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Free Practice Questions for PSM II

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Key Facts: PSM II Exam

85%

Passing Score

Scrum.org

30 Qs

Exam Questions

90 minutes

$250

Exam Fee

Per attempt

Lifetime

Validity

No renewal needed

5

Competency Areas

Scrum.org PSM II page

PSM II is a 90-minute, 30-question online assessment from Scrum.org that requires 85% to pass ($250 per attempt; partial credit on some questions). Scrum.org draws questions from five Professional Scrum Competencies: applying the Scrum framework (empiricism, values, Scrum Team, events, artifacts, Done), developing people and teams (self-management, facilitation, leadership styles, coaching and mentoring), managing products (Product Backlog management, stakeholders), managing technical risk, and organizational design and culture. Questions are largely scenario-based and test judgment rather than recall. Lifetime certification with no renewal fee.

Sample PSM II Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to review concepts for the PSM II exam. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1A 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?
A.Add more features to the Sprint Backlog to increase output velocity
B.Coach the Product Owner on effective stakeholder engagement and ensuring the Product Goal reflects real value
C.Escalate the stakeholder dissatisfaction to senior management
D.Ask Developers to spend more time on Sprint Reviews to showcase work better
Explanation: The Scrum Master serves the Product Owner by coaching them in Product Goal definition and stakeholder management techniques. When stakeholders are dissatisfied despite consistent delivery, the issue is likely misalignment between the Product Goal and true stakeholder needs — an area where the Scrum Master coaches the PO. Adding features or escalating to management does not address the root cause.
2During 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?
A.Help the team expand the DoD to include previously excluded quality criteria and commit to it in the next Sprint
B.Inform the Product Owner that the team needs more time per Sprint
C.Propose hiring additional QA testers to catch defects after the Sprint
D.Suggest reducing Sprint length so quality issues surface more frequently
Explanation: The Definition of Done is a formal commitment that provides quality transparency for the Increment. When it is too weak, the Scrum Master facilitates the team in strengthening it — adding criteria that prevent rework. The DoD creates shared understanding of what 'done' means and directly affects product quality. Strengthening the DoD is a Retrospective output that the team self-manages.
3A senior executive frequently attends Daily Scrums and begins directing Developers on task priorities. What should the Scrum Master do?
A.Allow it — executives have authority over the team's work
B.Ask the executive to only observe and raise concerns in the Sprint Review instead
C.Educate the executive on Scrum accountabilities and the self-managing nature of Developers, and shield the team from external command-and-control
D.Have the Product Owner speak with the executive on the Scrum Master's behalf
Explanation: The Scrum Master is accountable for the Scrum Team's effectiveness and must protect the Developers' self-managing nature. When external stakeholders or managers attempt to direct Developers directly, the Scrum Master must educate them on Scrum accountabilities — Developers decide how to achieve the Sprint Goal, not outside individuals. Shielding the team from such interference is a core Scrum Master responsibility.
4What is the primary difference between coaching and mentoring as Scrum Master leadership stances?
A.Coaching gives answers; mentoring asks questions to develop self-discovery
B.Mentoring gives advice from experience; coaching facilitates the coachee's own thinking and solutions
C.Coaching is for teams; mentoring is for individuals only
D.Mentoring is used only for technical skills; coaching is for interpersonal skills
Explanation: In the context of Scrum Mastery, mentoring involves sharing personal experience, knowledge, and advice — the mentor has 'been there.' Coaching facilitates the individual's or team's own thinking, helping them discover solutions themselves without prescribing answers. A skilled Scrum Master knows when to mentor (teach from experience) versus coach (facilitate self-discovery), and rarely defaults to just one stance.
5The 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?
A.Take over Product Backlog refinement to reduce the PO's workload
B.Coach the Product Owner on techniques for stakeholder mapping, expectation management, and delegating appropriate Backlog tasks to Developers
C.Suggest the organization hire a separate stakeholder manager
D.Ask the Scrum Team to slow down delivery to reduce stakeholder pressure
Explanation: The Scrum Master serves the Product Owner by coaching them in effective Product Goal definition, stakeholder engagement techniques, and Product Backlog management practices. The Scrum Master helps the PO become more effective — not by taking over their work. Techniques like stakeholder mapping, delegation of refinement details to Developers, and structured communication frameworks are appropriate coaching outputs.
6A 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?
A.Create a formal impediment-tracking spreadsheet for visibility
B.Acknowledge the breakdown in trust, commit to impediment removal with specific timelines, and follow through visibly
C.Tell the team to raise impediments in the Sprint Retrospective only
D.Ask management to resolve all impediments directly
Explanation: When a team stops raising impediments, there has been a trust breakdown — the Scrum Master has failed a core accountability. Recovery requires acknowledging the failure, rebuilding trust through transparent commitments, and demonstrating follow-through. Trust is rebuilt through consistent actions over time, not tools or process changes alone. A Scrum Master who doesn't remove impediments is ineffective regardless of Scrum knowledge.
7According to the Scrum Guide 2020, who is accountable for creating the Sprint Goal?
A.The Product Owner alone, as they maximize product value
B.The Scrum Master, as they facilitate Sprint Planning
C.The entire Scrum Team collaboratively during Sprint Planning
D.The Developers, since they select Sprint Backlog items
Explanation: The Scrum Guide 2020 states that the Sprint Goal is created during Sprint Planning by the entire Scrum Team. The Product Owner proposes how the product could increase its value during the Sprint, the Developers negotiate which Product Backlog items they can accomplish, and together they craft the Sprint Goal. It is a collaborative commitment, not a unilateral decision by any one accountability.
8An organization is adopting Scrum but middle managers insist on receiving weekly status reports from Developers directly. How should the Scrum Master address this?
A.Have Developers submit status reports to avoid conflict with management
B.Educate managers on how Scrum artifacts provide transparency and invite them to Sprint Reviews as the primary status-reporting mechanism
C.Ask the Product Owner to compile and submit the reports on the team's behalf
D.Create a separate reporting process outside of Scrum to satisfy management
Explanation: The Scrum Master serves the organization by leading Scrum adoption and helping everyone understand Scrum theory and practice. Scrum's empirical artifacts — especially the Product Backlog, Sprint Backlog, and Increment demonstrated at Sprint Review — are designed to provide transparency that replaces separate status reports. Educating managers and directing them to Sprint Reviews keeps transparency within the Scrum framework.
9A Scrum Master is facilitating Sprint Planning, and the Developers are significantly undercommitting due to fear of not finishing. What facilitation technique best addresses this?
A.Set a minimum velocity requirement and enforce it during planning
B.Facilitate a conversation about the Sprint Goal and help the team focus on delivering value rather than predicting exact output
C.Have the Product Owner assign Sprint Backlog items to ensure commitments are met
D.Extend Sprint Planning until the team commits to more items
Explanation: Undercommitting due to fear indicates a psychological safety issue or a misunderstanding of commitment in Scrum. The Scrum Master facilitates a coaching conversation helping the team understand that the Sprint Goal (commitment) is more important than predicting exact item completion. Refocusing on value delivery over volume reduces fear-based planning. Creating psychological safety is foundational to effective self-management.
10What does Evidence-Based Management (EBM) primarily help a Scrum Team and organization measure?
A.The number of story points delivered per Sprint
B.The current value delivered, ability to innovate, time-to-market, and organizational agility toward a goal
C.Individual Developer performance and productivity
D.The accuracy of Sprint velocity forecasts
Explanation: Evidence-Based Management is an empirical approach that helps organizations measure value using four Key Value Areas (KVAs): Current Value (CV), Unrealized Value (UV), Ability to Innovate (A2I), and Time-to-Market (T2M). EBM helps organizations make better decisions about investment and direction toward strategic goals — not just output metrics like velocity or story points.

About the PSM II Exam

The PSM II (Professional Scrum Master II) from Scrum.org is the advanced Scrum Master certification, validating that you can apply Scrum, support Scrum Teams, and solve complex real-world problems. With an 85% passing threshold on 30 questions in 90 minutes, PSM II draws on five Professional Scrum Competencies—including leadership styles, coaching and mentoring, facilitation, Product Backlog management, managing technical risk, and organizational design and culture. Unlike PSM I, most questions present nuanced organizational scenarios that require judgment, not just knowledge recall.

Exam sponsor: Scrum.org. The requirements and fees below concern the certification or admission exam, separate from our free practice resources.

Questions

30 questions

Time Limit

90 minutes

Passing Score

85%

Exam / Certification Fees

$250

Exam sponsor website

Reported exam pass rate: Not published. Scrum.org does not publish PSM II pass rates Exam sponsor website

Fees, eligibility, and exam policies can change. Confirm them with the exam sponsor before applying or paying.

Our practice resources: topics covered

We aim to reflect publicly available exam outlines and topic information in our study resources. Coverage, format, and difficulty may differ from the actual exam, and we cannot guarantee that every detail is accurate or current. Confirm exam requirements, fees, and policies with the official exam sponsor.

Not published

Understanding and Applying the Scrum Framework

Official PSM II focus areas: Empiricism, Scrum Values, Scrum Team, Events, Artifacts, and Done—applied to complex, real-world scenarios.

Not published

Developing People and Teams

Official PSM II focus areas: Self-Managing Teams, Facilitation, Leadership Styles, and Coaching and Mentoring.

Not published

Managing Products with Agility

Official PSM II focus areas: Product Backlog Management and Stakeholders & Customers.

Not published

Developing and Delivering Products Professionally

Official PSM II focus area: Managing Technical Risk—making delivery, performance, and security risks transparent and reducing them empirically.

Not published

Evolving the Agile Organization

Official PSM II focus area: Organizational Design & Culture—moving from Taylorism-era structures toward agile structures while balancing existing organizational realities.

Preparing for the PSM II Exam

What You Need to Know

  • Passing score: 85%
  • Exam length: 30 questions
  • Time limit: 90 minutes
  • Exam / certification fees: $250 Official sources

Using Our Practice Resources

  • Work through all 100 available questions
  • Review every answer and explanation
  • Track weak areas and revisit them
  • Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

PSM II: Suggested Study Strategy

1PSM II tests judgment, not recall — for every scenario, ask which answer helps others solve the problem instead of the Scrum Master solving it for them.
2Study all five Scrum.org competency areas listed for PSM II; Scrum.org publishes no weights, so do not skip technical risk or organizational design.
3Know Barry Overeem's eight Scrum Master stances and eight misunderstood stances, and when to teach, mentor, coach, or facilitate.
4Recognize anti-patterns: Scrum Master as task assigner, Sprint 0, hardening Sprints, rigid Definition of Ready, individual utilization or velocity targets.
5Organizational change questions: prefer making impediments transparent and coaching leaders over escalation, workarounds, or fixed plans.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the PSM II passing score and how hard is it?

PSM II requires 85%—about 26 of its 30 questions—in 90 minutes, and Scrum.org notes that some questions award partial credit. It is harder than PSM I because most questions describe complex organizational scenarios and test judgment rather than recall of the Scrum Guide. Scrum.org does not publish pass rates.

Do I need PSM I before taking PSM II?

No. PSM I is not a formal prerequisite, but Scrum.org recommends it and says PSM II relies heavily on your own experience applying Scrum. Scrum.org also suggests reviewing the PSM I suggested reading and attending the Professional Scrum Master – Advanced course, which includes a free PSM II attempt.

How is PSM II different from PSM I?

PSM I has 80 questions in 60 minutes for $200 and tests foundational knowledge of the Scrum framework. PSM II has 30 questions in 90 minutes for $250 and tests applying Scrum in complex situations: leadership styles, coaching and mentoring, facilitation, Product Backlog management, stakeholders, technical risk, and organizational design and culture. Both require 85% to pass.

What topics are most important to study for PSM II?

Scrum.org lists five competency areas for PSM II: Understanding and Applying the Scrum Framework (empiricism, Scrum Values, Scrum Team, events, artifacts, Done); Developing People and Teams (self-managing teams, facilitation, leadership styles, coaching and mentoring); Managing Products with Agility (Product Backlog management, stakeholders and customers); Managing Technical Risk; and Organizational Design & Culture. Scrum.org does not publish weights, so study all five.

How long does PSM II certification last?

PSM II is a lifetime certification from Scrum.org with no annual renewal fee or continuing education requirement, and it includes a free Credly digital credential. The next level is PSM III, which costs $500 per attempt.

What resources should I use to prepare for PSM II?

Start with the Scrum Guide (2020) and Scrum.org's PSM II suggested-reading page, then use the Scrum Open practice assessment (plus the Developer Open and Product Owner Open for other perspectives). Scrum.org's reading list includes books such as Scrum Mastery (Geoff Watts), Coaching Agile Teams (Lyssa Adkins), Mastering Professional Scrum (Ockerman and Reindl), The Surprising Power of Liberating Structures, and Turn the Ship Around! Practical Scrum Master experience is essential.