Scrum PSM-II Exam - Topic 3 Question 72 Discussion

Actual exam question for Scrum's PSM-II exam

Question #: 72
Topic #: 3

The Developers are waiting for an external supplier to deliver a specific product component that they need to integrate and use. Without that component there will not be enough work in the next Sprint to occupy the full team. They ask their Product Owner to re-order the Product Backlog. The Product Owner asks the Scrum Master for help. What would be good advice for the Product Owner?

(choose the best answer)

ATell the Product Owner that the Product Backlog needs to be re-ordered to maximize utilization of the Developers. It is important to keep productivity high through proper use of the capacity available

BTell the Product Owner that his primary concern is the flow of value reflected in the ordering of the Product Backlog. Timeline of the flow might be influenced by such dependencies and require some level of Product Backlog re-ordering

CTell the Product Owner to remove all work involving the external component from the Product Backlog and create a new backlog for it. The work can then be planned in one or more separate Sprints as soon as the component is available.

Show Suggested Answer

Suggested Answer: B, D, E

The Scrum values of courage, openness, and respect are touched in this situation. Courage means that the Scrum Team members have the courage to do the right thing and work on tough problems, and also to speak up when they have concerns or disagreements. Openness means that the Scrum Team members and stakeholders agree to be open about all the work and the challenges with performing the work. Respect means that the Scrum Team members respect each other to be capable, independent people, and also respect the opinions and ideas of others.

In this case, the newest developer showed courage by expressing his feelings during the Sprint Retrospective, which is an opportunity for the Scrum Team to inspect itself and create a plan for improvements. The rest of the Developers should have been more open to listening to his perspective and ideas throughout the Sprint, as they might have valuable insights or suggestions for improving the product or the process. The Developers should also have respected the newest developer as a member of the team, and given him a fair chance to contribute and collaborate with them.

The Scrum Guide, November 2020, p. 13-14

What are the 5 Scrum Values?, Visual Paradigm, accessed on September 30, 2023

Scrum Values Poster, Scrum.org, accessed on September 30, 2023

by Richelle at Jul 17, 2024, 08:04 AM

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Annette

3 months ago

Re-ordering is essential, but don’t ignore the value aspect!

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Lynda

3 months ago

Definitely need to focus on maximizing team productivity.

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Pa

3 months ago

Surprised they’d even consider option C. That could lead to chaos!

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Kate

4 months ago

I disagree, removing the work entirely seems risky.

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Linsey

4 months ago

Option B makes the most sense. Value flow is key!

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Gilberto

4 months ago

I vaguely remember that keeping the team productive is important, but I think the value flow should take precedence. Maybe B is the right choice?

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Reuben

4 months ago

I feel like removing the work from the backlog might not be the best approach. It could lead to confusion later on, but I can't remember why.

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Kenneth

4 months ago

I think we practiced a similar scenario where the emphasis was on maintaining flow. Option B sounds familiar, but I can't recall the exact details.

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Lenita

5 months ago

I remember discussing how the Product Owner should focus on maximizing value delivery, but I'm not sure if that means re-ordering the backlog completely.

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Margo

5 months ago

I'm pretty confident about this one. The answer is B - the Scrum Master should advise the Product Owner to re-order the backlog to maintain the flow of value, not just maximize utilization.

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Merrilee

5 months ago

Okay, I think I've got it. The best advice would be to tell the Product Owner to re-order the backlog to maintain the flow of value, even if that means some temporary underutilization of the developers. Keeping the focus on value is crucial.

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Rasheeda

5 months ago

Hmm, I'm a bit confused by this question. Should we really be telling the Product Owner what to do? I thought the Scrum Master's role was more about coaching and facilitating.

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Jettie

5 months ago

This seems like a tricky one. I'm not entirely sure how to approach it, but I think the key is to focus on the flow of value and not just maximizing utilization.

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Tiara

5 months ago

Hmm, I'm a bit confused by the options. I'll need to review the Ezmeral Container Platform documentation to understand the typical upgrade behavior and how it might affect the cluster and web UI.

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Toshia

5 months ago

Is it possible that <tr> aligns content? I feel like I've seen that somewhere, but I'm really not confident.

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Lili

10 months ago

Hmm, option B sounds like the most 'Scrum-y' approach, but option C is probably the most pragmatic solution to this tricky situation. Gotta love those external dependencies!

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Idella

8 months ago

C) Tell the Product Owner to remove all work involving the external component from the Product Backlog and create a new backlog for it. The work can then be planned in one or more separate Sprints as soon as the component is available.

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Stephen

9 months ago

B) Tell the Product Owner that his primary concern is the flow of value reflected in the ordering of the Product Backlog. Timeline of the flow might be influenced by such dependencies and require some level of Product Backlog re-ordering

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Dominga

9 months ago

A) Tell the Product Owner that the Product Backlog needs to be re-ordered to maximize utilization of the Developers. It is important to keep productivity high through proper use of the capacity available

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Rachael

10 months ago

I'd go with option C too. Might as well create a separate backlog for the external component work and plan it independently. That way, the main backlog can keep moving forward.

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Lezlie

10 months ago

Option A is just silly. Maximizing utilization shouldn't be the top priority here - the goal is to deliver value, not keep the team busy for the sake of it.

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Charlette

9 months ago

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Lizbeth

9 months ago

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Willard

10 months ago

Option C seems the most sensible. Isolating the work dependent on the external component and planning it separately makes the most practical sense.

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Kimberely

9 months ago

Option C seems the most sensible. Isolating the work dependent on the external component and planning it separately makes the most practical sense.

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Phillip

9 months ago

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Wynell

9 months ago

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Jacquelyne

9 months ago

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Jackie

10 months ago

I agree with option B. Dependency on an external supplier is a real-world challenge, and the Product Owner needs to be flexible in managing the backlog to ensure value delivery.

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Sommer

10 months ago

The Product Owner should focus on the flow of value, as suggested in option B. Shuffling the backlog to keep the team busy doesn't sound like the right approach.

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