PSM-II Professional Scrum Master level II (PSM II) Question and Answers

 Done means that the Increment is in a usable condition and meets the Scrum Team’s Definition of Done. The Definition of Done is a formal description of the state of the Increment when it meets the quality measures required for the product. The Definition of Done creates transparency by providing everyone a shared understanding of what work was completed as part of the Increment. Having an Increment that could be released to end users means that it is potentially releasable, which is one of the goals of Scrum. All work performed meets the Definition of Done means that the Developers have ensured that every Product Backlog item selected for the Sprint conforms to the agreed quality standards.

References:

• The Scrum Guide, November 2020, p. 10-11
• What is a Definition of Done?, Scrum.org, accessed on September 30, 2023
• DONE Understanding Of The Definition Of "Done”, Scrum.org, December 16, 2019

• A: There is one Product Owner for each product (five in total). Each Product Owner may delegate to others for specific value, capabilities, and functionality within their product. The five Product Owners share and align work via Product Backlog. This is a reasonable alternative, as it allows each Product Owner to focus on one product and its vision, value proposition, and stakeholder needs. The Product Owner can also leverage the expertise and input of other people who can help with the product development, such as business analysts, domain experts, or user representatives. The five Product Owners can coordinate and collaborate with each other through the Product Backlog, which is a single source of truth for the product requirements and priorities.
• D: There is one Product Owner responsible for all five products. This person may delegate work to others for specific value, capabilities, and functionality within each product to scale their accountability. This is another reasonable alternative, as it allows one Product Owner to have a holistic view of the five products and their interdependencies, synergies, and trade-offs. The Product Owner can also delegate some of the work to other people who can act as proxies or representatives for the different aspects of the products, such as features, modules, or components. The Product Owner can still maintain the ultimate authority and responsibility for the Product Backlog and the product value delivery.

References:

• Scrum Guide 2020, page 7: “The Product Owner is accountable for maximizing the value of the product resulting from the work of the Scrum Team.”
• Scrum Guide 2020, page 8: “The Product Backlog is an emergent, ordered list of what is needed to improve the product. It is the single source of work undertaken by the Scrum Team.”
• Professional Scrum Master II Course, page 22: “The Product Owner may delegate some of their work to others who can help them with the product development, such as business analysts, domain experts, or user representatives. However, the Product Owner remains accountable for the Product Backlog and its content.”
• Professional Scrum Master II Course, page 23: “The Product Owner may scale their role by working with other Product Owners who are responsible for different products, features, modules, or components. However, there should be only one Product Owner per product who has the final say on the product vision and value proposition.”

User documentation is part of your Definition of Done, which means that it is a requirement for delivering a potentially releasable product increment. Your Scrum Team cannot ignore or postpone this requirement, even if there are not enough technical writers for all teams. Your Scrum Team is responsible for creating and maintaining the user documentation, and the Developers are the ones who have the skills and authority to do so. The Scrum Master can help the Developers learn how to write effective user documentation, and the Product Owner can provide feedback on its quality and value.

References:

• Scrum Guide 2020, page 9: “The Definition of Done is a formal description of the state of the Increment when it meets the quality measures required for the product.”
• Scrum Guide 2020, page 10: “The Developers are the people in the Scrum Team that are committed to creating any aspect of a usable Increment each Sprint.”
• Professional Scrum Master II Course, page 12: “The Definition of Done is a crucial aspect of transparency. If it is not clear when work is done, then stakeholders may make wrong assumptions about the state of the software.”

During the Sprint Review of a scaled development effort, the Scrum Teams should demonstrate the integrated Increment that they have collectively delivered, not their individual Increments separately. This ensures that the stakeholders can provide feedback on the value and quality of the product as a whole, and that the Scrum Teams can inspect their alignment and collaboration.

References:

• Scrum Guide 2020, page 14: “The purpose of the Sprint Review is to inspect the outcome of the Sprint and determine future adaptations. The Scrum Team presents the results of their work to key stakeholders and progress toward the Product Goal is discussed.”
• Nexus Guide 2020, page 7: “The Nexus Sprint Review is an event where appropriate stakeholders review the Integrated Increment that has been built throughout the Sprint by all Scrum Teams in a Nexus.”

The complexity of the problem being solved and the complexity of the requirements are both sources of uncertainty and variability that can impact the Sprint Goal and the Sprint Backlog. The skills and working relationships of the people on the Scrum Team(s) are also crucial for delivering a valuable product increment in a Sprint. The Scrum Master is accountable for establishing an environment where the Scrum Team can be effective and improving the professionalism of the Scrum Team.

References:

• Scrum Guide 2020, page 6: “The Scrum Master is accountable for establishing Scrum as defined in the Scrum Guide. They do this by helping everyone understand Scrum theory and practice, both within the Scrum Team and the organization.”
• Scrum Guide 2020, page 10: “The Sprint Goal is an objective set for the Sprint that can be met through the implementation of Product Backlog items. This provides guidance to the Development Team on why it is building the Increment.”
• Scrum Guide 2020, page 11: “The Sprint Backlog is composed of the Sprint Goal (why), the set of Product Backlog items selected for the Sprint (what), as well as an actionable plan for delivering the Increment (how).”
• Evidence-Based Management Guide, page 9: “Uncertainty is inherent in complex work. The more complex work is, the more uncertainty there is. Uncertainty comes from two sources: variability and emergence.”

A Scrum Master is not a management position in the traditional sense of the word. A Scrum Master does not have authority over the team members, the product, or the project. A Scrum Master is a servant leader who helps the team self-organize, collaborate, and deliver value. A Scrum Master is accountable for managing the Scrum process, ensuring that the team follows the Scrum values and principles, and facilitating the team’s interactions with stakeholders and the organization. A Scrum Master is also accountable for removing organizational impediments that limit the team’s progress and productivity, such as bureaucracy, silos, or conflicts. A Scrum Master is not accountable for reporting on the performance of a team, managing the project plan and the project deliverables, or managing the capacity and utilization of the Developers. These are responsibilities of the Product Owner, the Developers, or other roles in the organization.

References:

• Scrum Guide 2020, section “The Scrum Master”, “The Scrum Team”.
• What is a scrum master? [+ Responsibilities] | Atlassian, section “Scrum master responsibilities”.
• Scrum Master Roles and Responsibilities [2023] | Simplilearn, section “What Does a Scrum Master Do?”, “Scrum Master Responsibilities”.

When scaling Scrum, it is important to have multiple Scrum Teams working from one Product Backlog, because this ensures that they are aligned on the same product vision, goal, and value12. Having one Product Backlog also helps to reduce duplication, inconsistency, and waste, and to optimize the flow of work and feedback12. The Product Owner is accountable for managing the Product Backlog and ensuring that it is transparent, ordered, and refined for the multiple Scrum Teams3 . The Scrum Teams collaborate with the Product Owner and each other to deliver a single integrated product Increment every Sprint3 .

References: 1: What is Scaling Scrum? | Scrum.org 2: Scaling Scrum with Nexus | Scrum.org 3: Scrum Guide | Scrum Guides : The Nexus Framework for Scaling Scrum: Continuously Delivering an Integrated Product with Multiple Scrum Teams

• This is the best answer because it is consistent with the Scrum Master’s accountability to educate and coach the Scrum Team and the organization on the Scrum framework and its principles12. By coaching the Product Owner and the Developers on the purpose of Scrum events, the Scrum Master can help them understand that the Daily Scrum is not a status report or a performance review, but a time to inspect and adapt their progress toward the Sprint Goal34. By letting them figure out how to deal with this situation, the Scrum Master can also respect and enable their self-organization and collaboration12.

This is the best answer because it empowers the Developers to take ownership of their own process and find a solution that works for them. The Scrum Master can facilitate the discussion and help the Developers understand the value and importance of the Daily Scrum, but not impose or dictate any specific action or rule. The Scrum Master can also support the Developers in conducting an experiment and evaluating the results, if they decide to do so.

References:

• Scrum Guide 2020, page 13: “The Scrum Master serves the Scrum Team in several ways, including coaching the team members in self-management and cross-functionality.”
• Professional Scrum Master II Course, page 14: “The Daily Scrum is a key opportunity for inspection and adaptation at the team level. It helps the team to synchronize their work, identify impediments, and collaborate on solutions.”
• Professional Scrum Master II Course, page 21: “The Scrum Master can help the team to resolve conflicts by facilitating dialogue, listening actively, asking powerful questions, and supporting collaborative decision making.”

Using Scrum does not ensure that adding more resources to a project proportionally increases the value delivered. In fact, adding more resources may have the opposite effect, as it can introduce more complexity, communication overhead, coordination challenges, and integration issues12. Scrum values quality over quantity, and focuses on delivering the most valuable and feasible outcomes in a given timebox3 . Scrum also encourages teams to be self-organizing and cross-functional, which means that they can work autonomously and collaboratively without relying on external resources or dependencies3 .

References: 1: Adding more resources in Scrum will proportionally increase the value … 2: The Mythical Man-Month - Wikipedia 3: Scrum - What is it, how it works, & how to start - Atlassian : How Scrum Teams can Complement Scrum by Adding Practices, Tools and …

• C: Velocity has no direct relationship with value. This is a true statement, as velocity is a measure of the amount of work done by a Scrum Team in a Sprint, not the value or quality of that work. Velocity can vary depending on many factors, such as the size, complexity, and priority of the Product Backlog items, the skills and experience of the Developers, the Definition of Done, and the Sprint length. Therefore, velocity is not a reliable indicator of value creation or team performance.
• D: Velocity is the amount of business functionality that a Scrum Team creates in a Sprint. It is unique to that team and used as an input to Sprint Planning. This is a true statement, as velocity is a team-specific metric that reflects how much business functionality the Scrum Team can deliver in a Sprint. Velocity can help the Scrum Team to forecast how many Product Backlog items they can select for the next Sprint, based on their past performance and current capacity. However, velocity is not a goal or a target for the Scrum Team, and it should not be compared across teams.

References:

• Professional Scrum Master II Course, page 15: “Velocity is a measure of how much work a team can complete in a given time period. It is usually expressed in terms of story points or function points per Sprint.”
• Professional Scrum Master II Course, page 16: “Velocity is not a measure of value or quality. It does not tell us anything about the usefulness, usability, or desirability of the product increment.”
• Professional Scrum Master II Course, page 17: “Velocity is unique to each team and depends on many factors, such as the size and complexity of the work items, the skills and experience of the team members, the definition of done, and the length of the Sprint.”
• Professional Scrum Master II Course, page 18: “Velocity can be used as an input for Sprint Planning, to help the team forecast how much work they can realistically accomplish in the next Sprint. However, velocity is not a goal or a target for the team, and it should not be used to compare or evaluate teams.”

The Scrum Value of openness can easily impact all of the aspects listed in the question. Openness means that the Scrum Team and the stakeholders agree to be transparent about their work, their challenges, their learnings, and their progress. This fosters a culture of collaboration, trust, feedback, and continuous improvement. Openness also helps to ensure that the product quality meets the expectations of the customers and the stakeholders, and that the product is delivered in a timely manner. Openness also contributes to employee satisfaction, as it allows the Scrum Team members to express their opinions, share their ideas, and learn from each other.

References:

• The Scrum Guide, section 2.2 (Scrum Values), page 6
• The Scrum Master Learning Path, module 1 (Scrum Theory), lesson 3 (Scrum Values)

 As a Scrum Master, you could help the Product Owner by suggesting working with the program manager and the project managers of the other components on the ordering and the value of your open Product Backlog items to redefine the possible delivery date. This would allow you to collaborate with the stakeholders and align on the expectations and priorities of the product. You could also inspect and adapt your integration process and communication channels with the other teams to minimize the impact of changes and dependencies.

References:

• The Scrum Guide 2020, section “The Scrum Master”
• The Scrum Master Learning Path, module “The Scrum Master as a Coach”
• The Professional Scrum Master II Course, topic “Stakeholder Management”

 The Scrum Master serves the Scrum Team by coaching them and the organization how to work empirically, which means using an evidence-based approach to inspect and adapt the product and the process1. The Scrum Master also facilitates Scrum events as requested or needed, such as the Sprint Planning, the Daily Scrum, the Sprint Review, and the Sprint Retrospective2. The Scrum Master ensures that these events are positive, productive, and kept within the timebox2.

The Scrum Master does not resolve every impediment that the Developers run into, but rather helps them to remove or overcome those impediments themselves3. The Scrum Master also does not never intervene in matters of the Scrum Team, but rather balances between providing guidance and allowing autonomy. The Scrum Master is not a passive observer, but an active servant leader who supports the team in achieving their goals.

References:

• What is a Scrum Master? | Scrum.org, section “The Accountabilities of the Scrum Master”
• The Scrum Guide 2020, section “The Scrum Master”
• What is a scrum master? [+ Responsibilities] | Atlassian, section “Scrum master responsibilities”
• [The 8 Stances of a Scrum Master by Barry Overeem], section “The Servant Leader”
• [What Is a Scrum Master (and How Do I Become One)? - Coursera], section “What is a scrum master?”

C. They are added to the Product Backlog and addressed throughout the next Sprints, combined with creating the business functionality in those Sprints, no matter how small that business functionality.

• This is a good way because it is consistent with the Scrum principle of empiricism, which means that the Scrum Team learns and adapts based on the actual outcomes and feedback, rather than following a predefined plan12. By adding these security concerns to the Product Backlog, the Product Owner can prioritize and refine them according to the value and urgency, and communicate them to the stakeholders. By addressing them throughout the next Sprints, the Scrum Team can deliver valuable and functional increments that also meet the security requirements34. D. During the Sprint Retrospective, the Scrum Team assesses how to add these expectations to the Definition of Done so every future Increment will live up to these requirements. If needed they can work with external specialists to better understand the requirements
• This is another good way because it is consistent with the Scrum value of openness, which means that the Scrum Team and the stakeholders have a clear and common understanding of the product vision, goals, progress, and risks12. By adding these expectations to the Definition of Done, the Scrum Team can ensure that every future Increment meets the quality standards and satisfies the stakeholder needs. By working with external specialists, the Scrum Team can also leverage their expertise and experience to better understand and implement the security requirements34.

References: 1: Scrum Values | Scrum.org 2: Scrum Values - Atlassian 3: Scrum Guide | Scrum Guides 4: Scrum - What is it, how it works, & how to start - Atlassian

C. Timeboxes encourage the people who are closest to the problem to create the best possible result in the time allotted, given the current context.

• This is true because timeboxes limit the amount of time that can be spent on an activity, which forces the Scrum Team to focus on the most valuable and feasible outcomes. Timeboxes also empower the Scrum Team to make decisions based on their own expertise and experience, rather than relying on external authorities or instructions12. D. Timeboxes help everyone focus on the same problem at the same time.
• This is true because timeboxes create a shared sense of urgency and alignment among the Scrum Team and the stakeholders. Timeboxes also enable frequent feedback and inspection, which help the Scrum Team adapt to changing requirements and expectations12.

References: 1: What Is Timeboxing in Scrum? - Visual Paradigm 2: What Is Timeboxing in Scrum and What Are the Benefits? Scrum Alliance

B. You explain that technical risks are best controlled when architecture and infrastructure emerge alongside the development of functionality. The additional advantage is that business value is created faster and sooner.

• This is a good option because it is consistent with the Scrum principle of empiricism, which means that the Scrum Team learns and adapts based on the actual outcomes and feedback, rather than following a predefined plan12. By allowing the architecture and infrastructure to emerge iteratively and incrementally, the Scrum Team can address the most important and uncertain aspects first, and deliver valuable and functional increments every Sprint34. D. You educate the Product Owner to add this work to the Product Backlog to uphold transparency. Ask the Developers to plan work during the first several Sprints to estimate these items, while also creating some business functionality in these early Sprints
• This is another good option because it is consistent with the Scrum value of transparency, which means that the Scrum Team and the stakeholders have a clear and common understanding of the product vision, goals, progress, and risks12. By adding this work to the Product Backlog, the Product Owner can prioritize and refine it according to the value and urgency, and communicate it to the stakeholders. By asking the Developers to plan work during the first several Sprints, they can estimate these items based on their actual experience and capacity, while also delivering some business functionality in these early Sprints34.