The Sprint

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The Sprint is the core of a Scrum project, representing a consistent duration of time during which a potentially shippable product increment is created. It provides a framework for regular feedback and inspected adaptation, which leads to a continuous improvement process. The duration of a Sprint i…

Guide: Understanding 'The Sprint' in Scrum Values

The Sprint is a time-boxed event in Scrum where the team works to create a potentially shippable product or product increment. The most important reason for practising it is to control and manage productivity and enhance the team's capability.

What is the Sprint?
The Sprint is the heartbeat of Scrum, where ideas are turned into value. It is a consistent, repeatable work cycle that happens in a specific timeframe (usually 1-4 weeks).

How it works?
At the beginning of a Sprint, the team holds a Sprint Planning meeting to agree on the set of product backlog items they will work on during the Sprint. The team then works on the items throughout the Sprint and present their work in a Sprint Review. After the Sprint, the team holds a Sprint Retrospective to reflect on their experience and to improve.

Exam Tips: Answering Questions on The Sprint.
Remember that the Sprint includes all the work and team collaboration from planning the work that will be done until the improvement of the process for the next cycle. A question could challenge you to identify the stages of a Sprint, sequence them accordingly or even criticize them effectively. Always remember that every Sprint's goal should result to value increments.

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PSM I - The Sprint Example Questions

Test your knowledge of The Sprint

Question 1

In a Sprint Planning meeting, it's observed that the Product Owner is forcing the team to groom an item that will deviate the team from Sprint Goal. As a Scrum master, what would be your best course of action?

Encourage the team to work overtime if necessary to include the new item without affecting the Sprint Goal. Coach the Product Owner on the importance of the Sprint Goal and explore the impact of adding the new item on the team’s focus and commitment. Suggest postponing the discussion about the new item to the next Sprint Retrospective to evaluate the team's capacity for future sprints, which incidentally could also validate the relevancy of the new item by then. Advise the team to accept the new item and adjust the workload by dropping less critical tasks to accommodate the change.

Correct Answer: Coach the Product Owner on the importance of the Sprint Goal and explore the impact of adding the new item on the team’s focus and commitment.

The correct course of action is to remind both the Product Owner and the team of the purpose and importance of the Sprint Goal. The Sprint Goal helps in maintaining focus and provides a cohesive direction for the team during the Sprint. Adding items mid-sprint that do not align with or derail from the Sprint Goal can compromise the team's ability to deliver value and should be avoided. Coaching the Product Owner helps ensure alignment and protects the team’s ability to meet commitments. The wrong answers, although plausible in some situations, either neglect the significance of the Sprint Goal, suggest practices that could compromise sustainable working conditions, or delay necessary immediate action.

Question 2

In the middle of a Sprint, the team finds out that one of the Sprint tasks requires a specific set of skills that nobody in the team possesses. As a Scrum Master, what would be the best course of action?

Coordinate a knowledge transfer session where an external expert educates the team on the necessary skills Encourage the team to use the opportunity to innovate with new solutions that do not require the specific skill set Suggest pausing the Sprint to allow time for a team member to undergo a quick training or certification in the required skills Collaborate with the team to identify if there's a way to adjust the task scope to fit the current skill set, while maintaining the value of the work

Correct Answer: Collaborate with the team to identify if there's a way to adjust the task scope to fit the current skill set, while maintaining the value of the work

The correct answer emphasizes collaboration and problem-solving within the team's existing capabilities, maintaining the Sprint's momentum and respecting Scrum values such as Courage and Commitment. The first wrong answer infers external intervention without attempting to solve the issue internally first, which is not the first step in Scrum. The second wrong answer ignores the original task's requirement and value. The third wrong answer suggests a break in the Sprint, which contradicts Scrum principles of maintaining a constant pace and adapting within Sprints.

Question 3

In the middle of a sprint, the team realizes the initial solution won't work and they need to re-design. What's the most proper course of action?

Pause the sprint until a new solution is created. Discuss the problem in the daily Scrum, adapt the Sprint Backlog and continue work. Disregard the problem, keep working on original design. Start a new sprint.

Correct Answer: Discuss the problem in the daily Scrum, adapt the Sprint Backlog and continue work.

The best and most proper course of action when a team realizes that the initial solution won't work in the middle of a sprint is to discuss the problem in the daily Scrum, adapt the Sprint Backlog and continue work. This is because Scrum encourages teams to embrace changes and constantly improve their product through iterative and incremental efforts. Starting a new sprint would lose the progress made in the current sprint, and disrupt the workflow. Disregarding the problem and keeping working on the original design is not an ideal course either as it would lead to potential failings in the end product, reflecting poorly on the team's performance. Pausing the sprint until a new solution is created would block any progress and goes against the essence of Scrum, which embraces change and promotes problem-solving through teamwork.

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