Scrum Alliance CSM - Certified ScrumMaster Exam

TheScrum Valuemost demonstrated when a team completes a task before moving on to the next one isFocus. In Scrum, the team is expected to focus on the work required to meet the Sprint Goal. Completing one task at a time shows that the team prioritizes their attention and energy on delivering work of high quality, avoiding multitasking and distractions.

According to the2020 Scrum Guide, focus is one of the five Scrum Values, which include:

Commitment: Dedication to the goals of the team and the Sprint.

Focus: Concentrating on the work at hand to ensure maximum productivity and value.

Respect: Valuing each team member and their contributions.

Courage: Facing challenges and delivering value despite uncertainties.

Openness: Transparency in communication and progress.

Why the other options are incorrect:

A. Commitment:While commitment is important, the act of completing a task before moving to the next one primarily demonstrates focus rather than commitment to goals.

C. Respect:Respect refers to valuing team members and their contributions, not the practice of completing one task at a time.

D. Courage:Courage involves tackling difficult challenges or speaking up, but it is not directly related to task completion.

When a Scrum Master encounters resistance from outside the Scrum Team, their role is to act as aservant leader and coach, ensuring the organization's adoption of Scrum is effective. Resistance often stems from a lack of understanding or buy-in regarding the value of Scrum.

According to the2020 Scrum Guide, the Scrum Master serves the organization in several ways, including:

Leading, training, and coaching the organization in its Scrum adoption.

Planning and advising Scrum implementations within the organization.

Helping employees and stakeholders understand and enact an empirical approach for complex work.

In this case, the Scrum Master collaborates with other Scrum Masters to amplify the effectiveness of Scrum across the organization. This collaboration is essential for addressing systemic challenges or resistance to Scrum.

Why the other options are incorrect:

A. Escalate to management to reprimand the resisters:Escalating and seeking reprimand is not aligned with the Scrum Master's role as a facilitator and coach. This approach could create conflict rather than resolve resistance.

B. Not intervene in the business of others:The Scrum Master’s role involves actively addressing impediments and resistance. Avoiding intervention undermines their responsibility to promote Scrum.

C. Create a status update meeting for all Scrum Masters to coordinate teamdependencies:While collaboration among Scrum Masters is essential, "status update meetings" are not a Scrum practice, and coordination of dependencies is typically handled within Sprint Planning or during collaborative refinement sessions.

TheSprint Backlogis owned solely by theDevelopers, as they are responsible for planning, managing, and executing the work required to meet the Sprint Goal. The Sprint Backlog is ahighly visible, real-time planfor delivering the Increment. It includes:

TheSprint Goal.

The set of Product Backlog items selected for the Sprint.

A plan for delivering the Increment.

According to the2020 Scrum Guide, the Developers:

Have full ownership and accountability over the Sprint Backlog.

Decide how to adapt their work plan daily to achieve the Sprint Goal.

Why the other options are incorrect:

A. Scrum Master:The Scrum Master facilitates the Scrum process but does not own the Sprint Backlog.

C. Product Owner:The Product Owner manages the Product Backlog, not the Sprint Backlog.

D. Scrum Team:While the Sprint Goal is owned by the entire Scrum Team, the Sprint Backlog is specifically managed and executed by the Developers.

The Agile principle being practiced when a team focuses on the highest-priority Product Backlog items is"Simplicity - The art of maximizing the amount of work not done is essential."This principle emphasizes delivering only the most valuable work and avoiding unnecessary effort. By working on the most critical items, the team ensures that resources are used efficiently to maximize value.

Why the other options are incorrect:

A. At regular intervals, the team reflects on how to become more effective, then tunes and adjusts its behavior accordingly:This principle relates to Sprint Retrospectives and improving team processes, not prioritizing backlog items.

C. Business people and developers must work together daily throughout the project:This principle relates to collaboration and communication, not prioritization.

D. The most efficient and effective method of conveying information to and within a development team is face-to-face conversation:This principle emphasizes communication methods, not prioritization.

Scrum teams plan workone Sprint at a time, using theSprint Planning eventto adapt the Sprint Backlog based on what was learned in previous Sprints. This approach aligns with Scrum'sempirical process control, which relies on inspection and adaptation to plan effectively.

According to the2020 Scrum Guide:

Sprint Planning creates aSprint Backlog, which includes the Sprint Goal, selected Product Backlog items, and the plan to deliver them.

Teams adjust their plans Sprint by Sprint, responding to new information, feedback, and changing circumstances.

Why the other options are incorrect:

A. One release at a time, adjusting the number of Sprints to the prior releases’ average velocity:Scrum does not prescribe release-driven planning or adjusting Sprint duration based on velocity.

C. One project at a time, adjusting each Sprint Backlog Item to meet the release date negotiated at inception:Scrum encourages iterative planning within Sprints, not fixed plans tied to predetermined release dates.

D. One Sprint at a time in the Product Backlog Refinement meeting with participation of stakeholders:Product Backlog Refinement is an ongoing activity, not a Sprint planning process. Stakeholders typically participate in Sprint Reviews, not in backlog refinement.