Scrum Professional Scrum Master level III (PSM III) - PSM-III Exam Practice Test
Question 1
The definition of "Done" describes the work that must be completed for every Product Backlog item before it can be deemed releasable. What should the Development Team do when, during the Sprint, it finds out that a problem outside of their control blocks them from doing all this work?
Correct Answer:
When the Development Team discovers during a Sprint that a problemoutside of their controlprevents them from completing all work required by theDefinition of Done, this situation must be addressed through transparency, inspection, and adaptation, rather than by lowering standards.
1. Make the Impediment Transparent Immediately
The Development Team shouldmake the issue visible as soon as it is discovered. This includes:
* Raising it in theDaily Scrum,
* Clearly stating how it impacts the Sprint Goal and the Definition of Done.
Transparency is critical so that inspection and adaptation are based on reality, not assumptions.
2. Do Not Compromise the Definition of Done
The Definition of Done mustnot be relaxed or bypassedto "get something done." Lowering quality destroys transparency and creates false progress. If the Definition of Done cannot be met, the work isnot Doneand should not be considered releasable.
3. Collaborate to Adapt the Sprint Backlog
The Development Team should collaborate with theProduct Ownerto inspect the impact and adapt the Sprint Backlog. This may include:
* Removing or adjusting affected Product Backlog Items,
* Focusing on work that can still meet the Definition of Done,
* Preserving theSprint Goal, if possible.
4. Escalate the Impediment Through the Scrum Master
Because the problem is outside the team's control, it qualifies as animpediment. The Scrum Master must help remove or mitigate it by working with the organization or external parties. If the impediment cannot be resolved quickly, its impact should be addressed in planning and stakeholder communication.
1. Make the Impediment Transparent Immediately
The Development Team shouldmake the issue visible as soon as it is discovered. This includes:
* Raising it in theDaily Scrum,
* Clearly stating how it impacts the Sprint Goal and the Definition of Done.
Transparency is critical so that inspection and adaptation are based on reality, not assumptions.
2. Do Not Compromise the Definition of Done
The Definition of Done mustnot be relaxed or bypassedto "get something done." Lowering quality destroys transparency and creates false progress. If the Definition of Done cannot be met, the work isnot Doneand should not be considered releasable.
3. Collaborate to Adapt the Sprint Backlog
The Development Team should collaborate with theProduct Ownerto inspect the impact and adapt the Sprint Backlog. This may include:
* Removing or adjusting affected Product Backlog Items,
* Focusing on work that can still meet the Definition of Done,
* Preserving theSprint Goal, if possible.
4. Escalate the Impediment Through the Scrum Master
Because the problem is outside the team's control, it qualifies as animpediment. The Scrum Master must help remove or mitigate it by working with the organization or external parties. If the impediment cannot be resolved quickly, its impact should be addressed in planning and stakeholder communication.
Question 2
What risk is introduced if not all Development Team members are present for the Daily Scrum?
Correct Answer:
If not all Development Team members are present at theDaily Scrum, several risks are introduced that undermineempiricism, collaboration, and the team's ability to achieve theSprint Goal.
First,transparency is reduced. The Daily Scrum exists to create a shared understanding of progress, plans, and impediments. When some Developers are absent, their work, discoveries, risks, or impediments are not fully visible to the rest of the team. This results in an incomplete or inaccurate picture of the Sprint Backlog's current state.
Second,inspection becomes ineffective. The Daily Scrum is the primary event where Developers inspect progress toward the Sprint Goal. Missing perspectives means that inspection is based on partial information, increasing the likelihood that important issues-such as integration problems, dependencies, or quality concerns-go unnoticed until later in the Sprint.
Third,adaptation is delayed or suboptimal. Without full participation, the team may make planning adjustments that do not account for all constraints or opportunities. This can lead to rework, misalignment, or duplicated effort, and increases the risk of failing to meet the Sprint Goal.
Fourth, the absence of team members weakenscollective ownership and accountability. The Daily Scrum reinforces that the Developers are jointly responsible for the Sprint Goal. Regular absence can create silos, reduce collaboration, and signal that shared planning and alignment are optional.
Finally, over time, inconsistent attendance can turn the Daily Scrum into astatus meeting for those present, rather than a collaborative planning event for the whole team. This undermines Scrum Values, particularly Commitment, Respect, and Openness.
First,transparency is reduced. The Daily Scrum exists to create a shared understanding of progress, plans, and impediments. When some Developers are absent, their work, discoveries, risks, or impediments are not fully visible to the rest of the team. This results in an incomplete or inaccurate picture of the Sprint Backlog's current state.
Second,inspection becomes ineffective. The Daily Scrum is the primary event where Developers inspect progress toward the Sprint Goal. Missing perspectives means that inspection is based on partial information, increasing the likelihood that important issues-such as integration problems, dependencies, or quality concerns-go unnoticed until later in the Sprint.
Third,adaptation is delayed or suboptimal. Without full participation, the team may make planning adjustments that do not account for all constraints or opportunities. This can lead to rework, misalignment, or duplicated effort, and increases the risk of failing to meet the Sprint Goal.
Fourth, the absence of team members weakenscollective ownership and accountability. The Daily Scrum reinforces that the Developers are jointly responsible for the Sprint Goal. Regular absence can create silos, reduce collaboration, and signal that shared planning and alignment are optional.
Finally, over time, inconsistent attendance can turn the Daily Scrum into astatus meeting for those present, rather than a collaborative planning event for the whole team. This undermines Scrum Values, particularly Commitment, Respect, and Openness.
Question 3
When working on one software product with multiple Scrum teams in Scrum Nexus, what is important about dependenciesof the planned Backlog Items and integration of the work being done?
Correct Answer:
When multiple Scrum Teams work together on a single product usingScrum Nexus, managing dependencies and ensuring effective integration are critical to delivering a usable Increment each Sprint. Scrum Nexus extends Scrum by explicitly addressing the complexity that arises from multiple teams working on the same product.
First,dependencies between teams should be minimized. Dependencies reduce autonomy, slow feedback, and increase risk. In Nexus, Product Backlog Items should be ordered and refined in such a way that work with strong dependencies is keptwithin a single team whenever possible. This supports cross-functionality at the team level and reduces the coordination overhead required between teams.
Second, when dependencies cannot be avoided, they must be madetransparent and actively managed. The Nexus framework encourages early identification of dependencies during Nexus Sprint Planning so that teams can coordinate their work effectively. However, the goal remains to continuously reduce dependencies over time through better backlog ordering, architecture improvements, and skill broadening.
Third,integration of work is vital and takes precedence over completing all planned work. In Scrum Nexus, an Increment is only considered "Done" when the work of all teams is fully integrated and meets the shared Definition of Done. Unintegrated work, even if technically complete by an individual team, does not provide value and increases risk.
Fourth, integration must occurearly and often during the Sprint, not only at the end. Continuous integration helps uncover issues sooner, supports frequent inspection, and enables timely adaptation. Delaying integration increases the likelihood of defects, rework, and failure to produce a usable Increment.
First,dependencies between teams should be minimized. Dependencies reduce autonomy, slow feedback, and increase risk. In Nexus, Product Backlog Items should be ordered and refined in such a way that work with strong dependencies is keptwithin a single team whenever possible. This supports cross-functionality at the team level and reduces the coordination overhead required between teams.
Second, when dependencies cannot be avoided, they must be madetransparent and actively managed. The Nexus framework encourages early identification of dependencies during Nexus Sprint Planning so that teams can coordinate their work effectively. However, the goal remains to continuously reduce dependencies over time through better backlog ordering, architecture improvements, and skill broadening.
Third,integration of work is vital and takes precedence over completing all planned work. In Scrum Nexus, an Increment is only considered "Done" when the work of all teams is fully integrated and meets the shared Definition of Done. Unintegrated work, even if technically complete by an individual team, does not provide value and increases risk.
Fourth, integration must occurearly and often during the Sprint, not only at the end. Continuous integration helps uncover issues sooner, supports frequent inspection, and enables timely adaptation. Delaying integration increases the likelihood of defects, rework, and failure to produce a usable Increment.
Question 4
Technical systems can be decomposed to composite elements, from the large to the small. Basic components may be represented as activities, workflows, functions, features, capabilities, and other similar nomenclature.
How does this system decomposition affect Scrum Teams on scaled projects?
How does this system decomposition affect Scrum Teams on scaled projects?
Correct Answer:
Technical systems are often decomposed into smaller elements such as activities, workflows, functions, features, or components to manage complexity. While decomposition is necessary for understanding and building large systems, it has significant implications forScrum Teams, especially inscaled environments.
1. Risk of Component-Centric Team Structures
When system decomposition drives team structure, organizations often createcomponent or specialist teams aligned to technical layers or functions. In scaled Scrum, this increases:
* Dependencies between teams,
* Coordination overhead,
* Integration risk.
Such structures make it difficult for teams to deliverend-to-end, integrated Incrementseach Sprint, weakening empiricism and delaying feedback.
2. Impact on Value Delivery and Inspection
Scrum relies on frequent inspection ofworking product Increments. If work is decomposed into narrowly defined technical components, individual teams may only deliver partial outputs rather than usable value. This reduces transparency and makes meaningful inspection at the product level harder, especially when multiple teams are involved.
3. Preference for Feature-Oriented Decomposition
Scrum favors decomposing work intovertical, value-oriented slices(features or capabilities) rather than horizontal technical layers. This allows each Scrum Team to be:
* Cross-functional,
* Capable of delivering usable Increments independently,
* Less dependent on other teams.
In scaled projects, feature-oriented decomposition reduces dependencies and improves flow.
4. Effects on Integration and Empiricism
Poor decomposition increases the cost of integration and often leads to late or infrequent integration. Scrum requires that integration happensearly and often, as unintegrated work is not "Done." In scaled Scrum, decomposition choices directly influence whether integration is continuous or deferred, with major implications for risk control.
5. Organizational and Learning Implications
System decomposition also affects learning and adaptability. When teams own complete features rather than isolated components, they gain a better understanding of:
* Customer needs,
* System behavior,
* Trade-offs across the product.
This broader understanding improves decision-making and supports continuous improvement across the system.
1. Risk of Component-Centric Team Structures
When system decomposition drives team structure, organizations often createcomponent or specialist teams aligned to technical layers or functions. In scaled Scrum, this increases:
* Dependencies between teams,
* Coordination overhead,
* Integration risk.
Such structures make it difficult for teams to deliverend-to-end, integrated Incrementseach Sprint, weakening empiricism and delaying feedback.
2. Impact on Value Delivery and Inspection
Scrum relies on frequent inspection ofworking product Increments. If work is decomposed into narrowly defined technical components, individual teams may only deliver partial outputs rather than usable value. This reduces transparency and makes meaningful inspection at the product level harder, especially when multiple teams are involved.
3. Preference for Feature-Oriented Decomposition
Scrum favors decomposing work intovertical, value-oriented slices(features or capabilities) rather than horizontal technical layers. This allows each Scrum Team to be:
* Cross-functional,
* Capable of delivering usable Increments independently,
* Less dependent on other teams.
In scaled projects, feature-oriented decomposition reduces dependencies and improves flow.
4. Effects on Integration and Empiricism
Poor decomposition increases the cost of integration and often leads to late or infrequent integration. Scrum requires that integration happensearly and often, as unintegrated work is not "Done." In scaled Scrum, decomposition choices directly influence whether integration is continuous or deferred, with major implications for risk control.
5. Organizational and Learning Implications
System decomposition also affects learning and adaptability. When teams own complete features rather than isolated components, they gain a better understanding of:
* Customer needs,
* System behavior,
* Trade-offs across the product.
This broader understanding improves decision-making and supports continuous improvement across the system.
