Certified Scrum Master Practice Test

What is the recommended length of a Sprint in Scrum?

1. One week or less

2. Short enough to keep the business risk acceptable to the Product Owner

3. Three weeks

4. Any duration that suits the team

The correct answer is: Short enough to keep the business risk acceptable to the Product Owner

The recommended length of a Sprint in Scrum is indeed short enough to keep the business risk acceptable to the Product Owner. This principle aligns with the core Scrum tenet that Sprints should be time-boxed to ensure that the team can deliver increments of valuable product regularly. By keeping Sprints short, any risks associated with not delivering features or addressing market changes can be managed more effectively. This approach ensures that the team not only remains adaptive and able to respond to changes swiftly but also provides regular opportunities for the Product Owner to assess progress and reprioritize the backlog as needed. While the Scrum Guide specifies a typical duration of one to four weeks, choosing a length that aligns with acceptable business risk highlights the emphasis on flexibility and responsiveness in Scrum practices. Other options imply definitive limits or arbitrary durations that may not align with Scrum’s flexibility principle, which can lead to misalignment with the Product Owner's needs or the team’s work cadence. Keeping the risk manageable encourages regular assessment and adjustments, ultimately driving better alignment with project goals and customer needs.