Professional Scrum with User Experience (PSU I) practice assessment

#1. 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.

#2. 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

#3. 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.

#4. 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

#5. Something can only be considered valuable if:

It results in revenue generation or cost reduction for the organisation

It enhances the organisation’s reputation

The Product Owner says so

Its value proposition has been tested and validated

All of the above

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.

#6. Scrum Teams should be small enough to remain nimble, typically 10 or fewer people. If it is determined that 12 people are needed in order to consistently produce a usable, valuable, “Done” Increment every Sprint, what should be done?

The Scrum Master should split the group into two cross functional teams and the Product Owner should manage separate Product Backlogs with independent Product Backlog items

The Scrum Master should split the group into teams by functional speciality, with Product Backlog items broken down by functional area

“10 or fewer” is just a guideline, however, the Scrum Master should ensure the team size is raised as a potential issue and facilitate a conversation with the whole group about what to do about it

Abandon Scrum and use Kanban instead

The Scrum Master has an accountability to coach the Scrum Team on self-management within the boundaries of the Scrum framework. It is not up to the Scrum Master to design team makeup.

#7. 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.

#8. An unsuccessful experiment;

Is one where the experiment showed that the proposed solution will not solve the target user's problem

Is when the Scrum Team did not capture any learning

Is when the experiment distracted Developers causing the Scrum Team velocity to decrease

Is one that does not provide all evidence in one go to justify developing the product at scale

#9. When is the best time to conduct customer interviews?

Before building anything, so that customers can tell us what they want

Once the product is complete enough to demonstrate, so that we will not harm our reputation by showing an unfinished product

Throughout the whole process, to continually learn about customer's and user's needs, and to get feedback on potential solutions

Never, customers are not a good source of solutions

#10. 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

#11. 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.

#12. 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.

#13. 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.

#14. 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

#15. 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

#16. 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

#17. In Professional Scrum with User Experience, UX work must be broken down so that it can be completed within a Sprint

True

False

Scrum Teams should focus on achieving their Sprint Goals and having at least one “Done” Increment by the end of each Sprint. While it is desirable for PBIs to be broken down so that they can be completed within a Sprint, in Professional Scrum with User Experience we acknowledge that some UX activities, such as diary studies may take longer.

#18. UX should be a concern for everyone involved in developing a product.

True

False

The user experience should be a concern of everyone on the Scrum Team.

#19. 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.

#20. 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

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

#2. What is meant by “Discovery”?

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

#4. What is a Business Problem Statement?

#5. Something can only be considered valuable if:

#6. Scrum Teams should be small enough to remain nimble, typically 10 or fewer people. If it is determined that 12 people are needed in order to consistently produce a usable, valuable, “Done” Increment every Sprint, what should be done?

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

#8. An unsuccessful experiment;

#9. When is the best time to conduct customer interviews?

#10. 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

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

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

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

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

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

#16. 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?

#17. In Professional Scrum with User Experience, UX work must be broken down so that it can be completed within a Sprint

#18. UX should be a concern for everyone involved in developing a product.

#19. 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.

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

Results