Scrum.org Professional Scrum Master II (PSM II)

A Scrum Master notices the Scrum Team has been delivering Increments every Sprint but stakeholders are still dissatisfied with overall product direction. What is the most appropriate action for the Scrum Master?

• AAdd more features to the Sprint Backlog to increase output velocity
• BCoach the Product Owner on effective stakeholder engagement and ensuring the Product Goal…
• CEscalate the stakeholder dissatisfaction to senior management
• DAsk Developers to spend more time on Sprint Reviews to showcase work better

During a Sprint Retrospective, the Scrum Team identifies that their Definition of Done (DoD) is too weak and Increments regularly require rework after release. As Scrum Master, what is your primary coaching focus?

• AHelp the team expand the DoD to include previously excluded quality criteria and commit t…
• BInform the Product Owner that the team needs more time per Sprint
• CPropose hiring additional QA testers to catch defects after the Sprint
• DSuggest reducing Sprint length so quality issues surface more frequently

A senior executive frequently attends Daily Scrums and begins directing Developers on task priorities. What should the Scrum Master do?

• AAllow it — executives have authority over the team's work
• BAsk the executive to only observe and raise concerns in the Sprint Review instead
• CEducate the executive on Scrum accountabilities and the self-managing nature of Developer…
• DHave the Product Owner speak with the executive on the Scrum Master's behalf

What is the primary difference between coaching and mentoring as Scrum Master leadership stances?

• ACoaching gives answers; mentoring asks questions to develop self-discovery
• BMentoring gives advice from experience; coaching facilitates the coachee's own thinking a…
• CCoaching is for teams; mentoring is for individuals only
• DMentoring is used only for technical skills; coaching is for interpersonal skills

The Product Owner tells the Scrum Master they feel overwhelmed managing stakeholder expectations while also maintaining the Product Backlog. What is the most appropriate Scrum Master response?

• ATake over Product Backlog refinement to reduce the PO's workload
• BCoach the Product Owner on techniques for stakeholder mapping, expectation management, an…
• CSuggest the organization hire a separate stakeholder manager
• DAsk the Scrum Team to slow down delivery to reduce stakeholder pressure

A Scrum Team has been in place for eight months. Developers have stopped raising impediments because previous attempts were ignored by the Scrum Master. What is the most important first action?

• ACreate a formal impediment-tracking spreadsheet for visibility
• BAcknowledge the breakdown in trust, commit to impediment removal with specific timelines,…
• CTell the team to raise impediments in the Sprint Retrospective only
• DAsk management to resolve all impediments directly

According to the Scrum Guide 2020, who is accountable for creating the Sprint Goal?

• AThe Product Owner alone, as they maximize product value
• BThe Scrum Master, as they facilitate Sprint Planning
• CThe entire Scrum Team collaboratively during Sprint Planning
• DThe Developers, since they select Sprint Backlog items

An organization is adopting Scrum but middle managers insist on receiving weekly status reports from Developers directly. How should the Scrum Master address this?

• AHave Developers submit status reports to avoid conflict with management
• BEducate managers on how Scrum artifacts provide transparency and invite them to Sprint Re…
• CAsk the Product Owner to compile and submit the reports on the team's behalf
• DCreate a separate reporting process outside of Scrum to satisfy management

A Scrum Master is facilitating Sprint Planning, and the Developers are significantly undercommitting due to fear of not finishing. What facilitation technique best addresses this?

• ASet a minimum velocity requirement and enforce it during planning
• BFacilitate a conversation about the Sprint Goal and help the team focus on delivering val…
• CHave the Product Owner assign Sprint Backlog items to ensure commitments are met
• DExtend Sprint Planning until the team commits to more items

What does Evidence-Based Management (EBM) primarily help a Scrum Team and organization measure?

• AThe number of story points delivered per Sprint
• BThe current value delivered, ability to innovate, time-to-market, and organizational agil…
• CIndividual Developer performance and productivity
• DThe accuracy of Sprint velocity forecasts

A Scrum Master observes that the Scrum Team frequently skips Sprint Retrospectives citing time pressure. What is the most critical risk this creates?

• AThe team misses a chance to celebrate Sprint successes
• BThe team loses its formal opportunity to inspect and adapt its processes, degrading conti…
• CThe Scrum Master has less visibility into team morale
• DStakeholders lose a touchpoint with the team

The Scrum Master's primary goal when facilitating Sprint Retrospectives is best described as:

• AIdentifying team members who caused problems in the Sprint
• BCreating a safe environment where the team can openly inspect and generate actionable imp…
• CDocumenting process adherence for management reporting
• DEnsuring the team commits to resolving every identified issue within the next Sprint

In a large organization, multiple Scrum Teams work on the same product. Who owns the overall Product Backlog?

• AEach Scrum Team owns a separate portion of the Product Backlog
• BOne Product Owner owns one Product Backlog for the entire product, regardless of the numb…
• CThe Scrum Masters collectively manage the Product Backlog
• DA Product Backlog Committee formed from all Product Owners manages it

A Scrum Master is asked by HR to evaluate individual Developer performance for annual reviews. What is the most appropriate response?

• AComply — the Scrum Master is the team's manager and best positioned to evaluate individua…
• BDecline, explaining that the Scrum Master does not manage individuals and that performanc…
• CComplete the evaluations to avoid organizational conflict
• DAsk the Product Owner to complete the evaluations instead

What is a key characteristic of a truly self-managing Scrum Team according to the Scrum Guide 2020?

• AThey report progress to a project manager who adjusts their work accordingly
• BThey choose how best to accomplish their work, without being directed by others outside t…
• CEach Developer works independently without needing to coordinate with teammates
• DThey self-assign story points without Product Owner involvement

A Scrum Team consistently meets their Sprint Goals but rarely improves their practices. What should the Scrum Master prioritize?

• ANothing — consistently meeting Sprint Goals indicates the team is performing well
• BCoach the team to treat the Retrospective as a genuine improvement engine, not a complian…
• CAdd more items to each Sprint to challenge the team further
• DEscalate to management that the team has plateaued

The Scrum Master observes that the Product Owner frequently changes Sprint Backlog items during the Sprint, causing the Developers to lose focus. What should the Scrum Master do?

• AAccept it — the Product Owner controls all Backlog decisions
• BShield the Developers from changes and educate the PO that the Sprint Backlog belongs to…
• CCreate a Sprint change request process for the Product Owner to follow
• DAsk Developers to accommodate all PO requests to maintain a good relationship

Which of the following best describes the Scrum Master's role during Sprint execution?

• AAssign tasks to Developers based on their skill sets
• BMonitor progress against the Sprint plan and report deviations to management
• CRemove impediments, facilitate events, coach on Scrum, and support the team's self-manage…
• DEnsure all Sprint Backlog items are completed by the Sprint end

A Scrum Team's velocity has been declining for three Sprints. Management asks the Scrum Master for a root cause analysis and corrective action plan with dates. What is the best approach?

• AProvide the plan as requested to maintain management confidence
• BExplain that velocity is not the primary value measure, facilitate the team in conducting…
• CAsk Developers to increase their pace to restore previous velocity
• DExtend Sprint length to allow more time for completion

During Sprint Planning, Developers realize a Product Backlog item is unclear and cannot be estimated. What should happen?

• ADevelopers estimate it as 'infinity' and include it anyway
• BThe Product Owner is asked to clarify the item during Sprint Planning; if it remains uncl…
• CThe Scrum Master decomposes the item and assigns it to a Developer
• DDevelopers include it in the Sprint and figure out the details during execution

Organizational impediments that a Scrum Master cannot resolve alone should be:

• ADocumented and accepted as permanent constraints
• BEscalated transparently to those with authority to remove them, while the Scrum Master co…
• CWorked around silently to protect the team from frustration
• DAddressed by the Product Owner using stakeholder relationships

According to empirical process control, what does 'Adaptation' mean in Scrum?

• AChanging the Scrum framework rules when the team disagrees with them
• BAdjusting the process, product, or practices when Inspection reveals that deviation has o…
• CAdapting the Sprint Goal mid-Sprint based on new stakeholder requests
• DModifying the Definition of Done after each Sprint Review

A Scrum Team is building a complex product with high technical uncertainty. Developers frequently find mid-Sprint that selected backlog items take much longer than expected. What is the best systemic fix?

• ASwitch to Kanban, which has no Sprint commitments
• BInvest in better Product Backlog refinement, including spikes and technical research to r…
• CExtend Sprint length to two months to allow more time for complex items
• DAsk the Product Owner to reduce the acceptance criteria to make items smaller

What is the Scrum Master's primary stance when a new Scrum Team is just forming and has little Scrum knowledge?

• ACoaching — asking powerful questions to let the team self-discover everything
• BTeaching — actively instructing and explaining Scrum theory, events, artifacts, and accou…
• CFacilitating — running events without explanation
• DConsulting — providing a detailed Scrum implementation roadmap upfront

A Scrum Team has three members who have deep expertise in one technical area but no knowledge in others, causing bottlenecks when work requires the missing skills. How should the Scrum Master address this?

• AHire specialists for each bottleneck area
• BCoach the team toward cross-functionality by encouraging T-shaped skill development and c…
• CSplit the team into sub-teams based on specialization
• DAssign bottleneck items only to the Sprints when specialists are available

What distinguishes a 'servant leader' from a traditional manager in the context of Scrum?

• AServant leaders make all final decisions for the team to reduce ambiguity
• BServant leaders put the team's needs first, enabling the team to perform at their best ra…
• CServant leaders report team performance to senior stakeholders
• DServant leaders assign work and track completion to ensure accountability

A Product Owner consistently skips Sprint Reviews. What is the risk, and what should the Scrum Master do?

• ANo significant risk — Developers can present the Increment without the PO
• BSprint Reviews lose their inspect-and-adapt purpose; the Scrum Master should coach the PO…
• CThe Scrum Master should cancel the Sprint Review when the PO is absent
• DDevelopers should send a written report to the PO instead of holding the event

When multiple Scrum Teams work on the same product, how is integration of their work best handled?

• AEach team delivers a separate Increment and integration happens in a hardening Sprint at…
• BA dedicated integration team handles merging all Increments at the end of each Sprint
• CTeams coordinate continuously and produce one integrated Increment each Sprint that meets…
• DThe Scrum Master of each team approves the other teams' work before it is integrated

An experienced Scrum Master notices a pattern where Developers avoid discussing problems in Daily Scrums, preferring to talk to the Scrum Master privately afterward. What does this indicate?

• AThe Daily Scrum format is working correctly — private discussions are healthy
• BPsychological safety within the team is low; Developers don't feel safe surfacing problem…
• CThe Scrum Master is too involved and should step back from Daily Scrums
• DThe Sprint Goal is too ambitious, causing team stress

The Scrum Guide states that the Scrum Master is accountable for the Scrum Team's effectiveness. How is this accountability best fulfilled?

• ABy ensuring every Sprint Backlog item is completed on time
• BBy enabling the Scrum Team to improve its practices within the Scrum framework and removi…
• CBy setting quarterly OKRs for the team and tracking achievement
• DBy approving the Definition of Done and all Sprint Goal commitments

A Scrum Master is working with a Product Owner who insists that every feature must be added to the current Sprint, calling everything 'critical.' What coaching approach is most appropriate?

• AAccept all items as critical — the PO has authority over the Product Backlog
• BCoach the Product Owner on Product Backlog ordering, opportunity cost, and techniques for…
• CAsk the Developers to work overtime to accommodate all critical items
• DEscalate to management that the PO is overloading the team

What does 'Lean thinking' contribute to Scrum, as referenced in the Scrum Guide 2020?

• AIt provides a framework for Six Sigma quality control in Scrum processes
• BIt reduces waste and focuses on essentials, complementing Scrum's empirical approach to c…
• CIt replaces empiricism with a structured production optimization system
• DIt mandates a Kanban board alongside the Sprint Backlog

How should a Scrum Master approach a situation where two senior Developers have a persistent interpersonal conflict that is damaging team collaboration?

• AAvoid involvement — interpersonal conflict is HR's responsibility
• BFacilitate a structured conversation between the parties, coach them on constructive conf…
• CAsk the Product Owner to reassign work to separate the conflicting parties
• DReport the conflict to senior management for resolution

A Scrum Team is pressured by management to commit to a fixed scope and fixed date release. How should the Scrum Master respond?

• AHelp management understand that in complex work, scope, schedule, and quality cannot all…
• BNegotiate with management to fix two of the three constraints
• CTell the team to comply with management's requirements
• DCreate a project plan that satisfies the management constraint

Which Scrum event is explicitly intended to inspect progress toward the Product Goal?

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

An organization undergoing a Scrum transformation faces strong resistance from middle managers who fear losing control. What is the most effective long-term approach for the Scrum Master?

• ABypass the managers and work directly with Developers
• BEngage managers as Scrum allies by helping them understand new value-creation roles — suc…
• CReduce manager involvement by restructuring the organization immediately
• DEscalate resistance to the C-suite and request mandate-driven compliance

According to the Scrum Guide 2020, what is the primary purpose of the Daily Scrum?

• ATo report status to the Scrum Master and Product Owner
• BTo inspect progress toward the Sprint Goal and adapt the Sprint Backlog as necessary
• CTo identify and assign tasks for the next 24 hours
• DTo surface impediments for the Scrum Master to resolve