Scrum theory & values

According to the Scrum Guide, what is Scrum best described as?

• A A detailed methodology with prescribed step-by-step processes
• B A lightweight framework that helps people, teams and organisations generate value through adaptive solutions ✓
• C A project management software tool
• D A documented set of engineering practices for writing code

Answer: The Scrum Guide defines Scrum as a lightweight framework that helps people, teams and organisations generate value through adaptive solutions for complex problems.

On which empirical process control theory is Scrum founded?

• A Empiricism, asserting knowledge comes from experience and decisions are based on what is observed ✓
• B Predictive planning where the full plan is defined up front
• C Statistical process control using control charts
• D Theory of constraints applied to bottlenecks

Answer: Scrum is founded on empiricism (and lean thinking); empiricism asserts that knowledge comes from experience and that decisions are made based on what is observed.

What are the three pillars that uphold the empirical process of Scrum?

• A Planning, execution and review
• B Transparency, inspection and adaptation ✓
• C Commitment, focus and respect
• D Roles, events and artefacts

Answer: The three pillars of empiricism in Scrum are transparency, inspection and adaptation.

What are the five Scrum values?

• A Trust, transparency, teamwork, timeliness and tenacity
• B Commitment, focus, openness, respect and courage ✓
• C Honesty, humility, harmony, hard work and helpfulness
• D Quality, speed, value, simplicity and feedback

Answer: The five Scrum values are commitment, focus, openness, respect and courage.

Why is transparency important in Scrum?

• A It allows managers to track individual developer performance
• B It enables inspection; inspection without transparency is misleading and wasteful ✓
• C It guarantees the Sprint Goal is achieved
• D It removes the need for a Definition of Done

Answer: Transparency enables inspection. Inspection without transparency is misleading and wasteful, so the artefacts and process must be visible to those performing the work and receiving it.

How often should the Scrum artefacts and progress toward agreed goals be inspected?

• A Only at the Sprint Review
• B Frequently and diligently, but not so often that inspection gets in the way of the work ✓
• C Continuously by automated tooling only
• D Once per release

Answer: Scrum users must frequently and diligently inspect artefacts and progress toward agreed goals to detect undesirable variances, but inspection should not be so frequent that it gets in the way of the work.