A Scrum master plays a pivotal role in leading an Agile project management team, ensuring smooth communication and collaboration between leadership and team members for successful outcomes. They actively support the team by addressing any obstacles and distractions that may hinder progress. Whether you are a beginner, intermediate, or expert Scrum Master, this guide is designed to boost your confidence and knowledge. The following question covers various topics related to the Scrum Master and the working process. Additionally, this guide offers step-by-step explanations for each question, providing a comprehensive understanding of the concepts. By using this collection of Scrum Master interview questions, you can confidently prepare for your upcoming interview and excel in the selection process. Let’s start!

1. Scrum master interview questions: Explain Scrum.

Scrum is an agile framework for managing and organizing complex projects. It provides a structured approach to product development, emphasizing collaboration, adaptation, and continuous improvement. In Scrum, projects are divided into fixed-length iterations called Sprints, usually lasting 1-4 weeks. Each Sprint results in a shippable product increment. Basically, Scrum teams are self-organizing and cross-functional, consisting of a Product Owner, a Scrum Master, and Development Team members. Daily stand-up meetings, Sprint planning, Sprint review, and Sprint retrospective are core Scrum events. Scrum fosters transparency, customer feedback, and iterative development, making it popular in software development and other industries.

  2. Scrum master interview questions: What is the Scrum framework?

The Scrum framework is a powerful approach to product development, emphasizing value and transparent progress tracking. Using a dynamic and prioritized list of valuable tasks, the Scrum team transforms ideas into tangible products. Transparency, inspection, and adaptation are core principles that guide the team’s work throughout the process. The ultimate objective of Scrum is to foster effective collaboration among team members and deliver products that delight customers. By utilizing Scrum’s iterative and incremental approach, teams can respond to changing requirements and provide high-quality products efficiently. The framework’s emphasis on customer satisfaction and continuous improvement makes it popular for various industries seeking flexible and customer-focused development processes.

3. Scrum master interview questions: State the components of the Scrum Framework.

The Scrum framework includes some components : 

• Scrum teams
• The Scrum roles 
• Development Team
• Scrum ceremonies
• Scrum artifacts
• The Scrum rules 

4. Scrum master interview questions: What does Agile mean?

Agile refers to an iterative and incremental approach to managing software development and project management work. The Agile methodology emphasizes flexibility, collaboration, and customer-centricity to deliver high-quality products efficiently. It is a mindset and a set of values and principles rather than specific rules or practices.

5. Scrum master interview questions: Who is a scrum master?

The Scrum Master role is crucial for driving the scrum principles transformation. Serving as servant-leaders, they uphold Scrum principles and proactively address impediments that hinder the team’s progress. By guiding the team in self-organization and promoting cross-functional collaboration, the Scrum Master creates an environment conducive to delivering top-notch products. Their expertise in facilitating effective Scrum practices enables the team to work cohesively, embrace agility, and continuously improve performance.

6. Scrum master interview questions: What are the different roles in Scrum?

The different roles handled by the scrum master are : 

Product Owner – The product owner’s responsibility includes:

• Optimizing return on investment (ROI) by identifying and selecting product features.
• Organizing products into a prioritized list.
• Deciding which ones to focus on in the upcoming Sprint.
• Continuously adapting and refining this list.

Scrum Master – This person assists the team in understanding and implementing Scrum effectively to achieve maximum business value. The scrum master actively eliminates obstacles, protects the team from distractions, and facilitates adopting agile practices.

Scrum Team – The group of individuals that form a scrum team collaborate to deliver stakeholder requirements successfully. 

7. Scrum master interview questions: State the different roles played by a Scrum Master.

While leading a team these are some roles played by the scrum master.

• Facilitator
• Servant Leader
• Coach
• Process Guardian
• Impediment Remover
• Facilitator of Collaboration
• Change Agent
• Team Protector     

8. Scrum master interview questions: What are the responsibilities of a scrum master?

The Scrum Master plays a key role in facilitating and supporting the successful implementation of the Scrum process within the team and the organization. Scrum master responsibilities include:

• Implementing project management best practices.
• Keeping all parties informed and on track.
• Introducing agile engineering practices.
• Coaching and mentoring team members.
• Hosting daily standup meetings to ensure progress and alignment.
• Giving assistance to the Product Owner with managing the Product Backlog.
• Identifying and removing roadblocks that impede the team’s progress.

9. Scrum master interview questions: How does Scrum differ from other Agile methodologies?

Agile represents a philosophical approach to project management and product development, emphasizing flexibility, collaboration, and continuous improvement. In contrast, Scrum is a specific Agile methodology that adopts Agile principles and structures them into a framework.

However, Scrum organizes work into shorter timeframes called sprints, allowing for incremental progress and frequent deliveries of smaller, tangible outputs. On the other hand, in traditional Agile approaches, everything is typically delivered at the end of the project, making it harder to adapt to changing requirements.

 Agile collaboration involves members from various cross-functional teams, encouraging them to work together and share expertise. In contrast, a Scrum project team follows a more defined structure, consisting of specific roles such as the Scrum Master, who facilitates the Scrum process, and the Product Owner, who represents stakeholders and manages the product backlog.

10. Scrum master interview questions: How does a Scrum master coordinate between multiple teams?

The Scrum of Scrums (SoS) meeting is a widely used approach where representatives from each scrum team gather to collectively discuss progress, performance, issues, risks, and other relevant matters. The frequency of these meetings is typically predetermined. Typically, the scrum masters participate in these meetings to represent their respective scrum teams. Additionally, a Chief Scrum Master is responsible for coordinating and facilitating collaboration among all the scrum teams.

11. Scrum master interview questions: Why is a scrum master called a “Servant leader”?

The concept of a “servant leader” centers around a leader’s service-oriented approach and mindset. The Scrum Master embodies multiple roles, such as a facilitator, guide, and mentor. By adopting these roles, the Scrum Master empowers and involves the team more meaningfully.

12. Scrum master interview questions: How would the Scrum Master handle conflict within the team?

Providing individual coaching to team members is an effective strategy for resolving problems, and a Scrum Master must maintain positive relationships with team members and offer guidance when they face challenges.

To effectively handle conflicts within the team, the Scrum Master can follow the following steps:

• Step 1 – Set the Scene: It is essential to understand the primary cause of the conflict before taking any action. Instead of reacting aggressively, the Scrum Master should lead the team and teach them that disagreements are a normal part of the workplace and can be resolved through assertiveness. The Scrum Master must ensure that team members’ concerns are acknowledged and addressed.
• Step 2 – Gather Information: Gathering facts about the conflict is crucial before jumping to conclusions or suppressing the issue. This can be done by listening to each party separately and understanding their perspectives. The Scrum Master should also consider other team members’ views and respect their decisions. Seeking input from everyone involved helps gain a comprehensive understanding of the conflict.
• Step 3 – Brainstorm Solutions: It is often challenging for the Scrum Master to resolve conflicts alone. In such situations, organizing spontaneous group discussions and encouraging sharing of opinions can foster productive dialogue between the involved parties. It allows both sides to see things from each other’s perspective and facilitates the generation of better ideas and bridging the gap.
• Step 4 – Collaborate on Solutions: Simply listing possible solutions is not enough; they must be added to the action. The Scrum Master removes any roadblocks by implementing the agreed-upon solution. Maintaining a calm and respectful demeanor throughout the conflict resolution process helps achieve a quicker and more efficient resolution.

13. Scrum master interview questions: Explain How a Scrum Master tracks Sprint progress.

Following are the ways Scrum Master tracks sprints progress 

1. Sprint Planning: A Scrum event where the Scrum Team collaboratively determines the work to be accomplished during the upcoming Sprint. The Product Owner presents the highest-priority items from the Product Backlog, and the Development Team discusses and agrees on how to deliver them within the Sprint timeframe.
2. Daily Standup Meetings: A short, time-boxed daily event where the Development Team synchronizes their activities and plans for the next 24 hours. Each team member shares their progress, identifies any obstacles, and updates the rest of the team on their contributions towards achieving the Sprint Goal.
3. Sprint Retrospective: A Scrum event that occurs at the end of each Sprint, allowing the Scrum Team to inspect its performance and identify areas for improvement. The team reflects on their collaboration, processes, and tools to create a plan for implementing changes that will enhance their effectiveness in the next Sprint.
4. Removing Impediments: A responsibility of the Scrum Master to identify and remove any obstacles or issues that hinder the team’s progress. By facilitating communication and collaboration, the Scrum Master ensures that the team can work efficiently and deliver value without unnecessary barriers.
5. Monitoring Sprint Progress: The process of tracking the team’s progress towards achieving the Sprint Goal. The Scrum Master helps the team stay on track by regularly reviewing the Sprint Backlog, burn-down charts, or other metrics to ensure that the work is proceeding as planned.
6. Defect Density: A metric that measures the number of defects identified in the product during a specific timeframe or Sprint. It provides insights into the product’s quality and helps the team identify areas for improvement in their development and testing processes.
7. Team Velocity: A measure of the amount of work a team can complete in a Sprint based on past performance. It helps in forecasting how much work the team can take on in future Sprints and provides valuable data for Sprint Planning and project estimation.

14. Scrum master interview questions: What are several Scrum risks? How do you handle them?

In Scrum, various types of risks can potentially impact the success of a project:

• Budget: This risk involves the possibility of exceeding planned budgets for the project. Unforeseen expenses or scope changes may lead to financial constraints.
• Team: The risk associated with the team involves ensuring that team members possess the necessary skills and capabilities to deliver the product successfully. 
• Sprint: Sprint-related risks encompass potential issues with the duration and deliverables of a Sprint. Sprints might take longer than anticipated or may not deliver the intended value if scope creep occurs.
•  Product: Risks in the product domain revolve around having ill-defined user stories and epics. Undefined needs can result in misunderstandings, additional work, and undesirable results.
•  Knowledge and Capability: This risk relates to needing additional skilled resources for the project, which may impact the team’s ability to deliver the product effectively.

To manage these risks effectively, a continual process of identification, assessment, analysis, defining risk responses, and implementation is required throughout the project’s lifecycle.

Risk management should start from the project’s inception until completion. It’s important to note that the impact of risk depends on its proximity to actual occurrence; early identification and mitigation are crucial to minimize adverse effects on the project. The project is kept on schedule and possible concerns are proactively addressed by regular monitoring and risk management efforts.

15. Scrum master interview questions: What are the differences between Scrum and Agile? 

The primary distinction between Agile and Scrum is that the former is a philosophy about delivering software to a client. At the same time, the other is a very effective methodology for doing so.

For a good reason—Scrum is an Agile methodology—Agile and Scrum use similar techniques like collaborative iterations. However, even though both entail project incremental builds, they also have particular distinctions. Scrum is the ideal option for those who need to produce results as quickly as is practical because it is a more rigid methodology with less space for change. While Scrum is more commonly utilized for innovative and experimental techniques, Agile is better suited for smaller teams and individuals who want a more straightforward design and execution.

16. Scrum master interview questions: What takes place during Daily Stand-up sessions?

Daily Stand-up sessions are short, daily discussions that typically last for about 15 minutes. They serve as a valuable opportunity for the team to:

• Share progress: Team members communicate what tasks they have completed since the last Stand-up and what tasks are currently in progress.
• Identify completed tasks: They also highlight any tasks that have been successfully finished, ensuring everyone is aware of the accomplished work.
• Address pending tasks: Team members discuss any pending tasks or work that needs attention, allowing the team to stay informed about the ongoing efforts.
• Discuss obstacles: Daily Stand-ups provide a platform for team members to raise and discuss any challenges or obstacles they are facing, allowing the team to collaborate on finding solutions.

The meeting offers a clear snapshot of the project’s scope and status, helping the team stay informed and aligned.

17. Scrum master interview questions: What are the three pillars of Scrum?

The three pillars of Scrum can be summarized as follows:

1. Adaptation: Scrum requires the process to be flexible and open to change. If any aspect of the process falls outside acceptable limits, the team must quickly adapt and make corrections to prevent future deviations. Continuous improvement is encouraged to optimize efficiency and effectiveness.
2. Transparency: Transparency ensures that all process elements are visible and understandable to everyone involved. It also includes using consistent terminology and clear definitions of “done” to avoid misunderstandings. By maintaining transparency, all team members have a shared understanding of progress, challenges, and goals.
3. Inspection: Regular inspection is a fundamental part of Scrum. It involves checking Scrum artifacts and progressing toward the Sprint Goal to identify deviations or issues. Inspections are most effective when performed by skilled inspectors at the point of work without becoming burdensome to the team’s workflow.

18. Scrum master interview questions: Explain the term “Scrum Value”.

The Scrum Values are the guiding principles that foster a collaborative and effective environment within the Scrum Team. They are:

1. Openness: Team members should be honest and transparent about their progress, challenges, and development. Open communication fosters collaboration and enables the team to address issues effectively.
2. Courage: They should be willing to try new approaches, ask for help when needed, and engage in respectful debates. They must be open, and honest with their stakeholders and themselves.
3. Focus: Each team member must focus on the tasks and how they contribute to the Sprint goal. Limiting work in progress and active participation in daily Scrum sessions can help maintain focus.
4. Respect: Respect in a Scrum team means valuing each team member’s contributions equally and appreciating their ideas and efforts. Mutual respect enhances teamwork and Productivity.
5. Commitment: Scrum teams must work together to achieve their shared goals. Trusting each other to deliver their best results and fulfill their responsibilities is crucial for successful collaboration.

19. Scrum master interview questions: Who are the potential participants in the retrospective meeting?

The sprint retrospective serves as both an analysis and improvement opportunity for the Scrum team. It is a crucial meeting that involves the entire Scrum team, which includes the Scrum Master, the product owner, and all members of the development team responsible for designing, building, and testing the product.

However, some teams may choose not to include the product owner in the retrospective meeting due to concerns that their presence might hinder open discussions. This decision can be influenced by a lack of trust between the product owner and the development team, or a perceived lack of safety that inhibits the product owner from expressing themselves candidly. In such cases, it is essential to work towards creating a safer and more trusting atmosphere before including the product owner in future retrospective meetings. Participants from outside the immediate Scrum team, including team members’ managers, should not be invited to the retrospective meeting. The exclusion of external stakeholders allows for more open and honest discussions among team members, enabling them to address challenges and identify areas for improvement without any reservations.

20. Scrum master interview questions: How can a Scrum Master ensure that the team implements the three pillars of Scrum?

The following are some methods a scrum master can make sure the team follows according to the three pillars of scrum: 

• Sprint Planning: At the initial stage of each Sprint, the Scrum Master participates in Sprint Planning alongside the Product Owner and the Development Team. During this meeting, the team decides on the scope of work to be completed during the Sprint based on the prioritized items from the Product Backlog. The Scrum Master ensures that the team has an insight into the goals and objectives for the Sprint.
• Daily Standups: The Scrum Master facilitates the Daily Standup meetings, which are short, time-boxed meetings held daily during the Sprint. During these meetings, each team member shares their accomplishments since the last standup, what they plan to work on next, and any obstacles they face. The Scrum Master listens attentively and ensures that discussions remain focused on the tasks and that any impediments are addressed promptly.
• Sprint Review: At the end of the Sprint, the Scrum Master participates in the Sprint Review with the Product Owner and the Development Team. During this meeting, the team demonstrates the completed work to stakeholders, and the Scrum Master helps facilitate feedback gathering and discussion to improve future Sprints.
• Sprint Retrospective: After the Sprint Review, the Scrum Master leads the Sprint Retrospective meeting. The retrospective is a big chance for the team to think about the Sprint and identify areas of improvement. The Scrum Master encourages open and honest communication, helps the team identify actionable items, and supports them in implementing positive changes in the next Sprint.

21. Scrum master interview questions: What is Estimation in a scrum project? 

User stories are estimated based on the difficulty or effort required for implementation. Various scales can be used to assess this difficulty, such as:

• Numeric Sizing: Assigning a numerical value (e.g., 1 to 10) to indicate the complexity or effort involved in completing the user story.
• T-shirt Sizes: Using t-shirt sizes (S, M, L, XL, etc.) to represent different levels of effort. For example, a small user story might be less complex than a large one.
• Dog Breeds: Use different dog breeds (e.g., Great Dane, Chihuahua) to represent varying difficulty levels, with larger dogs indicating more complex user stories.
• Fibonacci Series: Using the Fibonacci sequence (1, 2, 3, 5, 8, etc.) to express the relative effort, where each number is the sum of the two preceding ones. This scale helps highlight the uncertainty and imprecision in estimating.

22. Scrum master interview questions: Explain user story mapping.

User story mapping is a technique used to visually represent and organize user stories in a way that aids in understanding system functionalities, managing the system backlog, planning releases, and delivering value to customers.

In this method, user stories are arranged based on their priority along the horizontal axis, ensuring that the most important features are addressed first. On the vertical axis, the user stories are represented in increasing levels of sophistication, allowing the team to prioritize and plan the development of basic features before moving on to more complex ones.

23. Scrum master interview questions: Explain the User Story structure.

The structure of a User Story is presented as follows:

“As a <User Type>, 

I want <Task to perform>, 

So that <I can achieve some goal/benefit/>.”

24. Scrum master interview questions: When is a Scrum Master not allowed to serve as a facilitator?

While the Scrum Master is responsible for supporting the team in attaining optimal outcomes, workshop facilitation can present its own set of challenges. A workshop facilitator must be objective about the issues being discussed and refrain from interjecting facts or ideas into the debate. Eventually, Scrum Master possesses the necessary understanding, he or she may facilitate most general product development workshops. The Scrum Master, on the other side, should not allow a workshop on modifying the Scrum process.

25. Scrum master interview questions: Explain the concept of “Confidence Vote” in Scrum. How important is it?

The Confidence Vote is conducted during the Program Increment Planning session after performing a risk analysis. At this gathering, all team members come together and express their confidence in achieving the PI (Program Increment) Targets by voting with their fingers. However, the vote of confidence can be conducted once all features and user stories have been adequately estimated and prioritized. All work must be well-defined, with clear identification of dependencies and risks.

By conducting the Confidence Vote, teams foster an environment where individuals feel encouraged to share and express their ideas. It boosts team morale, as members feel their opinions are valued and considered in decision-making.

26. Scrum master interview questions: How can a Scrum Master prevent the significant weariness that retrospectives might cause?

When Scrum teams conduct the same pattern of a retrospective sprint after Sprint, it can lead to boredom and decreased engagement among team members. To address this, the Scrum Master should be open to experimentation, trying different retrospective formats, and occasionally changing the location or setting.

Repeating the same format in every retrospective can create a monotonous meeting environment. To keep things fresh, some teams may opt for holding retrospectives outside the office, like going out to lunch, which can foster a more relaxed and open discussion atmosphere. The Scrum Master’s role is to make sure that while creating a favorable environment, the essence and purpose of the retrospective are not lost.

By introducing diverse patterns and approaches, the Scrum Master can revitalize the retrospective process and maintain team engagement. The primary objective should always remain intact – to facilitate open communication, gather insights, and identify areas for improvement to enhance the team’s performance and collaboration.

27. Scrum master interview questions: Where can you use burn-up & burn-down charts?

Burn-up and burn-down charts are commonly used in Agile and Scrum projects to track and visualize progress over time. These charts provide valuable insights into how the team performs during sprints or projects. Here are some specific contexts where burn-up and burn-down charts are typically used:

• Sprint Progress Tracking
• Release Planning
• Project Management
• Status Reporting
• Continuous Improvement
• Predictability

28. Scrum master interview questions: How would you resolve disputes under the team?

One of the most effective strategies for resolving problems within a team is providing individual coaching. Maintaining positive relationships with team members and offering guidance when they face challenges is imperative for a Scrum Master.

To handle conflicts within the team, the Scrum Master can follow these steps:

• Gathering Information: Gather facts about the conflict by listening to each party separately and understanding the situation from their perspective. Consider other team members’ viewpoints and respect their decisions to understand workplace conflict comprehensively.
• Scene Setting: Understand the source of the conflict by acknowledging the discrepancy between individuals or groups. Avoid reacting aggressively, and teach the team to resolve disagreements assertively. Ensure that team members’ concerns are acknowledged and addressed.
• Solution Implementation: Work with the team to implement the agreed-upon solutions. Stay calm and respectful throughout the conflict resolution process to ensure a speedy and efficient resolution.
• Brainstorming to Find a Solution: Involve the team in spontaneous group discussions to encourage open discourse between conflicting parties. It will help both sides see things from each other’s perspective and bridge the gap.

29. Scrum master interview questions: Why is daily standup a recommended practice for all Agile teams, regardless of their size and experience level?

The daily standup meeting is a crucial practice that allows the Agile team to reflect on their progress toward achieving the Sprint goal. Regular and frequent standups are essential to make sure that all team members are aligned and aspire to a common objective. Depending on the team’s size and level of experience, the standup format may vary:

• Small and Experienced: In a small team with experienced members, a quick break or an informal meeting may suffice for the daily standup. Since team members are well-versed in the process and their roles, they can easily update each other on their progress.
• Distributed Teams: In the case of geographically dispersed teams, where location constraints exist, the team can conduct the daily standup through virtual means like “dial-in” or online video conferencing. This approach helps organize the meeting effectively despite physical distance.
• Large Teams: For large teams, a casual approach to the standup may lead to inefficiencies. Formal meetings are essential to provide guidance, ensure clarity, and inform everyone about each other’s work.
• Small and Inexperienced: A formal standup is preferable in a small team with less experience. The Scrum Master should guide the team through the process to help them understand progress, receive assistance with technical or functional challenges, and grasp the Agile values, principles, and discipline.

30. Scrum master interview questions: Can Scrum Masters ensure the timely delivery of action items? 

For the retrospective to be effective, the team must identify actionable items. These action items provide a starting point for discussions, but more than merely naming them is required. The team should ensure that these action items are addressed and closed as promptly as possible.

To achieve this, the Scrum Master plays a crucial role. Each action item should have a designated owner, and the team should avoid assigning multiple owners to a single item to maintain clear accountability. The Scrum Master should take the necessary steps to facilitate the completion of these action items and ensure that progress is tracked effectively.

To keep everyone on the same page, the Scrum Master can maintain a record of action items in a program or spreadsheet accessible to the entire team. Additionally, having a backlog of action items allows the team to prioritize and tackle them in a systematic manner, leading to continuous improvement and positive outcomes from retrospectives.

31. Scrum master interview questions: When should you use Waterfall over Scrum?

Use waterfall if the needs are straightforward, foreseeable, completely understood, and unlikely to change.

32. Scrum master interview questions: What is the difference between MVP and MMR?

The Minimum Viable Product (MVP) is a concept from the Lean Startup methodology that emphasizes learning and validating assumptions while developing a product. It involves creating an initial product version and exposing it to target consumers and users to gather relevant data and insights.

By providing early access to the product, you can observe how users interact with it, understand their perceptions, and gain valuable feedback. This process allows you to test your product’s concept, identify potential improvements, and better understand your customers’ needs.

Companies often release a product in stages over time to describe each “significant” deployment in successful product development. You effectively address your customers’ immediate needs with the Minimum Marketable Release (MMR), which is a product release with the most miniature feature set. We design MMRs to shorten the time-to-market between releases by focusing on delivering new value to customers in the most condensed and coherent increments possible.

33. Scrum master interview questions: In Scrum, what do you mean by user stories? What are the benefits of framing good user stories?

From the perspective of the end user, a user story is an informal and customer-centric description of software features. It aims to explain how the feature will benefit the customer, keeping people at the core of agile software development. Using no-technical language, user stories effectively communicate the development team’s efforts and objectives. They clearly understand why the feature is being developed, what it entails, and the value it adds.

Benefits of using user stories include:

• User-Centric Definition: User stories prioritize the needs and preferences of end users, fostering a strong connection between users and team members.
• Capturing User Goals: The syntax of user stories ensures that the user’s desired goals, benefits, or values are effectively captured.
• Inclusion of Acceptance Criteria: User stories incorporate acceptance criteria, benefiting the Scrum Team by providing clear guidelines for success.
• Flexibility and Adaptability: User stories can change throughout the project’s execution. If an account becomes too large, it can be divided into smaller ones, and acceptance criteria can be adjusted as needed.

34. Scrum master interview questions: Explain the 3 C’s in a User Story.

The 3 C’s are defined as:

• Card: A card is a concise written account of a user story used for planning and estimation purposes. To maintain brevity, user stories are often manually written on index cards.
• Conversation: The conversation is essential to delve deeper into the user story. It fosters collaboration within the Agile team and encourages incremental steps to achieve a shared understanding of the problem and potential solutions.
• Confirmation: Confirmation involves creating acceptance criteria that outline the essential requirements and transform them into test criteria. These criteria serve as a basis to determine when the user story has been successfully delivered and meets the necessary criteria for acceptance.

35. Scrum master interview questions: Who takes responsibility for the User Story?

Anyone on the Agile team can write user stories. While the product owner is liable for ensuring the existence of an agile user story backlog, they may not be the sole producer of the stories. In the early stages of product development, the team collaborates to discuss user needs and convert them into user stories. The product backlog is a dynamic entity that is never frozen, allowing anyone to add new requirements or improvements as user stories.

The format of user stories is well-defined, making it more straightforward for any team member to understand and write them. If the stories meet the criteria and capture the necessary information, anyone in the team can contribute to the user story-writing process. This flexibility fosters better collaboration and ensures that valuable insights and ideas are captured, regardless of who creates the user story.

36. Scrum master interview questions: Can you explain the concept of “Sprint Zero” in Scrum?

Sprint 0 is an initial phase in Agile project management that involves dedicating a small amount of effort to create a preliminary version of the product backlog. This phase also includes conducting research spikes to gain valuable insights for estimating the release of the products. The objectives of Sprint 0 include:

1. Creating the Project Skeleton and Research Spikes: During Sprint 0, teams establish the fundamental structure of the project, laying the groundwork for subsequent development. Research spikes are conducted to explore and validate potential technical solutions or to gather information on complex issues before commencing development.
2. Minimal Design: Sprint 0 focuses on creating a minimal design or architecture that provides a basic understanding of how the product components will fit together. This allows teams to have a broad view of the project’s technical aspects while keeping it open to iterative improvements throughout subsequent sprints.
3. Developing Complete Stories: Although most of the development work occurs in subsequent sprints, Sprint 0 may involve fully developing some high-priority user stories or features. This enables the team to get a head start on the implementation of critical functionality.
4. Low Velocity and Lightweight Approach: Sprint 0 is intentionally kept lightweight, meaning the level of commitment and effort from the team is minimal compared to regular sprints. The velocity during Sprint 0 tends to be lower as the primary focus is on laying the groundwork and preparing for more focused development in subsequent sprints.

Sprint 0 serves as an essential preparatory phase in the Agile development process, allowing teams to establish a basic project structure, conduct research spikes, develop selected user stories, and keep the initial design minimal. By adopting a low-velocity and lightweight approach, Sprint 0 sets the stage for a successful and efficient Agile project delivery.

37. Scrum master interview questions: What do you mean by Spike?

A spike in Agile development refers to a set of activities inspired by Extreme Programming, aimed at conducting research, design, investigation, and prototyping to address specific uncertainties or challenges in a project. The primary goal of a spike is to mitigate risks associated with technical approaches by acquiring knowledge that helps the team better understand requirements and improve the overall reliability of the development process.

38. Scrum master interview questions: Is it essential for a Scrum Master to attend the Daily Scrum?

No. The presence of a Scrum Master is not mandatory during the Daily Scrum; their attendance is not a requirement for the meeting. The only essential aspect is that the Development Team conducts the Daily Scrum. This meeting is exclusively for the participation of Development Team members. However, the Scrum Master or Product Owner can be present if they wish to offer assistance during the Daily Scrum, but Scrum does not impose this as a necessity.

39. Scrum master interview questions: What is time-boxing in Scrum? How can a Sprint be canceled, and by whom?

Time-boxing is a technique that concerns allocating a fixed amount of time to a specific activity or task. Each time box represents a unit of time, and keeping time boxes relatively short is recommended, typically at most 15 minutes. In Agile projects, a Sprint, a time-boxed iteration, can be canceled before its designated time limit is reached. However, only the Product Owner can decide to cancel a Sprint.

40. Scrum master interview questions: How do you handle situations where the Product Owner is not available for Sprint Review?

Even after the commencement of a Sprint, it is essential for the remaining items on the Product Backlog to be thoroughly refined and prioritized. Generally, in some cases where the Product Owner is unable to attend the Sprint Planning session, the Development Team should step in and take the initiative to assess what tasks they can undertake and start formulating a plan to execute them.

However, this scenario carries a level of inherent risk. For instance, if the Product Owner has been on leave, the Product Backlog might not be as well-refined as it should be. To address this risk, organizations may opt for mitigation strategies, such as ensuring there is a competent individual with sufficient knowledge and skills to fill in for the Product Owner during extended absences. Ultimately, the decision to implement such measures would be dependent on the organization’s specific circumstances and policies.

41. Scrum master interview questions: What is a Product Backlog in Scrum?

The Product Backlog is a complete list of all the tasks and features required to create the final product. The Product Owner is responsible for collecting, prioritizing, and refining the items in the Product Backlog, aligning them with the overall goal of the product. Depending on the customer’s vision, there may be opportunities to adjust or modify the items in the backlog.

It’s crucial to note that the Product Backlog is distinct from the Sprint Backlog, as it encompasses all tasks necessary for the complete development of the product. The team must continuously maintain the Product Backlog until they fully develop the entire product, ensuring that they stay focused on the project’s long-term objectives.

42. Scrum master interview questions: What is a Sprint Backlog?

The Sprint Backlog is a collection of all the items taken from the Product Backlog that must be completed for the successful conclusion of a Sprint. It outlines a strategy for transforming these selected items into an Increment during the Sprint.

The responsibility of developing and working on the Sprint Backlog lies with the Development Team, ensuring the timely completion of the Sprint. The team solely focuses on achieving the Sprint goal set for that specific Sprint in the Sprint Backlog. While the Sprint Goal remains unchanged throughout the Sprint, the Sprint Backlog may be subject to change as the Sprint progresses. The Product Backlog is the sole determinant of the Sprint Backlog’s contents.

The Sprint Backlog represents a subset of the Product Backlog, containing the items chosen to be completed within a Sprint. Each Sprint has its own dedicated Sprint Backlog, which is considered complete when the Sprint itself concludes.

43. Scrum master interview questions: How can you ensure that the user stories meet the requirements?

A good user story follows the INVEST principle and includes the following elements:

• Independent: User stories should have minimal dependencies, allowing the team to work on them without relying heavily on other stories or components.
• Negotiable: During sprint planning and development, we can negotiate and refine the details of the user story, promoting flexibility and collaboration.
  
• Valuable: User stories should deliver value to the end-users or customers. They should address specific needs or provide tangible benefits.
• Estimable: The team should be able to estimate the effort required to complete the user story within a sprint, ensuring realistic planning and capacity allocation.
• Small: Breaking down more significant features into smaller stories helps maintain focus and track progress effectively. You must complete it within a single sprint, making it small enough.
• Testable: User stories should have clear acceptance criteria that define the expected outcomes and ensure that they can adequately test the functionality.

By incorporating these elements into user stories, Agile teams can deliver valuable increments of work with clear scope and achievable objectives, leading to successful sprints and project outcomes.

44. Scrum master interview questions: Explain the five steps of risk management.

These are five steps of Risk Management:

• Risk Identification: The first step is to identify all potential risks your company may face in its current operating environment. It includes market risks, legal risks, regulatory risks, environmental risks, etc. The goal is to be aware of as many risk factors as possible.
• Risk Analysis: Once you identify a risk, you should thoroughly investigate it. One must understand the scope of the risk and its connection to other internal factors. One should also assess the severity and impact of the risk on business operations.
• Risk Ranking: The subsequent step is to prioritize risks based on their severity and potential impact. Risk management solutions often categorize risks into various levels of priority. We rank risks lower if they have minor consequences, and higher if they have significant potential losses.
• Risk Treatment: Next step is to develop strategies to mitigate or avoid identified risks. The scrum master should seek input from experts in the relevant fields to devise appropriate risk management plans. Although, may involve contacting stakeholders and organizing meetings to address the issues effectively.
• Risk Review: The final step in risk management is to continuously monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of risk treatments.

Risk Management also ensures that we adequately address risks and, if necessary, make adjustments to reduce or eliminate potential threats.

45. Scrum master interview questions: How to deal with team members cherry-picking tasks?

It can be difficult to manage team members who pick and choose which jobs to do, which has a detrimental effect on productivity. Establishing clear expectations and guidelines for task allocation is crucial to address this issue. Implementing a fair and transparent system, such as rotating responsibilities or utilizing a task management tool, can help ensure equal distribution of tasks and workload.

Promoting the importance of teamwork and collaboration is essential. Encourage team members to support one another and work together towards common goals. Regularly providing feedback and recognition for individual and team efforts fosters a positive and inclusive work environment where everyone feels valued and motivated to contribute effectively. By implementing these measures, you can create a cohesive, high-performing team working harmoniously to achieve shared objectives.

46. Scrum master interview questions: Explain Scope Creep. What are the ways you can manage Scope Creep?

Scope creep refers to the tendency of project requirements to expand or change over time, leading to increased project complexity. For example, a product initially planned with three essential features might end up with ten features due to evolving customer needs or internal miscommunication.

To manage scope creep, a change management mechanism is crucial:

• Maintaining Baseline Scope: Establish a clear baseline scope at the project’s outset and track progress against it throughout its lifecycle.
• Variance Analysis: Regularly assess actual work performance metrics against the baseline scope to identify discrepancies and understand how much the current project deviates from the original plan.
• Identifying Causes: Identify the source and severity of observed alterations, whether they stem from customer requests, internal disagreements, or other factors.
• Change Requests Management: Evaluate all change requests and determine if preventive or corrective actions are necessary.
  
• Perform Integrated Change Control: Utilize the Perform Integrated Change Control process to recommend actions and manage change requests effectively, ensuring the project remains on track and aligned with stakeholders’ expectations.

47. Scrum master interview questions: The Agile methodology strongly focuses on “People Over Processes.” Is it contradictory for the Scrum Master to enforce “the process”?

While Scrum identifies the Scrum Master as the person responsible for enforcing the process, it is crucial to understand the nature and limitations of this role.

In this context, enforcement does not mean forcing the team to follow the process strictly. Instead, the Scrum Master is a facilitator, supporting the team in achieving success by implementing essential Scrum elements. The Scrum Master applies Scrum practices and encourages the team to embrace Scrum values during facilitation.

It’s essential to highlight that this role involves encouragement, not coercion. The Scrum Master is never a project manager but rather a collaborator, assisting the team in overcoming obstacles collectively. They demonstrate the benefits of adopting Scrum processes and help the team grasp Scrum principles, similar to showing the right path and allowing the team to decide whether to follow it. The Scrum Master is a mentor, guiding the team throughout their Agile journey and helping them succeed in their Agile practices. By embodying the spirit of facilitation, encouragement, and mentorship, the Scrum Master contributes significantly to the team’s growth and performance.

48. Scrum master interview questions: When referring to Scrum, what do you mean by Velocity? Does having the highest Velocity guarantee the most Productivity?

The team uses velocity as a metric to measure their productivity during a sprint. It represents the number of completed user stories or tasks within that Sprint.

No, having the highest Velocity does not guarantee the highest Productivity. A team’s efforts to increase Velocity sometimes have the opposite effect.

If a team is pressured for time, they may choose to skip unit or acceptance testing, reduce client involvement, neglect issue resolution, minimize refactoring, and overlook several other crucial advantages of the agile development methodology. Although there can be a short-term advantage, there will be a long-term negative effect. The objective is to attain optimal Velocity over time, which considers several factors, including the quality of the final product.

49. Scrum master interview questions: What do you mean by Scrum of Scrums?

Multiple teams who need to work together on complex solutions might be connected using the agile technique known as Scrum of Scrums. The Scrum of Scrums is a virtual team comprising delegates from each delivery team, establishing embedded linkages for seamless communication. This interconnected team architecture simplifies communication pathways compared to traditional organizational hierarchies or project-based teams. The main goal is to effectively coordinate smaller, self-contained groups, allowing for efficient collaboration and successful delivery of complex projects.

50. Scrum master interview questions: What is a burn-down chart?

A burn-down chart shows how much time a team has expended, such as during a sprint. Talk about how you’ve previously used these.

51. Scrum master interview questions: What is a burn-up chart?

In Scrum projects, a burn-up chart is a valuable tool for visualizing the team’s work progress. It presents a clear picture of the project scope and the completed work. By utilizing a burn-up chart, the team can effortlessly monitor their advancement throughout the Sprint, making it easier to track their journey towards completing the project successfully.

52. Scrum master interview questions: How many Scrum teams have you previously managed?

In this new role, you may lead multiple teams as a Scrum Master. It’s essential to remember that Scrum Masters don’t “manage” teams; they “lead” teams. As a Scrum Master, your primary responsibility is to facilitate and guide the Agile and Scrum processes within your teams. You’ll foster a collaborative and self-organizing environment, remove impediments, and coach team members on Agile practices and principles. Your focus will be on promoting a culture of continuous improvement and empowering teams to achieve their goals effectively. Leading multiple teams requires exceptional communication, facilitation, and problem-solving skills to ensure each team benefits from your support and guidance.

53. Scrum master interview questions: Which metrics or reports have you implemented?

Agile projects commonly use Sprint, release burn-down, and burn-up charts as reporting tools. Companies often seek to gauge their team’s performance by comparing the number of committed stories versus completed stories in each Sprint. Additionally, post-release, they track the number of defects identified in the production environment to assess the software’s quality and identify areas for improvement. These standard reports provide valuable insights into the team’s progress and the product’s stability, enabling better decision-making and continuous improvement.

54. Scrum master interview questions: Why have man-hours for the user stories not been estimated?

Estimating tasks using clock-in-hours is a popular method, but it has some significant drawbacks:

• Some activities are challenging to estimate accurately, Eg.- legacy work.
• If one team member provides the estimate, but another completes the task, the estimate loses its validity.
• The time to complete a task can vary depending on the developer’s experience level.
• Teams may overestimate difficulties and only consider the best-case scenario.

On the other hand, estimating user stories in points offers several advantages:

• Story points are independent of the estimator’s skills and experience, providing a fair and consistent estimation approach.
•  Story points, being relative sizes, remain unaffected by external factors, leading to more accurate estimations.
• Estimating points fosters collaboration, prioritizing teamwork over individual performance.
• Estimating with points becomes a team-building activity, encouraging healthy discussions, constructive criticism, and a better understanding of estimations through activities like planning poker.

55.  Scrum master interview questions: What are the downsides of using Scrum?

• Scrum relies on experienced individuals who contribute to the team’s success.
• Successful Scrum teams emphasize collaboration and dedication to delivering outcomes.
• Inexperienced Scrum Masters may jeopardize project success.
• Accurate and well-defined tasks are vital to avoid project discrepancies.
• Scrum is well-suited for smaller projects, but larger and more intricate endeavors may face challenges when scaling.

56. Scrum master interview questions: What key skills do you think a Scrum Master should have?

A competent Scrum Master should possess the following skills:

• A thorough grasp of Scrum and Agile principles.
• Exceptional organizational skills, ensuring efficient workflow.
• Familiarity with the team’s technology to facilitate effective collaboration.
• Coaching and teaching capabilities to guide the team in adopting Scrum practices.
• Proficiency in conflict resolution to address issues promptly.
• Embodying the qualities of a servant leader, prioritizing the team’s needs and success.

57. Scrum master interview questions: What does the term “Scrum Artifacts” mean?

Scrum Artifacts are vital in conveying essential information to the Scrum Team and stakeholders about the product’s development, completed activities, and planned project activities. The Scrum Process Framework defines the following artifacts.

1. Product Backlog: This is a comprehensive list of features, functionalities, requirements, additions, and fixes that will be part of future product releases. Each item in the Product Backlog comes with a description, an estimation of the effort required, its order, and its value. The Product Owner is liable for managing the content, availability, and prioritization of the Product Backlog.
2. Sprint Backlog: The Sprint Backlog comprises selected Product Backlog items for a specific Sprint. However, it also includes a plan for delivering the product increment and achieving the Sprint Goal. The Sprint Backlog represents the team’s projection of the features available in the next increment and the tasks needed to turn those features into a functional product.
3. Increment: The Definition of Done includes all Product Backlog items that the team completes during a Sprint, as well as all preceding Sprint increments. At the end of a Sprint, the increment must be fully functional and usable, even if the decision to release it has yet to be made.
4. We continuously track the total work remaining in the Sprint Backlog throughout the Sprint using the Sprint Burn-Down Chart. The team assesses the remaining work during each Daily Scrum to estimate the likelihood of achieving the Sprint Goal. The team can control its progress and ensure alignment with the Sprint Goal by monitoring the remaining work. The Sprint Burn-Down Chart visually represents the Scrum Team’s progress toward achieving the Sprint Goal, making it an effective tool for monitoring and managing Sprint progress.

58.  Scrum master interview questions: What are the other Agile Frameworks apart from Scrum?

Apart from Scrum, various other frameworks exist in the Agile domain, including Kanban, Test Driven Development (TDD), and Feature-Driven Development (FDD). 

59. Scrum master interview questions: Do you consider implementing automated testing for your project?

Scrum promotes the adoption of automated performance or regression testing to facilitate swift and continuous software delivery. Give examples of any automated testing tools your team has utilized in the past.

60. Scrum master interview questions: What is the meaning of DoD (Definition of Done)?

The Definition of Done (DoD) encompasses a set of deliverables, such as written code, coding comments, unit tests, integration testing, design documents, and release notes, which collectively contribute to the verifiable and demonstrable value in project development. For Scrum, DoD plays a vital role in determining the deliverables required to achieve project objectives.

DoD’s significance lies in several aspects:

1. Establishing clear steps for delivering iterations effectively.
2. Utilizing appropriate tools like burndown charts to enhance the development process.
3. Ensuring timely feedback throughout the project’s lifecycle.
4. Validating correct understanding and execution of product backlog items through walkthroughs.
5. Creating a checklist for product backlog items to ensure adherence to DoD.
6. Focusing on task-oriented definitions within DoD.
7. Involving the product owner in reviewing during sprints and sprint retrospectives.

61. Scrum master interview questions: What is your way of dealing with difficult stakeholders?

Dealing with difficult stakeholders involves employing four strategies:

1. Active Listening: Take the time to carefully listen to their concerns and understand their perspective. By seeking common ground and acknowledging their needs, you create an environment where they feel heard and understood.
2. Assessing Motivation: Gain insights into the underlying motivations behind the stakeholders’ opposition. This understanding enables you to find win-win solutions and address their concerns effectively. Consider factors like their accountability to a board of directors or budgetary constraints that may be influencing their stance.
3. One-on-One Meetings: Conduct individual meetings with challenging stakeholders to reduce stress and encourage open communication. By meeting privately, you create a conducive environment for transparent and calm interactions. Utilize this opportunity to learn more about their viewpoints and proposed solutions.
4. Stakeholder Identification: Begin by identifying the stakeholders and understanding their interests and influence on the project. Anyone impacted by or holding influence over the project’s success is a stakeholder. This step sets the foundation for effectively managing their involvement throughout the project.

62. Scrum master interview questions: Explain Scrum-Ban.

Scrum-ban is an innovative methodology that combines the strengths of both Scrum and Kanban. It effectively caters to the team’s requirements while reducing work batching through a pull-based system. This approach cleverly integrates Scrum’s structured framework with Kanban’s adaptability and visual representation.

63. Scrum master interview questions: In the context of Scrum, what are the distinctions between Epics, User Stories, and Tasks?

In the context of Scrum, Epic, User Story, and Tasks are distinct elements with different purposes:

Epic: Epics are large, high-level requirements or initiatives that represent significant features or functionalities. Teams often find it challenging to complete them in a single Sprint and need to break them down into smaller, more manageable User Stories for implementation.

User Story: User Stories are smaller, more granular units of work that capture specific functionality or user requirements. The end-users write from their perspective and clearly describe what they need to do to deliver value. Teams usually complete User Stories within a single Sprint.

Tasks: Users further break down User Stories and represent the individual activities or steps required to complete a User Story. Development teams often use them to plan their day-to-day work during the Sprint. They are the smallest units of work. Tasks are not customer-facing and focus on the technical details of implementation.

Epics represent large initiatives, User Stories capture specific requirements, and Tasks break down User Stories into actionable steps for the development team during a Sprint.

64. Scrum master interview questions: Could you provide an explanation of Empirical Process Control within the context of Scrum?

Empiricism in Scrum entails a methodology grounded in factual data, experiences, evidence, and observations. To ensure project progress and decision-making, we adopt observed facts.

This approach relies on transparency, keen observation, and a willingness to adapt based on empirical evidence.

To achieve the required agility within the organization, it is crucial to foster a team mindset shift and promote a culture that embraces empiricism and evidence-based practices.

65. Scrum master interview questions: What strategies can the Scrum Team employ to handle discord?

To effectively handle discord within the Scrum Team, the following approaches can be applied:

1. Identify and Address Root Cause: Pinpoint the underlying cause of the issue and take necessary actions to resolve it at its source.
2. Establish Complete Ownership: Ensure that every team member takes ownership of their responsibilities and tasks, fostering accountability and commitment.
3. Diffuse Disagreements: Encourage open communication and mediate conflicting viewpoints to reach amicable resolutions.
4. Emphasize Complementary Focus Areas: Reinforce the significance of aligning individual efforts with the project’s overall goals and objectives.
5. Establish a Common Understanding: Create a shared understanding among team members about project expectations and guidelines.
6. Continuous Monitoring and Visibility: Monitor progress consistently and maintain transparency to keep the team well-informed throughout the project.

66. Scrum master interview questions: What are MVP and MMR?

• The Minimum Viable Product (MVP) originates from Lean Startup principles, emphasizing the importance of learning while developing a product. It involves testing and validating an initial version of the product with the target customers and users to gain insights. This process involves collecting relevant data and learning from it to improve the product. MVP aims to provide users with access to the product and observe their usage, perception, and understanding of it. This valuable feedback helps identify customer needs and preferences.
• The Minimal Marketable Product (MMP) is a product description that includes the essential features necessary to meet user requirements. Implementing the MMP allows organizations to reduce the time to market and swiftly deliver a product that addresses core user needs.

67.  Scrum master interview questions: Sprint is an important part of the context of Scrum. Explain.

At the core of Scrum lies the Sprint, a time-bound period typically lasting two weeks to a month. It enables the release of incremental product increments regularly. Although, new Sprint commences once the previous one concludes, breaking down large projects into manageable chunks. This approach facilitates high-quality and rapid work delivery, making project management more efficient and adaptable to changes. Thus, daily scrums, Sprint planning, sprint review, development work, and sprint retrospectives are integral components of a Sprint.

During the Sprint planning phase, the entire Scrum Team collaboratively plans the work they will accomplish in the upcoming Sprint. The Daily Scrum Meeting, a concise 15-minute session, allows the Scrum Team to assess progress and plan efforts for the following day. Upon the completion of each Sprint, a Sprint Review takes place to evaluate the increment and, if needed, update the Product Backlog.

The Sprint Retrospective occurs following the Sprint Review, but preceding the subsequent Sprint Planning. So, in this meeting, the Scrum Team evaluates their performance and devises plans for implementing improvements in the next Sprint.

68.  Scrum master interview questions: Explain the responsibilities of the Product Owner.

The Product Owner performs the following responsibilities:

1. Sets the project vision and direction.
2. Anticipates customer needs and formulates relevant user stories.
3. Assesses the progress of the project.
4. Serves as a point of contact for all product-related inquiries.

69. Scrum master interview questions: What are effective strategies for handling Scope Creep?

We add uncontrolled changes without considering their impact on scope, time, cost, etc., which we refer to as scope creep.

To effectively manage score creep, we recommend that you take the following actions:

1. Monitoring the daily progress of work diligently.
2. Clearly communicate and ensure alignment with the project vision among the team members.
3. Regularly capture and review project requirements, emphasizing the agreed-upon requirements to both the team and the customer, in comparison to what has been delivered.
4. Implementing changes only after obtaining proper approval through the change control process.
5. Avoid “gold plating,” which means adding unnecessary features or functionalities beyond what is required.

70. Scrum master interview questions: Share an instance when your Delivery team members faced challenges in their interactions. How did you address and resolve this situation?

As we recall, a situation where you encountered team members who consistently struggled to collaborate. Describe how you, as a leader, encouraged these team members to work together effectively. So, did you implement team-building exercises or ensure they had a shared goal? Thus, providing details about the problem, your approach to addressing it, and the resulting outcome.

71. Scrum master interview questions: What types of requirements did you utilize for your teams?

In Scrum, requirements are typically expressed as user stories following the format, “As a ___, I want___ so that I can ___.” As a Scrum Master, you are not directly responsible for writing user stories, but you play a crucial role in assisting the Product Owner to ensure that user stories are properly written, prioritized, and ready for inclusion in the sprint.

 Conclusion 

So, preparing for a Scrum Master interview is crucial to showcase your expertise in Agile project management and the Scrum framework. Furthermore, yourself with a comprehensive set of Scrum Master interview questions, you can confidently address various aspects of the Scrum Master’s responsibilities, roles, and many more. Hence, understanding the significance of the Scrum Values will emphasize your ability to foster a collaborative and high-performing team environment. Thus, ProThoughts is PMI  authorized, with our DASSM certification course, you can approach your interview with confidence, demonstrate your proficiency in Scrum practices, and showcase your potential to drive successful outcomes in Agile projects.