Scrum PSM-II Actual Questions

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

A Definition of Ready (DoR) is a set of agreements that lets everyone know when a product backlog item is ready to be taken into a sprint12. A DoR can help the Scrum Team ensure that the product backlog items are clear, feasible, valuable, and testable12. However, a DoR does not necessarily maximize the team’s velocity, nor does it ensure that the sprint planning can end within its timebox. Velocity is a measure of how much work a team can complete in a sprint, and it depends on many factors, such as the team’s capacity, skills, collaboration, and quality standards3 . A DoR may help the team avoid wasting time on unclear or incomplete items, but it does not guarantee that the team can deliver more value or faster. Similarly, a DoR may help the team prepare for the sprint planning, but it does not guarantee that the team can finish the planning within its timebox. The sprint planning is an empirical and collaborative event, where the team inspects the product backlog, negotiates with the product owner, and crafts a sprint goal and a sprint backlog . A DoR may reduce some uncertainties and risks, but it does not eliminate them. The team still needs to adapt to changing requirements and expectations, and make realistic and meaningful commitments .

References: 1: What is Definition of Ready in Scrum? - Visual Paradigm 2: Walking Through a Definition of Ready | Scrum.org 3: What is Velocity in Agile? - Atlassian : Velocity in Scrum | Scrum.org : Sprint Planning | Scrum.org : Sprint planning - Atlassian

 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 Guide states that “the moment a Product Backlog item meets the Definition of Done, an Increment is born” and 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”. Therefore, to deliver a product Increment that is integrated and potentially releasable, all Scrum Teams must have a shared understanding of what “Done” means and ensure that their work meets that standard. This also enables transparency, inspection, and adaptation across the Scrum Teams.

References:

• The Scrum Guide, section 3.4 (The Increment), page 10
• The Scrum Master Learning Path, module 5 (The Increment), lesson 1 (What is an Increment?) and lesson 2 (Definition of Done)