Scrum Artifacts and Commitments practice questions

Answer: A) A concrete stepping stone toward the Product Goal that is additive to all prior Increments and thoroughly verified

The Scrum Guide describes an Increment as a concrete stepping stone toward the Product Goal that is additive to all prior Increments and thoroughly verified, so that all Increments work together.

• ACorrect. The Scrum Guide describes an Increment as a concrete stepping stone toward the Product Goal. Each Increment is additive to all prior Increments and thoroughly verified, so that all Increments work together.
• BIncorrect. A forecast of selected items plus a plan is the Sprint Backlog. An Increment is verified, usable work that meets the Definition of Done, not a forecast.
• CIncorrect. Each Increment is additive to all prior Increments, not limited to the latest work. Also, more than one Increment may be created within a Sprint, and an Increment may be delivered before the Sprint Review.
• DIncorrect. This describes the Product Goal, the commitment for the Product Backlog. Each Increment is a concrete step toward that goal, not the goal itself.

Answer: A) It ensures that all the Increments work together, since each one builds on and integrates with what came before rather than existing as a disconnected, standalone piece

• AThe Scrum Guide states each Increment is additive to all prior Increments and thoroughly verified, ensuring that all the Increments work together — this additive nature is specifically what ensures the product remains a coherent, integrated whole as it evolves Sprint over Sprint, rather than accumulating disconnected, standalone pieces.
• BThis understates its described value — the Scrum Guide directly ties the additive nature of Increments to ensuring that all the Increments actually work together, a meaningful, functional purpose, not merely a stylistic preference.
• CThis misreads 'additive' — the Scrum Guide's use of the term is about ensuring Increments build on and integrate with (rather than replace or conflict with) prior ones, not a requirement that each successive Increment be larger in scope.
• DThis is incorrect — every Increment, regardless of when it's created, must meet the Definition of Done; the additive nature is about ensuring Increments work together, not an exemption for later ones from meeting quality standards.

Answer: A) It is the single objective for the Sprint and creates coherence and focus, while leaving flexibility in the exact work done.

The Sprint Goal is the single objective for the Sprint, set collaboratively during Sprint Planning. It creates coherence and focus while leaving flexibility in the exact work, which a vague goal does poorly.

• ACorrect. The Guide calls the Sprint Goal the single objective for the Sprint. It creates coherence and focus, encourages the team to work together rather than on separate initiatives, and allows flexibility in the exact work needed. A goal as vague as "make progress" gives the team little shared focus.
• BIncorrect. The Sprint Goal is separate from the selected items, and the Guide says it gives flexibility about the exact work needed. Scope can be clarified and renegotiated with the Product Owner without changing the Sprint Goal.
• CIncorrect. The Product Owner proposes how the product could increase its value, but the whole Scrum Team collaborates to define the Sprint Goal during Sprint Planning.
• DIncorrect. During the Sprint, no changes are made that would endanger the Sprint Goal. The Sprint Goal stays fixed while the Sprint Backlog's scope can be renegotiated with the Product Owner.

Answer: A) The mature product still has a Product Goal; it is the team's long-term objective, and when one is fulfilled or abandoned, the team takes on the next.

The Product Goal is the Scrum Team's long-term objective and the commitment for the Product Backlog. Teams fulfill or abandon one Product Goal before taking on the next, so mature products have one as well.

• ACorrect. The Scrum Guide calls the Product Goal the long-term objective for the Scrum Team. It says the team must fulfill (or abandon) one objective before taking on the next. A product that is still being developed always has a current Product Goal, whatever its age.
• BIncorrect. The Product Backlog is the artifact, and the Product Goal is its commitment; the Guide says the Product Goal is in the Product Backlog. The Guide doesn't limit the Product Goal to products that have not yet been released.
• CIncorrect. The Sprint Goal is the single objective for one Sprint and is the commitment for the Sprint Backlog. The long-term objective is the Product Goal, and a Sprint Goal does not replace it.
• DIncorrect. The Guide describes a sequence of Product Goals: the team fulfills or abandons one objective before taking on the next. The Product Goal is not set once and kept for the product's whole life.

Answer: A) Ensuring that the Product Backlog is transparent, visible and understood

The Scrum Guide makes the Product Owner accountable for ensuring the Product Backlog is transparent, visible and understood. This applies the transparency pillar to the Product Backlog.

• ACorrect. The Scrum Guide lists this among the Product Owner's accountabilities for effective Product Backlog management. It applies the transparency pillar to the artifact that shows what will be done to improve the product.
• BIncorrect. The Sprint Backlog is a plan by and for the Developers. It covers the current Sprint only and is not the Product Owner's tool for showing stakeholders what comes next.
• CIncorrect. The Definition of Done is the commitment for the Increment. It is set by the organization's standards or created by the Scrum Team, and it does not show what work is coming next.
• DIncorrect. The Daily Scrum is an event for the Developers to inspect progress toward the Sprint Goal. Facilitating it is not a Product Owner accountability.

Answer: A) The Scrum Team must fulfill or abandon one Product Goal before taking on the next one

The Product Goal is the Scrum Team's long-term objective and the commitment for the Product Backlog. The team must fulfill or abandon one Product Goal before taking on the next.

• ACorrect. The Scrum Guide calls the Product Goal the long-term objective for the Scrum Team and says the team must fulfill (or abandon) one objective before taking on the next. Product Goals follow one another; they are not pursued in parallel.
• BIncorrect. A Sprint Goal does support the Product Goal, but the Guide describes one Product Goal at a time, to be fulfilled or abandoned before the next is taken on.
• CIncorrect. The Guide explicitly allows a Product Goal to be fulfilled or abandoned and then followed by the next one.
• DIncorrect. The Product Goal is the commitment for the Product Backlog. The Sprint Backlog's commitment is the Sprint Goal.

Answer: A) It is allowed; the Product Backlog is emergent, is refined as needed during the Sprint, and is ordered by the Product Owner

The Product Backlog is an emergent, ordered list that is refined as needed during the Sprint, so the Product Owner can add and reorder items at any time. The current Sprint Goal and the Developers' Sprint Backlog are not automatically affected.

• ACorrect. The 2020 Scrum Guide calls the Product Backlog 'an emergent, ordered list of what is needed to improve the product.' It says that during the Sprint 'the Product Backlog is refined as needed,' and that the Product Owner is accountable for creating and ordering Product Backlog items. Adding an item does not change the current Sprint Goal.
• BIncorrect. The Guide does not freeze the Product Backlog during a Sprint. It explicitly says the Product Backlog is refined as needed during the Sprint.
• CIncorrect. The Product Owner is accountable for creating and ordering Product Backlog items. The Daily Scrum is for the Developers to inspect progress toward the Sprint Goal, not to approve Product Backlog changes.
• DIncorrect. A new Product Backlog item does not have to enter the current Sprint. The Sprint Backlog belongs to the Developers, and the Guide says no changes are made that would endanger the Sprint Goal. The item is normally considered in a future Sprint Planning.

Answer: A) Both. It includes an actionable plan, which Developers often build by breaking items into smaller work items.

The Sprint Backlog contains the Sprint Goal, the selected Product Backlog items and an actionable plan. That plan often includes smaller work items the Developers identify for themselves.

• ACorrect. The Guide says the Sprint Backlog is made up of the Sprint Goal (why), the selected Product Backlog items (what) and an actionable plan for delivering the Increment (how). Developers often plan by breaking items into work items of one day or less.
• BIncorrect. The Guide describes the Sprint Backlog as a highly visible, real-time picture of the work, and it includes the plan. Keeping tasks private would undermine that transparency.
• CIncorrect. The plan for delivering the selected items is part of the Sprint Backlog. The Developers own it, not the Product Owner.
• DIncorrect. The Sprint Backlog is a plan by and for the Developers. The Scrum Master does not approve their tasks.

Answer: A) The Scrum Team fulfills or abandons the current Product Goal before taking on the new objective as the next one

The Product Goal is the commitment for the Product Backlog and the Scrum Team's long-term objective. The team must fulfill or abandon it before taking on the next one.

• ACorrect. The Scrum Guide says the Product Goal is the Scrum Team's long-term objective and that the team must fulfill (or abandon) one objective before taking on the next.
• BIncorrect. The Scrum Guide describes a single Product Goal as the commitment for the Product Backlog. One objective is fulfilled or abandoned before the next is taken on.
• CIncorrect. The Sprint Goal is the single objective for one Sprint and is the commitment for the Sprint Backlog. It does not replace the Product Goal.
• DIncorrect. The Product Goal can be abandoned, and the Product Owner is accountable for developing and communicating it. Nothing requires the Product Backlog to be emptied first.

Answer: A) Bring the ideas worth pursuing into the Product Backlog, where the Product Owner orders them and they are visible to everyone

Work should come from the Product Backlog, the single source of work, which the Product Owner orders and keeps transparent. Ideas worth pursuing belong in it, not in a hidden side list.

• ACorrect. The Product Backlog is the single source of work undertaken by the Scrum Team. The Product Owner is accountable for ordering its items and for making sure it is transparent, visible and understood. A hidden side list undermines both.
• BIncorrect. The Developers create the Sprint Backlog, but it is made up of the Sprint Goal, Product Backlog items selected for the Sprint, and a plan for delivering them. It does not draw from outside lists.
• CIncorrect. Recording work after it is done does not make it transparent or ordered while it is happening. The work still went around the single source of work.
• DIncorrect. The Product Backlog is an emergent, ordered list of what is needed to improve the product, not only the items that are ready. Refinement makes items ready over time.