Scrum Professional Scrum Master II Exam Questions

A self-managing Scrum Team is one that internally decides who does what, when, and how. It does not need external direction or supervision to accomplish its work. A self-managing Scrum Team can resolve conflicts and continue working, as this shows that the team members can collaborate effectively and handle disagreements without escalating them. Creativity flourishes and new possibilities are explored, as this shows that the team members are empowered to experiment and innovate, rather than following a fixed plan or process.

The Scrum Guide 20201, section ''The Scrum Team''

The Scrum Master Learning Path2, module ''The Self-Managing Scrum Team''

The Professional Scrum Master II Course3, topic ''Self-Management''

The best way to determine if the Product Owner is interacting with the Developers enough throughout a Sprint is to observe whether both parties are satisfied with the Increment.The Increment is a concrete stepping stone toward the Product Goal1.It must be usable and meet the Definition of Done1.The Product Owner is accountable for maximizing the value of the product resulting from the work of the Developers1.The Developers are accountable for creating a valuable, useful, and potentially releasable Increment every Sprint1. Therefore, if both the Product Owner and the Developers are happy with the quality and value of the Increment, it means that they have communicated and collaborated effectively throughout the Sprint.

Some reasons why the other options are not correct are:

A: The Developers should determine the percentage of time the Product Owner is required to be present and monitor whether the Product Owner's average presence is around this figure. This option is not correct because it implies that there is a fixed or optimal amount of time that the Product Owner should spend with the Developers, which may not be true. The Product Owner's interaction with the Developers may vary depending on the context, complexity, and uncertainty of the product and the Sprint.The Scrum Guide does not prescribe any specific time or frequency for the Product Owner's involvement with the Developers1.The Product Owner should be available to provide guidance and feedback to the Developers as needed, but not interfere with their self-organization and autonomy1.

B: Check the Daily Scrum reports to see whether the Product Owner was present at the majority of the Daily Scrum meetings. This option is not correct because it assumes that the Daily Scrum is a meeting where the Product Owner should be present, which is not true.The Daily Scrum is an event for and by the Developers12, not for reporting or accountability to anyone else.The Product Owner may attend as an observer or a collaborator, but only if invited by the Developers12. The presence or absence of the Product Owner at the Daily Scrum does not indicate how much they interact with the Developers throughout the Sprint.

C: Observe whether the Developers need to ask the Product Owner questions at times other than during the Daily Scrum. This option is not correct because it implies that asking questions is a sign of insufficient interaction, which may not be true. Asking questions is a natural and healthy part of communication and collaboration between the Product Owner and the Developers. It shows that they are engaged, curious, and willing to learn from each other. It also helps them to clarify requirements, expectations, and feedback, and to resolve any ambiguities or conflicts. Asking questions does not necessarily mean that there is a lack of interaction, but rather that there is a need for more information or clarification.

What is an Increment? | Scrum.org

What Is a Daily Standup? | A Guide to Running Effective Standup Meetings | Atlassian

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

Technical debt is the implied cost of rework caused by choosing an easy solution now instead of a better approach that would take longer1. Reducing the Definition of Done for the next three Sprints will create technical debt, which will have negative impacts on the product quality, value, and delivery. Two ways to explain these impacts to the Product Owner are:

Releasing the version creates false assumptions about the actual state of the system.This is likely to result in interruptions during future Sprints in order to react to unforeseen problems arising from not having met the Definition of Done2. This will reduce the transparency, predictability, and adaptability of the Scrum process, and compromise the trust and satisfaction of the customers and stakeholders.

As development progresses and functionality is added upon the reduced Definition of Done, unknown errors will creep in. The system becomes more difficult to stabilize.Work for the actual release as well as future releases will be slowed down in unpredictable ways3. This will increase the complexity, risk, and cost of the product development, and lower the value and quality of the product.

What is Technical Debt in Scrum? | StarAgile, section ''The technical debt is created when''.

Technical Debt & Scrum: Who Is Responsible? | Scrum.org, section ''What Is Technical Debt?''.

Managing Technical Debt in a Scrum Project | SCRUMstudy Blog, section ''Technical debt accrues''.

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