Professional Scrum with User Experience (PSU I) practice assessment

#1. What reasons are there for releasing an Increment regularly and frequently?

Select all that apply:

So that value is regularly delivered to stakeholders

To build trust with stakeholders

To keep on track according to the project plan

To get feedback

To validate or invalidate assumptions of value

#2. If Product Backlog items are expressed so that “Discovery” work and “Delivery” work are contained in a single item, what might happen?

Select all that apply:

It might feel unnatural to some Scrum Teams and take them some time to get used to it

There might be more focus on delivery of value and outcomes

It is likely to be harder for the Scrum Team to break Product Backlog items down so that they can be completed within a Sprint

The team is more likely to work in silos

The Scrum Team is actually less likely to work in silos.

#3. When is the UX work for a product completed?

When it meets the Definition of Done for UX work

As long as a Product exists, UX work will continue to emerge

As part of Sprint 0

Before the first Sprint starts

#4. When can UX work be done and expressed in a Scrum context?

Select all that apply:

It can be part of Product Backlog refinement

It is best to have it as a separate Product Backlog and worked on by a specialist UX team

It can be expressed as individual Product Backlog items to be done during a Sprint

It can be added as acceptance criteria as part of Product Backlog items

#5. Dual Track Agile is a way to efficiently organise separate design and delivery Scrum Teams

True

False

Scrum Teams should be cross-functional. Scrum does not recognise separate design and delivery Scrum teams. Dual Track Agile is about the Scrum Team moving as one unit and taking accountability for completing both discovery and delivery work.

#6. Continuous Design is;

A concept invented by UX people to ensure they keep their job

Adding further detail to the user interface every Sprint

A recognition that products need to constantly evolve in response to changing customer demands and market conditions

A contradiction to the empiricism of Scrum

#7. Because learning is considered as a first class citizen, the Scrum Team must plan to run an experiment or plan to do some research work every Sprint.

True

False

There is no such prescription.

#8. If a product has been delivered according to the originally planned timelines, within budget and all “must have scope” delivered, it can be deemed a success.

True

False

Meeting customer’s and user’s needs, their desired outcomes and solving their problems in a way that results in an overall positive impact for the organisation is a far better measure of success.

#9. What should the Scrum Team do if there is design work that they think will take longer than a Sprint?

Do the work outside of the Sprint and do not include it on the Sprint Backlog

Abandon the use of Scrum until the work is completed

Abandon the work item, as it is too complex to be done within the confines of Scrum

Collaborate together to work on breaking it down into something that can be completed within a Sprint as far as possible

Product Backlog refinement is an ongoing activity by the Scrum Team which includes breaking large items down so they fit into the Sprint. Occasionally, some UX work may span more than one Sprint.

#10. Which of these are valid Product Backlog items?

Select all that apply:

User stories

Hypothesis statements

Defects

Experiments

The Product Backlog contains everything that is known to be needed to improve the product.

#11. What is a Business Problem Statement?

A statement that creates alignment on a challenge to solve, based on issues facing the business and customers

A declaration from the CEO that articulates the organisation’s weaknesses

A list of competitors

A statement that clearly identifies unrealised value for the organisation

#12. Even though they don’t always have something to contribute at the Daily Scrum, UX specialists on the Scrum team must still attend the Daily Scrum.

True

False

Scrum recognises no specialisms. Anybody that is committed to creating any aspect of a usable Increment each Sprint is considered to be a Developer, and attendance at the Daily Scrum by the Developers is mandatory.

#13. Scrum Teams that focus on output and not outcomes may not be exhibiting which element of Scrum?

Achieving the highest possible velocity

The Scrum value of courage to work on the right thing

Reaching the optimal “performing” state as a team

Celebrating what was achieved in the Sprint Review

#14. When considering Scrum with UX, the UX part should be thought of as being mainly concerned with refining Product Backlog items to make them ready for delivery in a Sprint

True

False

#15. What are some of the benefits of combining UX practices with Scrum?

The Scrum Team get better connected with those whose problems they are trying to solve

It stops the Product Owner from being the final decision maker

It means it is OK for there to be a design phase before a build phase

Less time is wasted by the Scrum Team discussing the best solution

#16. Something can only be considered valuable if:

It has been delivered according to plan

Its projected revenue is greater than its cost

The Product Owner says so

Its value proposition has been tested and validated

Value may mean different things in different contexts. However, the only true way to know if something is valuable is to test its value proposition.

#17. Which of the following best describes how the Product Backlog should be ordered?

Whatever the Product Owner decides

Return on investment

Cost of delay

The wishes of the most senior stakeholder

The riskiest assumptions first

There is no one best way to order the Product Backlog and different techniques will be more suitable to some contexts than others. The Product Owner has the accountability to maximise value, so they have the final say on the Product Backlog, regardless of any technique employed.

#18. If there needs to be a focus on explicitly defining an outcome or business value, how might the Product Backlog item best be expressed?

As a hypothesis statement

With the fully costed business case attached

With the return of investment calculated and added

With sign-off from the financial director

By including evidence that demonstrates that users want the feature

Note that hypotheses statements state the outcomes and benefits that a user might get with a feature. Just because users desire a particular feature does not necessarily mean that developing it will lead to outcomes or value for either users or the business.

#19. What is meant by “Discovery”?

A phase before the first Sprint when the Product Backlog is created

An ongoing process where the Scrum team learns more about their users, their needs, and how the Product that they are developing serves the users

A workshop run by the Product Owner and UX expert to present the requirements to the Developers

The part of the Sprint Review when stakeholders give feedback on the Increment

#20. A product is to be developed that requires 5 Scrum Teams to work on it. There are not enough UX experts to have one in each team. What is the best way to proceed?

Halt development until a UX expert can be hired for each Scrum team

Break all of the UX experts into a separate Scrum Team, with them working a few Sprints ahead of the other teams and focused on producing designs ready for implementation

Have the UX experts work across Scrum Teams, with an emphasis on the UX experts finding ways to coach and mentor the Scrum Teams, and upholding the Scrum principle of the Scrum Teams being responsible for all product-related activities

Assign the UX experts to the most productive Scrum Teams and ensure all Product Backlog items that contain design work are allocated to those teams

#1. What reasons are there for releasing an Increment regularly and frequently?

#2. If Product Backlog items are expressed so that “Discovery” work and “Delivery” work are contained in a single item, what might happen?

#3. When is the UX work for a product completed?

#4. When can UX work be done and expressed in a Scrum context?

#5. Dual Track Agile is a way to efficiently organise separate design and delivery Scrum Teams

#6. Continuous Design is;

#7. Because learning is considered as a first class citizen, the Scrum Team must plan to run an experiment or plan to do some research work every Sprint.

#8. If a product has been delivered according to the originally planned timelines, within budget and all “must have scope” delivered, it can be deemed a success.

#9. What should the Scrum Team do if there is design work that they think will take longer than a Sprint?

#10. Which of these are valid Product Backlog items?

#11. What is a Business Problem Statement?

#12. Even though they don’t always have something to contribute at the Daily Scrum, UX specialists on the Scrum team must still attend the Daily Scrum.

#13. Scrum Teams that focus on output and not outcomes may not be exhibiting which element of Scrum?

#14. When considering Scrum with UX, the UX part should be thought of as being mainly concerned with refining Product Backlog items to make them ready for delivery in a Sprint

#15. What are some of the benefits of combining UX practices with Scrum?

#16. Something can only be considered valuable if:

#17. Which of the following best describes how the Product Backlog should be ordered?

#18. If there needs to be a focus on explicitly defining an outcome or business value, how might the Product Backlog item best be expressed?

#19. What is meant by “Discovery”?

#20. A product is to be developed that requires 5 Scrum Teams to work on it. There are not enough UX experts to have one in each team. What is the best way to proceed?

Results