, the Product Owner:

Ensures that the Scrum Team is working on the most valuable work by continuously prioritizing and refining the Product Backlog.

Collaborates closely with stakeholders to understand their needs and expectations.

Focuses on delivering value while enabling the Scrum Team to achieve their Sprint Goals.

Why the other options are incorrect:

A. Ensuring the Charter is understood:A project charter is not part of the Scrum framework. This option is unrelated to Scrum.

B. Experimenting with Sprint duration:Sprint duration is decided by the Scrum Team and is fixed throughout the Scrum implementation. It is not the Product Owner's responsibility to experiment with this.

D. Managing the Developers:Scrum does not involve "managing" Developers; they are self-organizing and responsible for how they complete their work.

When a Scrum Team says a Product Backlog item isdone, it means that the item meets theDefinition of Doneagreed upon by the Scrum Team. The Definition of Done ensures that the work is complete, usable, and meets quality standards.

According to the2020 Scrum Guide:

The Definition of Done is a shared understanding of what it means for work to be complete.

If an Increment or Product Backlog item does not meet the Definition of Done, it cannot be considered part of the usable Increment.

Why the other options are incorrect:

A. The item has been developed and tested:While development and testing are part of the process, "done" requires meeting all criteria in the Definition of Done, not just these two aspects.

B. The item has been deployed to the production environment:Deployment is not a requirement for an item to be considered "done" in Scrum.

D. The item meets the Definition of Done provided by the Product Owner:The Definition of Done is established by the entire Scrum Team, not the Product Owner alone.