PSM-II Professional Scrum Master II Questions and Answers

 As a Scrum Master, you could help the Product Owner by suggesting working with the program manager and the project managers of the other components on the ordering and the value of your open Product Backlog items to redefine the possible delivery date. This would allow you to collaborate with the stakeholders and align on the expectations and priorities of the product. You could also inspect and adapt your integration process and communication channels with the other teams to minimize the impact of changes and dependencies.

References:

• The Scrum Guide 2020, section “The Scrum Master”
• The Scrum Master Learning Path, module “The Scrum Master as a Coach”
• The Professional Scrum Master II Course, topic “Stakeholder Management”

The Sprint Goal is a short and clear description of what the Scrum Team wants to achieve in the Sprint. It is a commitment that provides guidance and focus for the Scrum Team throughout the Sprint. The Sprint Goal is:

• Created by the Scrum Team during the Sprint Planning, based on the Product Owner’s proposal and the Developers’ forecast (A).
• Respected by the Product Owner, who does not change it or add new work that endangers it during the Sprint (B).
• Helpful for increasing focus, as it helps the Scrum Team align their actions and decisions with a common objective ©.
• Discussed openly by the Scrum Team, who can explore different ways to reach it and adapt their plan as needed within the Sprint (D).
• Fixed and immutable for the duration of the Sprint, unless a significant change occurs that makes it obsolete or invalid. In that case, the Sprint may be cancelled by the Product Owner (E).
• Communicated courageously by the Developers, who inform the Product Owner as soon as possible if they encounter any impediments or risks that may prevent them from achieving it (F).

Therefore, the statement that is incorrect is that the Sprint Goal is only a forecast and may change within the Sprint as more is learned (E), because this contradicts the principle of commitment and stability that underlies the Sprint Goal.

References: : [Scrum Guide], The Sprint Goal : [Scrum Guide], The Sprint Planning : [Scrum Guide], The Product Owner : [Scrum Guide], The Developers : [Scrum Guide], Cancelling a Sprint : [Scrum Guide], Scrum Values

The possible explanations for why this Scrum Team is struggling to craft a Sprint Goal are B, D, and E.

B. The Sprints are too long. A four-week Sprint is the maximum duration allowed by the Scrum Guide, and it may not be suitable for complex and uncertain work that requires frequent feedback and adaptation. A shorter Sprint may help the Scrum Team to focus on a clear and coherent Sprint Goal that aligns with the Product Goal and delivers a valuable Increment.

D. The Product Owner is not communicating the Product Goal that they want to achieve in upcoming Sprints. The Product Goal is a long-term objective for the Scrum Team that provides direction and purpose for their work. The Product Owner is responsible for communicating the Product Goal to the Developers and collaborating with them to create Sprint Goals that move them closer to the Product Goal. Without a clear Product Goal, the Scrum Team may lack a shared vision and end up working on unrelated items.

E. The Scrum Team is too big. The Scrum Guide recommends that the Scrum Team consists of 10 or fewer people, including the Scrum Master and the Product Owner. A larger team may have difficulties in collaborating effectively, self-organizing, and creating a meaningful Sprint Goal that reflects the collective commitment of the Developers. A smaller team may improve the communication, coordination, and cohesion among the Developers and help them to create and achieve a Sprint Goal.

References:

• The Scrum Guide, section 2.3 (The Scrum Team), page 7
• The Scrum Guide, section 3.1 (The Sprint), page 8
• The Scrum Guide, section 3.3 (The Sprint Goal), page 9
• The Scrum Guide, section 4.1 (The Product Backlog), page 11
• The Scrum Master Learning Path, module 2 (The Scrum Framework), lesson 2 (The Sprint) and lesson 3 (The Sprint Goal)

 The Sprint Retrospective is a Scrum event in which the Scrum Team inspects how the last Sprint went with regards to individuals, interactions, processes, tools, and their Definition of Done1. The purpose of the Sprint Retrospective is to plan ways to increase quality and effectiveness1. The Scrum Team should focus on improving the quality of the product Increment, not on increasing the measured velocity. Velocity is a metric that indicates how much work the team has completed in a Sprint, but it does not reflect the value or quality of that work. Working product is one of the primary measures of progress in Agile.

Some actions that the Scrum Master can take in this situation are:

• Facilitate a discussion on how to improve the quality to a level sufficient for production, even if the measured velocity will drop in the next Sprint. This action will help the Scrum Team to identify and address the root causes of the quality issues, and to plan actions for improvement. The Scrum Master should encourage the Scrum Team to inspect their Definition of Done, their testing and quality assurance practices, their technical debt, and their collaboration with stakeholders. The Scrum Master should also help the Scrum Team to prioritize quality over quantity, and to understand that delivering a potentially releasable Increment at the end of every Sprint is one of the goals of Scrum.
• Stress the value of working product over measured velocity. This action will help the Scrum Team to align their work with the Agile values and principles, and to focus on delivering value to the customers and users. The Scrum Master should remind the Scrum Team that velocity is not a goal or a measure of success, but a tool for planning and forecasting. The Scrum Master should also help the Scrum Team to avoid falling into the trap of velocity-driven development, where they sacrifice quality, sustainability, and customer satisfaction for higher numbers.

Some actions that the Scrum Master should not take in this situation are:

• Agree and praise the Developers for their hard work, so they are motivated to do even more in the next Sprint. This action will not help the Scrum Team to improve their quality or effectiveness, but rather reinforce a false sense of achievement based on velocity. The Scrum Master should acknowledge and appreciate the Developers’ efforts, but also challenge them to inspect and adapt their work processes and outcomes. The Scrum Master should also help the Developers to balance their motivation with realism, and to avoid overcommitting or overestimating their capacity.
• Acknowledge the hard work, but remind the Developers that they need to improve to do even more in the next Sprint. This action will not help the Scrum Team to improve their quality or effectiveness, but rather put pressure on them to increase their velocity. The Scrum Master should not imply that doing more work is equivalent to doing better work, or that higher velocity is expected or desired. The Scrum Master should also help the Developers to avoid burnout, stress, and fatigue caused by unrealistic or unsustainable expectations.

References:

• The Sprint Retrospective - What It Is & Tips for Making the Most of Your Meeting | Scrum Alliance
• How to Measure Sprint Velocity in Agile | Parabol
• What is a Sprint Retrospective? - Zeolearn
• What Is the Goal of Sprint Retrospective Meeting? | Wrike
• What is a Sprint Retrospective? | Scrum.org
• [Principles behind the Agile Manifesto]
• [What is a Product Increment? | Scrum.org]
• [Velocity-driven development: A trap waiting for you | Agile Alliance]

A Scrum Master is not a management position in the traditional sense of the word. A Scrum Master does not have authority over the team members, the product, or the project. A Scrum Master is a servant leader who helps the team self-organize, collaborate, and deliver value. A Scrum Master is accountable for managing the Scrum process, ensuring that the team follows the Scrum values and principles, and facilitating the team’s interactions with stakeholders and the organization. A Scrum Master is also accountable for removing organizational impediments that limit the team’s progress and productivity, such as bureaucracy, silos, or conflicts. A Scrum Master is not accountable for reporting on the performance of a team, managing the project plan and the project deliverables, or managing the capacity and utilization of the Developers. These are responsibilities of the Product Owner, the Developers, or other roles in the organization.

References:

• Scrum Guide 2020, section “The Scrum Master”, “The Scrum Team”.
• What is a scrum master? [+ Responsibilities] | Atlassian, section “Scrum master responsibilities”.
• Scrum Master Roles and Responsibilities [2023] | Simplilearn, section “What Does a Scrum Master Do?”, “Scrum Master Responsibilities”.

 A self-managing Scrum Team is one that internally decides who does what, when, and how. It does not need external direction or supervision to accomplish its work. A self-managing Scrum Team can resolve conflicts and continue working, as this shows that the team members can collaborate effectively and handle disagreements without escalating them. Creativity flourishes and new possibilities are explored, as this shows that the team members are empowered to experiment and innovate, rather than following a fixed plan or process.

References:

• The Scrum Guide 20201, section “The Scrum Team”
• The Scrum Master Learning Path2, module “The Self-Managing Scrum Team”
• The Professional Scrum Master II Course3, topic “Self-Management”

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 Product Backlog item is a description of a feature or functionality that adds value to the product. It is selected by the Scrum Team during the Sprint Planning, based on the Product Owner’s proposal and the Developers’ forecast. It is expected that the Product Backlog item will be completed by the end of the Sprint, meaning that it meets the Definition of Done, which is a formal description of the state of the Increment when it meets the quality standards required for the product.

However, if a Product Backlog item is not completed by the end of the Sprint, meaning that it does not meet the Definition of Done, then:

• The item is not included in the Increment for this Sprint (B), which is a valid option as it ensures that only “Done” work is delivered to the customer and stakeholders. The Increment is a concrete and usable outcome of a Sprint that provides value and feedback. It should not contain any undone or partially done work that may compromise its quality, usability, or value.
• It is put on the Product Backlog for the Product Owner to decide what to do with it (D), which is another valid option as it respects the authority and accountability of the Product Owner to manage the Product Backlog, which is an ordered list of what is needed in the product. The Product Owner can decide whether to re-prioritize, re-estimate, refine, or remove the incomplete Product Backlog item based on new insights and stakeholder needs.

The other options are not correct because they:

• Review the item, add the done part of the estimate to the velocity and create a Story for the remaining work (A), which is not a good option as it violates the principle of commitment and transparency that underlies the Definition of Done. The Scrum Team should not count or report any work that is not “Done” as part of their progress or performance. The Scrum Team should also not split or create new Product Backlog items during or after the Sprint, as this may affect their alignment and focus on the Sprint Goal.
• Only the stakeholders decide over acceptance of undone work and whether to release it ©, which is not a good option as it violates the role and responsibility of the Product Owner and the Developers to deliver a potentially releasable Increment at the end of each Sprint. The stakeholders can provide feedback and suggestions for the product, but they cannot accept or release any work that does not meet the Definition of Done.

References: : [Scrum Guide], The Product Backlog : [Scrum Guide], The Definition of Done : [Scrum Guide], The Increment : [Scrum Guide], The Sprint Planning : [Scrum Guide], The Product Owner : [Scrum Guide], The Developers

• B: Developers can artificially increase velocity by incurring technical debt. This is a true statement, as some Developers may choose to take shortcuts or compromise on quality in order to deliver more work in a Sprint. However, this is not a sustainable or ethical practice, as it will create more problems and costs in the future. The Scrum Master can help the Developers to avoid this temptation and focus on delivering value and quality instead.
• D: Velocity may unexpectedly drop when the Developers run into technical debt while attempting to complete new Product Backlog items. This is a true statement, as technical debt can act as a drag on the productivity and progress of the Developers. Technical debt can make the work more difficult, complex, or risky, and may require more time and effort to fix or refactor. The Scrum Master can help the Developers to identify and manage technical debt, and communicate its impact to the Product Owner and the stakeholders.

References:

• How Technical Debt Affects Your Velocity1
• Understanding the impact of technical debt on the capacity and velocity2

The Scrum Value of openness can easily impact all of the aspects listed in the question. Openness means that the Scrum Team and the stakeholders agree to be transparent about their work, their challenges, their learnings, and their progress. This fosters a culture of collaboration, trust, feedback, and continuous improvement. Openness also helps to ensure that the product quality meets the expectations of the customers and the stakeholders, and that the product is delivered in a timely manner. Openness also contributes to employee satisfaction, as it allows the Scrum Team members to express their opinions, share their ideas, and learn from each other.

References:

• The Scrum Guide, section 2.2 (Scrum Values), page 6
• The Scrum Master Learning Path, module 1 (Scrum Theory), lesson 3 (Scrum Values)

A “Quality Assurance and Release Readiness Sprint” is not a Scrum concept, but a sign of poor engineering practices and weak adherence to the Scrum values and principles. It indicates that the Scrum Team is not delivering a potentially releasable product Increment every Sprint, which is one of the core commitments of Scrum. This could be due to a weak or incomplete Definition of Done, which allows technical debt to accumulate and compromises the quality and usability of the product. It could also be due to the Developers finding it nearly impossible to create a valuable, useful product Increment in a Sprint, which could be caused by various factors such as lack of skills, tools, collaboration, feedback, or empowerment. The Definition of Done is not being met every Sprint, which means that the Scrum Team is not fulfilling its accountability for the Increment and is not transparent about the state of the product.

References:

• Scrum Guide 2020, section “Commitments”, “Definition of Done”, “The Sprint”, “The Increment”.
• Advanced Knowledge of Scrum, section “Definition of Done”, “Technical Debt”.
• Scrum Master Accountabilities, section “Accountability for Effectiveness”.

The Definition of Done is a formal description of the state of the Increment when it meets the quality standards required for the product. The purpose of the Definition of Done is to:

• During the Sprint, it helps the Developers identify the work remaining for an Increment to be ready for release by the end of a Sprint (B), by providing a clear and shared understanding of what “Done” means for each Product Backlog item and the Increment as a whole.
• It creates transparency into the state of the Increment when it is inspected at the Sprint Review ©, by ensuring that everyone involved in the product development has the same expectations and criteria for evaluating the value, usability, and quality of the Increment.
• It guides the Developers when creating a forecast at the Sprint Planning (D), by enabling them to estimate how much work they can realistically complete within a Sprint, based on their capacity, skills, and Definition of Done.

References: : [Scrum Guide], The Definition of Done : [Scrum Guide], The Increment : [Scrum Guide], The Sprint Review : [Scrum Guide], The Sprint Planning

 When multiple Scrum Teams work on the same product, they share one Product Backlog that contains all the requirements for the product. The Product Owner is responsible for ordering and refining the Product Backlog items, but does not assign them to specific teams. Instead, the Scrum Teams pull in work from the Product Backlog in agreement with the Product Owner and the other teams, based on their capacity, skills, dependencies, and Sprint Goals. This way, the Scrum Teams can self-organize and collaborate to deliver a coherent and valuable product Increment.

References:

• The Scrum Guide, November 2020, p. 7-8
• Can two teams work on one product backlog?, Scrum.org, January 6, 2020

A. Having one Product Owner will improve the clarity of accountability to the teams and to the product management department. This is a good suggestion, as it ensures that there is a single person who is responsible for maximizing the value of the product and managing the Product Backlog. Having one Product Owner also avoids confusion, duplication, or conflict among multiple Product Owners who may have different visions, priorities, or expectations for the product.

D. A single Product Backlog should be maintained holding all requirements for the new product. This is also a good suggestion, as it ensures that there is a single source of truth for the product requirements and that they are transparent and visible to all stakeholders. Having a single Product Backlog also enables the Product Owner to order the items based on their value, risk, dependency, and urgency, and to collaborate with the Scrum Teams to select and refine the items for each Sprint.

References:

• The Scrum Guide, section 2.3 (The Scrum Team), page 7
• The Scrum Guide, section 4.1 (The Product Backlog), page 11
• The Scrum Master Learning Path, module 2 (The Scrum Framework), lesson 4 (Sprint Planning) and lesson 5 (The Sprint Review)

 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

 The Scrum Master serves the Scrum Team by coaching them and the organization how to work empirically, which means using an evidence-based approach to inspect and adapt the product and the process1. The Scrum Master also facilitates Scrum events as requested or needed, such as the Sprint Planning, the Daily Scrum, the Sprint Review, and the Sprint Retrospective2. The Scrum Master ensures that these events are positive, productive, and kept within the timebox2.

The Scrum Master does not resolve every impediment that the Developers run into, but rather helps them to remove or overcome those impediments themselves3. The Scrum Master also does not never intervene in matters of the Scrum Team, but rather balances between providing guidance and allowing autonomy. The Scrum Master is not a passive observer, but an active servant leader who supports the team in achieving their goals.

References:

• What is a Scrum Master? | Scrum.org, section “The Accountabilities of the Scrum Master”
• The Scrum Guide 2020, section “The Scrum Master”
• What is a scrum master? [+ Responsibilities] | Atlassian, section “Scrum master responsibilities”
• [The 8 Stances of a Scrum Master by Barry Overeem], section “The Servant Leader”
• [What Is a Scrum Master (and How Do I Become One)? - Coursera], section “What is a scrum master?”

Short Explanation: Scrum is a framework for delivering value to customers and stakeholders in an iterative and incremental way. Scrum does not prescribe how project budgeting and financial forecasting should be performed, but it does provide some principles and practices that can help with this process.

One of these principles is that each Sprint should produce a potentially releasable product Increment that delivers value and meets the Definition of Done. This means that several Sprints may be funded as a single release, with the result of each Sprint being releasable product12. This allows the Product Owner to decide when to release the product based on the feedback from the customers and stakeholders, and the market conditions.

Another principle is that Scrum promotes transparency, inspection, and adaptation. This means that the budgeting and forecasting process should be revisited as frequently as each Sprint to ensure value is being delivered for the investment spent13. This allows the Scrum Team to inspect the outcomes of the delivered Sprint Increments, compare them with the expected benefits and costs, and adapt the product backlog and the release plan accordingly.

Scrum does not align with traditional accounting practices that require fixed scope, cost, and time. However, this does not mean that Scrum Teams do not need a budgeting process or that they only need to cover the run cost (time and materials) of the Scrum Teams. Scrum Teams still need to estimate the size and value of the product backlog items, forecast the delivery date and cost of the product or release, and track the actual spending and revenue of the product or release43. The difference is that these estimates and forecasts are based on empirical data from previous Sprints, rather than on upfront assumptions or guesses. They are also subject to change as new information emerges or new requirements arise.

References:

• Scrum Guide 2020, section “The Sprint”, “The Increment”, “Empiricism”.
• Tips for Effective Agile Budgeting and Forecasting | Toptal®, section “Establish Context and Set Expectations”, “Budget for Value”.
• Project forecasts and budgets | Microsoft Learn, section “Project forecasting”.
• Planning and Budgeting in Scrum Projects - PMHut, section “Budgeting in Scrum Projects”.