PSK-I Scrum Professional Scrum with Kanban (PSK 1) Exam Free Practice Exam Questions (2025 Updated)

When WIP limits are implemented, Developers are encouraged to focus on completing existing tasks rather than starting new ones. This leads to a more collaborative approach, as team members may swarm to complete items together. Additionally, limiting WIP enhances transparency in the process, which in turn strengthens self-management by the team. These principles align with Kanban’s emphasis on active management and the Scrum framework's focus on collaboration. References: The Kanban Guide for Scrum Teams​​.

An SLE of 85% for 5 days signifies that the team anticipates they will complete items within 5 days, 85% of the time. This helps set clear expectations with stakeholders, ensuring transparency around potential delivery timelines. The SLE is based on historical data and provides a probability-based forecast, rather than a commitment. References: The Kanban Guide for Scrum Teams​.

Supplementing Scrum with Kanban practices encourages team collaboration and swarming. Kanban practices such as visualizing the workflow, limiting WIP, and focusing on flow metrics foster an environment where team members are more likely to collaborate closely to resolve bottlenecks and ensure a steady flow of work. This collaboration, often called "swarming," involves team members working together on fewer items to complete them faster, thereby enhancing team dynamics and efficiency

Professional Scrum with Kanban builds upon the core Scrum values to enhance flow and effectiveness within the team. The relevant values are:

•Courage: Encourages team members to address issues, experiment with changes in the workflow, and make adjustments transparently, even when facing uncertainty.

•Focus: Enhances the team's ability to concentrate on achieving the Sprint Goal and flow of work items by using Work in Progress (WIP) limits and other Kanban practices.

•Openness: Promotes an open environment where the team transparently shares information on work progress, obstacles, and opportunities for improvement, which is key for continuous inspection and adaptation in Kanban.

These values directly support the empirical process control and continuous improvement principles of Kanban

An SLE indicates the expected time frame within which work items should be completed, expressed as a percentage probability over a specific range of days. This helps Scrum Teams using Kanban to establish realistic expectations about delivery timelines. References: The Kanban Guide for Scrum Teams​.

Work in Progress (WIP) and Work Item Aging are considered leading indicator metrics in Scrum with Kanban. Leading indicators are metrics that provide information that can help predict future outcomes or performance.

•Work in Progress (WIP): This metric indicates the number of work items currently being worked on and can provide early signals about potential bottlenecks or issues in the workflow. Managing WIP effectively can help teams optimize their flow and predict how work might proceed in the future.

•Work Item Aging: This metric shows how long work items have been in progress without being completed. It provides an early indication of delays and can help teams identify items that might need attention to maintain a steady flow

An SLE combines a timeframe (elapsed days) and a probability, representing the likelihood that a work item will be completed within that timeframe. This helps to set realistic expectations for stakeholders and guide the team in maintaining a predictable flow. References: The Kanban Guide for Scrum Teams​.

In Professional Scrum with Kanban, the Work in Progress (WIP) limits are set as a policy to maintain a sustainable flow of work. Urgent work emerging does not automatically warrant changing these WIP limits; instead, the team should first discuss how to accommodate the urgent work within the existing constraints. Modifying WIP limits for urgent work could undermine the benefits of a controlled flow, which is why urgent work should not be a reason to change WIP limits during a Sprint

When Developers reserve capacity for unplanned work during a Sprint, the Sprint Goal becomes even more crucial. It serves as the guiding objective that aligns the team's focus amidst uncertainties or when unplanned work is introduced. By having a clear Sprint Goal, the Developers can ensure that any new items brought into the Sprint Backlog still align with the overarching objective of the Sprint, helping them maintain focus and coherence in their efforts throughout the Sprint

A probabilistic forecast is intended to communicate a prediction based on historical data, showing the likelihood of completing a certain amount of work within a given time frame. It helps the team and stakeholders understand the probability of meeting certain goals or deadlines based on past performance, supporting more informed decision-making

Work in Progress (WIP) Limitscan be adjustedat any timeas needed to optimize flow and improve the system's efficiency. The decision to adjust WIP limits is typically informed by the team's observations of flow metrics (e.g., Cycle Time, Throughput, and Work Item Age) or to address bottlenecks or inefficiencies​​.

Supporting Reasons:

Kanban's Flexibility:

Unlike rigid frameworks, Kanban allows for flexibility in changing WIP limits whenever necessary to adapt to evolving conditions​.

Scrum Events:

Adjustments to WIP limits are often discussed during events like theSprint RetrospectiveorDaily Scrum, but these are not the only times changes can be made​​.

Empirical Process Control:

Teams use transparency, inspection, and adaptation to decide when to change WIP limits based on real-time needs​.

Why Not the Other Options?

B. When the Product Owner decides to change it:

Incorrect. WIP limits are a team decision and are not controlled solely by the Product Owner.

C. It never changes:

Incorrect. WIP limits are not static; they are dynamic and evolve based on team and system needs.

D. Only during the Sprint Retrospective:

Incorrect. While the Sprint Retrospective is a common time to discuss adjustments, changes are not restricted to this event.

E. Only during Sprint Planning:

Incorrect. Sprint Planning focuses on selecting work for the Sprint, not exclusively on adjusting WIP limits.

F. Only during the Daily Scrum:

Incorrect. Adjustments can be made during the Daily Scrum but are not limited to this event.

Adjusting WIP limits at any time ensures the team maintains an optimal flow, a core principle ofThe Kanban Guide for Scrum Teams​​.

During a flow-based Daily Scrum, the team is likely to review metrics such as Work Item Age and Work in Progress (WIP):

•Work Item Age: Helps to identify items that have been in progress for a longer time than expected, signaling possible impediments or the need for swarming to complete those items.

•Work in Progress (WIP): Indicates the number of items currently being worked on, ensuring that the team is not exceeding the agreed WIP limits, which is crucial for maintaining a steady flow

The Definition of Workflow clarifies how value moves through the system, establishes a shared understanding of when work items are considered to be in progress and completed, and enhances transparency, particularly around WIP limits. This provides structure to the Kanban system within Scrum and helps the team optimize their flow and maintain consistency. References: The Kanban Guide for Scrum Teams​​.

Kanban does not eliminate the need for a Scrum Master when used with Scrum. The Scrum Master remains an essential role to facilitate the Scrum framework, help the team adopt both Scrum and Kanban practices effectively, and ensure the team understands and adheres to Scrum principles.

The role of the Scrum Master includes coaching the team on both Scrum and Kanban practices, removing impediments, and promoting continuous improvement. Therefore, even when Scrum is used with Kanban, the Scrum Master is not optional but a critical role in ensuring that the integration of these practices is successful(

Work Item Age is the amount of time a work item has been in progress. It acts as a leading indicator for the length of the Scrum Team's feedback loop for that item. If a work item stays in progress for too long, it indicates that feedback is delayed, potentially impacting the team's ability to adapt and respond effectively. Tracking Work Item Age helps the team monitor flow and take timely actions to ensure that feedback loops remain short and effective

While WIP is a crucial metric for Kanban teams, it is not a flow metric. Flow metrics measure the movement of work through the system, while WIP measures the amount of work currently in progress.

Here's a breakdown of the other options:

Cycle Time:The time it takes to complete a piece of work from start to finish.

Throughput:The rate at which work is completed.

Work item age:The amount of time a work item has spent in the system.

All of these metrics provide insights into the flow of work and can be used to identify bottlenecks and optimize the workflow.

Therefore, option B, "Work in Progress (WIP)," is the correct answer.

For teams practicing Professional Scrum with Kanban, the most appropriate metrics to inspect are:

Control Chart:This chart helps visualize process stability and identify any significant deviations from the expected behavior. By tracking key metrics like lead time and cycletime, teams can identify trends and potential issues.

Cumulative Flow Diagram (CFD):The CFD provides a visual representation of the flow of work through the system. It helps teams understand bottlenecks, identify areas for improvement, and assess the overall health of their workflow.

Aging Chart:This chart shows the age of work items as they progress through the workflow. It helps teams identify items that are taking too long to complete and prioritize them accordingly.

These metrics are particularly relevant for Kanban teams because they focus on the flow of work and the identification of bottlenecks. By tracking these metrics, teams can make data-driven decisions to optimize their workflow and improve delivery performance.

Options B, C, and D are not the most appropriate metrics for Kanban teams. Story points and historical velocity are more commonly used in Scrum, while t-shirt size is a relative estimation technique that may not be suitable for all Kanban teams.

Work Item Aging is an essential metric that helps the Scrum Team monitor progress and detect potential delays early. It is especially useful in Daily Scrums to identify items that are taking longer than expected, allowing the team to take corrective actions and prevent delays. It also serves as a leading indicator of how long the feedback loop for a Work Item may take.

Cycle Time is a lagging indicator, meaning it can only be measured after a work item is complete. Therefore, it cannot be used as a leading indicator of the length of the feedback loop (Option A). Additionally, Cycle Time is not typically used during the Daily Scrum to help Developers inspect and adapt their Sprint; rather, it is more often used to assess overall process efficiency