Scrum and Customer-Centric Design test - Professional Scrum Master I questions

Question 1

The Burndown Chart is mostly flat with a sharp drop at the start and again at the end of the sprint. What can this possibly tell you?

The team worked on a large task at the start and then left remaining tasks until the end. This could suggest poor task breakdown or improper sprint planning. The team worked extremely hard and then rested during the remainder of the sprint. The team is completely idle throughout most of the sprint. The team has an ideal workflow with no room for improvement.

Correct Answer: The team worked on a large task at the start and then left remaining tasks until the end. This could suggest poor task breakdown or improper sprint planning.

A flat Burndown Chart with a sharp drop at the start and end implies that the team worked on large tasks at the very beginning and then left the remainder until the end. This situation could suggest that there are issues with the way tasks have been broken down, or that the sprint planning was not done properly as tasks are not evenly distributed to ensure a consistent work progression throughout the sprint. The answer suggesting that the team is idle throughout the sprint incorrectly assumes that no work is being done, while there could be ongoing tasks that just aren't completed yet. Saying the team has an ideal workflow with no room for improvement is also incorrect because an ideal workflow would reflect a steady, downward slope of the Burndown Chart, instead of being mostly flat with sharp drops. Lastly, the answer suggesting that the team worked extremely hard and then rested indicates a misunderstanding of the sprint process and Burndown Chart: the burndown reflects the remaining work, not the amount of effort put into work. Besides, constant rest periods during a sprint may suggest inefficiencies that should be addressed.

Question 2

During the Sprint Review, the team receives negative feedback on a new feature. The Product Owner suggests removing the feature from the product. What should be the next step?

Consult with external stakeholders not present during the review to gauge additional insights before making any decisions. Analyze the feature against the Sprint Goal to determine its alignment and decide its future based on that alignment. This includes detailed discussion on its immediate impact on product value, potential for incremental improvement, and alignment with the long-term product vision. Prioritize the feedback for the next Sprint Planning to reassess the feature's value and potential adjustments. Immediately assign the team to work on enhancements for the feature based on the Product Owner's interpretation of the feedback.

Correct Answer: Prioritize the feedback for the next Sprint Planning to reassess the feature's value and potential adjustments.

The correct course of action when receiving negative feedback on a feature during the Sprint Review is for the Scrum Team to consider this feedback and then decide together on the best course of action, potentially adjusting the Product Backlog if necessary. It’s about collective decision-making and adapting to feedback, which is central to Agile methodology. The wrong answers either delegate the decision-making externally, rush into action without collective consideration, or overcomplicate the process without focusing on feedback incorporation and product value.

Question 3

At a Daily Stand-Up, a team member constantly ignores another teammate’s updates saying they are irrelevant. How should the Scrum Master handle this?

Immediately implement a rotating facilitator model for the Daily Stand-Up to ensure everyone's updates are heard and respected equally. Encourage the team to reflect on their communication patterns and emphasize the importance of every team member's input during the next retrospective. Directly confront the team member who is ignoring others and insist they apologize for their behavior in front of the team. Reorganize the Daily Stand-Up agenda to allocate specific time slots for each team member, ensuring that the ignored teammate's updates are scheduled first.

Correct Answer: Encourage the team to reflect on their communication patterns and emphasize the importance of every team member's input during the next retrospective.

The correct answer focuses on leveraging the Scrum values of Respect and Openness by encouraging a collective reflection and improvement without directly confronting or singling out individuals. The wrong answers, while related to improving team interactions, either escalate the situation unnecessarily, focus on immediate but maybe less effective fixes, or could lead to further tension by singling out or targeting individuals directly.

Scrum and Customer-Centric Design

PSM I - Scrum and Customer-Centric Design Example Questions

Question 1

Question 2

Question 3

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