Scaled Professional Scrum (SPS) practice assessment

#1. Product Backlog item B is dependent on finishing Product Backlog item A. Which of the following should be concerning?

PBI B has been placed higher up on the Product Backlog than PBI A

Neither Product Backlog item has been refined with the involvement of Developers

The Product Owner expects them both to be Done and integrated during the next Sprint

All scenarios are concerning and should be discussed as part of Cross-Team refinement

#2. What is the difference between The Sprint in Nexus and The Sprint in Scrum?

The Nexus Sprint must be longer than the Sprints in Scrum so that there is enough time for integration

A Nexus Sprint acts as a container for 1 or more Sprints at the Scrum Team level

A Sprint in Nexus is the same as in Scrum

None of the above

#3. A Nexus has 9 Scrum Teams, but only 3 Scrum Masters. How should the Daily Scrum be facilitated?

Stagger the start times of the Scrum Teams’ Daily Scrums, so that a Scrum Master will be available to facilitate each one

The Daily Scrum is an event for the Scrum Team’s Developers, the Scrum Master does not have to be present, though they need to ensure that the event happens

Hire more Scrum Masters so that each Scrum Team has their own dedicated Scrum Master

Merge some of the Scrum Teams so that each Scrum Team has their own dedicated Scrum Master

#4. Approximately how many Scrum Teams are there usually in a Nexus?

Between 3 and 9

Between 1 and 12

Up to 25

There is no guidance on the number of teams in a Nexus

#5. What is a Science Fair, and how could it be utilised by a Nexus?

Members of the Scrum Team visit other companies to learn how they deal with scaling issues

Scrum Masters attend agile conferences and return with new insights

It could be used as a Nexus Sprint Review format where Scrum Teams gather in one space and provide on-demand inspection to stakeholders who go to areas of interest and give feedback

Members of the Nexus create a workshop on elements of Scrum to be presented at different stations for stakeholders to visit and learn about Scrum

#6. Two Scrum Teams in a Nexus regularly have dependencies on each other. What should the Scrum Master of the Scrum Teams do?

Coordinate the work between the Scrum Teams themselves to minimize the impact of the dependencies

Teach the Product Owner to manage the Product Backlog and define Product Backlog items in such a way that there will not be dependencies

Teach the Scrum Teams that there is a collective responsibility between the Scrum Teams to reduce or eliminate dependencies in the Cross-team Refinement event, and to work together to create an integrated Increment each Sprint

Set up a Scrum of Scrums

#7. What does Nexus stand for?

New EXtremes Utilizing Scrum

kNowledge and Effectiveness Underlined by Scrum

KeNs EXploration of Understanding Scaling

Nexus is not an acronym

#8. How does a Nexus ensure that each Scrum Teams’ Sprint Goal is aligned with the Nexus Sprint Goal?

Participants in the Nexus Sprint Planning event coordinate the activities of all of the Scrum Teams, including defining a Nexus Sprint Goal and a Sprint Goal for each Scrum Team

The Product Owner defines the Nexus Sprint Goal and each Scrum Team’s Sprint Goal prior to the start of each Sprint

There is no such concept as a Nexus Sprint Goal, therefore each Scrum Team crafts their own Sprint Goal during their own Sprint Planning event

Aligning the Nexus Sprint Goal and the Scrum Teams’ Sprint Goal is of no concern

#9. Which of the following might members of the Nexus Integration Team do?

Select all that apply:

Work as a member on one of the Scrum Teams in the Nexus

Provide a focal point for integration for the Nexus

Coaching and consulting

Highlighting dependencies and cross-team issues

#10. Which of the following are benefits of having a Nexus Integration Team?

Select all that apply:

There is a separate team responsible for integration work, so the other teams can focus on building features

The Nexus Integration Team can highlight dependencies and cross-team issues

The Nexus Integration Team can provide coaching and consulting services to the Scrum Teams

The Nexus Integration Team attend all of the Scrum events, freeing up time for the members of the other Scrum Teams who no longer have to spend time so much time in meetings

#11. The Scrum Teams in a Nexus find that they struggle to deliver an integrated Increment each Sprint due to dependencies between the teams. What could the Nexus do to better manage their dependencies?

Have each Scrum Team define their own Done state, and run an integration Sprint one Sprint before the release where the focus is on integrating the work of all the teams into an integrated Increment

Have the Nexus Integration Team plan the work better, so that dependent work can be completed one Sprint ahead of when it is needed

Carry out more Cross-Team Refinement to reduce cross-team dependencies before work is brought into the Sprint

Increase the length of the Nexus Sprint so that there is more time for the Scrum Teams to deal with dependencies

#12. Why must a Nexus produce a Done integrated Increment each Sprint?

So that the Nexus keeps up with the project plan

Incomplete Increments can lead to a build up of undone work and technical debt, making progress less transparent, assumptions being made and decision making harder

The Nexus must demonstrate its progress through a working product at the Nexus Sprint Review in order to justify the investment being made

It is an arbitrary rule to distinguish Nexus from other scaling approaches

#13. Which are valid ways to form Scrum Teams in a Nexus?

Form Scrum Teams made up of specialists with particular skills

Form Scrum Teams that have a mix of all skills available

Have all of the people involved self-manage and decide the team make up themselves

All of the above

Scrum and Nexus does not prescribe how Scrum Teams should be formed or what the structure of Scrum Teams should be beyond stating that Scrum Teams should be cross-functional, meaning the members have all the skills necessary to create value each Sprint, and a Nexus, just like a single Scrum Team, should achieve a Sprint Goal and produce a Done integrated Increment each Sprint.

#14. Which single Scrum Team event is removed from Scrum when introducing Nexus?

Sprint Planning

Daily Scrum

Sprint Review

Sprint Retrospective

None of the Scrum events are removed in a Nexus

Since the entire Integrated Increment is the focus for capturing feedback from stakeholders, a Nexus Sprint Review replaces individual Scrum Team Sprint Reviews.

#15. All of the Scrum Team Product Owners report to the Nexus Product Owner.

True

False

In Nexus, there is just one Product Owner for a single product and a single Product Backlog.

#16. Cross-Team refinement is an event in Nexus.

True

False

#17. What is the purpose of the Nexus Integration Team?

The Nexus Integration Team is accountable to do the work to integrate all of the work of the Scrum Teams in a Nexus together

The Nexus Integration Team is accountable for ensuring that a Done integrated Increment is produced at least once a Sprint

#18. How many Product Owners should there be in a Nexus?

Between 3 and 9

One for each Scrum Team in the Nexus

There should only be one Product Owner for a Nexus

It depends

#19. Which statements are true about a Nexus?

Select all that apply:

The Nexus should work on only one product, with one Product Backlog and only one Product Owner

A Scrum of Scrums is the main channel used for communication and coordination of the work of all of the Scrum Teams

The Nexus should meet a Nexus Sprint Goal and produce a Done integrated Increment each Sprint

Each Scrum Team is responsible for one component part of the product

#20. The Scrum Master of the Nexus Integration Team is accountable for ensuring that at least one Done integrated Increment is produced each Sprint

True

False

The accountability for ensuring that at least one Done integrated Increment is produced each Sprint lies with the Nexus Integration Team as a whole.

#1. Product Backlog item B is dependent on finishing Product Backlog item A. Which of the following should be concerning?

#2. What is the difference between The Sprint in Nexus and The Sprint in Scrum?

#3. A Nexus has 9 Scrum Teams, but only 3 Scrum Masters. How should the Daily Scrum be facilitated?

#4. Approximately how many Scrum Teams are there usually in a Nexus?

#5. What is a Science Fair, and how could it be utilised by a Nexus?

#6. Two Scrum Teams in a Nexus regularly have dependencies on each other. What should the Scrum Master of the Scrum Teams do?

#7. What does Nexus stand for?

#8. How does a Nexus ensure that each Scrum Teams’ Sprint Goal is aligned with the Nexus Sprint Goal?

#9. Which of the following might members of the Nexus Integration Team do?

#10. Which of the following are benefits of having a Nexus Integration Team?

#11. The Scrum Teams in a Nexus find that they struggle to deliver an integrated Increment each Sprint due to dependencies between the teams. What could the Nexus do to better manage their dependencies?

#12. Why must a Nexus produce a Done integrated Increment each Sprint?

#13. Which are valid ways to form Scrum Teams in a Nexus?

#14. Which single Scrum Team event is removed from Scrum when introducing Nexus?

#15. All of the Scrum Team Product Owners report to the Nexus Product Owner.

#16. Cross-Team refinement is an event in Nexus.

#17. What is the purpose of the Nexus Integration Team?

#18. How many Product Owners should there be in a Nexus?

#19. Which statements are true about a Nexus?

#20. The Scrum Master of the Nexus Integration Team is accountable for ensuring that at least one Done integrated Increment is produced each Sprint

Results