Scrum Interview Questions

Here are some Scrum interview questions and answers that cover a wide range of topics, from basic concepts to more advanced practices.

Basic Scrum Questions

  1. What is Scrum?

Scrum is an iterative and incremental Agile framework for managing complex projects. It is based on the idea of breaking down work into short, time-boxed periods called sprints, which typically last 1-4 weeks. Each sprint has a clear goal, and the team works collaboratively to deliver a working increment of the product at the end of each sprint.

  1. What are the three roles in Scrum?

The three roles in Scrum are the Product Owner, the Scrum Master, and the Development Team.

  • The Product Owner is responsible for the product backlog, which is a prioritized list of features and requirements.
  • The Scrum Master is responsible for facilitating the Scrum process and helping the team to be more productive.
  • The Development Team is responsible for delivering the work in each sprint.
  1. What are the five events in Scrum?

The five events in Scrum are the sprint planning meeting, the daily scrum meeting, the sprint review meeting, the sprint retrospective meeting, and the backlog refinement meeting.

  • The sprint planning meeting is where the team plans the work for the next sprint.
  • The daily scrum meeting is a short daily meeting where the team checks in on progress and identifies any impediments.
  • The sprint review meeting is where the team demonstrates the work completed in the sprint to stakeholders.
  • The sprint retrospective meeting is where the team reflects on the sprint and identifies areas for improvement.
  • The backlog refinement meeting is where the team works on the product backlog, prioritizing items and making sure they are clear and well-defined.
  1. What are the three artifacts in Scrum?

The three artifacts in Scrum are the product backlog, the sprint backlog, and the increment.

  • The product backlog is a prioritized list of features and requirements.
  • The sprint backlog is a list of work items that the team will complete in the next sprint.
  • The increment is the sum of all work completed in all previous sprints plus the work completed in the current sprint.

Intermediate Scrum Questions

  1. What is a sprint?

A sprint is a short, time-boxed period of work in Scrum. Sprints typically last 1-4 weeks.

  1. What is the goal of a sprint?

The goal of a sprint is to deliver a working increment of product at the end of the sprint.

  1. What is the difference between Scrum and Kanban?

Scrum is a time-boxed framework with a set of roles, events, and artifacts. Kanban is a more flexible framework that uses a visual board and workflow cards to track work.

  1. What are some common Scrum challenges?

Some common Scrum challenges include:

  • Defining a clear product vision and backlog
  • Estimating the size of work items
  • Managing dependencies between teams
  • Dealing with change

Advanced Scrum Questions

  1. How can you scale Scrum for large organizations?

There are several frameworks for scaling Scrum, such as Scrum of Scrums and Nexus.

  1. How can you measure the success of a Scrum project?

There are several metrics that can be used to measure the success of a Scrum project, such as:

  • Velocity: The amount of work completed in a sprint
  • Burn down chart: A visualization of the remaining work in the sprint backlog
  • Net promoter score (NPS): A measure of customer satisfaction
  1. What are some best practices for Scrum?

Some best practices for Scrum include:

  • Having a clear product vision and backlog
  • Estimating the size of work items accurately
  • Holding regular Scrum events
  • Continuously improving the Scrum process
  1. How can you deal with change in a Scrum project?

Change is inevitable in any project, and Scrum is designed to be flexible enough to accommodate change. Here are some tips for dealing with change in a Scrum project:

  • Make sure that change requests are prioritized and that the team understands the impact of the change.
  • If a change is significant, it may be necessary to replan the sprint.
  • Be transparent about change and communicate it to stakeholders as early as possible.