Scrum Glossary for PSM I: 54 Key Terms Explained (2026)

Item-specific conditions that a single backlog item must satisfy to be accepted. They are a common complementary practice but are not defined in the Scrum Guide, unlike the Definition of Done.

On the examWhen a question asks what makes work part of an Increment, the answer is the Definition of Done, not acceptance criteria or Product Owner sign-off.

Don’t confuse with Definition of Done

The Scrum Guide's word for the three responsibilities in the Scrum Team - Product Owner, Scrum Master and Developers. The 2020 guide avoids 'roles' to stress ownership of outcomes rather than job titles.

On the examIf a question asks how many roles Scrum defines, the intended answer is three accountabilities. Titles such as 'tester' or 'architect' do not exist in Scrum.

The pillar requiring the process or the product to be adjusted as soon as possible when inspection shows something has drifted outside acceptable limits or the result is unacceptable.

On the examWatch for 'as soon as possible' versus 'at the next Sprint Review'. The guide adds that adaptation gets harder when people are not empowered or self-managing.

Don’t confuse with Inspection

A chart plotting remaining work against time. The 2020 guide names burn-downs, burn-ups and cumulative flows only as examples of forecasting practices, noting they do not replace empiricism.

On the examTrap: a mandatory burndown artifact. Burndowns are optional; the guide says what has already happened is what counts for forward-looking decisions.

Don’t confuse with Forecast

Helping individuals and teams find their own solutions and improve, rather than prescribing answers. The Scrum Master coaches team members in self-management and cross-functionality and coaches the organization in Scrum adoption.

On the examWhen a scenario asks the Scrum Master's first move on a team problem, the coaching answer (help them see and solve it) beats solving it for them.

Don’t confuse with Facilitation

The 2020 addition pairing each artifact with a commitment that adds transparency and focus: Product Goal for the Product Backlog, Sprint Goal for the Sprint Backlog and Definition of Done for the Increment.

On the examMatch artifact to commitment exactly - swapped pairs are a favourite distractor. Do not confuse these commitments with Commitment the Scrum value.

Don’t confuse with Scrum Values

Having, within the Scrum Team, all the skills necessary to create value each Sprint. It does not require every person to have every skill; the team as a whole must not depend on outsiders.

On the examScenario: a team lacks database skills - the answer builds that skill within the team rather than creating a specialist sub-team or a separate testing phase.

Don’t confuse with Self-Managing

A 15-minute event for the Developers, held at the same time and place every working day, to inspect progress toward the Sprint Goal and adapt the Sprint Backlog as necessary.

On the examIt is for the Developers; the Scrum Master only ensures it happens. Product Owner or Scrum Master join as Developers only if they work on Sprint Backlog items. Status-report answers are wrong.

Don’t confuse with Three Questions

A formal description of the state of the Increment when it meets the quality measures required for the product. The moment an item meets it, an Increment is born. It is the commitment for the Increment.

On the examOrganizational DoD is the minimum all teams follow; otherwise the Scrum Team creates one. Teams on one product share a mutually defined DoD. Undone items return to the Product Backlog.

Don’t confuse with Acceptance Criteria

The people in the Scrum Team committed to creating any aspect of a usable Increment each Sprint. They own the Sprint Backlog, instil quality by adhering to the Definition of Done and adapt their plan daily.

On the exam2020 term. Options saying 'Development Team' reflect the old guide. Only Developers decide how to turn Product Backlog items into Increments and how much work to pull.

Don’t confuse with Development Team

The 2017 Scrum Guide name for the people who built the Increment, described then as a team within the Scrum Team. The 2020 guide removed it to eliminate the idea of a separate team.

On the examTreat any answer using 'Development Team' with suspicion; it signals outdated material. The 2020 concept is Developers inside one Scrum Team with no sub-teams.

Don’t confuse with Developers

Scrum.org's framework for measuring value and improvement using four Key Value Areas: Current Value, Unrealized Value, Ability to Innovate and Time to Market. It complements Scrum rather than being part of it.

On the examUsed in questions on measuring progress: value delivered to customers beats output metrics like velocity or hours worked. Know the four Key Value Areas by name.

Don’t confuse with Velocity

The idea that knowledge comes from experience and that decisions should be made on what is actually observed. Scrum is founded on empiricism and lean thinking, applied through short, repeated cycles of work.

On the examWhen an option relies on a detailed upfront plan or predictions over observed results, it opposes empiricism. Answers that inspect real Increments and adapt frequently are usually correct.

Don’t confuse with Lean Thinking

Making a meeting or collaboration easier and more productive without owning its outcome. The Scrum Master facilitates stakeholder collaboration as requested or needed and ensures events are positive and timeboxed.

On the examThe Scrum Master is not required to run every event. The guide says they ensure events take place and are productive - facilitating is 'as requested or needed'.

Don’t confuse with Coaching

The Developers' estimate of how much work they can complete, based on past performance, upcoming capacity and the Definition of Done. Selected Product Backlog items are a forecast, while the Sprint Goal is the commitment.

On the examDistinguish forecast (scope, can change) from commitment (Sprint Goal). Answers promising all selected items will be finished misread the guide.

Don’t confuse with Velocity

A non-Scrum practice of reserving a Sprint for stabilization, integration testing or bug fixing before release. It signals that earlier Increments did not truly meet the Definition of Done.

On the examAnswers proposing a hardening, stabilization or integration Sprint are wrong. The fix is a stronger Definition of Done so every Increment is usable when created.

Don’t confuse with Sprint Zero

Anything blocking the Scrum Team's progress that it cannot readily resolve itself. The Scrum Master is accountable for causing the removal of impediments, not for personally removing every one.

On the exam'Causing the removal' is the exact guide wording. Developers solve problems within their own authority first; escalation to the Scrum Master is for true impediments.

A concrete stepping stone toward the Product Goal. Each Increment adds to all prior Increments, is thoroughly verified and must be usable. Several Increments may be created within one Sprint.

On the examTraps: 'one Increment per Sprint' or 'only released at the Sprint Review'. Work that does not meet the Definition of Done is not part of an Increment.

Don’t confuse with Definition of Done

The pillar of frequently and diligently checking the Scrum artifacts and progress toward agreed goals so that problems or unwanted variances are detected early, before they become expensive.

On the examScenarios ask what the five events provide: each is a formal opportunity to inspect (and adapt). 'Inspection enables adaptation' is the phrase to match.

Don’t confuse with Adaptation

One of the two foundations the 2020 Scrum Guide names alongside empiricism. It focuses the team on reducing waste and concentrating on the essentials that actually deliver value.

On the examNew in the 2020 guide, so questions asking what Scrum is founded on expect both empiricism and lean thinking. Options listing only 'agile principles' or 'Kanban' are distractors.

Don’t confuse with Empiricism

The smallest version of a product that lets a team test a hypothesis with real users and learn. A Lean Startup idea, not a Scrum Guide term, though it fits empirical product delivery.

On the examAppears in distractors about the first release. Scrum's own answer is a usable Increment each Sprint; an MVP is a product strategy choice by the Product Owner.

Scrum.org's framework for scaling Scrum, joining roughly three to nine Scrum Teams that work from a single Product Backlog on one product, with a Nexus Integration Team focused on integration.

On the examPSM I tests the base rule behind it: multiple Scrum Teams on one product share the same Product Goal, Product Backlog, Product Owner and Definition of Done.

Arranging Product Backlog items in the sequence that best achieves goals and value. The Scrum Guide says the backlog is ordered rather than prioritized, and ordering is part of the Product Owner's accountability.

On the examPick 'ordered' when the question uses guide language. The Product Owner decides order but can take input from Developers on dependencies, risk and cost.

Don’t confuse with Product Backlog Refinement

A single entry in the Product Backlog describing work that could improve the product. Items are refined until they are small and clear enough to be Done within one Sprint.

On the examGuide says items that can be Done within one Sprint are deemed ready for selection in Sprint Planning. 'Definition of Ready' is not a Scrum Guide requirement.

Don’t confuse with User Story

The vehicle to deliver value. A product has a clear boundary, known stakeholders and well-defined users or customers, and it can be a service, a physical product or something more abstract.

On the examQuestions on scaling or team structure hinge on this: one product means one Product Backlog and one Product Owner, however many Scrum Teams work on it.

An emergent, ordered list of what is needed to improve the product. It is the single source of work undertaken by the Scrum Team, and its commitment is the Product Goal.

On the examKeywords: emergent, ordered, single source. Multiple Scrum Teams on one product share one Product Backlog and one Product Owner. A separate backlog per team is wrong.

Don’t confuse with Sprint Backlog

The ongoing activity of breaking down and further defining Product Backlog items into smaller, more precise items, adding details such as description, order and size. It is not a formal Scrum event.

On the examTraps: calling refinement an event or limiting it to 10% of capacity. The Developers who will do the work are responsible for sizing; the Product Owner may help.

Don’t confuse with Ordering

The future state of the product, serving as the long-term target the Scrum Team plans against. It lives in the Product Backlog, and the team must fulfil or abandon one Product Goal before taking on the next.

On the examQuestions ask which commitment belongs to the Product Backlog: Product Goal. The Product Owner develops and explicitly communicates it; Sprint Goals step toward it.

Don’t confuse with Sprint Goal

The accountability for maximizing the value of the product resulting from the Scrum Team's work. One person, not a committee, who manages the Product Backlog and may delegate that work while remaining accountable.

On the examScenario: stakeholders want to change the backlog order - they must convince the Product Owner. Only the Product Owner can cancel a Sprint. Committee answers are wrong.

Don’t confuse with Scrum Master

Delivering an Increment to users or stakeholders. The guide allows an Increment to be delivered prior to the end of the Sprint and says the Sprint Review should never be treated as a gate to releasing value.

On the examTrap: 'releases happen only at the end of the Sprint'. The Product Owner decides when to release; Increments can go out multiple times per Sprint.

Don’t confuse with Sprint Review

The accountability for establishing Scrum as defined in the Scrum Guide and for the Scrum Team's effectiveness. The Scrum Master serves the Scrum Team, the Product Owner and the wider organization as a true leader.

On the examCorrect answers have the Scrum Master teaching, coaching and facilitating. Options where the Scrum Master assigns tasks, runs the Daily Scrum or approves backlog order are traps.

Don’t confuse with Product Owner

The fundamental unit of Scrum: one Scrum Master, one Product Owner and Developers, focused on one objective at a time - the Product Goal. It is cross-functional, self-managing and has no sub-teams or hierarchies.

On the examQuestions test who owns what: the entire Scrum Team is accountable for creating a valuable, useful Increment every Sprint - not the Developers alone.

Don’t confuse with Developers

The five values the Scrum Team lives by: Commitment, Focus, Openness, Respect and Courage. Successful use of Scrum depends on people becoming more proficient in living these values.

On the examMemorize all five exactly. Distractors swap in 'Transparency', 'Trust' or 'Collaboration'. Transparency is a pillar, not a value - the most common swap on the assessment.

Don’t confuse with Commitments

The 2020 description of the Scrum Team: it internally decides who does what, when and how. This covers the whole Scrum Team, not only the Developers, and replaces self-organizing.

On the examPick the answer where the team decides its own work allocation. A manager or Scrum Master assigning tasks contradicts self-management - a very frequent distractor.

Don’t confuse with Self-Organizing

The 2017 guide's word for the Development Team choosing how to accomplish its work. The 2020 revision replaced it with self-managing, which extends the team's authority to deciding who, how and what.

On the examOld material says self-organizing; the current guide says self-managing. If both appear as options, choose self-managing and reject wording tied to the Development Team.

Don’t confuse with Self-Managing

The leadership style long associated with the Scrum Master. The 2017 guide said servant-leader; the 2020 guide rephrased it as a true leader who serves the Scrum Team and the larger organization.

On the examExpect both phrasings. Choose options where the Scrum Master leads by teaching, coaching and removing barriers - never by commanding or making the team's decisions.

Don’t confuse with Coaching

A fixed-length event of one month or less that contains all other Scrum events. A new Sprint starts immediately after the previous one ends, and during it the Scrum Team turns ideas into value.

On the examRules tested: no changes that endanger the Sprint Goal, quality does not decrease, the Product Backlog is refined as needed, and scope may be clarified and renegotiated with the Product Owner.

Don’t confuse with Timebox

The Sprint Goal (why), the Product Backlog items selected for the Sprint (what) and an actionable plan for delivering the Increment (how). It is a plan by and for the Developers, updated throughout the Sprint.

On the examOnly Developers change the Sprint Backlog during the Sprint. When work turns out different, they negotiate scope with the Product Owner without affecting the Sprint Goal.

Don’t confuse with Product Backlog

Ending a Sprint before its timebox expires, which happens only when the Sprint Goal becomes obsolete. It is rare, disruptive and usually a sign that the Sprint was too long for the environment.

On the examOnly the Product Owner has the authority to cancel a Sprint - not the Scrum Master, stakeholders or Developers, though they can influence the decision.

The single objective for the Sprint, created by the whole Scrum Team during Sprint Planning and added to the Sprint Backlog. It is a commitment by the Developers that still leaves flexibility in the exact work.

On the examIf an answer lets the Sprint Goal change mid-Sprint, it is wrong; scope changes, the goal does not. An obsolete goal leads to Product Owner cancellation instead.

Don’t confuse with Product Goal

The event that starts the Sprint, where the whole Scrum Team plans the work. It answers three topics: why this Sprint is valuable, what can be Done this Sprint, and how the chosen work will get done.

On the examLook for the three topics (why, what, how). The Sprint Goal must be finalized before planning ends. Developers select the items; the Product Owner cannot force the amount.

Don’t confuse with Sprint Goal

The event that concludes the Sprint, where the Scrum Team inspects how the last Sprint went regarding individuals, interactions, processes, tools and its Definition of Done, then plans ways to increase quality and effectiveness.

On the examScenario: the team found an improvement - the most impactful ones are addressed as soon as possible and may even be added to the next Sprint Backlog. Stakeholder feedback belongs in the Review.

Don’t confuse with Sprint Review

The second-to-last event of the Sprint, where the Scrum Team and key stakeholders inspect the outcome of the Sprint, review progress toward the Product Goal and decide future adaptations. A working session, not a presentation.

On the examTraps: calling it a demo only, a sign-off meeting or a release gate. The guide says it should never be considered a gate to releasing value. The Product Backlog may be adjusted here.

Don’t confuse with Sprint Retrospective

A non-Scrum term for a preparatory Sprint used only for setup, design or architecture with no usable Increment. The Scrum Guide has no such concept; every Sprint aims to deliver value.

On the examDistractor for 'what should the first Sprint deliver?'. Correct answer: at least one valuable, useful Increment. Setup-only or architecture-only Sprints are not Scrum.

Don’t confuse with Hardening Sprint

Anyone with an interest in the product outside the Scrum Team, such as customers, users, sponsors or managers. The Product Owner represents their needs in the Product Backlog.

On the examStakeholders attend the Sprint Review by invitation, not the Daily Scrum or Retrospective. The Scrum Master facilitates their collaboration and removes barriers between them and the team.

A relative sizing unit many teams use to estimate backlog items. They are not in the Scrum Guide, which only says Developers size items; the technique used is the team's choice.

On the examIf an option says Scrum requires story points or planning poker, it is wrong. The guide requires sizing by the people doing the work, not a specific unit.

Don’t confuse with Velocity

A group formed inside a team, such as a testing or design sub-team. The Scrum Guide explicitly states there are no sub-teams or hierarchies within a Scrum Team.

On the examOptions creating a QA sub-team, lead developer or architecture group inside the Scrum Team are wrong. Everyone is simply a Developer accountable together.

The guide says a Scrum Team is typically 10 or fewer people: small enough to stay nimble, large enough to complete significant work. Larger groups should reorganize into multiple cohesive Scrum Teams on the same product.

On the exam'Typically 10 or fewer' is the current phrase. The old '3 to 9 Development Team members' rule is from 2017 and appears as a distractor.

The future cost created by shortcuts or deferred quality in the product, which slows later work. It is not named in the 2020 Scrum Guide but is assessed as a transparency and quality issue.

On the examScenario: velocity drops as undone work piles up. Correct answers make debt transparent in the Product Backlog and strengthen the Definition of Done rather than hiding it.

The yesterday / today / impediments format the 2017 guide offered as an example Daily Scrum structure. The 2020 guide dropped it; Developers may use any structure that focuses on the Sprint Goal.

On the examAn option saying the Daily Scrum must answer three questions is outdated and wrong. The correct answer: Developers choose the structure and techniques, as long as it targets Sprint Goal progress.

Don’t confuse with Daily Scrum

A maximum duration for an event. For a one-month Sprint: Sprint Planning up to 8 hours, Sprint Review 4 hours, Sprint Retrospective 3 hours, and the Daily Scrum 15 minutes regardless of Sprint length.

On the examQuestions ask the maximum for a one-month Sprint; shorter Sprints usually have shorter events. The Daily Scrum stays 15 minutes - never scaled up for bigger teams.

Don’t confuse with Sprint

The pillar requiring that the process and the work are visible to those performing it and those receiving it. Decisions are only as good as the transparency of the artifacts they are based on.

On the examGuide wording tested directly: transparency enables inspection, and inspection without transparency is misleading and wasteful. Low transparency means decisions that diminish value and increase risk.

Don’t confuse with Inspection

A popular format for writing backlog items from a user's perspective, such as 'As a... I want... so that...'. The Scrum Guide does not mention user stories; any clear PBI format is valid.

On the examOptions requiring user stories for every Product Backlog item are wrong. Scrum does not prescribe a format - only that items are transparent and understood.

Don’t confuse with PBI

A common team metric of the amount of work, often in story points, completed per Sprint. The Scrum Guide never mentions velocity; it is an optional complementary practice.

On the examTraps: velocity as a required artifact, or comparing teams by velocity. Mandating higher velocity or using it to judge performance is the wrong answer.

Don’t confuse with Story Points