Free Scrum PSM I practice questions

10 free Scrum PSM I practice questions with the correct answer and a full explanation for each, taken from the CertStash pack of 258 questions. Work through them, then open each answer to check your reasoning.

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Question 1

When many Scrum Teams are working on the same product, should all of their Increments be integrated every Sprint?

  1. Yes, but only for Scrum Teams whose work has dependencies.
  2. Yes, otherwise the Product Owners (and stakeholders) may not be able to accurately inspect what is done.
  3. No, each Scrum Team stands alone.
  4. No, that is far too hard and must be done in a hardening Sprint.
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: B. Yes, otherwise the Product Owners (and stakeholders) may not be able to accurately inspect what is done.

In Scrum, all Increments from multiple teams working on the same product should be integrated every Sprint. This ensures that Product Owners and stakeholders can accurately inspect the actual state of the product and make informed decisions. Lack of integration prevents visibility into true product status and creates hidden dependencies and integration risks.

Why the other options are wrong

  • A. Dependencies are not the only reason for integration; transparency and accurate inspection of the product state require all Increments to be integrated regardless of explicit dependencies.
  • C. Each Scrum Team does not stand alone when working on the same product; their work must be integrated to maintain product coherence.
  • D. Integration must happen every Sprint, not deferred to a separate hardening Sprint; modern Scrum practices reject this approach.

Question 2

When can a Development Team cancel a Sprint?

  1. It can't. Only Product Owners can cancel Sprints.
  2. When functional expectations are not well understood.
  3. When the Product Owner is absent too often.
  4. When the selected Product Backlog items for the Sprint become unachievable.
  5. When a technical dependency cannot be resolved.
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: A. It can't. Only Product Owners can cancel Sprints.

Only the Product Owner has the authority to cancel a Sprint. The Development Team cannot cancel a Sprint regardless of the circumstances they encounter. While various challenges may arise during a Sprint, the team's responsibility is to work toward the Sprint Goal and communicate impediments to the Product Owner, who retains the ultimate authority to cancel.

Why the other options are wrong

  • B. Unclear functional expectations are a planning concern to be addressed before the Sprint starts, not grounds for the team to cancel it.
  • C. A Product Owner's absence, while potentially problematic, does not give the Development Team the authority to cancel a Sprint.
  • D. Unachievable items are addressed by the team's commitment and communication with the Product Owner, not by team-initiated Sprint cancellation.
  • E. Technical dependencies are obstacles the team works through; they do not authorize the Development Team to cancel a Sprint.

Question 3

Which output from Sprint Planning provides the Development Team with a target and overarching direction for the Sprint?

  1. The Sprint Backlog.
  2. The Sprint Goal
  3. The release plan.
  4. Sprint Review minutes.
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: B. The Sprint Goal

The Sprint Goal is the primary output from Sprint Planning that provides the Development Team with a target and overarching direction for the Sprint. It articulates the purpose and desired outcome of the Sprint, guiding team decisions and unifying their efforts throughout the iteration.

Why the other options are wrong

  • A. The Sprint Backlog is a list of tasks and items, not the directional target that guides the Sprint.
  • C. The release plan is not an output of Sprint Planning and does not provide Sprint-level direction.
  • D. Sprint Review minutes are not an output of Sprint Planning and occur at the end of the Sprint, not during planning.

Question 4

How should a Development Team deal with non-functional requirements?

  1. Ensure every Increment meets them.
  2. Make sure the release department understands these requirements, but it is not the Development Team's responsibility.
  3. Handle them during the Integration Sprint preceding the Release Sprint.
  4. Assign them to the lead developers on the team.
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: A. Ensure every Increment meets them.

The Development Team must ensure that every Increment meets all non-functional requirements such as performance, security, scalability, and maintainability. No-unctional requirements are not separate concerns to be deferred or delegated; they are integral to the definition of done and must be addressed in every Sprint to maintain product quality.

Why the other options are wrong

  • B. Non-functional requirements are the Development Team's responsibility, not delegated to external release departments.
  • C. Non-functional requirements cannot be handled in a separate Integration Sprint; they must be met by every Increment.
  • D. Non-functional requirements are a team responsibility, not assigned to lead developers as special work.

Question 5

When is a Sprint over?

  1. When the Product Owner says it is done.
  2. When all Product Backlog items meet their definition of "Done".
  3. When all the tasks are completed.
  4. When the time-box expires.
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: D. When the time-box expires.

A Sprint ends when its time-box expires. Sprints are fixed-length events, so the Sprint closes on the scheduled date whether or not every selected item is finished, with incomplete work returning to the Product Backlog for reordering. The only exception is a cancellation, which the Product Owner may initiate when the Sprint Goal becomes obsolete, but that is an exceptional event rather than the normal way a Sprint concludes.

Why the other options are wrong

  • A. The Product Owner may cancel a Sprint when the Sprint Goal becomes obsolete, but that is an exceptional act and not the routine way a Sprint reaches its end.
  • B. Unfinished Product Backlog items simply return to the Product Backlog, so having every item meet the definition of Done is not what closes the Sprint.
  • C. Tasks in the Sprint Backlog are a planning aid for the Developers and their completion status does not determine when the Sprint ends.

Question 6

True or False: Scrum has a role called `Project Manager`.

  1. True
  2. False
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: B. False

Scrum does not have a Project Manager role. The three defined roles in Scrum are the Product Owner, the Scrum Master, and the Development Team. A Project Manager role represents a traditional project management approach that is incompatible with Scrum's framework.

Why the other options are wrong

  • A. This is false; Scrum explicitly does not include a Project Manager role.

Question 7

What are two effective ways for the Scrum Team to make non-functional requirements visible? (Choose two.)

  1. Put them on a separate list on the Scrum board, available for all to see.
  2. Add them to the Product Backlog to ensure transparency.
  3. Run the integration and regression tests before the end of the Sprint, and capture the open work for the Sprint Backlog of the next Sprint.
  4. Add them to the definition of "Done" so the work is taken care of every Sprint.
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: B, D

B. Add them to the Product Backlog to ensure transparency. D. Add them to the definition of "Done" so the work is taken care of every Sprint. Non-functional requirements become visible through two key mechanisms: adding them to the Product Backlog ensures transparency and acknowledges them as legitimate work requiring prioritization, and adding them to the definition of Done ensures they are systematically addressed in every Sprint. These approaches embed non-functional requirements into the team's workflow and make them continuously visible.

Why the other options are wrong

  • A. A separate list on the Scrum board does not integrate non-functional requirements into the team's actual work process.
  • C. Running tests after the Sprint and capturing work for the next Sprint delays visibility and creates debt; non-functional requirements must be visible and addressed throughout the Sprint.

Question 8

How much time is required after a Sprint to prepare for the next Sprint?

  1. The break between Sprints is time-boxed to 1 week for 30 day Sprints, and usually less for shorter sprints.
  2. Enough time for the requirements for the next Sprint to be determined and documented.
  3. Enough time for the Development team to finish the testing from the last Sprint.
  4. None. A new Sprint starts immediately following the end of the previous Sprint.
  5. All of the above are allowed depending on the situation.
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: D. None. A new Sprint starts immediately following the end of the previous Sprint.

No time is required between Sprints. A new Sprint starts immediately following the end of the previous Sprint. The Sprint Review and Sprint Retrospective occur at the end of one Sprint, and Sprint Planning occurs at the beginning of the next Sprint, with no gap between them. This continuous flow maintains momentum and engagement.

Why the other options are wrong

  • A. There is no time-boxed break between Sprints; the next Sprint begins immediately.
  • B. Requirements are refined continuously throughout the Sprint cycle, not determined during a break between Sprints.
  • C. Testing from the previous Sprint should be completed during that Sprint, not in a break afterward.
  • E. The other options describe scenarios that conflict with proper Scrum practice; none of them are allowed.

Question 9

During Sprint Planning the Product Owner and the Developers are unable to reach an understanding about the highest order Product Backlog items. Because of this, the Developers are unable to determine how many Product Backlog items they can forecast for the upcoming Sprint.

However, the Product Owner and the Developers are able to agree on a Sprint Goal.

Which of the following actions should the Scrum Master support? (Choose two.)

  1. Cancel the Sprint. Send the entire team to an advanced Scrum training and then start a new Sprint.
  2. Forecast the Product Backlog items that are most likely to meet the Sprint Goal and create the Sprint Backlog. Conclude Sprint Planning and start the development work. Continue to analyze, decompose, and create additional functionality during the Sprint.
  3. Continue the Sprint Planning event past its time-box until an adequate number of Product Backlog items are well enough understood for the Developers to make a complete forecast. Then start the Sprint.
  4. During the next Sprint Retrospective discuss why this happened and what changes will make it less likely to recur.
  5. Ask everyone to take as much time as needed to analyze the Product Backlog first, and then reconvene another Sprint Planning meeting.
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: B, D

B. Forecast the Product Backlog items that are most likely to meet the Sprint Goal and create the Sprint Backlog. Conclude Sprint Planning and start the development work. Continue to analyze, decompose, and create additional functionality during the Sprint. D. During the next Sprint Retrospective discuss why this happened and what changes will make it less likely to recur. When the Developers cannot forecast a complete Sprint due to unclear Product Backlog items, the appropriate actions are to proceed pragmatically and continuously refine understanding. Option B correctly allows the team to forecast items aligned with the agreed Sprint Goal, begin development, and continue refinement during the Sprint, this is a core Scrum practice of adaptive planning. Option D supports organizational learning by examining root causes in the Retrospective to prevent recurrence. Option A is unnecessarily destructive; canceling an entire Sprint and mandating training wastes time when the team has a valid Sprint Goal. Option C violates the time-box principle fundamental to Scrum events. Option E delays progress by reconvening rather than leveraging the Sprint itself as a feedback mechanism.

Why the other options are wrong

  • A. Canceling the Sprint and sending the team to training is an extreme overreaction that wastes time; a Sprint Goal exists and work can proceed.
  • C. Extending Sprint Planning beyond its time-box violates Scrum's fixed time-box principle and reduces the time available for actual development.
  • E. Reconvening before the Sprint starts duplicates planning effort instead of allowing the team to learn and refine understanding during the Sprint execution.

Question 10

Who can cancel a Sprint?

  1. The Scrum Team.
  2. The Scrum Master.
  3. The Product Owner.
  4. The Stakeholders.
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: C. The Product Owner.

Only the Product Owner has the authority to cancel a Sprint in Scrum. This power is explicitly granted to the Product Owner because they are accountable for the product and its value delivery. While other roles may recommend cancellation, the final decision rests with the Product Owner. The Scrum Master facilitates the process but does not have cancellation authority. The Developers and Stakeholders have no cancellation power.

Why the other options are wrong

  • A. The Scrum Team collectively cannot cancel a Sprint; this authority is specifically vested in the Product Owner.
  • B. The Scrum Master facilitates and supports the team but does not hold the authority to cancel a Sprint.
  • D. Stakeholders have no formal authority to cancel a Sprint; only the Product Owner possesses this power.

That was 10 of 258.

The full Scrum PSM I pack has all 258 questions, each with the answer, the explanation and why the other options are wrong, plus a questions-only copy for timed runs. US$39, paid once, with free monthly updates and a pass-or-your-money-back guarantee.

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