PSM I Practice Test

PSM I practice test: what's covered

• Scrum.org
• Scrum Framework
• Accountabilities
• Events
• Artifacts
• Empiricism

Free PSM I sample questions

1. A stakeholder asks why Scrum insists on short Sprints and frequent inspection instead of one detailed up-front plan. What is the best explanation?

   • A. Scrum is founded on empiricism — knowledge comes from experience and decisions are made on what is observed, so short cycles reduce risk by enabling frequent inspection and adaptation
   • B. Short Sprints let the team commit to a fixed scope and deliver exactly what was planned at the start
   • C. Frequent inspection lets management track individual developer productivity
   • D. Scrum predicts the future accurately, so detailed up-front plans are simply unnecessary
   Show answer

   Correct: A. Scrum is grounded in empiricism (transparency, inspection, adaptation) and lean thinking. The trap (B) frames Sprints as fixed-scope contracts — Scrum optimizes value, not adherence to an original plan. (C) misuses inspection for surveillance; (D) contradicts empiricism, which exists precisely because the future cannot be fully predicted.

2. Which of the following are the three pillars that uphold every implementation of empirical process control in Scrum? (Choose 3)

   • A. Transparency
   • B. Inspection
   • C. Adaptation
   • D. Commitment
   • E. Estimation
   • F. Velocity
   Show answer

   Correct: A and B and C. The three empirical pillars are Transparency, Inspection, and Adaptation. "Commitment" is a Scrum Value (not a pillar); "Estimation" and "Velocity" are practices/metrics, not pillars. Mixing values, metrics, and pillars is the classic trap here.

3. According to the 2020 Scrum Guide, what are the five Scrum Values? (Choose 3 of the values listed below.)

   • A. Commitment
   • B. Focus
   • C. Openness
   • D. Predictability
   • E. Efficiency
   • F. Accountability
   Show answer

   Correct: A and B and C. The five Scrum Values are Commitment, Focus, Openness, Respect, and Courage. Of the options shown, Commitment, Focus, and Openness are real values. "Predictability", "Efficiency", and "Accountability" are common-sounding distractors that are NOT Scrum Values.

4. Inspection in Scrum is only useful when which condition is met first?

   • A. Artifacts and progress are transparent — low transparency leads to decisions that diminish value and increase risk
   • B. The Sprint has already been cancelled
   • C. The Product Owner personally approves each inspection
   • D. All Sprint Backlog items are 100% complete
   Show answer

   Correct: A. The Scrum Guide states inspection enables adaptation, but inspection without transparency is misleading and wasteful. (B), (C), and (D) invent gating conditions that do not exist; inspection happens continuously throughout the Sprint.

5. A new Scrum Master notices the team treats Scrum as a fixed set of steps to obey. How should empiricism be framed instead?

   • A. Scrum is a lightweight framework that is purposely incomplete — it defines only the parts required to implement Scrum theory and must be complemented with practices the team chooses
   • B. Scrum is a complete methodology that prescribes every engineering practice the team must follow
   • C. Scrum is a process where the Scrum Master decides all team practices
   • D. Scrum is a project-management tool that replaces the need for a Product Owner
   Show answer

   Correct: A. The Scrum Guide explicitly calls Scrum lightweight and purposefully incomplete. (B) wrongly calls it a complete methodology; (C) makes the Scrum Master a process dictator (Scrum Teams are self-managing); (D) is nonsensical — the PO is a core accountability.

Last updated: 2026-10-19

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