Sprint

5 minutes 5 Questions

A sprint is a short, time-boxed period when a scrum team works to complete a set amount of work. Sprints help teams follow the agile principle of “Deliver working software frequently.” This can be done by breaking down a larger project into manageable chunks of work that can be completed and review…

Understanding Sprints in Scrum & Kanban: A Complete Guide

A sprint refers to a set period of time during which specific work has to be completed and made ready for review.

Why is it important? The importance of a sprint lies in the fact it provides a manageable timeframe in which progress can be made on a project. The duration of the sprint (often 2-4 weeks) acts as a deadline, keeping the team focused and enabling stakeholders to plan project delivery more effectively.

How it works? In the context of Scrum and Kanban, a sprint starts with a planning meeting. The scrum team identifies the objectives for the sprint and selects items from a prioritized list (often called the product backlog). Each item is broken down into tasks and the team commits to delivering them by the end of the sprint.

Exam tips: Answering Questions on Sprint To answer questions regarding Sprints in an exam:

Always consider the goal of the sprint and the time frame in your answers.
Use specific examples to illustrate your points.
When asked about roles during the sprint, remember that the product owner, scrum master, and development team have different responsibilities.
Remember that a change to the product backlog can be made prior to the start of the sprint but not during the sprint.

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PSM I - Sprint Example Questions

Test your knowledge of Sprint

Question 1

In the midst of a Sprint, a critical software bug is discovered that threatens the Sprint Goal. How should the Scrum Master facilitate its resolution?

Instruct the team to allocate additional hours exclusively to fix the bug, ensuring the Sprint Goal is unaffected. Advise the Product Owner to assess the bug's impact and decide if it requires immediate attention or can be delayed. Recommend the team to proceed with the planned tasks and address the bug in the next Sprint Planning session. Prompt the team to discuss the bug in the Daily Scrum to adjust their Sprint Backlog accordingly.

Correct Answer: Prompt the team to discuss the bug in the Daily Scrum to adjust their Sprint Backlog accordingly.

In Scrum, the approach to handling issues such as critical software bugs is collaborative and adaptive. The recommended method is to bring the problem to the team's attention as soon as possible, allowing for a swift and effective resolution that involves all team members. Prompting the team to discuss the bug in the Daily Scrum allows them to collectively assess its impact, adjust their Sprint Backlog if necessary, and plan the immediate steps to address the issue without sidelining the Sprint Goal. This approach ensures that the team remains flexible to changes and can prioritize work that preserves the value and objectives of the Sprint. The other options are not recommended because instructing the team to allocate additional hours exclusively might disrupt the work-life balance and undermine the team's ability to self-organize. Advising the Product Owner to assess the bug's impact alone puts the decision-making pressure on a single individual, which contradicts the collaborative nature of Scrum. Recommending the team to proceed with planned tasks and defer the bug to the next Sprint could compromise the Sprint Goal and delay the delivery of value.

Question 2

During the sprint retrospective, the team is focusing more on placing blame rather than identifying areas for improvement. How can the Scrum Master facilitate a more productive discussion?

Ask each team member to share their perspective on what went well and what could be improved, ensuring equal participation. Allow the team to vent their frustrations and move on to the next topic to avoid prolonging the discussion. Encourage the team to openly discuss individual performance issues and hold each other accountable. Guide the team to focus on the sprint process and identify specific actions for improvement.

Correct Answer: Guide the team to focus on the sprint process and identify specific actions for improvement.

The Scrum Master should guide the team to focus on the sprint process and identify specific actions for improvement. Blaming individuals is counterproductive and goes against the Scrum principles of collaboration and continuous improvement. Openly discussing individual performance issues during the retrospective may lead to conflict and hinder the team's ability to work together effectively. Simply allowing the team to vent frustrations and move on fails to address the underlying issues and does not lead to improvement. While asking each team member to share their perspective ensures equal participation, the Scrum Master must also keep the discussion focused on the process and actionable improvements rather than placing blame.

Question 3

During a sprint, one team member becomes ill and will not be able to complete their assigned tasks. What should the team do to handle this situation?

As a team, reprioritize and redistribute the tasks among the remaining team members Extend the sprint duration to cover the time loss Ask the ill team member to work from home Do nothing and hope the team member recovers quickly Cancel the sprint and start a new one once the team member recovers Hire a temporary worker to fulfill the ill team member's responsibilities

Correct Answer: As a team, reprioritize and redistribute the tasks among the remaining team members

The correct response emphasizes teamwork and flexibility. The team should reprioritize and redistribute tasks among themselves while considering the current circumstances. The other options either don't address the problem or rely on external factors.

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