SPS Scaled Professional Scrum (SPS) Exam Questions and Answers

PBI 2 is the most concerning because it involves a cross-team dependency within the same Sprint, which can create challenges and risks for the integration and delivery of the product increment. According to the Online Nexus Guide1, dependencies should be minimized or eliminated as much as possible, and if they exist, they should be made transparent and resolved as early as possible. Cross-team dependencies within the same Sprint can cause delays, conflicts, rework, and waste, and reduce the quality and value of the product increment 234.

The other answers are not correct for the following reasons:

• A. PBI 2, because it has the most dependencies. This answer is not accurate because PBI 2 does not have the most dependencies, but only one dependency with PBI 1 from Team Red. PBI 3 has the most dependencies, as it depends on PBI 1, PBI 2, and PBI 4. However, PBI 3 is not as concerning as PBI 2, because its dependencies are not within the same Sprint, but across different Sprints. This means that PBI 3 can be refined and planned in advance, and the teams can coordinate and communicate their work more effectively 5.
• B. PBI 1, because it is on the top of the Product Backlog. This answer is not relevant because the position of PBI 1 on the Product Backlog does not indicate its level of concern, but its priority and value. The Product Backlog is ordered by the Product Owner based on various factors, such as business value, risk, complexity, and dependencies. PBI 1 may be on the top of the Product Backlog because it is the most valuable or urgent item, or because it is a prerequisite for other items, but it is not necessarily the most concerning item 6.
• C. PBI 1, because it is the first piece of work with a dependency. This answer is not true because PBI 1 is not the first piece of work with a dependency, but the first piece of work that other items depend on. PBI 1 does not have any dependencies itself, but it creates dependencies for PBI 2, PBI 3, and PBI 5. Therefore, PBI 1 is not as concerning as PBI 2, because it does not depend on any other item, and it can be completed independently by Team Red 5.

The best remedy for this situation is to ensure that all Scrum Teams understand the Nexus Sprint Goal. The Nexus Sprint Goal is a commitment that describes the purpose that will be achieved by the Nexus during the Sprint. It aligns with the Product Goal and provides coherence and focus for the work of the Scrum Teams. By understanding the Nexus Sprint Goal, the Scrum Teams can see how their work contributes to the product’s progress and value delivery 1234.

The other answers are not effective for this situation because:

• A. During Nexus Sprint Planning, have all the teams plan the Sprint together in one room, so they can see what other teams are working on. This answer is not sufficient because it does not address the root cause of the problem, which is the lack of a clear and shared purpose for the Sprint. Having all the teams plan the Sprint together may help them coordinate their work and identify dependencies, but it does not necessarily help them understand how their work relates to the product’s progress and value.
• C. Ask the Scrum Master to explain to the teams that the Product Owner can choose which features to work on, as she has the final say. This answer is not helpful because it does not foster collaboration and alignment among the Scrum Teams. It also undermines the self-organization and empowerment of the Scrum Teams, and reduces their ownership and accountability for the work. The Product Owner is responsible for managing and ordering the Product Backlog, but the Scrum Teams are responsible for selecting and delivering the work for the Sprint.
• D. During Nexus Sprint Planning, ask each Scrum Team to create a Sprint Goal that describes the purpose of the Sprint. This answer is not optimal because it does not ensure that the Scrum Teams have a common objective and direction for the Sprint. Each Scrum Team may have a different Sprint Goal that may or may not align with the Nexus Sprint Goal and the Product Goal. This may lead to confusion, inconsistency, and sub-optimization of the product delivery.

Creating a communication plan is not enough to fully address the coordination challenges that arise when many Scrum Teams work on the same product. A communication plan is a document that outlines the objectives, methods, channels, and frequency of communication among the stakeholders of a project or product 1. While a communication plan is useful for ensuring clarity, transparency, and alignment among the Scrum Teams and other parties involved, it does not address other aspects of coordination, such as integration, dependency management, alignment of goals and vision, and cross-team collaboration 2.

To effectively coordinate multiple Scrum Teams working on the same product, a communication plan should be complemented by other practices and frameworks, such as:

• Nexus: Nexus is a framework for scaling Scrum that consists of three to nine Scrum Teams working together to deliver an Integrated Increment every Sprint 3. Nexus provides roles, events, artifacts, and rules that help the Scrum Teams coordinate, integrate, and align their work, while maintaining the Scrum values and principles 4.
• Scrum of Scrums: Scrum of Scrums is a technique for scaling Scrum that involves a regular meeting of representatives from each Scrum Team to share progress, identify dependencies, resolve issues, and align on the product vision and goal . Scrum of Scrums helps the Scrum Teams communicate and collaborate effectively, while minimizing the overhead and complexity of coordination .
• Communities of Practice: Communities of Practice are groups of people who share a common interest, skill, or domain, and who meet regularly to exchange knowledge, ideas, and best practices . Communities of Practice help the Scrum Teams learn from each other, improve their skills, and foster a culture of continuous improvement .

The answer is false because not all Scrum Team members are required to attend the Nexus Daily Scrum. According to the Online Nexus Guide1, the Nexus Daily Scrum is an event for appropriate representatives from individual Scrum Teams to inspect the current state of the Integrated Increment and to identify integration issues or newly discovered cross-team dependencies. The appropriate representatives are those who can best collaborate and communicate the progress and impediments of their Scrum Teams, and who can make and influence decisions regarding the integration and delivery of the product. The number and selection of the representatives may vary depending on the context and needs of the Nexus 234. The Nexus Daily Scrum does not replace the Daily Scrum of each Scrum Team, which is still held by all the Developers of the team to plan their work for the day 5.

The Nexus Sprint Retrospective is an event that occurs at the end of the Sprint where the Nexus, which is a group of approximately three to nine Scrum Teams working on the same product, plans ways to increase quality and effectiveness across the whole Nexus 11. The purpose of the Nexus Sprint Retrospective is to inspect and adapt the Nexus framework, the integrated work, the processes, the tools, and the interactions among the Scrum Teams 11. Therefore, statement C is correct.

The Nexus Sprint Retrospective follows a three-step process: first, representatives from each Scrum Team identify issues that affect multiple teams; second, each Scrum Team conducts its own Sprint Retrospective; and third, representatives from each team meet again to discuss any actions needed based on the shared challenges 112233. The Nexus Sprint Retrospective enables bottom-up intelligence to improve how the Scrum Teams in a Nexus are working together, as it allows the teams to share their insights, learn from each other, and collaborate on solutions 44. Therefore, statement A is also correct.

Statement B is incorrect because the Nexus Sprint Retrospective is not a forum for management to see how the Nexus is performing, but rather a time for the Nexus to self-organize and self-improve 1144. Statement D is incorrect because the Nexus Sprint Retrospective is not a single meeting to inspect and adapt how all Scrum Teams work together, but rather a combination of three meetings that involve both individual and collective reflection and action 112233.

The Definition of Done is a set of quality standards that apply to the Integrated Increment, which is the combined work of all the Scrum Teams in the Nexus that meets the Nexus Sprint Goal 11. The Definition of Done creates transparency and alignment among the Scrum Teams and the stakeholders, and ensures that the Integrated Increment is potentially releasable 22. The Definition of Done can evolve over time as the Nexus learns from its experience and feedback, and as the product complexity and quality expectations change 33. The best place to discuss and update the Definition of Done is at the Nexus Sprint Retrospective, which is an event that occurs at the end of the Sprint where the Nexus inspects and adapts its processes, tools, and interactions 11. The Nexus Integration Team, which is a group of people who are accountable for ensuring the integration and delivery of the Integrated Increment, is responsible for the Definition of Done, but they can involve the other Scrum Team members and stakeholders in the discussion and decision 1144. Therefore, statement C is the correct answer.

Statement A is incorrect because it implies that the Nexus Integration Team can unilaterally change the Definition of Done without consulting the other Scrum Teams or stakeholders, which would undermine the transparency and collaboration that are essential for scaling Scrum 1144. Statement B is incorrect because it suggests that the Definition of Done is owned by the larger development organization, which may not be familiar with the specific needs and challenges of the Nexus, and that the changes are communicated by stakeholders, who may not have the technical expertise or authority to do so 1144. Statement D is incorrect because it assumes that the Scrum Masters have the sole power to decide on changes to the Definition of Done, which would exclude the input and agreement of the Nexus Integration Team, the other Scrum Team members, and the stakeholders 1144.

The Nexus framework is a way of scaling Scrum for multiple teams working on a single product. The Nexus framework uses Scrum as its building block and extends it only where necessary to minimize and manage dependencies between teams 11. The Nexus framework defines the accountabilities, events, and artifacts that bind and weave together the work of the teams in a Nexus 11. One of the key events in the Nexus framework is the Nexus Sprint Planning, which is used to coordinate the activities of all teams in the Nexus for a single Sprint 11.

The purpose of Nexus Sprint Planning is to:

• Coordinate the activities of all the Scrum Teams in a Nexus. This is answer A. This is a valid answer because the Nexus Sprint Planning is an event where the Nexus, consisting of the Product Owner and appropriate representatives from each team, meet to plan the Sprint 11. The purpose of Nexus Sprint Planning is to coordinate the activities of all teams in the Nexus for a single Sprint 11. The Nexus Sprint Planning helps the teams to align their work with the Product Goal, identify and resolve dependencies, and create a common understanding of the Sprint 11.
• Create a plan for the Sprint. This is answer D. This is a valid answer because the Nexus Sprint Planning is an event where the Nexus creates a plan for the Sprint 11. The result of Nexus Sprint Planning is a Nexus Sprint Goal that aligns with the Product Goal and a Nexus Sprint Backlog that contains the work to be done by the teams to achieve the Nexus Sprint Goal 11. The Nexus Sprint Backlog is a visualization of the work across the Nexus that has dependencies 11. The Nexus Sprint Goal and the Nexus Sprint Backlog guide the teams throughout the Sprint 11.

The other two answers are not correct because:

• Discover all the dependencies between Product Backlog items. This is answer B. This is not a valid answer because the Nexus Sprint Planning is not the only time to discover all the dependencies between Product Backlog items. Dependencies are the relationships between the work items that affect the order, timing, or outcome of the work 22. Dependencies can cause delays, rework, waste, and lower quality 22. Therefore, it is important to identify and resolve dependencies as early and as often as possible 22. The Nexus Sprint Planning is a time to coordinate the activities of the teams for the upcoming Sprint and to create a Nexus Sprint Goal and a Nexus Sprint Backlog 11. The discovery of dependencies should be done continuously throughout the Sprint, not only during the Nexus Sprint Planning 11. One of the activities that can help the teams to discover dependencies before the Nexus Sprint Planning is the Cross-Team Refinement, where representatives from each team in the Nexus meet to decompose and refine the Product Backlog items into smaller pieces of work that can be delivered by a single team or multiple teams 1[1][6].
• Ensure all teams are committing to the right work. This is answer C. This is not a valid answer because the Nexus Sprint Planning is not a time to ensure all teams are committing to the right work. The Nexus Sprint Planning is a time to coordinate the activities of the teams for the upcoming Sprint and to create a Nexus Sprint Goal and a Nexus Sprint Backlog 11. The Nexus Sprint Planning is not a time to impose or dictate the work to the teams, but rather to collaborate and align the work with the Product Goal 11. The teams are self-organizing and autonomous, which means they decide how to do their work and what work to do 1[1][7]. The teams do not commit to the work, but rather forecast the work based on their capacity and understanding 1[1][7].

The best answers for this question are:

• C. Provides input into each Scrum Team’s individual Daily Scrums to help them better plan their days work. This answer is correct because the Nexus Daily Scrum is an event that helps the Scrum Teams in a Nexus to coordinate their work and identify any integration issues or dependencies that may affect their progress toward the Nexus Sprint Goal. The appropriate representatives from each Scrum Team attend the Nexus Daily Scrum and share relevant information and feedback that can help their teams plan their work for the next 24 hours 112233.
• E. Is an opportunity to make integration issues transparent. This answer is also correct because the Nexus Daily Scrum is an event that enables the Scrum Teams in a Nexus to inspect the current state of the Integrated Increment and to make any integration issues or newly discovered cross-team dependencies transparent. The Nexus Daily Scrum also provides a forum for the Scrum Teams to collaborate and resolve any integration challenges or impediments that may arise during the Sprint 112244.

The other answers are not correct for the following reasons:

• A. Provides a single meeting where all Scrum Teams can update the Sprint Backlog. This answer is not accurate because the Nexus Daily Scrum is not a meeting where all Scrum Teams update the Sprint Backlog, but rather an event where appropriate representatives from each Scrum Team inspect the Integrated Increment and identify integration issues or dependencies. The Sprint Backlog is updated by each Scrum Team during their own Daily Scrum, which is a separate event from the Nexus Daily Scrum 1155.
• B. Is the same as a Scrum-of-Scrums. This answer is not true because the Nexus Daily Scrum is not the same as a Scrum-of-Scrums, which is a common practice for coordinating multiple Scrum Teams that is not part of the Scrum framework. The Nexus Daily Scrum is a specific event defined by the Nexus framework, which is a minimal extension of Scrum that enables multiple Scrum Teams to work together on a single product. The Nexus Daily Scrum has a clear purpose, structure, and outcome that differs from a Scrum-of-Scrums 112233.
• D. Is only for the Nexus Integration Team to plan their work for the next 24-hours. This answer is not correct because the Nexus Daily Scrum is not only for the Nexus Integration Team, but also for the appropriate representatives from each Scrum Team in the Nexus. The Nexus Integration Team is a special Scrum Team that facilitates the integration and delivery of the work done by the other Scrum Teams, but it does not plan the work for them. The Nexus Daily Scrum is an event that helps all the Scrum Teams in the Nexus to coordinate their work and identify any integration issues or dependencies 1155.

The purpose of Nexus Sprint Retrospective is all of the above, meaning that it aims to:

• Plan ways to increase quality and effectiveness across the whole Nexus. The Nexus Sprint Retrospective is a formal opportunity for a Nexus to inspect and adapt itself and create a plan for improvements to be enacted during the next Sprint to ensure continuous improvement 11.
• To inspect how the last Sprint went with regards to individuals, teams, interactions, processes, tools, and its Definition of Done. The Nexus Sprint Retrospective follows the same format and principles as the Scrum Team Sprint Retrospective, but at a larger scale. The Nexus inspects the aspects of the product development that affect the Nexus as a whole, such as the collaboration, the integration, the dependencies, the quality, and the value 22.
• To complement the Scrum Teams’ Sprint Retrospectives by using bottom-up intelligence to focus on issues that affect the Nexus as a whole. The Nexus Sprint Retrospective does not replace the Scrum Teams’ Sprint Retrospectives, but rather enhances them by using the input and output from the individual teams to identify and address the shared challenges and opportunities 33.