CSM Sample Questions & Answers
The team's makeup and accountabilities tie with the sprint events themselves for the top share, from sprint planning to the daily stand-up, alongside empirical process control and core values, the two backlogs and the increment, and scaling beyond one team.
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- Question 1IntermediateSelect 2
Scrum Team and Accountabilities · Scrum Master Service to the Organization
A line manager who oversees several Developers on a Scrum Team approaches the Scrum Master. The manager is concerned about the team's performance and requests a report detailing the individual output and task completion times for each of their direct reports. How should the Scrum Master respond? (Select TWO).
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Correct answers: B, D
This addresses the manager's request by re-framing performance in a Scrum context, shifting the focus from individual metrics to team outcomes and collective ownership.
This is a proactive coaching action. It helps the manager understand Scrum principles and provides a constructive, transparent way for them to observe the team's results without undermining self-management.
- Question 2Intermediate
Scrum Artifacts and Commitments · Product Backlog Characteristics
A new Product Owner, with a background in traditional project management, has created a Product Backlog that is structured like a Gantt chart, with dependencies and timelines assigned to each item. What is the primary risk of this approach?
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Correct answer: B
A core tenet of Scrum is empiricism, which relies on learning and adapting. A Gantt chart-style backlog creates a false sense of certainty and discourages change. The Product Backlog should be an emergent, ordered list that can be adapted at any time based on new insights, market changes, or feedback, which this rigid structure prevents.
- Question 3Beginner
Scrum Artifacts and Commitments · Definition of Done
Who is accountable for creating the Definition of Done?
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Correct answer: C
The entire Scrum Team is accountable for creating the Definition of Done. If the organization has a standard Definition of Done, the Scrum Team must follow it as a minimum and may add to it. This collective ownership ensures that everyone—Product Owner, Scrum Master, and Developers—shares a common understanding of what it means for work to be complete.
- Question 4Intermediate
Scrum Team and Accountabilities · Scrum Team Size
A Scrum Team has grown to 15 people. The Daily Scrums are consistently exceeding the 15-minute timebox, and communication has become complex and slow. According to the Scrum Guide, what is the recommended course of action?
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Correct answer: C
The Scrum Guide recommends that a Scrum Team be small enough to remain nimble, typically 10 or fewer people. Once a team grows too large, communication overhead increases, and agility diminishes. The best practice is to reorganize into multiple smaller Scrum Teams, each responsible for a cohesive set of work, often sharing the same Product Backlog and Product Owner.
- Question 5Advanced
Scrum Team and Accountabilities · Collective Accountability
An organization is transitioning to Scrum. A senior executive is concerned about the lack of a traditional Project Manager role and asks the Scrum Master who is responsible for the project's success. Which statement best describes accountability in a Scrum Team?
graph TD subgraph ScrumTeam [Scrum Team] PO[Product Owner] SM[Scrum Master] Devs[Developers] end subgraph Accountabilities PO -- "Maximizing Value" --> PBacklog[Product Backlog] Devs -- "Creating Increment" --> SBacklog[Sprint Backlog] SM -- "Ensuring Effectiveness" --> Process[Scrum Process] ScrumTeam -- "Overall Accountability for Value" --> Increment[Valuable Increment] endShow answer & explanation
Correct answer: D
Scrum replaces the single point of accountability of a Project Manager with the collective accountability of the entire Scrum Team. While each role has specific accountabilities (PO for value, Developers for quality Increment, SM for effectiveness), the team as a unit is accountable for delivering a valuable, useful Increment each Sprint. Success is a team effort and a shared responsibility.
- Question 6Beginner
Scrum Events · Daily Scrum Purpose
What is the primary purpose of the Daily Scrum?
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Correct answer: C
The Daily Scrum is a 15-minute event for the Developers of the Scrum Team. Its purpose is to inspect progress toward the Sprint Goal and adapt the Sprint Backlog as necessary, adjusting the upcoming planned work. It is a planning event for the next 24 hours, not a status meeting for stakeholders or the Scrum Master.
- Question 7Intermediate
Scrum Events · Event Timeboxes
The Sprint length has been set to two weeks. The Sprint Review is consistently taking four hours, and the Sprint Retrospective is taking three hours. What should a Scrum Master advise?
pie title Event Timeboxes for a 1-Month Sprint "Sprint Planning" : 8 "Daily Scrum" : 0.25 "Sprint Review" : 4 "Sprint Retrospective" : 3Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: C
The Scrum Guide provides maximum timeboxes based on a one-month Sprint (e.g., 4 hours for Sprint Review, 3 hours for Retrospective). For shorter Sprints, these events are usually shorter. For a two-week Sprint, the Sprint Review should be timeboxed to a maximum of two hours, and the Sprint Retrospective to a maximum of one and a half hours. The Scrum Master should coach the team on holding more concise and effective events.
- Question 8Beginner
Scrum Events · The Sprint
Who has the authority to cancel a Sprint?
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Correct answer: D
Only the Product Owner has the authority to cancel a Sprint. This is a significant decision, typically made only when the Sprint Goal becomes obsolete. This might happen due to a drastic change in business direction or market conditions. It is a rare event because it is disruptive and costly.
- Question 9AdvancedSelect 2
Scrum Master · Scrum Master Service to the Product Owner
During a Sprint Retrospective, the team identifies that conflicting priorities from different stakeholders are causing them to constantly shift focus, endangering the Sprint Goal. Which of the following are productive actions for the Scrum Master to take? (Select TWO).
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Correct answers: B, D
This is a key service the Scrum Master provides to the Product Owner. Helping the PO develop skills to manage competing stakeholder demands ensures that a clear, unified direction is provided to the team.
This action addresses the problem at a systemic level. By facilitating a discussion, the Scrum Master helps create transparency and establish clear communication protocols, which protects the team's focus and empowers the Product Owner.
- Question 10Intermediate
Scrum Artifacts and Commitments · Sprint Backlog
Which of the following best describes the Sprint Backlog?
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Correct answer: C
The Sprint Backlog is created by the Developers during Sprint Planning. It is a highly visible, real-time picture of the work they plan to accomplish during the Sprint to achieve the Sprint Goal. It is a living artifact that can be updated throughout the Sprint by the Developers as they learn more.
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