CASPO-001 GAQM Certified Agile Scrum Product Owner (CASPO) Free Practice Exam Questions (2025 Updated)

Incremental delivery in Scrum involves delivering usable product pieces iteratively. TheScrum Guidedefines an Increment as: "a concrete stepping stone toward the Product Goal" that is "usable" and "meets the Definition of Done." Option D—deploying functional increments over the project—reflects this, emphasizing cumulative value delivery.

A:Nonfunctional increments contradict the "usable" requirement.

B:Testing is part of creating a "Done" Increment, not a post-delivery step.

The Sprint Retrospective is a key Scrum event focused on continuous improvement. TheScrum Guidedefines its purpose explicitly as an opportunity for the Scrum Team (Product Owner, Scrum Master, and Developers) to reflect on the past Sprint and identify actionable ways to enhance their effectiveness and quality in the next Sprint. Option C—"Inspect how the last Sprint went and plan improvements for the next Sprint"—accurately captures this intent, aligning with Scrum’s empirical pillars of inspection and adaptation. Let’s evaluate all options:

A (Review stories planned for the next Sprint and provide estimates):This pertains to Sprint Planning or Product Backlog refinement, not the Retrospective. The Retrospective focuses on past performance, not future planning of specific stories or estimation.

B (Demonstrate completed User Stories to the Product Owner):This describes the Sprint Review, where the Increment is showcased to stakeholders, not the Retrospective, which is an internal team event.

C:Correct—the Retrospective is about inspecting the last Sprint (e.g., processes, interactions, tools) and adapting by planning improvements, making it the best answer.

Validated learning, a concept from Lean thinking integrated into Scrum, involves testing assumptions with real-world outcomes. TheScrum Guideemphasizes frequent delivery to gain feedback: "The Product Owner is accountable for maximizing value." Option A—releasing an Increment to the market—directly tests business assumptions (e.g., user needs, market fit), providing concrete data. Option B (Sprint Review acceptance) is internal and doesn’t validate with external users. Option C focuses on productivity, not business value validation. Thus, A is the key way.

TheScrum Guidedefines the Scrum Team as consisting of three roles: "The Scrum Team consists of one Scrum Master, one Product Owner, and Developers." Option A (Developers) is the group responsible for building the Increment. Option D (Product Owner) manages the Product Backlog and value delivery. Option E (Scrum Master) facilitates Scrum adoption and team effectiveness. Options B (Users) and C (Customers) are external stakeholders, not Scrum Team roles—they interact with the product but aren’t part of the team. Thus, A, D, and E are the correct roles.

The Product Backlog is under the Product Owner’s control and can be updated anytime. TheScrum Guidestates: "The Product Owner is accountable for effective Product Backlog management," implying ongoing adjustments as needed.

A:Limiting updates to Sprint Review contradicts its emergent nature.

B:Refinement is a key activity, but updates aren’t restricted to it.

C:A "change request" process isn’t in Scrum.

TheScrum Guidemandates that when multiple Scrum Teams work on one product, they produce a single integrated Increment: "Multiple Scrum Teams often work together on the same product... The Increment must be integrated and usable so that it can provide value." This ensures transparency and stakeholder feedback at the Sprint Review. Option A (hardening Sprint) is a misconception—Scrum rejects separate phases for integration. Option B contradicts the single-product focus. Option C limits integration to dependencies, but theScrum Guiderequires full integration regardless. Option D correctly emphasizes the need for a cohesive, inspectable Increment, making it the best answer.

The Scrum Master serves the Product Owner by fostering Scrum adoption: "The Scrum Master serves the Product Owner in several ways, including... Helping find techniques for effective Product Goal definition and Product Backlog management." If collaboration is lacking, coaching (C) aligns with this role, emphasizing Scrum’s collaborative nature and incremental value delivery.

A:Escalation bypasses the Scrum Master’s responsibility to resolve issues.

TheScrum Guidedefines an Increment as "a concrete stepping stone toward the Product Goal" that is usable and meets the Definition of "Done": "Each Increment is additive to all prior Increments and thoroughly verified, ensuring that all Increments work together." Option E captures this—new, usable features that build on previous work. Option A (test suite) is a tool, not an Increment. Option B (UML diagrams) is documentation, not working software. Option C (task decomposition) is planning, not a product. Option D (UI design) isn’t necessarily usable software. Thus, E best describes an Increment.

If the Sprint Goal becomes obsolete (e.g., a feature is no longer needed), the Product Owner can cancel the Sprint. TheScrum Guidestates: "A Sprint can be cancelled if the Sprint Goal becomes obsolete. Only the Product Owner has the authority to cancel the Sprint."

A:Correct—the Product Owner decides.

B:Stakeholders advise, but don’t decide.

The Product Backlog is emergent and doesn’t need to be fully "ready" before Sprint Planning. TheScrum Guidestates: "Sprint Planning initiates the Sprint by laying out the work to be performed for the Sprint." If items aren’t refined, the team can refine them during planning to select enough for the Sprint.

A:Canceling isn’t an option; Sprints start immediately after the previous one.

B:Splitting Sprint Planning isn’t supported; it’s a single time-boxed event.

The Sprint Retrospective involves the entire Scrum Team—Product Owner, Scrum Master, and Developers—to inspect and improve. TheScrum Guidestates: "The Scrum Team inspects how the last Sprint went with regards to individuals, interactions, processes, tools, and their Definition of Done." The Product Owner’s presence is mandatory because they are part of the team, contributing to discussions on collaboration and process (e.g., backlog refinement).

A:Optional attendance contradicts the team-wide focus.

C:Exclusion is incorrect; it’s not just for Developers.

The Definition of "Done" is a shared standard, often set by the organization, but defaults to the Scrum Team if no broader standard exists. TheScrum Guidestates: "If the Definition of Done for an increment is part of the conventions, standards, or guidelines of the development organization, all Scrum Teams must follow it as a minimum. If it is not an organizational standard, the Scrum Team must create a Definition of Done appropriate for the product."

A:Correct—organizational standards take precedence, otherwise the Scrum Team defines it.

B:Collaboration occurs, but it’s not just a "common denominator."

In Scrum, Sprints are continuous and fixed-length, with no gaps allowed between them. TheScrum Guideexplicitly states: "A new Sprint starts immediately after the conclusion of the previous Sprint." This ensures a consistent cadence of delivery and adaptation, a cornerstone of Scrum’s empirical process. Let’s examine each option:

A (Not enough "Ready" items):The Product Backlog can be refined incrementally; a lack of "Ready" items doesn’t justify delaying a Sprint. The team can start with what’s available and refine further during the Sprint.

B (No Sprint Goal):The Sprint Goal is defined during Sprint Planning, not beforehand. Its absence pre-Sprint isn’t a valid delay reason.

C:This aligns with theScrum Guide’s mandate for immediate succession, making it correct.

D (QA needs more time):Scrum rejects external dependencies like a separate QAdepartment; the Developers must deliver a "Done" Increment within the Sprint. Delaying contradicts this.

The Product Owner and Developers must collaborate closely to maximize value, as per theScrum Guide.

B:Collaboration enables the Product Owner to balance effort (Developer input) and value (their priority), aligning with: "The Product Owner may influence the Developers by helping them understand and select trade-offs."

D:Frequent collaboration ensures the Developers understand stakeholder needs, supporting the creation of a valuable Increment: "The Developers are required to conform to the Definition of Done and to deliver an Increment that meets the Sprint Goal."

A:Separation contradicts Scrum’s emphasis on teamwork; the Scrum Team is cohesive, not siloed.

C:Full-time co-location isn’t required; the Product Owner focuses on value, not technical mastery.

Scrum does not mandate specific tools like burndown charts; it focuses on outcomes (e.g., a "Done" Increment) rather than prescriptive practices. TheScrum Guidementions progress tracking as optional: "Various practices exist to forecast progress, like burn-downs, burn-ups, or cumulative flows. While proven useful, these do not replace the importance of empiricism."

A:False—burndown charts are optional.

Sprint length in Scrum is a critical decision that impacts the team’s ability to deliver value and adapt. TheScrum Guidestates that Sprints are fixed in length (typically one month or less) to create consistency and enable regular inspection and adaptation. While it doesn’t explicitly list factors, practical application and Scrum principles suggest:

A (The ability to go to market with a product release):Shorter Sprints allow faster feedback and releases, aligning with Scrum’s focus on delivering value frequently.

D (The level of uncertainty over the technology to be used):High uncertainty may warrant shorter Sprints to mitigate risk and validate assumptions, a key aspect of empirical process control.

The Definition of "Done" ensures quality and clarity. TheScrum Guidestates: "The Definition of Done is a formal description of the state of the Increment when it meets the quality measures required for the product."

A:It ensures the Increment is usable/releasable: "In order to provide value, the Increment must be usable."

B:It provides transparency by setting a shared standard: "The Definition of Done creates transparency by providing everyone a shared understanding of what work was completed."

C:The Sprint Goal is separate, defined in Sprint Planning.

The Daily Scrum is designed for synchronization and impediment reporting. TheScrum Guidestates: "The purpose of the Daily Scrum is to inspect progress toward the Sprint Goal and adapt the Sprint Backlog as necessary, adjusting the upcoming planned work." Developers raise impediments, which the Scrum Master then addresses.

A:Sprint Planning sets the Sprint’s work, not daily sync.

B:Correct—daily synchronization and impediment reporting.

C:Retrospective focuses on improvement, not daily progress.

The Sprint Retrospective is a mandatory event for the entire Scrum Team, including the Product Owner. TheScrum Guidespecifies: "The Sprint Retrospective is an opportunity for the Scrum Team to inspect itself and create a plan for improvements to be enacted during the next Sprint." As a Scrum Team member, the Product Owner’s participation is essential for team-wide reflection and improvement.

A:False—attendance isn’t optional.