Understanding and Applying the Scrum Framework practice questions

Scrum Theory: Scrum is founded on empiricism and lean thinking.

The Guide states two foundations. Empiricism provides decisions based on observation; lean thinking reduces waste and keeps the focus on what is essential. The other options are real disciplines that teams may use, but the Guide does not name them.

1. Recall the opening of the Scrum Theory section.
2. Match 'reduces waste and focuses on the essentials' to its source.
3. Choose lean thinking.

Exam tip: Scrum's two foundations: empiricism and lean thinking.

Scrum Theory: three pillars uphold Scrum's empirical approach — transparency, inspection and adaptation.

The Guide lists transparency, inspection and adaptation, and links them in a chain: transparency enables inspection, and inspection enables adaptation. The distractors swap in collaboration (a way of working) or openness (a Scrum Value) for a pillar.

1. Recall the three pillars from Scrum Theory.
2. Check each list for an item that is a value or a way of working, not a pillar.
3. Keep the list with transparency, inspection and adaptation.

Exam tip: Pillars: transparency, inspection, adaptation. Openness is a value, not a pillar.

The empirical pillars each do a separate job: transparency makes things visible, inspection examines them, adaptation changes something as a result.

The Sprint Review is held, the Increment is inspected and the feedback is recorded, so transparency and inspection are present. The Product Backlog never changes, so nothing learned is acted on. The Guide says inspection without adaptation is pointless, and the Sprint Review exists to adapt the Product Backlog.

1. List what is happening: review held, feedback recorded.
2. List what is not happening: the backlog never changes.
3. Map the missing behaviour to its pillar.
4. Reject options that blame a pillar that is working.

Exam tip: If you inspect but never change anything, adaptation is the broken pillar.

Scrum Theory: Scrum employs an iterative, incremental approach to optimise predictability and to control risk.

Working in short iterations that each produce a usable Increment lets the team learn often, so predictability improves with evidence and risk is exposed early. Utilisation, plan accuracy and meeting counts are not the reasons the Guide gives.

1. Recall the Scrum Theory section.
2. Look for the outcome of short feedback cycles.
3. Choose predictability and risk control.

Exam tip: Iterative and incremental = better predictability and less risk.

Transparency: the emergent process and work must be visible to those performing the work as well as those receiving it.

Transparency is defined in terms of two audiences: the people doing the work and the people receiving it. Sponsoring, overseeing and approving are real roles in organisations, but they are not how the Guide defines who must see the work.

1. Recall the definition of transparency.
2. Identify the two audiences it names.
3. Reject audiences the Guide does not mention.

Exam tip: Transparency: visible to those doing the work and those receiving it.

Transparency enables inspection. When an artifact does not show its true state, inspecting it misleads people and wastes effort.

The Product Backlog shown at the Sprint Review hides its real ordering, so the problem is low transparency. Inspection happens regularly and stakeholders do act on it, but on a false picture. The Guide's wording for that is that inspection without transparency is misleading and wasteful. The tempting transparency option misstates the rule: the Guide wants work visible to those receiving it, not only to those doing it.

1. Locate where the chain breaks: the artifact does not show its true state.
2. Map that to transparency, which enables inspection.
3. Check that the statement you pick matches the Guide's actual rule.
4. Reject principles about adaptation and self-management.

Exam tip: Bad inputs make inspection misleading: fix transparency before inspecting harder.