The Professional Scrum with Kanban (PSK I) practice assessment is available to anyone who would like some help preparing for the official Scrum.org PSK I assessment.
This practice assessment has been created by the Red Tangerine Team and it is not endorsed by Scrum.org.
As well as taking the practice assessment, we recommend doing the following to prepare for the Scrum.org PSK I assessment:
This practice assessment consists of 20 questions to be answered in 20 minutes, with a pass mark of 85%.
Start
#1. The main purpose of the SLE is so we can manage the expectations of our stakeholders.
The Scrum Team uses its SLE to find active flow issues and to inspect and adapt in cases when the SLE has not been met.
#2. What is the primary effect of limiting WIP?
The primary effect of limiting WIP is that it creates a pull system. It is called a pull system because the team starts work (i.e. pulls) on an item only when it has the capacity to do so. When the WIP drops below the defined limit, that is a signal for the team to pull work.
#3. Mature Scrum Teams can drop certain elements of Scrum such as the Daily Scrum and Sprint Retrospective when they feel they no longer add value
The Scrum Framework is immutable, while implementing parts of Scrum is possible, the result is not Scrum. Dropping Scrum events results in lost opportunities for inspection and adaptation and reduces transparency.
#4. Who can make changes to the Sprint Backlog?
As described in the Scrum Guide, “The Sprint Backlog is a plan by and for the Developers.”
#5. Which of the following are lagging indicators?
Cycle Time and Throughput are the lagging indicators.
#6. Which key metrics should a Scrum Team use to take a flow-based perspective in the Sprint Review?
Throughput is a key metric to use in the Sprint Review to inspect the progress and forecast. Teams can also decide to take Cycle Time and Work in Progress into the Sprint Review, however they are not key for this event.
#7. Visualisation of the Workflow should include which of the following?
As explained in the Kanban Guide for Scrum Teams, the minimum requirements for the visualisation of the workflow are; explicit policies about how work flows through each state, a definition of the work items, a definition of the workflow states that work items flow through from start to finish, policies for limiting Work in Progress, and defined points at which the Scrum Team considers work to have started and to have finished.
#8. Which key metrics should a Scrum Team use during the Daily Scrum?
Work Item Age and Work in Progress are both leading indicators and therefore key metrics for a Scrum Team to use in their Daily Scrum to help plan their work for the next 24 hours.
#9. What is Kanban?
Kanban is not a framework or a methodology. The Kanban Guide for Scrum teams describes Kanban as a strategy for optimizing the flow of value through a process that uses a visual, work-in-progress limited pull system.
#10. Once a Scrum Team has established a continuous flow of delivery, which of the following statements are true?
With Professional Scrum with Kanban, Sprint Planning has more inputs and historical measures may make it easier to create a forecast.
#11. When is the Increment released?
Multiple Increments may be created and released during a Sprint. The Sprint Review should never be considered as a gate to releasing value. For an Increment to be releasable it must meet the Definition of Done.
#12. Who monitors the progress of work during a Sprint?
The Developers are accountable for managing, executing and monitoring the plan for the Sprint. This plan is made transparent in the Sprint Backlog.
#13. If Cycle Times are too long, what action should the Scrum Team consider taking first?
The first action a Scrum Team should consider when their Cycle Times are too long is to lower their WIP.
#14. Scrum Teams implementing Kanban practices should change the format of their Daily Scrum to use the “walk the board” technique.
Scrum is still Scrum even when Kanban practices are added. In Scrum, the Developers can select whatever structure and techniques they want for the event.
#15. Which of the following are leading indicators?
Work in Progress and Work Item Age are the leading indicators.
#16. What possible benefits can a Scrum Team expect to get by limiting Work in Progress?
Limiting Work in Progress can give teams a greater degree of self-management, focus, commitment and collaboration.
#17. The Scrum Team can change the WIP limits at any time.
The Scrum team can decide to change their WIP limits at any time, however because changes to the Definition of Workflow will have a material impact on how the Scrum Team performs, changes made during the regular cadence provided by the Sprint Retrospective event will reduce complexity and improve focus, commitment and transparency.
#18. A Scrum Team’s Definition of Workflow describes only the activities that take place during a Sprint.
The Definition of Workflow may span beyond the Sprint. This could include what happens to Product Backlog items during refinement before they are pulled into a Sprint, and validation of value after they are Done for example.
#19. Which of the following statements best describes Cycle Time?
Cycle Time is the amount of elapsed time from when an item is started to when it is finished.
#20. A Service Level Expectation (SLE) consists of which of the following?
As explained in the Kanban Guide for Scrum Teams, the SLE consists of a range of elapsed days and a probability associated with that period.
Results
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Congratulations! You scored the pass mark of 85% or above!
Good try, but unfortunately, you did not score 85% or above.
