Scrum.org Professional Scrum Developer (PSD)

According to the 2020 Scrum Guide, who is responsible for creating a usable Increment every Sprint?

• AThe Scrum Master
• BThe Product Owner
• CThe Developers
• DThe entire Scrum Team

What is the Definition of Done in Scrum?

• AA checklist of tasks approved by the Product Owner before a Sprint begins
• BA formal description of the state of the Increment when it meets the quality measures req…
• CA list of acceptance criteria defined for each Product Backlog item
• DThe set of conditions that must be met before the Scrum Master signs off on a Sprint

Which Scrum event is the primary opportunity for the Scrum Team to inspect the Increment and adapt the Product Backlog?

• ASprint Planning
• BDaily Scrum
• CSprint Review
• DSprint Retrospective

In Test-Driven Development (TDD), what is the correct sequence of steps?

• AWrite code, write tests, refactor
• BWrite a failing test, write the minimum code to pass the test, refactor
• CWrite all tests upfront, write all production code, deploy
• DRefactor existing code, then write tests to verify the refactoring

What is the primary purpose of Continuous Integration (CI) in a Scrum team context?

• ATo allow each Developer to work in isolation and merge code at the end of the Sprint
• BTo integrate code frequently so that integration problems are detected and resolved quick…
• CTo replace the Sprint Review by automatically demonstrating features to stakeholders
• DTo eliminate the need for a Definition of Done by automating all quality checks

Who creates the Definition of Done when no organizational standard exists?

• AThe Scrum Master
• BThe Product Owner
• CThe Developers
• DExternal auditors or quality assurance managers

Which of the following best describes Acceptance Test-Driven Development (ATDD)?

• AWriting unit tests before writing production code to drive the design
• BCollaborating with stakeholders to define acceptance tests before development begins, the…
• CAutomating regression tests after a feature has been fully implemented
• DHaving the Product Owner manually verify each feature before it is accepted into the Spri…

What distinguishes Behavior-Driven Development (BDD) from TDD?

• ABDD uses the Red-Green-Refactor cycle while TDD does not
• BBDD focuses on describing system behavior in human-readable language that stakeholders ca…
• CBDD is only used for UI testing; TDD is used for backend logic
• DBDD and TDD are identical practices with different names

A Scrum Team has accumulated significant technical debt over multiple Sprints. How should the Developers address this?

• ASchedule a dedicated 'technical debt Sprint' with no feature work
• BRaise technical debt as a risk at the Sprint Review and wait for the Product Owner to pri…
• CIncorporate technical debt reduction into the Definition of Done and address it continuou…
• DAsk the Scrum Master to create a separate backlog for technical debt items

Which branching strategy is most compatible with Continuous Integration practices?

• ALong-lived feature branches that merge to main only when the feature is complete
• BTrunk-based development with short-lived branches or direct commits to the main branch
• CA separate release branch for each Sprint that is maintained indefinitely
• DBranching by team member so each Developer has their own permanent branch

What is the Scrum Team's Sprint Goal?

• AA fixed list of every Product Backlog item the Developers commit to completing in the Spr…
• BThe single objective set for the Sprint that provides focus and flexibility for the Devel…
• CThe Definition of Done applied specifically to the current Sprint's Increment
• DA velocity target that the Developers must reach to satisfy the Product Owner

What is the maximum length of a Sprint according to the 2020 Scrum Guide?

• A2 weeks
• B4 weeks
• C6 weeks
• DThere is no maximum; the team chooses the appropriate length

During Sprint Planning, the Developers select Product Backlog items and create a plan. What is the output of Sprint Planning?

• AA finalized Product Backlog ordered by business value
• BThe Sprint Backlog, consisting of the Sprint Goal, selected Product Backlog items, and th…
• CA release plan approved by the Product Owner
• DUpdated velocity calculations for the team's capacity

What is refactoring in the context of software development?

• ARewriting an entire module or system from scratch to fix design flaws
• BImproving the internal structure of existing code without changing its external behavior
• CAdding new features to existing code to meet changing requirements
• DReverting code changes that introduced defects

A Developer notices that a completed Product Backlog item fails to meet the Definition of Done at Sprint Review time. What should happen?

• AThe item can be presented at the Sprint Review with a note that it is almost done
• BThe item must be returned to the Product Backlog and not included in the Increment
• CThe Scrum Master should waive the Definition of Done for this item since the Sprint is al…
• DThe Product Owner can accept the item with the understanding that technical debt will be…

What does Continuous Delivery (CD) mean in a DevOps context?

• ADeploying code automatically to production on every commit without human approval
• BKeeping the software in a releasable state at all times so it can be deployed to producti…
• CDelivering user stories to the Product Owner for review at the end of every Sprint
• DRunning end-to-end tests only when a release is scheduled

Which type of automated test verifies the interactions between integrated components or services?

• AUnit tests
• BIntegration tests
• CExploratory tests
• DSmoke tests

What is the primary benefit of pair programming for a Scrum Team?

• AIt doubles the output of code since two programmers can write twice as many lines
• BIt reduces overall development cost by half since one programmer can review while the oth…
• CIt improves code quality and knowledge sharing in real time, reducing defects and bus fac…
• DIt replaces the need for code reviews and automated testing

What is emergent architecture in the context of Scrum and agile development?

• AAn architecture designed entirely upfront before any coding begins to guide all Sprint wo…
• BAn architecture that evolves incrementally through team collaboration and continuous refa…
• CAn architecture mandated by an external architecture review board between Sprints
• DA pattern where each Developer independently chooses their own architecture for their mod…

A Scrum Team is struggling to estimate the size of Product Backlog items consistently. Which estimation approach is most commonly used in Scrum?

• APrecise hour estimates provided by the project manager
• BRelative sizing using story points or similar relative units
• CFixed time-boxes of exactly one day per story
• DMonte Carlo simulations run by the Scrum Master before each Sprint

Which practice best helps a Scrum Team maintain a sustainable pace over time?

• AMaximizing velocity each Sprint by removing all non-feature work
• BWorking overtime during critical Sprints to meet deadlines, then recovering with lighter…
• CMaintaining a consistent, sustainable pace that includes time for refactoring, testing, a…
• DAllowing the Product Owner to increase the Sprint scope when the team finishes early

What does a deployment pipeline automate?

• AThe assignment of Product Backlog items to Developers during Sprint Planning
• BThe steps required to take code from version control to a releasable or deployed state, i…
• CThe creation of Sprint Reports sent to stakeholders after the Sprint Review
• DThe management of work in progress limits across the team

From the Developer's perspective, what is the most important characteristic of a well-refined Product Backlog item?

• AIt has a precise hour estimate assigned by the Developer who will implement it
• BIt is small enough to complete in one day
• CIt is clear, well-understood, and small enough that the Developers can confidently plan a…
• DIt has been approved by the architecture review board before entering the Sprint Backlog

What is the role of unit tests in a TDD-driven development workflow?

• ATo validate the entire system end-to-end after all features are built
• BTo provide fast, isolated feedback on the correctness of individual functions or methods
• CTo replace the need for integration testing
• DTo be written by a separate QA team after developers complete the code

Which statement best describes mob programming?

• AAn unstructured coding session where multiple Developers write code simultaneously on sep…
• BA practice where the whole team works together on the same thing, at the same time, in th…
• CA code review meeting where the team reviews each other's individual work
• DA Sprint event replacing the Daily Scrum when the team is colocated

During the Daily Scrum, a Developer reports that they are blocked by an unresolved dependency on another team. What should happen?

• AThe Scrum Master should immediately resolve the dependency during the Daily Scrum
• BThe Developers should note the impediment and have the appropriate people address it afte…
• CThe Sprint should be cancelled since the impediment blocks the Sprint Goal
• DThe Product Owner should remove the blocked item from the Sprint Backlog

What is the relationship between technical debt and the Definition of Done?

• ATechnical debt and the Definition of Done are unrelated concepts
• BTechnical debt accumulates when the team skips or bypasses elements of the Definition of…
• CThe Definition of Done is created by the Scrum Master to quantify existing technical debt
• DTechnical debt must be fully eliminated before the Definition of Done can be created

What is the test automation pyramid and how should tests be distributed across its layers?

• AMost tests should be end-to-end (UI) tests because they give the most confidence in the f…
• BMost tests should be unit tests (fast and cheap), fewer integration tests, and the fewest…
• CTests should be equally distributed across unit, integration, and end-to-end layers
• DOnly end-to-end tests are needed because they cover all layers simultaneously

A Scrum Team wants to improve deployment frequency from once per Sprint to multiple times per Sprint. What prerequisite engineering practices are most critical?

• ALarger Sprint backlogs and more overtime
• BA fully automated CI/CD pipeline with comprehensive automated test coverage
• CManual approval gates from the Product Owner before every deployment
• DLonger Sprints to allow more time for testing before each release

Which statement about the Sprint Backlog is correct according to the 2020 Scrum Guide?

• AThe Sprint Backlog is owned by the Product Owner and can be changed by them during the Sp…
• BThe Sprint Backlog is a plan by and for the Developers, updated throughout the Sprint as…
• CThe Sprint Backlog is a fixed contract that cannot change once Sprint Planning is complete
• DThe Sprint Backlog must include hour-level estimates for every task

What is intentional architecture in Scrum teams, and how does it differ from emergent architecture?

• AIntentional architecture is planned by external architects; emergent architecture is plan…
• BIntentional architecture is the deliberate, proactive technical decisions made to address…
• CIntentional architecture applies only to database design; emergent architecture applies t…
• DThey are synonyms for the same concept

A team discovers late in the Sprint that a feature requires significantly more work than estimated. What is the correct Scrum response?

• ACancel the Sprint and start a new Sprint Planning meeting
• BThe Developers collaborate with the Product Owner to determine what can be done within th…
• CThe Scrum Master increases the Sprint length to accommodate the additional work
• DThe Product Owner adds more Developers to the Sprint to compensate for the underestimate

Which practice most directly supports collective code ownership?

• AAssigning each module or component to a single Developer who is its permanent owner
• BPair and mob programming, shared coding standards, and ensuring all Developers can work o…
• CRequiring all code changes to be approved by a lead Developer before merging
• DCreating separate branches for each Developer that are merged only at Sprint end

What is exploratory testing and when is it most valuable on a Scrum Team?

• ARunning the same automated test scripts repeatedly to confirm stability
• BA scripted manual test process that follows a predetermined test plan step by step
• CSimultaneous learning, test design, and test execution where testers use skill and intuit…
• DPerformance testing conducted by an external load testing team

The Developers are having difficulty meeting the Definition of Done every Sprint. What is the most appropriate action?

• ALower the Definition of Done to a level the team can consistently meet
• BAdd more Developers to the Scrum Team immediately
• CUse the Sprint Retrospective to identify root causes and improve practices to meet the ex…
• DAsk the Scrum Master to waive the Definition of Done for struggling Sprints

What is the Scrum Guide's stance on how the Developers should organize their work within a Sprint?

• AThe Scrum Master assigns tasks to individual Developers at Sprint Planning
• BThe Product Owner decides who works on which Sprint Backlog items
• CThe Developers self-organize and decide how to accomplish the Sprint work
• DAn external project manager tracks individual Developer assignments

Why is it important for Developers to maintain a potentially releasable Increment at the end of each Sprint?

• ABecause the Product Owner must deploy the Increment to production at the end of every Spr…
• BTo ensure the Scrum Team can demonstrate working software and gather real stakeholder fee…
• CBecause the Scrum Guide requires every Increment to be released to end users
• DTo satisfy contractual obligations to external customers

Which of the following is an anti-pattern that increases technical debt?

• AWriting unit tests before writing production code
• BRefactoring after every feature to keep the codebase clean
• CDeferring code review and test writing to the end of the Sprint or to a 'hardening Sprint'
• DAutomating the deployment pipeline to enable frequent releases

How should a Scrum Team handle dependencies between Product Backlog items that span multiple Sprints?

• AAdd all dependent items to the same Sprint regardless of team capacity
• BIdentify and manage dependencies during Product Backlog Refinement and Sprint Planning to…
• CAssign dependent items to different teams to parallelize the work
• DIgnore dependencies until they surface as impediments during the Sprint

What is the key difference between system testing and integration testing?

• ASystem testing is automated; integration testing is always manual
• BIntegration testing verifies interactions between components; system testing validates th…
• CSystem testing is cheaper and faster than integration testing
• DThere is no meaningful difference; the terms are interchangeable

In a Scrum Team, who is responsible for managing technical debt in the Product Backlog?

• AThe Scrum Master adds all technical debt items to the Product Backlog
• BThe Developers identify technical debt, and the Product Owner decides how to prioritize i…
• CAn external architect creates a separate technical debt register managed outside Scrum
• DTechnical debt is never represented in the Product Backlog

Which best describes the concept of 'built-in quality' as applied by Scrum Developers?

• AScheduling quality checks for the last week of each Sprint
• BDelegating quality to a dedicated QA team who tests after Developers finish coding
• CEmbedding quality practices — such as TDD, code review, refactoring, and CI — into every…
• DRequiring management sign-off on all code before it is integrated

What is the primary purpose of the Sprint Retrospective from the Developers' perspective?

• ATo report Sprint metrics to stakeholders
• BTo plan the next Sprint's backlog items
• CTo inspect the team's processes, relationships, and tools and create actionable improveme…
• DTo review the product Increment with the Product Owner

How does a Scrum Team balance delivering new features against reducing existing technical debt?

• AFeature work always takes priority; technical debt is addressed only after all features a…
• BTechnical debt work always takes priority over features to maintain code quality
• CThe Product Owner, informed by the Developers' technical perspective, orders the Product…
• DThe Scrum Master makes the final decision on the ratio of feature to debt work each Sprint

What role do Developers play in Product Backlog Refinement?

• ADevelopers are not involved in refinement; the Product Owner refines the backlog independ…
• BDevelopers attend refinement to estimate all items and then leave the backlog management…
• CDevelopers collaborate with the Product Owner to add detail, estimates, and order to Prod…
• DDevelopers decide which items to add to the Product Backlog during refinement

What is the primary risk of using long-lived feature branches in a Continuous Integration environment?

• AThey prevent the team from using automated testing
• BThey create large, painful merge conflicts and delay integration feedback, increasing the…
• CThey make it impossible to use version control
• DThey require the team to hold additional Scrum events