Concept 2 of 11

The Scrum Values

1 question test this

Five values underpin the framework, being Commitment, Focus, Openness, Respect and Courage. The Guide is explicit that the three empirical pillars come to life when these are embodied by the Scrum Team.

What each one covers

Commitment. The Scrum Team commits to achieving its goals and to supporting each other.

Focus. The team's primary focus is on the work of the Sprint, to make the best possible progress toward those goals.

Openness. The Scrum Team and its stakeholders are open about the work and the challenges.

Respect. Scrum Team members respect each other as capable, independent people, and are respected as such by the people they work with.

Courage. Scrum Team members have the courage to do the right thing and to work on tough problems.

Where they appear in questions

The values are most often tested indirectly, through a scenario where a team is under pressure to hide a problem, take on work that dilutes the Sprint Goal, or accept a decision nobody believes in. The value being tested is usually openness or courage, and the correct answer is the one that surfaces the problem rather than absorbing it.

Common misconceptions

The values are aspirational language rather than part of the framework.

The Guide states that successful use of Scrum depends on them, and that the three pillars come to life when the values are embodied by the Scrum Team.

Commitment means committing to deliver every selected Product Backlog item.

The Scrum Team commits to achieving its goals and to supporting each other. The Sprint Backlog's commitment is the Sprint Goal, not the full item list.

1 question test this concept

During a Sprint Retrospective, a developer says the Sprint Goal was unrealistic from the start but nobody said so at Sprint Planning because the Product Owner had already told stakeholders it would be met. Which two Scrum Values are most directly at issue?

  • AFocus and commitment
  • BRespect and focus
  • CCommitment and respect
  • DCourage and openness
Check whether it stuck.

One per page, with a worked explanation.

Start the set
Related material