So you're going for the Professional Scrum Master I (PSM I) certification from Scrum.org. Maybe you're a developer moving into a Scrum Master role. Maybe you're a project manager who wants to go agile. Or maybe your company uses Scrum and you want to prove you actually know it: not just the buzzwords, but the real framework. This PSM I study guide and practice test pulls together what matters across 1050+ exam questions. Scrum theory, accountabilities, events, artifacts, commitments, and the specific anti-patterns that show up on the real exam. I've been working through these questions, and the patterns are very specific. Let's get into it.

PSM I Exam Quick Facts | Detail | Info | |

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| | Certification | Professional Scrum Master I (PSM I) | | Provider | Scrum.org | | Questions | 80 | | Time | 60 minutes | | Passing Score | 85% (68/80 correct) | | Cost | $150 USD | | Format | Multiple choice, multiple select | | Open Book | No | | Prerequisites | None |

What PSM I Actually Tests The PSM I exam tests whether you understand Scrum as defined in the Scrum Guide (2020 version) and whether you can apply it in realistic situations. It is NOT a memorization test. It's a scenario test that checks: 1. Do you know what Scrum requires vs what is optional? 2. Can you identify anti-patterns even when they sound professional? 3. Do you understand who owns what decisions? 4. Can you apply empiricism (transparency, inspection, adaptation)? The exam rewards answers that are:: Empirical: decisions based on evidence, not command-and-control: Scrum Guide aligned: not generic project management habits: Team-empowering: not manager-driven task assignment: Value-focused: not output-focused: Transparent: not hiding problems

The Scrum Framework (64% of Exam) ### The Three Accountabilities The Scrum Team has exactly three accountabilities. Not roles. Not job titles. Accountabilities: | Accountability | Owns | Common Test Wrong Answers | |

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| | Product Owner | Product Backlog, ordering, maximizing value | Assigning work to Developers, attending Daily Scrum as requirement | | Developers | Sprint Backlog, creating a Done Increment, daily plan | Being assigned tasks by Scrum Master or manager | | Scrum Master | Coaching the team, removing impediments, ensuring Scrum is understood | Assigning work, managing people, status reporting to management | Key exam pattern: Any answer that says the Scrum Master assigns work, the Product Owner tells Developers what to build in detail, or someone outside the team decides Sprint content: is WRONG. Product Owner accountability:: Orders the Product Backlog (nobody else can force ordering decisions): Communicates the Product Goal: May be helped by business analysts, stakeholders, etc., but accountable: Cannot change the Sprint Goal mid-Sprint Developer accountability:: Self-manages their work (no external assignment): Creates the plan for the Sprint (Sprint Backlog): Adapts the Sprint Backlog throughout the Sprint: All "Developers": no titles like "tester," "designer," "DBA" within the team Scrum Master accountability:: Coaches the Scrum Team and the organization: Helps everyone understand Scrum: Removes impediments: Facilitates Scrum events: Does NOT manage the team or assign work: Serves the Product Owner (help with backlog techniques, stakeholder management): Serves the Developers (coaching, removing impediments): Serves the organization (training, coaching, planning Scrum adoption) ### The Five Events | Event | Time-box | Purpose | Who Attends | |

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| | Sprint | Up to 1 month (usually 2 weeks) | Container for all other events | Scrum Team | | Sprint Planning | Up to 8 hours (2-week Sprint) | Define Sprint Goal, select items, create plan | Scrum Team | | Daily Scrum | Up to 15 minutes | Inspect progress toward Sprint Goal, adapt plan | Developers (SM/PO attend if also working on Sprint Backlog items) | | Sprint Review | Up to 4 hours (2-week Sprint) | Inspect the Increment, adapt Product Backlog | Scrum Team + stakeholders | | Sprint Retrospective | Up to 3 hours (2-week Sprint) | Inspect the Sprint (people, process, tools), plan improvements | Scrum Team | Sprint Planning outputs: 1. Sprint Goal: the objective for the Sprint (set by the whole Scrum Team) 2. What can be Done: Product Backlog items selected (by Developers) 3. How it will be Done: plan for delivering items (by Developers) Daily Scrum: heavily tested. It's for the Developers. NOT a status meeting for the Scrum Master. NOT a reporting session. The Developers inspect progress toward the Sprint Goal and adapt their plan for the next day. Three-question format is optional. Walking the board is fine too. The purpose is inspection and adaptation within the Sprint, not status reporting. Sprint Review: stakeholders provide feedback, Product Owner updates Product Backlog based on reality. This is NOT a sign-off or approval ceremony. The Increment doesn't need stakeholder approval. It's a working session to inspect what was built and adapt the plan going forward. Sprint Retrospective: focused on the Sprint that just ended. What went well, what to improve, how to improve it. Scrum Master participates as a peer (they're accountable for the process). Output: improvement actions for the next Sprint. ### The Three Artifacts and Commitments | Artifact | Commitment | What It Gives You | |

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| | Product Backlog | Product Goal | Direction: where the product is going | | Sprint Backlog | Sprint Goal | Focus: what this Sprint is about | | Increment | Definition of Done | Transparency: what "done" actually means | Definition of Done is critical. It's a formal description of quality. An Increment is a Done Increment only when it meets the Definition of Done. The exam tests this constantly:: If quality is low → improve the Definition of Done and engineering practices: If testing is done in a "hardening Sprint" after development → that's an anti-pattern. Testing must be part of the Sprint: If the Increment isn't Done → it cannot be released or presented at Sprint Review (though it usually is presented for transparency) Sprint Goal is set during Sprint Planning and belongs to the whole Scrum Team. The Product Owner cannot change it mid-Sprint. If the Sprint Goal becomes obsolete, the only option is to cancel the Sprint (and only the Product Owner has that authority).

Developing People and Teams (22% of Exam) Self-management is the core concept. Developers decide:: How to do the work (not the Scrum Master): Who does what (not a manager): How much they can commit to (not the Product Owner) Anti-patterns the exam loves to test:: "The Scrum Master assigns tasks to Developers" → WRONG: "The Product Owner tells Developers the order to build items within a Sprint" → WRONG: "The manager reassigns a Developer to another team mid-Sprint" → WRONG: "The team uses velocity as a performance metric" → WRONG (velocity is a planning tool, not a target): "The Scrum Master enforces velocity targets" → WRONG Impediment removal: The Scrum Master is accountable for helping remove impediments. Some impediments the team can handle themselves. Some require organizational change. The Scrum Master coaches the organization too. Coaching vs. managing: The Scrum Master coaches, facilitates, and serves. They don't manage people, assign work, or report status to management. If the scenario describes a "Scrum Master" who assigns tasks and reports to a PMO, that's an anti-pattern.

Managing Products with Agility (14% of Exam) Product Owner and value:: The Product Owner maximizes product value: Value is not just features: it's outcomes, user satisfaction, business impact: Product Backlog ordering considers value, risk, cost, dependencies, learning: The Product Owner may cancel a Sprint if the Sprint Goal becomes obsolete (this is rare but it's in the Scrum Guide) Stakeholder management:: The Product Owner communicates with stakeholders: Sprint Review is the key stakeholder feedback event: Stakeholders don't approve the Increment: they provide input: The Product Owner decides what to do with stakeholder feedback Forecasting:: Scrum teams forecast (they don't commit to) what they can deliver: Past performance informs future forecasts: Sprint Burndown, velocity, and other metrics help forecasting: But the Sprint Goal is a commitment: the team commits to achieving it

Most Common PSM I Exam Traps 1. "Scrum Master assigns work" → WRONG. Developers self-manage 2. "Daily Scrum is a status report to the Scrum Master" → WRONG. It's for Developers to inspect and adapt 3. "Sprint Review is stakeholder sign-off" → WRONG. It's a working session for feedback 4. "Product Owner changes Sprint Goal mid-Sprint" → WRONG. Only Sprint cancellation can do that 5. "Testing happens in a hardening Sprint" → WRONG. Everything must be Done within the Sprint 6. "Scrum Master manages the team" → WRONG. They coach and serve 7. "Velocity is a performance target" → WRONG. It's a planning tool 8. "Stakeholders approve the Increment" → WRONG. They provide feedback 9. "The team reports to the Scrum Master" → WRONG. No reporting lines within Scrum 10. "Scrum Master must attend Daily Scrum" → WRONG. Only if they're working on Sprint Backlog items

Sample PSM I Practice Questions Q1: During the Sprint, a Developer discovers that a Product Backlog item selected for the Sprint is larger than expected. What should happen?: A) The Product Owner removes the item from the Sprint: B) The Scrum Master reassigns the work to another Developer: C) The Developers adapt their Sprint Backlog plan for the remaining work ✓: D) The Sprint is extended to accommodate the additional work Answer: C. Developers own the Sprint Backlog and adapt it throughout the Sprint. The Sprint time-box doesn't change. Q2: The Sprint Review should be used to:: A) Obtain stakeholder sign-off on the Increment: B) Inspect the Increment and adapt the Product Backlog based on feedback ✓: C) Assign work for the next Sprint to the Developers: D) Report project status to management Answer: B. Sprint Review inspects the Increment and adapts the Product Backlog. It's not a sign-off or status report. Q3: Who is accountable for maximizing the value of the product?: A) The Scrum Master: B) The Developers: C) The Product Owner ✓: D) The stakeholders Answer: C. The Product Owner is accountable for maximizing product value through Product Backlog management. Q4: The Daily Scrum is:: A) A status meeting for the Scrum Master to track progress: B) A 15-minute event for Developers to inspect progress toward the Sprint Goal ✓: C) A meeting where the Product Owner updates Developers on new requirements: D) An optional event that can be skipped if the team is busy Answer: B. Daily Scrum is for Developers. It's 15 minutes. It's about inspecting progress toward the Sprint Goal and adapting the plan.

How to Pass PSM I 1. Read the Scrum Guide (2020): It's 14 pages. Read it 5 times. The exam is based entirely on this document. 2. Understand accountabilities: Who owns what? Product Owner = value and ordering. Developers = how and how much. Scrum Master = coaching and impediments. 3. Know the events cold: Time-boxes, purposes, who attends, what comes out. 4. Learn to spot anti-patterns: Any answer that adds non-Scrum roles, approvals, phases, or external task assignment is wrong. 5. Practice questions: The exam tests application, not memorization. Do 200+ practice questions. 6. Think "empiricism first": When in doubt, pick the answer that increases transparency, supports inspection, or enables adaptation.

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