SPS - Scaled Professional Scrum (SPS) Exam

The Nexus Sprint Retrospective is an event that occurs at the end of the Sprint where the Nexus, which is a group of approximately three to nine Scrum Teams working on the same product, plans ways to increase quality and effectiveness across the whole Nexus 11. The purpose of the Nexus Sprint Retrospective is to inspect and adapt the Nexus framework, the integrated work, the processes, the tools, and the interactions among the Scrum Teams 11. Therefore, statement C is correct.

The Nexus Sprint Retrospective follows a three-step process: first, representatives from each Scrum Team identify issues that affect multiple teams; second, each Scrum Team conducts its own Sprint Retrospective; and third, representatives from each team meet again to discuss any actions needed based on the shared challenges 112233. The Nexus Sprint Retrospective enables bottom-up intelligence to improve how the Scrum Teams in a Nexus are working together, as it allows the teams to share their insights, learn from each other, and collaborate on solutions 44. Therefore, statement A is also correct.

Statement B is incorrect because the Nexus Sprint Retrospective is not a forum for management to see how the Nexus is performing, but rather a time for the Nexus to self-organize and self-improve 1144. Statement D is incorrect because the Nexus Sprint Retrospective is not a single meeting to inspect and adapt how all Scrum Teams work together, but rather a combination of three meetings that involve both individual and collective reflection and action 112233.

The best answer for this question is A. Integrating more frequently. This answer is correct because integrating more frequently can help the Scrum Teams in a Nexus to detect and resolve integration issues or dependencies earlier and faster, and to deliver a potentially releasable product increment at the end of each Sprint. Integrating more frequently can also reduce the complexity and risk of integration, and increase the quality and feedback of value delivery 112233.

The other answers are not correct for the following reasons:

• B. Doing more acceptance testing. This answer is not sufficient because doing more acceptance testing does not address the root cause of the problem, which is the late integration of the work. Acceptance testing can help to verify the quality and functionality of the product increment, but it does not ensure that the integration is done early and often. Moreover, doing more acceptance testing may consume more time and resources, and delay the delivery of the product increment 44.
• C. Doing more exploratory testing. This answer is not helpful because doing more exploratory testing does not solve the issue of the late integration of the work. Exploratory testing can help to discover and learn more about the product increment, but it does not guarantee that the integration is done smoothly and quickly. Furthermore, doing more exploratory testing may introduce more uncertainty and variability, and hinder the delivery of the product increment 55.
• D. Using Behavior-Driven Development. This answer is not relevant because using Behavior-Driven Development does not directly affect the integration of the work. Behavior-Driven Development is a technique that can help to define and communicate the expected behavior and outcomes of the product increment, but it does not ensure that the integration is done frequently and effectively. Additionally, using Behavior-Driven Development may require more collaboration and coordination, and complicate the delivery of the product increment [6].
• E. Investing in more Requirements Traceability. This answer is not useful because investing in more Requirements Traceability does not improve the integration of the work. Requirements Traceability is a practice that can help to track and document the origin and evolution of the product requirements, but it does not ensure that the integration is done timely and efficiently. Also, investing in more Requirements Traceability may increase the overhead and bureaucracy, and slow down the delivery of the product increment [7].
• F. All of the above. This answer is not correct because none of the above answers are effective for addressing the issue of the late integration of the work. As explained above, each of the above answers has its own limitations and drawbacks, and does not directly or sufficiently help the Scrum Teams in a Nexus to integrate their work more frequently and successfully. Therefore, the best answer is A. Integrating more frequently.

PBI 2 is the most concerning because it involves a cross-team dependency within the same Sprint, which can create challenges and risks for the integration and delivery of the product increment. According to the Online Nexus Guide1, dependencies should be minimized or eliminated as much as possible, and if they exist, they should be made transparent and resolved as early as possible. Cross-team dependencies within the same Sprint can cause delays, conflicts, rework, and waste, and reduce the quality and value of the product increment 234.

The other answers are not correct for the following reasons:

• A. PBI 2, because it has the most dependencies. This answer is not accurate because PBI 2 does not have the most dependencies, but only one dependency with PBI 1 from Team Red. PBI 3 has the most dependencies, as it depends on PBI 1, PBI 2, and PBI 4. However, PBI 3 is not as concerning as PBI 2, because its dependencies are not within the same Sprint, but across different Sprints. This means that PBI 3 can be refined and planned in advance, and the teams can coordinate and communicate their work more effectively 5.
• B. PBI 1, because it is on the top of the Product Backlog. This answer is not relevant because the position of PBI 1 on the Product Backlog does not indicate its level of concern, but its priority and value. The Product Backlog is ordered by the Product Owner based on various factors, such as business value, risk, complexity, and dependencies. PBI 1 may be on the top of the Product Backlog because it is the most valuable or urgent item, or because it is a prerequisite for other items, but it is not necessarily the most concerning item 6.
• C. PBI 1, because it is the first piece of work with a dependency. This answer is not true because PBI 1 is not the first piece of work with a dependency, but the first piece of work that other items depend on. PBI 1 does not have any dependencies itself, but it creates dependencies for PBI 2, PBI 3, and PBI 5. Therefore, PBI 1 is not as concerning as PBI 2, because it does not depend on any other item, and it can be completed independently by Team Red 5.