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10 beginner questions on the CSM learning objective areas: Scrum Foundations, Scrum, Scrum Master Core Competencies, and Service to the Scrum Team, Product Owner, and Organization. They use the 2020 Scrum Guide terms: the empirical pillars, Sprint length, the Daily Scrum, the Product Owner and Developers accountabilities, Sprint cancellation, the Sprint Backlog, facilitation, self-management and impediments.
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Scrum is founded on empiricism. Which three pillars support empirical process control according to the Scrum Guide?
- A. Planning, execution and control
- B. Transparency, inspection and adaptation ✔ correct
- C. Commitment, courage, focus and openness
- D. Speed, quality and cost
Answer: B. The three empirical Scrum pillars are transparency, inspection and adaptation. Commitment, focus, openness, respect and courage are the five Scrum values, not the pillars.
Source: scrumguides.org/scrum-guide.html · Domain: Scrum Foundations
A team wants six-week Sprints because its features are large. What does the Scrum Guide say about Sprint length?
- A. Sprints can be any length the team chooses
- B. Sprints are fixed-length events of one month or less ✔ correct
- C. Sprints must always last exactly two weeks
- D. Sprint length should change every Sprint to fit the work
Answer: B. Sprints are fixed-length events of one month or less, which creates consistency. Longer Sprints increase complexity and risk, so teams split large items to deliver value within a Sprint. Two weeks is common but not required.
Source: scrumguides.org/scrum-guide.html · Domain: Scrum Foundations
A manager asks the Developers to use the Daily Scrum to report their status to him. According to the Scrum Guide, who is the Daily Scrum for?
- A. The manager and other stakeholders
- B. The Product Owner, who assigns the day's tasks
- C. The Developers of the Scrum Team ✔ correct
- D. The Scrum Master, who tracks each person's progress
Answer: C. The Daily Scrum is a 15-minute event for the Developers to inspect progress toward the Sprint Goal and adapt the Sprint Backlog. It is not a status meeting; the Product Owner or Scrum Master take part as Developers only if they work on Sprint Backlog items.
Source: scrumguides.org/scrum-guide.html · Domain: Scrum
A company proposes that a committee of three department heads act jointly as the Product Owner. What does the Scrum Guide say?
- A. The Product Owner is one person, not a committee ✔ correct
- B. A committee is fine if it votes on each decision
- C. The Scrum Master should act as Product Owner instead
- D. Each Developer should own part of the Product Backlog
Answer: A. The Product Owner is one person, not a committee. The Product Owner may represent the needs of many stakeholders, and anyone who wants to change the Product Backlog does so by convincing the Product Owner.
Source: scrumguides.org/scrum-guide.html · Domain: Scrum
Only the Product Owner has the authority to cancel a Sprint.
- A. True ✔ correct
- B. False
Answer: A. True. A Sprint could be cancelled if the Sprint Goal becomes obsolete, and only the Product Owner has the authority to cancel it.
Source: scrumguides.org/scrum-guide.html · Domain: Scrum
Besides an actionable plan for delivering the Increment, which two elements make up the Sprint Backlog? (Select TWO)
- A. The Sprint Goal ✔ correct
- B. The Product Backlog items selected for the Sprint ✔ correct
- C. The Definition of Done
- D. The Sprint Retrospective notes
- E. The full stakeholder list
Answer: A, B. The Sprint Backlog is composed of the Sprint Goal (why), the Product Backlog items selected for the Sprint (what) and an actionable plan for delivering the Increment (how). The Definition of Done is the commitment for the Increment.
Source: scrumguides.org/scrum-guide.html · Domain: Scrum Foundations
Sprint Planning keeps running far past its timebox because discussions go in circles. Which Scrum Master service from the Scrum Guide applies most directly?
- A. Helping events stay productive and within the timebox ✔ correct
- B. Writing the Sprint plan for the Developers
- C. Asking the manager to decide on the Sprint scope
- D. Extending the timebox until every topic is fully discussed
Answer: A. The Scrum Master serves the Scrum Team by ensuring that all Scrum events take place and are positive, productive and kept within the timebox, for example by facilitating the discussion. The Developers still create their own plan.
Source: scrumguides.org/scrum-guide.html · Domain: Scrum Master Core Competencies
In a Sprint Retrospective, the team cannot agree on which single improvement to try next. Which Scrum Master action best fits a self-managing team?
- A. Choose the improvement on the team's behalf
- B. Facilitate a group decision, such as dot voting ✔ correct
- C. Ask the Product Owner to pick an improvement
- D. Postpone all improvements until everyone fully agrees
Answer: B. Scrum Teams are self-managing: they decide internally who does what, when and how. The Scrum Master coaches self-management and facilitates, for example with dot voting, instead of making the decision for the team.
Source: scrumguides.org/scrum-guide.html · Domain: Scrum Master Core Competencies
The Developers have waited a week for another department to approve access to a test server, and the delay threatens the Sprint Goal. What is the Scrum Master's role?
- A. Tell the Developers to solve it on their own
- B. Cancel the Sprint immediately and start over
- C. Decide alone to drop the item from the Sprint
- D. Help cause the removal of this impediment ✔ correct
Answer: D. The Scrum Master serves the team by causing the removal of impediments to its progress, often by working with people outside the team. Only the Product Owner can cancel a Sprint, and scope is renegotiated with the Product Owner.
Source: scrumguides.org/scrum-guide.html · Domain: Service to the Scrum Team, Product Owner, and Organization
A new Product Owner struggles to keep the Product Backlog clear and ordered. How can the Scrum Master serve the Product Owner?
- A. Take over ordering the Product Backlog
- B. Help find techniques for managing the backlog ✔ correct
- C. Let the Developers order the backlog by vote
- D. Ask stakeholders to add items straight to the Sprint
Answer: B. The Scrum Master serves the Product Owner by helping find techniques for effective Product Goal definition and Product Backlog management. The Product Owner remains accountable for ordering the Product Backlog.
Source: scrumguides.org/scrum-guide.html · Domain: Service to the Scrum Team, Product Owner, and Organization
Original practice questions written by xOps School (DevOpsSchool Private Limited) from the public Scrum Alliance exam objectives (CSM Learning Objectives (updated January 2022, formatted 2/2024) with Scrum Foundations Learning Objectives; Scrum Guide 2020), checked 2026-10-25. They are not actual exam questions. xOps School is not affiliated with or endorsed by Scrum Alliance; exam names are trademarks of their owners. Official exam page: www.scrumalliance.org/get-certified/scrum-master-track/certified-scrum.