Preparing for the Scrum Master certification exam requires studying for many months. You will also need Scrum Master certification courses. As well as a lot of money. This is the traditional preparation for the Certified Scrum Master title.
What if we provided you with a new and easier training methodology? In the article, we offer sample questions and answers to help you prepare for your certification exam. We have published case studies that the Scrum Master answers appropriately.
Preparation for the Scrum Master certification exam with real examples
When you read real examples from the Scrum Master profession and how this role reacts to different cases, you will prepare more easily for your certification exam because you will know real stories from the work of the certified Scrum Master. I also share links to more useful materials to prepare for your future Scrum career.
What is a Certified Scrum Master?
A Certified Scrum Master is a fundamental role when an organization implements a Scrum approach. Reference: Scrum Master Certification with Best Professional Agile Training. This is the role that makes the work of the entire Scrum Team as efficient as possible in the maximum aspect and resource-intensive in the minimum aspect, to satisfy the end user and the client.
The Scrum Master ensures order at work, ensures and maintains the calm of the team, and maintains the motivation of the team. Through its activity, it is responsible for ensuring quality work, to produce a quality product with increased value. The Scrum Master is the one who guides, assists, and provides the resources necessary for effective production. This is the role of facilitating the entire product creation process. It takes care of those characteristics and factors inside the organization and the team that will help in dealing with the obstacles, problems, and challenges coming from outside. Reference: Sample Scrum Master Certification Exam Prep Questions and Answers
The Scrum Master role ensures that healthy product implementation environment without which the goals could not be met. If a project does not have a Scrum Master, it should increase production risk as follows:
to increase production time;
to increase the financial resources for the creation of the product;
reduce product quality;
reduce stakeholder value by reducing and/or destroying trust (disappointed consumers), lost markets, and money (disappointed investors).
In short: without a Scrum Master, we will reduce quality at all stages of product creation, if the latter would ever be created at all. In such a case, we will respectively reduce/destroy the value for the stakeholders. A degrading consequence of the dynamics of life and the rapid changes and circumstances it implies.
The Development team shares with you their idea that they want you to be appointed Product Owner and take over his functions, and the Product Owner assigned to your team to go to another team and have no contact with him.
This would burden and confuse the product development process, namely insufficient time to fulfill both roles effectively and purposefully. In addition, this change would also confuse stakeholders who have already built and approved a work rhythm with the current Product Owner. Reference: https://projectmanager.freesite.host/preparation-for-the-scrum-master-exam-and-certification/
In this situation, it is appropriate to gather the entire Scrum Team to discuss the concerns and suggestions of the Development team transparently and constructively together with the Product Owner to expose all points of view to improve the working atmosphere, but not eliminate a given role, simultaneously burdening another one with an additional and uncharacteristic amount of work.
In 2 days you have a meeting to present the current progress on the product. Your Product Owner role and most of the Development team are on vacation for another 5 days.
Adhering to a core value in Scrum, namely 'transparency', and following all practices of shared information at every stage from each team member to the others and vice versa, it would follow that in the event of such an absence (not a long period) of a part of the team there would be no problem of presenting the current progress of the product to the stakeholders (by the Scrum Master) as well as to the team itself (by part of the developers). Reference: “Preparation for the Scrum Master certification exam (BVOSM, CSM, PSM)“, https://mstsnl.net/preparation-for-the-scrum-master-certification-exam-bvosm-csm-psm/ (author’s website)
Business stakeholders share their opinion that the product is not progressing according to their expectations.
After analyzing the real feedback, a meeting should be organized to present the targeted problems in detail to the Development team. If necessary, he will receive: 1) guidance on how to organize himself better, and how to increase his efficiency; 2) a resource that would help him tackle certain product development issues, taking into account all the principles of Scrum. Reference: “Quick and easy preparation for the Scrum Master certification exam“, https://www.businesspad.org/quick-and-easy-preparation-for-the-scrum-master-certification-exam/(read more on business pad magazine)
You notice that the team is spending more and more time in the games and entertainment room in your office.
Additional training/clarification of the team will be required, to properly understand the practices and values (especially on the commitment, and belongingness of each team member to the creation of the product), paying particular attention to the negatives that the described behavior will lead to. More on the topic: “Best Scrum Master certification online”, https://scrumtime.org/best-scrum-master-certification-online/ (Read what these guys said)
The Product Owner role in your team is going on a business trip for 2 months to one of your customer's support centers. No one has made any plans, no comments. The client hasn't shared anything more, the Development team doesn't know what they'll be working on, and your colleagues are confused about the future of the project.
We will have to pay attention to the cooperation with the Product Owner and how it should work in principle and the future. Such leaving (direct participation), and 'pausing' the project would lead to irreversible processes. Organizing a meeting of the whole team, to find out what are the reasons for the absence of a Product Backlog and whether there will be one, what is expected from the Product Owner, and how we should communicate with each other in the most effective way possible, taking under attention his 2-month absence. SM, PO or any Agile professionals: “Best Scrum Master Certifications for 2022 and 2023“, https://eduwiki.me/best-scrum-master-certifications-for-2021-and-2022/
One of the programmers on the team asks the designer for regular corrections in the visual concepts he proposes.
To shorten revisions, the ideas and concept of the product vision should be cleared. Organizing a meeting of the entire team (including the Product Owner) to present the client's requirements as they are and to understand them. In addition, visual concepts should be about the client's vision, not the programmer's vision. And programmers should not assign tasks to designers. These are not Scrum principles. Mutual respect and respect for each other's work are the basis for building trust in the team, respectively increasing the value of the product. Scrum values, which can be another highlight during the meeting, will help build a good atmosphere in the team itself, which in turn will contribute to the quality and valuable work. Source: “Lessons for Scrum Master certification and practicing professionals“, https://newia.info/lessons-for-scrum-master-certification-and-practicing-professionals/(find out why)
The QA professionals on your team who test the product consider integrating additional technologies, tools, and testing procedures. According to the product owner, this will double the work and the progress after the sprints will decrease.
Given the fact that QA professionals determine their own time to complete tasks, as well as the competence and qualifications they should possess, we must trust their technical skills, given the responsibility they bear to overcome obstacles. The situation requires a detailed and transparent discussion together with all members of the Scrum Team to assess the risk on an optimal level playing field. If an unreasonable need is nevertheless presented, we will choose to trust the competent judgment of the Product Owner. If you are a future Scrum Master: “Free training to prepare for the Scrum Master Certification exam”, https://www.islandjournal.net/scrum-master-certification-exam/
The designer and the programmer decided on their initiative to exchange part of their work. The designer will take on some of the simple programming tasks and the programmer will do parts of the interface.
If they both know programming and design, this would increase their efficiency without disturbing the pace of work and the quality of the product being created, it would not be a problem. On the contrary, it can improve processes. In addition, self-initiative should be such to the extent that it is presented to the entire team and does not disrupt the order and discipline of the team. Product Owners also need certification: https://www.muzonet.com/certified-product-owner-and-product-owner-certification-online/ (PO only please)
In the absence of the above, it is not a good initiative.
QAs want you to assign them good testing tools for the next sprints since you will already be starting development on new components that require a different kind of testing.
If there is a proven need, presenting all the positive aspects of changing the program part and how it would increase the value of the product, taking into account the financial aspect, quality/budget ratio, calculation of the time for the change, how it would affect the realization of the product, then let's provide the Development team with what they require. Reference: “Free preparation for the Scrum Master certification exam (CSM, PSMI, PSMII, BVOP)”, https://brightonbot.com/preparation-scrum-master-certification-exam/ (go there and read it)
The Product Owner role wants the designer to increase communication with the product testing team.
The Product Owner role will do well to present precisely the identified need, i.e. what feedback we get from stakeholders to succeed in removing the target obstacle.
Your client is not satisfied with the tests and wants you to urgently increase the number of QA specialists in your team, with an additional 6 people, as soon as possible. He also wants three more senior programmers to join the team by the end of the week. The project budget has been increased accordingly.
Scrum works with a certain threshold of employed personnel on a given project and 2) stakeholders have no relation to the way of execution and organization of the work of the Scrum team. Stakeholders (the client) through the shared feedback can help promptly by paying attention and emphasizing what they do not approve of so that unnecessary time is not wasted on inefficient activities. Start here: “Preparation with sample questions for Scrum Master certification exam CSM & PSMI”, https://wikipedia-lab.org/preparation-sample-questions-scrummaster-certification-exam/
In the case of an unsatisfied customer, we should check what defects, and wastes hinder our efficient work, and why the tests are unsuccessful/insufficient from his point of view. How we would deal with defects and how quickly we would improve the product to satisfy the customer. Go and check it yourself: “Preparation for Scrum Master certification and tips for Scrum professionals”, https://www.kievpress.info/preparation-for-scrum-master-certification/
Your director wants you to move temporarily, for about a month, to another team. He has discussed the move with the Product Owner in your role, who will take over the Scrum Master role for a month, as he has shared that he has time for it.
It would certainly disrupt the efficient product development process. Taking my position, the Product Owner will put himself in an awkward situation of balancing between protecting the interests of the stakeholders and at the same time protecting the team. As a Scrum Master, taking a place in another team for a month, I should lose information on milestones and development processes and not have the opportunity to help in a critical period for the team, for example.
I propose that within this month I will not interrupt communication with the team and how it is developing, during a certain period I will receive synthesized information from the whole team so that I do not lose focus and do not violate the principles of Scrum work, incl. not to stress the team as a whole. Visit PM.MBA for more info: “Professional Scrum Master Certification Online“, https://pm.mba/posts/scrummaster-certification-online/
Certified Scrum Master training for BVOP, PSM, and CSM
The following sample questions and answers are appropriate for the BVOP, CSM, and PSMI Certified Scrum Master exams. Although the above case studies are also suitable for this certification, the following examples are more likely to be asked on your Scrum Master certification exam.
Your team wants to go on vacation and they ask you to postpone your sprint retrospective until the beginning or end of the next sprint.
Postponing the meeting at the beginning of the next sprint can only be possible if the retrospective precedes the planning of the next sprint since it must define, identify main problems, and propose a way to deal with them in the next sprint, incl. improvements to be worked on in the next sprint. Retrospection at the end of the other sprint is impossible. It does not correspond to the idea of creating a quality and valuable product. The explanation is here: “Preparation for Scrum Master certification exam on Sprint event“, https://medfd.org/preparation-for-scrum-master-certification-exam-on-sprint-event/
The client tells you that they are starting renovations in their office and asks you to email them a summary of your meeting with the team and your thoughts on the Sprint Review meeting. You are fully trusted for your analysis.
This kind of communication would slow down sprint processes. If the client delays its response and/or does not accept the task(s) as complete, a breach in the sprint completion period follows, as without the feedback from the client, we cannot proceed to the 'retrospection' and stage, with which we will complete the entire sprint. Also, the presentation may raise additional questions from the client, which will again lead to time delays and/or incomplete understanding. Reference: “Preparation for the Certified Scrum Master exam (PSM, CSM, BVOSM)“, https://mpmu.org/preparation-for-the-certified-scrum-master-exam-psm-csm-bvosm/ (MPMU)
Your director has heard that your Sprint is coming to an end, but there is unfinished business. He's angry and asks you to remove several large User Stories from the ones planned for the end of the sprint and replace them with smaller ones that you can find in the general list.
Not completing a certain job does not always mean something negative. On the contrary, the Development team competently judged whether this work corresponded to the sprint goal and/or whether the work itself remained unfinished due to the large volume of other work involved in the sprint itself. The Product Owner is the role that allocates, organizes, and updates the Product Backlog. He decides, not the director or the Scrum Master. The Scrum Master and the Development Team can influence the Product Owner's decision by considering all factors for that decision, following Scrum principles. If the director's request is fulfilled, the product creation project itself should be messed up/failed. Read more about Scrum certifications in 2023: “Certified Scrum Master exam preparation with sample questions“, https://customessaysonline.net/certified-scrum-master-exam-preparation-with-sample-questions/
Your team reports this morning that they are done with all their work two days before the end of the sprint and they want to attend a company training
At the Sprint Review meeting, all representatives - Scrum Team and Stakeholders participate. It cannot be missed by the development team. Questions may arise, regarding technical specifications and not only, which only the Development team can answer, for example.
Your team tells you that they prefer not to work to a precise fixed time for the sprints, but prefer that each sprint have a duration according to their work and their judgment.
Scrum has no such practice when committing to a Sprint. A sprint is a fixed period. The duration of the fixed time can now be tailored according to the skills and qualifications, knowledge, and experience that the developers have, of course with the agreement of the entire Scrum Team. Allowing different periods for individual sprints will not lead to an efficient development process (there will be no clear plan-program provided to the stakeholders), and it will not achieve discipline and self-organization - core values of Scrum. Find more info here: “Preparation for the certification exam for CSM and PSM I (BVOSM) Scrum Master“, https://www.mu7club.com/preparation-for-certification-exam-scrum-master/
Your assigned Product Owner on the project is away on a business trip to the client and has sent you the Sprint Goal for the next sprint this morning. Also made a collection of all the user stories the team will be working on.
Organizing a meeting (even remote) of the entire Scrum Team to clearly and precisely define the goal, in case it remains unknown/incomprehensible to the team and/or does not correspond to the user stories.
The Product Owner of the project has sent you an email stating that he will be collecting detailed information on many details and plans to engage with the customer in an ongoing manner to describe as many details as possible about the work for a long time to come. Getting lots of details regarding the short-term aspect should help the team to get a good and understandable vision, concept, and idea in planning their sprints, and updating the Product Backlog. Another reference: “Example questions for the Scrum Master certification exam“, https://customer-service-us.com/example-questions-for-the-scrum-master-certification-exam/ But obtaining information concerning a long-term aspect can only be superfluous (part of the wishes, respectively the information gathered at this stage, should be discarded), given the dynamics of the market, life, and all external factors affecting the internal ones in the organization. This, in turn, can burden the Product Backlog, increase its volume and create the impression of a never-ending project. It would be good for the team to have a realistic vision of where the tasks end up in the short term to achieve satisfaction with each completed task. Of course, if necessary and applying adaptive approaches, the team will work until the satisfaction of customer requirements.
You are coming back from vacation. The project team and Product Owner tell you that there is no time and that the sprint should start without planning.
In such a situation, if the development team should choose not only the tasks listed above but also execute the sequence prepared by the Product Owner, there should be no problem in starting the corresponding sprint. Visit website: “Preparation for Certified Scrum Master certification exam with sample questions“, https://www.shihannews.net/preparation-for-certified-scrum-master-certification-exam/
Your Product Owner role has been shared with the team and certain functionality is expected in a few months. Your team is planning to research the technology as of now. See more: “Preparation for the Scrum Master certification exam PSM, CSM, and BVOP“
Researching already 'now' would lead to unnecessarily spent efforts, funds, time, and resources if 'in a few months this need for a certain functionality disappears, customers no longer want it, and/or the product is finished/created, given the dynamics and external conditions and factors. It is necessary to study in detail the functionality itself, and its necessity, to measure the risk for the preliminary provision of conditions for its implementation. Explore details: “Preparation for Certified Scrum Master certification exam with sample questions”, https://www.azarnewsonline.com/preparation-for-certified-scrum-master-certification/
A member of your team who plans to take a leave of absence soon has just started working on a User Story that he expects to be scheduled for the next sprint.
In the unacceptable situation, in case the current sprint is not finished, not all issues proposed for product improvements have been brought to the fore. There is an option for the specific 'User Story' to drop for the next sprint at the customer's request and/or updating the Product Backlog by the Product Owner. Source article: “Sample questions for Certified Scrum Master Preparation“, https://www.kosovatimes.net/sample-questions-for-certified-scrum-master-preparation/
A team member expresses dissatisfaction with the idea of everyone knowing what the other is working on. He is used to solitude. He prefers to work without explaining what exactly or having his work visible in software systems. It guarantees to deliver very good results and right on time.
Scrum does not espouse such a practice. It is the idea that everyone knows what the other is working on and what problems and obstacles they are dealing with daily that increases the value of the product, increases the adaptability of the team, creates the team, and guarantees good results in case of a critical situation – someone from the team is accidentally absent, for example. The work in the Scrum team is shared, everyone adds value to the other, and this creates the quality needed to satisfy the customer. More information: “Preparation for PSM, CSM, and BVOSM Scrum Master certification exam with sample questions“, https://www.policymatters.net/preparation-for-psm-csm-and-bvosm-scrum-master-certification-exam-with-sample-questions/
Your colleague, the Scrum Master of your organization, meets you in the hallway and asks for advice on the length of his team's sprint. No one on the team can suggest a duration for their sprint. He asks you to recommend him a time for their sprint.
It is the development team that should define this length. The development team itself relies on its skills to work and deal with the time and resources required for a finished part of a product. If no one on the team can direct the Scrum Master from the other project, then there is a general problem and/or some misunderstanding, and lack of communication between individual team members. I can help by defining the maximum duration for 1 sprint, namely no more than 1 month, and that all product creation sprints have the same duration. Everything should be following the requirements of the project, incl. the external factors. For project managers and scrum masters: “Preparation for the Certified Scrum Master certification exam for PSM, CSM or BVOSM“, https://securityinformationeventmanagement.com/preparation-for-the-certified-scrum-master-certification-exam/
The Product Owner role on your team wants to change the sprint duration to 6 weeks
Each sprint covers a maximum duration of 4 weeks. In the specific situation, we can divide the integration in question into 2 stages and/or distribute the work on such stages (including the engagement of an additional number of integration specialists) in order not to disturb the period. It is very important for the development team to clearly present its capabilities in dealing with the specific integration and how we can deal with the problem adaptively and efficiently. See also: “Scrum Master certification exam preparation with sample questions“, https://www.polyscm.com/scrum-master-certification-exam-preparation-with-sample-questions/
You receive an email from your client's Project Manager. It asks if there is any problem if your sprint is 6 business days.
Taking into account the nature of the project, and the detailed specification of the product, in some cases 6 working days for a sprint should not be a problem. Check source: https://managementeducationinc.wordpress.com/2023/01/11/preparation-for-the-certified-scrum-master-certification-exam-for-all-certification-organizations/
Your director tells you that he has read a lot of information on the Internet about Scrum and wants you to time your sprints to one work week to reduce potential risk.
The timing of the sprints is determined by the development team. Of course, it is agreed with the entire Scrum team, but the people who will perform the daily tasks of creating the product would most adequately determine the time required for sprints. In addition, a short sprint is not always a guarantee of reduced risk. Sometimes a short sprint may not fulfill its purpose, and this may break the rhythm, the value of the product, or the value of the organization.
