Try 10 focused PSM I questions on Scrum Team and Accountabilities, with answers and explanations, then continue with PM Mastery.
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Exam route | PSM I |
| Topic area | Scrum Team and Accountabilities |
| Blueprint weight | 25% |
| Page purpose | Focused sample questions before returning to mixed practice |
Use this page to isolate Scrum Team and Accountabilities for PSM I. Work through the 10 questions first, then review the explanations and return to mixed practice in PM Mastery.
| Pass | What to do | What to record |
|---|---|---|
| First attempt | Answer without checking the explanation first. | The fact, rule, calculation, or judgment point that controlled your answer. |
| Review | Read the explanation even when you were correct. | Why the best answer is stronger than the closest distractor. |
| Repair | Repeat only missed or uncertain items after a short break. | The pattern behind misses, not the answer letter. |
| Transfer | Return to mixed practice once the topic feels stable. | Whether the same skill holds up when the topic is no longer obvious. |
Blueprint context: 25% of the practice outline. A focused topic score can overstate readiness if you recognize the pattern too quickly, so use it as repair work before timed mixed sets.
These questions are original PM Mastery practice items aligned to this topic area. They are designed for self-assessment and are not official exam questions.
Topic: Scrum Team and Accountabilities
You are the Scrum Master. It is day 6 of a 10-day Sprint.
Exhibit: Sprint Backlog (excerpt)
Sprint Goal: Customers can update billing address in-app.
Selected work:
- PBI-221 Update address UI
- PBI-228 Address validation service
- PBI-233 Audit log entry
New stakeholder request (email): "Also add credit-card update this Sprint."
What is the best next action to involve the stakeholder so feedback is useful and the Sprint is not derailed?
Best answer: A
What this tests: Scrum Team and Accountabilities
Explanation: Stakeholders are engaged to inspect the Increment and provide feedback, typically at the Sprint Review, without directly re-directing Developers during the Sprint. The Product Owner is accountable for capturing and ordering this feedback in the Product Backlog. This keeps the Scrum Team focused on the Sprint Goal while still using stakeholder input to maximize value.
To get useful stakeholder feedback without derailing a Sprint, involve stakeholders at the right time and through the right accountability. The Sprint Goal creates focus for the Sprint, and stakeholders do not change the Sprint Backlog directly. When new requests arrive mid-Sprint, the Product Owner should capture them as Product Backlog items and use stakeholder input to order them for future work.
In this case, the request is outside the stated Sprint Goal (billing address updates). The most effective approach is to:
This uses inspection and adaptation while protecting Sprint focus.
Stakeholder feedback should be captured by the Product Owner and used to adapt the Product Backlog, while Developers stay focused on the current Sprint Goal.
Topic: Scrum Team and Accountabilities
Midway through a Sprint, several stakeholders ask the Scrum Team for “quick demos whenever a feature is finished” so they can give immediate feedback. The Developers are worried this will disrupt their work and jeopardize the Sprint Goal.
As Scrum Master, what is the best question to ask FIRST before deciding how to involve the stakeholders?
Best answer: B
What this tests: Scrum Team and Accountabilities
Explanation: Useful stakeholder involvement starts by clarifying what feedback is needed and why, and whether its timing helps the Sprint Goal. With that information, the Scrum Team can choose an appropriate way to collaborate (often via the Sprint Review, or targeted touchpoints when truly necessary) without creating ad-hoc interruptions that reduce focus.
To involve stakeholders without derailing the Sprint, first make the need for feedback transparent: what are stakeholders trying to learn, decide, or change, and when would that input still be useful for achieving the Sprint Goal? In Scrum, the Sprint Goal provides focus, and stakeholder collaboration is typically centered on the Sprint Review where the Increment is inspected and future adaptation is discussed. If earlier input is genuinely needed, the Scrum Team can still collaborate, but it should be intentional and aligned to the Sprint Goal rather than “whenever something is finished,” which risks constant context switching. The key is to understand the feedback purpose and urgency before selecting a collaboration approach.
Clarifying the stakeholders’ purpose and timing first enables a feedback approach that adds value without undermining the Sprint Goal.
Topic: Scrum Team and Accountabilities
A Scrum Team is 7 days into a 10-day Sprint. The Sprint Goal is “Users can reset their password.” A stakeholder needs an update by tomorrow to decide whether to announce the feature.
Two Product Backlog items are currently “in progress,” and one item meets the Definition of Done and is potentially releasable. The stakeholder asks, “Are we 80% done and will you definitely deliver the whole feature by Friday?”
What is the BEST next action?
Best answer: B
What this tests: Scrum Team and Accountabilities
Explanation: In Scrum, the most credible progress indicator is a Done Increment that meets the Definition of Done. The Scrum Team should use that evidence to explain what is actually complete and provide an updated forecast based on what remains, instead of offering percent-complete or guarantees.
Scrum relies on empiricism, so progress is best communicated with transparent evidence that can be inspected. In this scenario, only work that meets the Definition of Done is “done,” so the potentially releasable Increment is the clearest progress signal. The Scrum Team (often via the Product Owner) can then explain what is complete, what is not, and provide a forecast based on the remaining Sprint Backlog work and current learning.
A practical response is:
Percent-complete and activity metrics (hours, tasks started) are not reliable evidence of value delivered.
Progress should be communicated using the current Done Increment and a transparent, evidence-based forecast rather than percent-complete promises.
Topic: Scrum Team and Accountabilities
Midway through a 2-week Sprint, a stakeholder asks the Product Owner to “drop what you’re doing and build this new feature instead” because it is urgent. The Developers are currently working toward a Sprint Goal, but you do not yet know whether the request supports or undermines that goal.
As the Product Owner, what is the FIRST thing you should verify before deciding how to respond?
Best answer: B
What this tests: Scrum Team and Accountabilities
Explanation: A mid-Sprint priority change should be evaluated against the Sprint Goal first, because the Sprint Goal is the commitment for the Sprint. If the new request would make the Sprint Goal obsolete, that drives the next decision (for example, cancellation) or a negotiation with the Developers. Capacity, ROI detail, or Scrum Master approval are secondary to that determination.
When a stakeholder requests a change in priorities mid-Sprint, the key piece of information to inspect first is the Sprint Goal and whether it still makes sense. The Sprint Goal provides coherence and is the commitment for the Sprint Backlog; changes during the Sprint are possible, but they should not endanger the Sprint Goal. If the request makes the Sprint Goal obsolete, the Product Owner may cancel the Sprint. If the Sprint Goal still stands, the Product Owner can discuss options with the Developers, who adapt the Sprint Backlog as needed to meet the Sprint Goal.
The takeaway is to anchor the decision on the Sprint Goal before debating scope, capacity, or stakeholder preferences.
The Sprint Goal is the Sprint commitment; if it becomes obsolete, the Product Owner can cancel the Sprint or renegotiate scope with the Developers.
Topic: Scrum Team and Accountabilities
A department head tells the Scrum Master: “We’re adopting Scrum, but we must keep our weekly status meeting and add a separate QA sign-off before anything can be released.” The Scrum Team is new to Scrum and is unsure how to respond.
What is the most Scrum-aligned action for the Scrum Master to take to establish Scrum as defined in the Scrum Guide?
Best answer: B
What this tests: Scrum Team and Accountabilities
Explanation: The Scrum Master is accountable for establishing Scrum by ensuring that everyone understands Scrum theory and practice as described in the Scrum Guide. In this scenario, the key issue is organizational constraints that redefine Scrum events and the Increment flow. The Scrum Master should coach and collaborate with leaders and the Scrum Team to align ways of working with Scrum and remove or rework impediments to Scrum’s effectiveness.
The Scrum Master’s accountability includes establishing Scrum as defined in the Scrum Guide by helping everyone understand Scrum theory and practice, both within the Scrum Team and across the organization. Here, the decisive factor is a leader attempting to impose controls that replace or distort Scrum’s intended inspection and adaptation (for example, status reporting instead of a Sprint Review) and the flow to a usable Increment (for example, external sign-off gates).
A Scrum-aligned response is to coach the department head, stakeholders, and the Scrum Team on what Scrum requires and why, and then work with them to change the surrounding system so Scrum can function effectively. This is collaboration and coaching, not delegating “Scrum design” to the Product Owner or Developers, and not complying with constraints that undermine Scrum’s transparency and empiricism.
The key takeaway is that establishing Scrum is the Scrum Master’s accountability, especially when organizational impediments appear.
The Scrum Master is accountable for establishing Scrum by helping the organization and Scrum Team understand and apply Scrum as defined in the Scrum Guide.
Topic: Scrum Team and Accountabilities
A Scrum Team has 5 Developers: four are “developers” and one is a “tester.” During the Sprint, each Product Backlog Item is coded first and then handed to the tester. Near the end of most Sprints, a queue of “ready for test” work builds up, and several items miss the Definition of Done.
Which action is the best Scrum-aligned response to improve cross-functionality?
Best answer: D
What this tests: Scrum Team and Accountabilities
Explanation: The bottleneck is caused by specialization creating handoffs that delay work from reaching Done. In Scrum, Developers are accountable for creating a Done Increment each Sprint and can adapt how they work to collaborate across skills. Swarming/pairing and shared ownership reduce queues and improve flow to Done.
This is a cross-functionality problem: work is organized around specialist roles, creating handoffs and a late-Sprint testing queue that prevents Product Backlog Items from meeting the Definition of Done. In Scrum, Developers self-manage and are collectively accountable for creating a Done Increment, so they should adapt their working approach to reduce dependencies on a single specialist.
Practical Scrum-aligned actions include:
The key takeaway is to change how the Developers work together, not to add phases or managerial assignment to “optimize” a handoff.
The Developers can self-manage their work to collaborate across skills so each item meets the Definition of Done without waiting on a specialist.
Topic: Scrum Team and Accountabilities
A Scrum Team’s stakeholders complain they only hear about progress through status reports and are surprised by what is delivered at the end of a Sprint. The Scrum Team decides to start holding a session at the end of each Sprint where they show the current Increment, discuss what changed in the market, and collaboratively adjust what to do next.
Which Scrum concept best matches this session?
Best answer: A
What this tests: Scrum Team and Accountabilities
Explanation: This session is the Sprint Review because it is explicitly designed to collaborate with stakeholders to inspect the Increment and discuss what to do next. By reviewing the current state of the product and current conditions, the Scrum Team and stakeholders can adapt the Product Backlog to maximize value. This reduces surprises by making progress and direction transparent each Sprint.
The Sprint Review is the Scrum event that supports collaboration with stakeholders at least once every Sprint. Its purpose is to inspect the outcome of the Sprint (the Increment) and determine future adaptations. In the described session, the Scrum Team demonstrates the Increment, invites stakeholder feedback, and discusses changes in market conditions so that everyone can align on what is most valuable next.
Typical Sprint Review outcomes include:
Unlike status reporting, the Sprint Review is a working session focused on inspecting real progress and adapting plans collaboratively.
It inspects the Increment with stakeholders and adapts the Product Backlog based on collaboration and feedback.
Topic: Scrum Team and Accountabilities
Midway through a product release, stakeholders complain they only receive a slide deck after each Sprint and feel surprised by changes in direction. The Scrum Team has been using the Sprint Review mainly as a status presentation with little discussion.
What is the best next step to improve collaboration with stakeholders using the Sprint Review?
Best answer: A
What this tests: Scrum Team and Accountabilities
Explanation: The Sprint Review is a working session to collaborate with stakeholders, inspect what was achieved, and adapt the Product Backlog accordingly. Shifting from one-way status reporting to active discussion around the Increment and what to do next increases transparency and enables timely inspection and adaptation.
The Sprint Review supports collaboration with stakeholders by creating a regular opportunity to inspect the Increment together and use what is learned to adapt the Product Backlog. In the scenario, stakeholders are surprised and disengaged because they receive information after the fact and are not involved in the inspection and adaptation that should happen during the Review.
A better next step is to run the Sprint Review as an interactive session where the Scrum Team and stakeholders:
This keeps decision-making transparent and reduces late surprises compared with status-only reporting or adding separate governance steps.
The Sprint Review is for collaborating with stakeholders to inspect outcomes and adapt the Product Backlog based on feedback and current conditions.
Topic: Scrum Team and Accountabilities
A stakeholder asks the Scrum Master for a “progress update” halfway through the Sprint. Use the exhibit to choose the best way to communicate progress using evidence.
Exhibit: Sprint Backlog excerpt
Sprint day: 7 of 10
Sprint Goal: Enable password reset by email
Items (only "Done" meets the Definition of Done):
- PBI-101 Reset screen UI — Done
- PBI-102 Token generation API — In Progress
- PBI-103 Send reset email — To Do
Increment note: Only PBI-101 is currently releasable
What is the best response?
Best answer: B
What this tests: Scrum Team and Accountabilities
Explanation: In Scrum, progress is best communicated with inspectable evidence: a Done Increment and the current state of the Sprint Goal and Sprint Backlog. The exhibit shows only one Product Backlog item is Done and releasable; everything else is still in progress or not started. Communicating from the Increment avoids promises and activity metrics that can’t be reliably inspected.
Empiricism requires transparency and inspection based on what is actually Done. The exhibit states that only items in “Done” meet the Definition of Done and that only PBI-101 is currently releasable, so it is the clearest evidence of progress. The rest of the Sprint Backlog represents the Developers’ plan to achieve the Sprint Goal and can change as new learning occurs.
A good progress update to stakeholders is grounded in:
This keeps the conversation focused on outcomes and usable product rather than effort spent or optimistic commitments.
Only work meeting the Definition of Done is evidence of progress; the rest is still a plan.
Topic: Scrum Team and Accountabilities
An organization is adopting Scrum, but leadership still expects detailed upfront plans and a stage-gate approval before any release. A Scrum Master proposes running short Scrum training for managers, coaching leaders on empiricism, and working with the PMO to change policies that enforce stage-gates.
Which Scrum concept best matches what the Scrum Master is doing?
Best answer: C
What this tests: Scrum Team and Accountabilities
Explanation: The described actions focus on enabling Scrum beyond the Scrum Team by changing policies and building understanding through training and coaching. This is part of the Scrum Master’s accountability to lead, train, and coach the organization in its Scrum adoption and empiricism. The goal is to create an environment where Scrum’s roles, events, and artifacts can be used effectively.
In Scrum, the Scrum Master is accountable for the Scrum Team’s effectiveness and also for helping the organization adopt Scrum. That includes leading, training, and coaching people outside the Scrum Team and working to change organizational policies or practices that undermine empiricism and self-management.
Here, the Scrum Master is addressing systemic constraints (stage-gates, command-and-control expectations) by enabling actions such as training, coaching leadership, and influencing policy changes. This supports transparency, inspection, and adaptation across the organization so Scrum can be applied as intended.
This differs from product value ownership (Product Owner) and from event-specific team improvements (like the Sprint Retrospective).
The Scrum Master is accountable for training, coaching, and leading the organization’s Scrum adoption to enable Scrum to work.
Use the PSM I Practice Test page for the full PM Mastery route, mixed-topic practice, timed mock exams, explanations, and web/mobile app access.
Read the PSM I guide on PMExams.com, then return to PM Mastery for timed practice.