SCRUM - Scrum Framework Artifacts and Commitments Questions and Answers 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: If an organization does not have a formal standard for a Definition of Done, who is accountable for creating one appropriate for the product?
- The Product Owner
- The Scrum Team (Correct answer)
- The Developers
- The Scrum Master
Correct answer: The Scrum Team
According to the 2020 Scrum Guide, if the Definition of Done is not an organizational standard, the Scrum Team must create one that is appropriate for the product. This is a collaborative effort involving the Product Owner, Scrum Master, and Developers to ensure a shared understanding of what it means for work to be complete.
Question 2: A Developer completes a Product Backlog Item on the third day of a two-week Sprint. The work meets all criteria in the Definition of Done. What is the state of this completed item?
- A usable Increment (Correct answer)
- A completed task that will become part of the Increment at the end of the Sprint
- Work-in-progress until it is approved at the Sprint Review
- A feature that must be released to stakeholders immediately
Correct answer: A usable Increment
The Scrum Guide states, "The moment a Product Backlog item meets the Definition of Done, an Increment is born." An Increment must be in a usable state, and multiple Increments can be created within a single Sprint. It does not need to wait until the end of the Sprint or the Sprint Review to be considered an Increment.
Question 3: Which of the following best describes the Product Goal's relationship to the other Scrum artifacts and commitments?
- It is a summation of all Sprint Goals planned for a release.
- It is an independent objective set by stakeholders that dictates the Definition of Done.
- It is a long-term objective that gives context to the Product Backlog and guides the creation of Sprint Goals. (Correct answer)
- It is a fixed-scope contract that must be fulfilled before the Product Backlog can be changed.
Correct answer: It is a long-term objective that gives context to the Product Backlog and guides the creation of Sprint Goals.
The Product Goal is the long-term objective for the Scrum Team and resides in the Product Backlog, providing context and a target to plan against. Each Sprint Goal is a stepping stone toward the Product Goal. The Product Goal guides the ordering of the Product Backlog and the purpose of each Sprint, it is not simply a sum of Sprint Goals or a fixed contract.
Question 4: During a Sprint, the Developers realize their initial plan for delivering the selected Product Backlog Items is flawed and will not achieve the Sprint Goal. What is the MOST appropriate course of action?
- Cancel the Sprint immediately and begin a new Sprint Planning session.
- Continue with the flawed plan to demonstrate effort during the Sprint Review.
- Ask the Product Owner to change the Sprint Goal to match what can be delivered.
- Adapt the Sprint Backlog by creating a new plan to meet the unchanged Sprint Goal. (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Adapt the Sprint Backlog by creating a new plan to meet the unchanged Sprint Goal.
The Sprint Backlog is a plan by and for the Developers and is expected to change as more is learned. The Sprint Goal, however, is a fixed commitment for the Sprint. The Developers should adapt their plan (the 'how' and the 'what' in the Sprint Backlog) throughout the Sprint to ensure they achieve the Sprint Goal (the 'why'). They may negotiate the scope of the Product Backlog Items with the Product Owner if necessary, as long as the Sprint Goal is not endangered.
Question 5: What is the primary purpose of having commitments for each of the three Scrum artifacts?
- To provide performance metrics for management.
- To serve as contractual obligations for the Scrum Team.
- To create fixed deadlines for each phase of development.
- To enhance transparency and focus, enabling empiricism. (Correct answer)
Correct answer: To enhance transparency and focus, enabling empiricism.
The Scrum Guide explicitly states that each artifact's commitment exists to ensure it provides information that enhances transparency and focus, against which progress can be measured. This transparency is fundamental to the empirical pillars of inspection and adaptation.
Question 6: Which of the following represents the sum of all Increments created and the value of the work of all previous Sprints?
- The Sprint Backlog
- The Product Goal
- The Product Increment (Correct answer)
- The Definition of Done
Correct answer: The Product Increment
The Product Increment is the sum of all the Product Backlog items completed during the current Sprint and all previous Sprints. Each Increment is additive to all prior Increments and thoroughly verified to work together, representing the current state of the usable product.
SCRUM - Scrum Framework Artifacts and Commitments Questions and Answers 1
If an organization does not have a formal standard for a Definition of Done, who is accountable for creating one appropriate for the product?