EXIN ASM Certification Sample Questions

02. The Scrum Master and Product Owner are analyzing a new product backlog. The Scrum Master notices that the product backlog has some very detailed stories that have lower priority. Some lower-priority items are not grouped into epics, others are. The high-priority items, on the other hand, are not grouped into epics at all and are all very detailed.
Is that the way the product backlog should be refined?
a) Yes, because the high-priority items will be pulled into one of the next sprint backlogs.
b) Yes, because user stories of any priority may be very detailed or described generally.
c) No, because high-priority items should not be detailed to allow unexpected changes.
d) No, because stories should always belong to an epic to form a coherent sprint goal.

03. Not every project is suitable for an Agile approach. A company has the following projects.
- A project in the HR department has a tight budget, but no determined deadline. The requirements of the project are not clear.
- A project in the IT department has a pressing deadline and a tight budget. There is no room to change the scope of the project.
Which department has a project that is not suitable for an Agile approach?
a) The HR department, because only IT projects are suitable for an Agile approach.
b) The HR department, because they have no clear requirements for the project.
c) The IT department, because there is no room for changing the scope of the project.
d) The IT department, because they have a tight budget and pressing deadline.

04. A team is resisting implementing Agile Scrum practices. The Scrum Master has decided to identify the type of resistance: passive or active. Why should the Scrum Master identify this?
a) Because a comparison with peer anecdotes from other teams on how Scrum they work with Scrum must be done
b) Because identifying the type of resistance will help the Scrum Master identify how to best coach the team
c) Because it helps the Scrum Master plan a training session on the Scrum events to reinforce the value of the events
d) Because the team may have lost sight of the sprint goal and may need training to get realigned to the sprint

05. A Scrum team is looking for a way to optimize their daily work. The team has a chaotic style of working. They often take on too much work individually. They are highly trained professionals, but sometimes tasks get forgotten. If an issue is identified, they do not always know how to ask others to come and help them. The management team wants the team to get some grip on the situation.
The Developers propose the following solution:
- A dedicated channel in their social networking platform to keep track of blocks and task division
The Product Owner proposes an entirely different solution:
- A Gantt chart that can be monitored online and is understood well by the management team
Their Scrum Master has two other possible solutions:
- A Kanban board, that includes work-in-progress limits (WiP-limits) and blocker tickets
- A Scrum board, that does not include WiP-limits or blocker tickets but is easy to understand
Which tool is most likely to help this team?
a) The dedicated channel
b) The Gantt chart
c) The Kanban board
d) The Scrum board

06. A new team is just starting to transition to Scrum. This is a pilot team. The Product Owner has worked in a Scrum team before. The Developers are completely new to Scrum. The Scrum Master has had some formal training, but limited experience. For now, they have a project manager to oversee the project. The team must be trained in the Scrum framework.
Who is accountable for making sure this happens?
a) The Scrum Master
b) The Product Owner
c) The project manager
d) The Developers

07. A Scrum team uses the definition of done (DoD) for the first time during the sprint planning meeting. In the sprint planning meeting, the team estimates the size of the backlog items and creates the sprint backlog. Why does the team need the DoD during the sprint planning meeting?
a) Because each feature is checked for readiness as soon it is finished in the sprint
b) Because the Product Owner must confirm that backlog items fit the requirements
c) Because the team must accept the sprint goal as a potentially shippable product
d) Because the workload depends on requirements of both the features and the DoD

08. The board of a company has appointed consultants to identify the cause of the organization's loss of competitive advantage. The company creates highly complex products and the customers often have new requirements after product demonstrations. The recommendation is to become more Agile.
The company decides to switch to Scrum immediately and instructs everyone involved with projects to attend a Scrum training. New projects should all be using Scrum. Management does not want to adjust any of the current leadership styles or structures, because that would make them lose time.
Is this a good way to transition?
a) No, because Agile is more a mindset than a practice and will succeed best if management changes the culture before transitioning to Scrum.
b) Yes, because Scrum is a simple and easy to learn Agile methodology and retraining everyone ensures this approach will work soon.
c) Yes, because a new method will inspire everyone, and big-bang implementations work best to break cleanly with the old ways of working.
d) No, because management should evaluate if Scrum is the best Agile methodology for the company and look at the practices of industry leaders.

09. Naz is the Scrum Master for a Scrum team that has been established for four months. They work on the development of an application for walkers and hikers. The application is part of a suite and has links and dependencies to other products, some of which are already on the market and some of which are still in development.
Besides Naz, the cross-functional Scrum team is made up of seven Developers and the Product Owner. The Product Owner is quite new to the role. The Scrum team has been working quite well together. However, Naz notices that the daily scrum is overrunning on a regular basis, sometimes taking up to 30 minutes.
There is discussion with the Product Owner about items on the board, sometimes involving questions and discussions around the dependencies; and team members like to get a good understanding and a resolution to their questions before moving to the next item on the board.
What should the Scrum Master do to improve this situation?
a) Limit the discussion to ‘What I am working on today’; What I achieved yesterday’; and ‘Are there impediments’
b) Recognize that this is a large Scrum team with complicated issues and allocate 30 minutes for this meeting
c) Split the meeting into two to work on the items which have complicated dependencies on other products
d) Stop the meeting and take time to coach the whole team on the purpose and the format of the daily scrum

10. A Scrum Master knows she should help remove roadblocks but is doubting if it is also useful to establish a form of continuous improvement. Is there overlap between removing roadblocks and establishing continuous improvement?
a) Yes. A Scrum Master that removes a roadblock is doing a part of the continuous improvement the team needs to establish flow.
b) Yes. Continuous improvement is focused on improving the product so the Scrum Master should use it to help the team flow.
c) No. Continuous improvement items should go on a continuous improvement backlog and roadblocks do not belong there.
d) No. Removing roadblocks is a task that is done by the Scrum Master and continuous improvement is done by the Developers.