Scrum Sprint

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A Sprint is a time-boxed period during which specific work has to be completed and prepared for review. Sprints can be one week to one month long, but most commonly last two weeks. The objective is to create a potentially shippable product increment. No changes are made that would endanger the Sprint Goal once the Sprint is underway. Furthermore, quality goals do not decrease, and scope may be clarified and renegotiated between the Product Owner and Development Team as more is learned.

Guide to Understanding Scrum Sprints

What is a Scrum Sprint?
A Scrum Sprint is a predefined, fixed-length work period (usually lasting from one week to one month), during which a scrum team works to complete a set amount of work.

Why is it Important?
Sprints enable teams to deliver work incrementally, which makes them more adaptable to changes. Sprints also facilitate transparency and feedback, as each one culminates in a review meeting where the team can assess and improve their work proceedings.

How it Works?
At the start of a sprint, a team holds a planning meeting to discuss and commit to the work they can complete during the sprint. Throughout the sprint, the team meets daily in 'stand-up' meetings to discuss their progress and challenges. At the end of the sprint, the team holds a review meeting to demonstrate the finished work to stakeholders and a retrospective to reflect on their workings.

Exam Tips: Answering Questions on Scrum Sprints
1. Define the sprint and its purpose.
In exam questions, you may be asked to define a sprint. Be sure to include that it's a fixed period of time during which specific work has to be completed and reviewed.
2. Understand and explain the role of the Scrum Master and Product Owner during the sprint.
Remember, the Scrum Master coaches the team to keep them focused on their targets and to remove obstacles hindering their work, while the Product Owner prioritizes the backlog and communicates with stakeholders.
3. Understand the Sprint Review and Sprint Retrospective.
You should be able to explain the importance of these meetings, who attends them, and the difference between them.
4. Understand the purpose of the Daily Scrum.
Know that the purpose of these short meetings is to synchronize the team's activities and plan for the next 24 hours.
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PSM I - Scrum Sprint Example Questions

Test your knowledge of Scrum Sprint

Question 1

During the Sprint, the Scrum Team realizes they have misunderstood a requirement that has a great impact on their current work. The correction of this misunderstanding may lead to not finishing one or two items from the Sprint Backlog, but the Sprint Goal is not affected. What's the best course of action?

Correct Answer: Clarify the requirement with the Product Owner and continue working without canceling the sprint.

When a Scrum Team realizes they have misunderstood a requirement, the best course of action is to clarify the requirement with the Product Owner and continue working, provided the Sprint Goal is not affected. Re-negotiating the scope may seem like a viable option, but it is not necessary unless the Sprint Goal cannot be met. Conducting an emergency Sprint Review or escalating to higher management are less appropriate actions, as they do not directly address the root cause of the misunderstanding nor leverage the collaborative nature of the Scrum Team and its Product Owner.

Question 2

During a Sprint Review, stakeholders propose major changes to the product backlog that could significantly impact the Sprint in progress. What should you do?

Correct Answer: Inform that changes will be considered for future Sprints, but the current Sprint should stay as initially planned

In Scrum, making major changes to the sprint that are already in progress is discouraged unless it becomes obsolete. The primary reason for this is to respect the commitments made by the Scrum Team at the start of the Sprint. Therefore, when stakeholders propose major changes during a Sprint Review, you should inform them that these changes will be considered for future Sprints. This would not disrupt the current work and would be in line with Scrum's principle of adaptation after a cycle of inspection The other answers are not the Scrum way of handling such a situation. Accepting changes right away would disturb the rhythm of the team as the scope would alter substantially. Ignoring stakeholders' requests is not a healthy practice as it defeats the principles of transparency and openness in Scrum. Lastly, cancelling the current Sprint to accommodate changes would only be considered if the Sprint Goal becomes obsolete, which is not the case with mere proposed changes to the product backlog.

Question 3

During the sprint, the team realized that they overestimated their ability and cannot complete all the backlog items chosen. According to Scrum, what is the best course of action?

Correct Answer: Negotiate with the Product Owner regarding removing or modifying certain sprint backlog items.

According to Scrum principles, the core value is flexibility and continuous communication. When the team identifies that they are unable to complete the planned backlog items, the first course of action is to communicate with the Product Owner and renegotiate the scope of the sprint backlog. This includes possibly removing or modifying certain items. The option of increasing the number of working hours does not comply with Agile methodologies, as Agility promotes sustainable development and respect for team members' work-life balance. Carrying over unfinished items directly to the next sprint without discussing issues and adapting is also not aligned with Scrum's core values. Adding more team members in the middle of a sprint is not a recommended practice, especially since according to The Mythical Man-Month, adding manpower to a late software project makes it later.

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Other Scrum Events concepts

Scrum Backlog RefinementScrum Daily StandupScrum PlanningScrum ReviewScrum RulesScrum Sprint GoalScrum Sprint RetrospectiveScrum Time-Boxes
All Scrum Events questions · PSM I practice test