PSM-I Practice Exam Questions with Answers Professional Scrum Master I Certification

The correct answer is B, because the Product Owner does not make sure the team selects enough from the Product Backlog for a Sprint to satisfy the stakeholders. The Scrum Guide states that “the number of items selected from the Product Backlog for the Sprint is solely up to the Development Team. Only the Development Team can assess what it can accomplish over the upcoming Sprint.” Therefore, the Development Team is responsible for choosing the scope of work for a Sprint.

The correct answers are B, C, and D, because moving away from component teams toward feature teams may involve some challenges and trade-offs. Productivity may suffer when making this kind of move, as teams need to learn new skills, coordinate with other teams, and deal with legacy code. Getting support from the business side first helps, as they can provide the vision, value, and feedback for the features. Feature teams have less communication overhead, as they can deliver end-to-end functionality without depending on other teams.

References: [Suggested Reading for Professional Scrum Master™ I]

The correct answer is C, because when a Development Team is having trouble delivering a working Increment because they don’t understand a functional requirement, they should collaborate with the Product Owner to determine what is possible and acceptable. The Scrum Guide states that “the Product Owner is responsible for maximizing the value of the product resulting from work of the Development Team. How this is done may vary widely across organizations, Scrum Teams, and individuals.” Therefore, the Product Owner should clarify the functional requirement and negotiate the scope of work with the Development Team.

According to the Scrum Guide, the Scrum Team consists of three roles: the Scrum Master, who coaches and facilitates the team; the Product Owner, who manages and prioritizes the Product Backlog; and the Development Team, who delivers a potentially releasable Increment at the end of each Sprint. Users and customers are not roles on the Scrum Team, but they are stakeholders who may provide feedback and input to the product.

According to the Scrum Guide1, the Sprint Review is an informal meeting at the end of the Sprint, where the Scrum Team and stakeholders collaborate about what was done in the Sprint. Based on that and any changes to the Product Backlog during the Sprint, attendees collaborate on what to do next. The Product Owner explains what Product Backlog items have been “Done” and what has not been “Done”; the Development Team discusses what went well during the Sprint, what problems it ran into, and how those problems were solved; and the Development Team demonstrates the work that it has “Done” and answers questions about the Increment. The entire group collaborates on what to do next, so that the Sprint Review provides valuable input to subsequent Sprint Planning. The Sprint Review is mainly an inspect and adapt opportunity for the Scrum Team and stakeholders.

References: Scrum Guide

According to the Scrum Guide1, an Increment is a concrete stepping stone toward the Product Goal. Each Increment is additive to all prior Increments and thoroughly verified, ensuring that all Increments work together. In order to provide value, an Increment must be usable. Multiple Increments may be created within a Sprint. The sum of the Increments is presented at the Sprint Review thus supporting empiricism. However, an Increment may be delivered to stakeholders prior to the end of the Sprint. The Sprint Review should never be considered a gate to releasing value. Therefore, in order to produce integrated Increments that are potentially releasable, the best suited structure for Development Teams is to develop functionality from beginning to end throughout all technical layers.

References: Scrum Guide

The correct answers are D and E, because these are two activities that a Product Owner can engage in during a Sprint. The Scrum Guide states that “the Product Owner is responsible for maximizing the value of the product resulting from work of the Development Team.” Therefore, the Product Owner can answer questions from the Development Team about items in the current Sprint, and work with the stakeholders to understand their needs and expectations.

According to the Scrum Guide, multiple Scrum Teams working on the same product do not have to have the same Sprint start date. They may start their Sprints at different times, as long as they synchronize their work and integrate their Increments at least by the end of each Sprint. The other option is not valid, as it implies that having the same Sprint start date is mandatory for multiple Scrum Teams.

Correct Answer: C and E

Short Explanation: According to the Scrum Guide 20201, the product has one Product Backlog, which is the single source of work undertaken by the Scrum Team. The Product Backlog is ordered by the Product Owner, who is accountable for maximizing the value of the product resulting from the work of the Scrum Team. There should be only one Product Owner per product, who may represent the desires of a committee in the Product Backlog, but those wanting to change a Product Backlog item’s priority must address the Product Owner1. Having multiple Product Owners or Product Backlogs would create confusion, inconsistency, and waste in the Scrum process.

 According to the Scrum Guide, a Development Team needs a Sprint Goal because it provides guidance and focus for building an Increment that delivers value. The other options are not valid reasons for having a Sprint Goal, as they are either incorrect (such as giving purpose only to Sprint 0 or ensuring implementation of all Product Backlog items) or irrelevant (such as knowing everything from the Product Backlog).

The next Sprint begins immediately after the conclusion of the previous Sprint, as stated in the Scrum Guide: “Sprints have consistent durations throughout a development effort. A new Sprint starts immediately after the conclusion of the previous Sprint.”

The Sprint Backlog is the Development Team’s plan for the Sprint, as stated in the Scrum Guide1: “The Sprint Backlog is a plan with enough detail that changes in progress can be understood in the Daily Scrum. The Development Team modifies the Sprint Backlog throughout the Sprint, and the Sprint Backlog emerges during the Sprint.”

According to the Scrum Guide, two valid actions that the Developers can take when they realize that the workload may be greater than their capacity to complete the work are ensuring that the Scrum Team is aware, starting the Sprint, and monitoring progress, and removing or changing selected Product Backlog items. These actions are consistent with Scrum values and principles, such as transparency, adaptation, and collaboration. The other options are not valid actions, as they are either wasteful (such as recruiting additional Developers or canceling the Sprint) or unsustainable (such as working overtime).

According to the Scrum Guide1, 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 Developers, 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.

References: Scrum Guide

The correct answer is B. To present the Scrum Teams with insights and resources that help them improve. According to the Scrum Guide1, “The role of management in Scrum is to support the Product Owner with insights and information into high-value product and system capabilities.” Management also helps the Scrum Team by providing an environment that fosters agility, learning, and collaboration2. Management does not directly control or monitor the work of the Developers, nor does it interfere with the self-organization and autonomy of the Scrum Team3. Management’s function in Scrum is to enable and empower the Scrum Team to deliver value and continuously improve.

According to the Scrum Guide1, the Product Backlog is an ordered list of everything that is known to be needed in the product. It is the single source of requirements for any changes to be made to the product. The Product Owner is accountable for maximizing value resulting from work by Developers. The Product Owner is also accountable for effective Product Backlog management, which includes:

• Developing and explicitly communicating the Product Goal;
• Creating and clearly communicating Product Backlog items;
• Ordering Product Backlog items; and
• Ensuring that the Product Backlog is transparent, visible and understood.

Therefore, the Product Owner is responsible for clearly expressing Product Backlog items.

References: Scrum Guide

The timebox for the Sprint Review is four hours for a one-month Sprint, as stated in [4]: “The Sprint Review is held at the end of the Sprint to inspect the Increment and adapt the Product Backlog if needed. During the event, the Scrum Team and stakeholders review what was accomplished in the Sprint and what has changed in their environment. Based on this information, attendees collaborate on what to do next. The Product Owner explains what Product Backlog items have been “Done” and what has not been “Done”; additionally, they discuss any changes to scope or budget or potential value. The entire group then collaborates on what to do next, so that the Sprint Review provides valuable input to subsequent Sprint Planning. The Sprint Review is a working session and attendees should inspect based on facts. A Sprint Review is held at the end of every Sprint for a maximum duration of four hours for a one-month Sprint.”

The correct answers are B and C, because these are the two primary ways a Scrum Master keeps a Development Team working at its highest level of productivity. The Scrum Guide states that “the Scrum Master serves the Development Team in several ways, including … removing impediments to the Development Team’s progress; facilitating Scrum events as requested or needed; and coaching the Development Team in self-organization and cross-functionality.” Therefore, by removing impediments and facilitating decisions, the Scrum Master helps the Development Team focus on their work and deliver value.

According to the Scrum Guide, the Product Backlog is an ordered list of everything that is known to be needed in the product. It is allowed to grow and change as more is learned about the product and its customers. The other options are not accurate descriptions of the Product Backlog, as they are either too restrictive (such as providing just enough information or baselining to follow change management processes) or too comprehensive (such as containing all foreseeable tasks and requirements or enabling a complete project plan).

The correct answer is B, because the time-box for a Daily Scrum is 15 minutes. The Scrum Guide states that “the Daily Scrum is a 15-minute time-boxed event for the Development Team to synchronize activities and create a plan for the next 24 hours.”

When a Development Team determines that it will not be able to finish the complete forecast, both the Product Owner and the Development Team have to be present when reviewing and adjusting the Sprint work selected, as stated in [6]: “If there is not enough work remaining for all members of a Development Team then they can renegotiate scope with their Product Owner. If there is too much work remaining then they can also renegotiate scope with their Product Owner.”

According to the Scrum Guide1, the Sprint Backlog is the property of the Developers and no one else can tell them which items they should work on. The Developers can select any item from the Product Backlog that they forecast they can complete within a Sprint. The Developers are self-organizing and decide how to turn Product Backlog items into an Increment of value. Therefore, no one owns a Sprint Backlog item, but the entire Development Team is accountable for it.

References: Scrum Guide

During the Sprint Retrospective, the Scrum Team may add items to the Sprint Backlog for the next Sprint, as stated in [5]: “The purpose of each Sprint Retrospective is to plan ways to increase quality and effectiveness. The Scrum Team plans ways to implement improvements identified during this meeting into its way of working. By doing this it reinforces empiricism throughout its work. Improvements may be implemented at any time during a Sprint or they may be planned for subsequent Sprints.”

The best answer is C. When multiple Scrum Teams are working on a single product, they must mutually define and comply with the same Definition of Done1. This ensures that the product has a consistent level of quality and that the Increments delivered by different teams can be integrated seamlessly. Having different Definitions of Done for each team can lead to confusion, rework, and technical debt. The Scrum Guide says that the Definition of Done is a formal description of the state of the Increment when it meets the quality measures required for the product2. Therefore, it is not something that can be decided by the Scrum Masters alone (B) or left to each team’s discretion (A and D).

A Product Owner releases each Increment when it makes sense, as stated in [2]: “The Product Owner decides when to release an Increment. This can be done at any time during or after a Sprint. The Product Owner may choose to release an Increment when it delivers enough value to customers or users, when it meets a market opportunity, when it reduces risk or uncertainty, or when it aligns with other business goals.”

A cross-functional Development Team is one that includes cross-skilled individuals who are able to contribute to do what is necessary to deliver an increment of software, as stated in the Scrum Guide1: “Cross-functional teams have all competencies needed to accomplish the work without depending on others not part of the team.”

According to the Scrum Guide1, the Development Team consists of professionals who do the work of delivering a potentially releasable Increment of “Done” product at the end of each Sprint. Development Teams are structured and empowered by the organization to organize and manage their own work. The resulting synergy optimizes the Development Team’s overall efficiency and effectiveness. Cross-functional teams have all competencies needed to accomplish the work without depending on others not part of the team. The team model in Scrum is designed to optimize flexibility, creativity, and productivity.

References: Scrum Guide

According to the Scrum Guide, a Scrum Team is cross-functional if it includes skilled individuals who together have all the skills necessary to create value each Sprint. This means that the Developers can work on any aspect of the product without depending on others outside the team. The other options are not valid descriptions of cross-functionality, as they either imply that the Developers work in silos or rely on external people (such as business analysts, architects, testers, or separate teams).

According to the Scrum Guide1, collaboration between the Product Owner and Developers is essential for creating valuable products. The Product Owner is accountable for maximizing value resulting from work by Developers. Developers are accountable for creating a plan for the Sprint, which includes selecting items from Product Backlog that they can complete within a Sprint. The Scrum Master is accountable for establishing Scrum as defined in the Scrum Guide. They do this by helping everyone understand Scrum theory and practice, both within the Scrum Team and the organization. Therefore, two valuable actions for a Scrum Master to take if the Product Owner is not collaborating with the Development Team during the Sprint are:

• Bring up the problem in the Sprint Retrospective, where the Scrum Team can inspect how they worked together and create a plan for improvements.
• Coach the Product Owner in the values of Scrum and incremental delivery, and help them understand their role and responsibilities in collaborating with Developers.

The other options are not valuable actions, as they may undermine trust, respect, and self-organization within the Scrum Team.

References: Scrum Guide

According to the Scrum Guide, two activities that a Product Owner may engage in during a Sprint are updating management on what is being worked on and answering questions from the Development Team about items in the current Sprint. These activities are part of the Product Owner’s responsibilities to manage and prioritize the Product Backlog, communicate with stakeholders, and collaborate with the Development Team. The other options are not activities that a Product Owner should engage in during a Sprint, as they are either done by the Scrum Master (such as running the Daily Scrum) or by the Development Team (such as prioritizing their work on the Sprint Backlog).

The correct answer is C, because as soon as possible in the Sprint, the Development Team should work with the Product Owner to remove some work or Product Backlog items if they realize they have selected too much work to finish in the Sprint. The Scrum Guide states that “the Development Team may renegotiate the selected Product Backlog items with the Product Owner. If the Development Team realizes it has too much or too little work, it may renegotiate the selected Product Backlog items with the Product Owner. The Development Team may also invite other people to attend to provide technical or domain advice.”

The product has one Product Backlog, as it is a single source of requirements for any changes to be made to the product. There should be only one Product Owner, who is accountable for maximizing the value of the product and the work of the Development Team. Having multiple Product Owners or Product Backlogs would create confusion, inconsistency, and waste.

According to the Scrum Guide1, there is no such thing as a Release Sprint in Scrum. A Release Sprint implies that there are other Sprints that don’t produce a potentially releasable Increment, which violates the core principle of Scrum. Every Sprint should result in a “Done”, useable, and potentially releasable product Increment.

Two techniques that would be most helpful in this situation are to discuss the impediments with the Development Team, and to prioritize the list and work on them in order, as stated in [3]: “The Scrum Master should facilitate a discussion with the Development Team to identify and prioritize the impediments that are blocking their progress. The Scrum Master should then work with the Development Team and other stakeholders to remove or mitigate these impediments as soon as possible.”

The correct answer is D, because one of the services that a Scrum Master can provide in regard to the Daily Scrum is to teach the Development Team to keep the Daily Scrum within the 15 minute time-box. The Scrum Guide states that “the Scrum Master ensures that the Development Team has the meeting, but the Development Team is responsible for conducting the Daily Scrum. The Scrum Master teaches the Development Team to keep the Daily Scrum within the 15-minute time-box.”

The correct answer is A, because the Scrum Guide states that “the definition of ‘Done’ is a formal description of the state of the Increment when it meets the quality measures required for the product.” Therefore, non-functional requirements should be part of the definition of ‘Done’ and ensure every Increment meets them.

According to the Scrum Guide1, each Sprint is a project with no more than a one-month horizon. The Sprint Goal gives guidance to why the Scrum Team is building an Increment. The Development Team consists of professionals who do the work of delivering a potentially releasable Increment of “Done” product at the end of each Sprint. Therefore, in the first Sprint, as in any other Sprint, the Development Team should develop at least one piece of functionality and create an increment of potentially releasable software. The other options are not consistent with Scrum values and principles.

References: Scrum Guide

The correct answers are B and C, because technical debt impacts transparency in these ways. It leads to false assumptions about the current state of the system, specifically of an Increment being releasable at the end of a Sprint, as it may contain hidden defects or incomplete functionality. It also results in future work being slowed down in unpredictable ways, as development progresses and code is added, the system becomes more difficult to stabilize and maintain.

The correct answer is A, because if two Scrum Teams are added to the development of a product that previously had only one Scrum Team, the immediate impact on the productivity of the original Scrum Team is likely to decrease. This is because adding more teams may introduce some challenges and trade-offs, such as increased communication and coordination overhead, reduced alignment and cohesion, and potential conflicts or dependencies.

References: [Suggested Reading for Professional Scrum Master™ I]

Three topics for the Developers to discuss at the Daily Scrum as they inspect their progress toward the Sprint Goal are:

• What have we learned since yesterday, and how should we modify our plan to increase our ability to meet the Sprint Goal?
• Are there any impediments blocking progress toward the Sprint Goal?
• Are there any decisions that need to be made to maintain progress toward the Sprint Goal?

These topics are suggested by [6]: “The structure of the meeting is set by the Developers and can be conducted in different ways if it focuses on progress toward the Sprint Goal. Some Development Teams will use questions, some will be more discussion based.”

During the Sprint, the Scrum Master’s role is to facilitate inspection and adaptation opportunities as requested or needed, and to coach the team members in self-management, as stated in 3: “The Scrum Master is accountable for establishing Scrum as defined in the Scrum Guide. They do this by helping everyone understand Scrum theory and practice, both within the Scrum Team and the organization. The Scrum Master is accountable for the Scrum Team’s effectiveness. They do this by enabling the Scrum Team to improve its practices, within the Scrum framework.”

The best two answers are B and D. These two ways of dealing with regulatory compliance issues are consistent with Scrum’s values and principles, as they allow the Scrum Team to deliver valuable and potentially releasable increments of the product while meeting the necessary standards and regulations. They also enable the Scrum Team to inspect and adapt their compliance strategy based on feedback and changing requirements.

A is not a good answer because it creates a separate silo of responsibility for compliance issues, which can lead to delays, conflicts, and inefficiencies. It also violates the Scrum value of transparency, as the compliance team may not have full visibility into the product development process.

C is not a good answer because it implies a waterfall approach that assumes all the compliance requirements are known and fixed upfront, which is rarely the case. It also reduces the flexibility and responsiveness of the Scrum Team, as they may have to follow a rigid plan that does not reflect the current reality of the product or the market.

The correct answer is C, because a Development Team should deliver an increment of working software that is “done” by the end of a Sprint. The Scrum Guide states that “the Increment is the sum of all the Product Backlog items completed during a Sprint and the value of the increments of all previous Sprints. At the end of a Sprint, the new Increment must be ‘Done,’ which means it must be in useable condition and meet the Scrum Team’s definition of ‘Done’.”

Sprint Backlog is owned by the Development Team. The Scrum Guide states that “the Sprint Backlog is the set of Product Backlog items selected for the Sprint, plus a plan for delivering the product Increment and realizing the Sprint Goal. … The Development Team modifies the Sprint Backlog throughout the Sprint, and the Sprint Backlog emerges during the Sprint. This emergence occurs as the Development Team works through the plan and learns more about the work needed to achieve the Sprint Goal.”

The correct answers are B and D, because these are the most appropriate responses for the Scrum Master. The Scrum Master should coach the team on why the Daily Scrum is important as an opportunity to update the plan, inspect the progress, and synchronize the activities of the Development Team. The Scrum Master should also learn why the Development Team wants this and work with them to improve the outcome of the Daily Scrum, rather than imposing a decision or accepting their request without question.

According to the Scrum Guide, two characteristics of the Daily Scrum are its location and time remain constant and its purpose is to inspect progress toward the Sprint Goal and adapt the Sprint Backlog. These characteristics promote consistency, transparency, and adaptation within the Development Team. The other options are not valid characteristics of the Daily Scrum, as they are either irrelevant (such as being held first thing in the morning) or inappropriate (such as being free form, facilitated by the team lead, or consisting of the Scrum Master asking for status).

According to the Nexus Guide2, which is a framework for scaling Scrum, one way to form multiple Development Teams from a large group of people is to ask them to self-organize into teams based on dependencies, skills, domain knowledge, and personal preferences. This approach respects the autonomy and empowerment of the Developers and allows them to choose how they want to work together.

References: Nexus Guide

The recommended size for a Scrum Team is 10 or fewer people, as stated in the Scrum Guide: “The recommended size of a Scrum Team is small enough to remain nimble and large enough to complete significant work within a Sprint, typically 10 or fewer people.”

There are no activities that a Product Owner would typically undertake in the phase between the end of the current Sprint and the start of the next Sprint, because there is no such phase. The next Sprint starts immediately after the current Sprint, without any gaps or breaks. The other options are either activities that occur during a Sprint (such as refining the Product Backlog) or activities that are not consistent with Scrum (such as working with Quality Assurance departments or updating project plans).

According to the Scrum Guide1, ordering Product Backlog items is solely up to the Product Owner’s discretion. The Product Owner orders items in the Product Backlog to best achieve goals and missions. To do this, they optimize value by considering various factors such as cost and benefit, risk, dependencies, date needed, etc.

According to the Scrum Guide, a self-organizing Development Team chooses how to best accomplish its work, rather than being directed by others outside the team. The other options are not choices that a self-organizing Development Team makes, as they are either determined by the Scrum framework (such as Sprint length and Product Backlog ordering) or by collaboration with other roles (such as stakeholders for the Sprint Review and when to release).

The correct answers are B and D, because adding non-functional requirements to the Product Backlog and keeping the Product Owner posted on the expected effort helps prioritize and plan them in alignment with the product vision and goals. Additionally, adding non-functional requirements to the definition of ‘Done’ ensures that they are met every Sprint and do not accumulate technical debt.

References: Suggested Reading for Professional Scrum Master™ I

According to the Scrum Guide, the Product Owner has the final decision about the order of items in the Product Backlog, as he or she is responsible for maximizing the value of the product and the work of the Development Team. The other roles do not have this authority, although they may provide input and suggestions to the Product Owner.

The correct answer is B, because when multiple teams work together on the same product, they should not maintain separate Product Backlogs. The Scrum Guide states that “multiple Scrum Teams often work together on the same product. One product goal unites them. Therefore, they must mutually define and comply with a definition of ‘Done’ that applies to their combined work product. … Multiple Scrum Teams working on the same product use the same Product Backlog.”

According to the Scrum Guide1, an Increment is a concrete stepping stone toward the Product Goal. Each Increment is additive to all prior Increments and thoroughly verified, ensuring that all Increments work together. In order to provide value, the Increment must be usable. Multiple Increments may be created within a Sprint. The sum of the Increments is presented at the Sprint Review thus supporting empiricism. However, an Increment may be delivered to stakeholders prior to the end of the Sprint. The Sprint Review should never be considered a gate to releasing value.

References: Scrum Guide

According to the Scrum Guide1, the Daily Scrum is an event for the Developers of the Scrum Team. 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. The Scrum Master and Product Owner may attend as observers, but only if it is useful for the Developers.

References: Scrum Guide

According to the Scrum Guide1, 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 guides the Development Team in creating a “Done” Increment. The definition of “Done” is created by the development organization (or Development Team if none is available from the development organization). The definition of “Done” may vary significantly per Scrum Team, depending on the context. One aspect of Scrum Teams inspecting how they work toward their Product Goal is that they improve their definition of “Done” over time. Therefore, two things that are appropriate for a Scrum Master to do if the Development Team doesn’t have the engineering tools and infrastructure to completely finish each selected Product Backlog item are:

• Coach the Development Team to improve its skills, tools, and infrastructure over time and adjust the Definition of “Done” accordingly.
• Have the Development Team establish a Definition of “Done” that is actually possible to achieve given current circumstances.

The Developers determine how many Product Backlog items they select for a Sprint, as stated in the Scrum Guide: “The Developers select items from the Product Backlog to include in the current Sprint. The Scrum Team may refine these items during this process, which increases understanding and confidence.”

The correct answer is A, because keeping component teams while starting Scrum may cause less initial disruption than organizing into new teams. As they start using Scrum, they will discover what works best for them and how to potentially re-organize towards feature teams. However, component teams may face some challenges in delivering a working Increment of software that provides business value every Sprint, as they may depend on other teams or layers.

The correct answer is A, because the Product Owner does not need to be present at the Daily Scrum. The Scrum Guide states that “the Daily Scrum is a 15-minute time-boxed event for the Development Team to synchronize activities and create a plan for the next 24 hours. … The structure of the meeting is set by the Development Team and can be conducted in different ways if it focuses on progress toward the Sprint Goal.” Therefore, the Daily Scrum is an internal event for the Development Team, and the Product Owner can attend only if invited by the Development Team.

According to the Scrum Guide, the Sprint Backlog is the Developers’ plan for the Sprint, as it contains all the Product Backlog items selected for the Sprint and a plan for delivering them. The other options are not valid descriptions of the Sprint Backlog, as they are either incorrect (such as having a designated owner, being ordered by the Product Owner, or being a complete list of all work) or unnecessary (such as estimating each task in hours).

According to the Scrum Guide, the purpose of a Sprint is to produce a valuable useful Increment that meets the Definition of Done and the Sprint Goal. This means that the Developers work on items from the Product Backlog that deliver value to the stakeholders and align with the product vision. The other option is not valid, as it implies that producing an Increment is not the purpose of a Sprint.

According to the Scrum Guide, the best approach for Scrum Teams in order to produce valuable Increments is to have each Developer work on the component where they feel that they can contribute. This means that the Developers can self-organize and collaborate effectively to deliver a valuable Increment that meets the Definition of Done and the Sprint Goal. The other options are not valid approaches, as they either imply that the Developers work in silos or rely on external people (such as developing functionality from beginning to end, working on an independent set of components, or working only as an independent layer of the system).

The correct answer is B, because the Scrum Guide states that “the Sprint Goal is an objective set for the Sprint that can be met through the implementation of Product Backlog. It provides guidance to the Development Team on why it is building the Increment.” Therefore, the Sprint Goal provides the Development Team with a target and overarching direction for the Sprint.

The Product Owner is responsible for ensuring that the most valuable functionality is produced first, at all times, by ordering and prioritizing the Product Backlog. The Product Owner also interacts with stakeholders to understand their needs and expectations, and to communicate the vision and progress of the product. The other options are not part of the Product Owner role according to Scrum, as they are either too prescriptive or too technical.

The correct answers are A and D, because a Development Team is responsible for resolving internal team conflicts and organizing the work required to meet the Sprint Goal. The Scrum Guide states that “development Teams are self-organizing. No one (not even the Scrum Master) tells the Development Team how to turn Product Backlog into Increments of potentially releasable functionality.” Therefore, a Development Team should manage its own work and resolve its own issues.

The correct answer is B, because there is no role called “Project Manager” in Scrum. The Scrum Guide states that “Scrum recognizes no titles for Development Team members other than Developer, regardless of the work being performed by the person; there are no exceptions to this rule.” Therefore, Scrum has only three roles: Product Owner, Scrum Master, and Developer.

According to the Scrum Guide, two things that the Scrum Team should do during the first Sprint are building at least one piece of valuable functionality and creating at least one valuable, useful Increment. These are the goals of every Sprint, regardless of its order. The other options are not things that the Scrum Team should do during the first Sprint, as they are either out of scope (such as defining major product features and a release plan architecture or making a plan for the rest of the project) or unnecessary (such as analyzing, describing, and documenting requirements for subsequent Sprints).