Answering: “What does it mean for a Scrum Team to be cross-functional?” (PSM I)

Cross-functional means the Scrum Team members together have all the skills needed to create value each Sprint. It is not about job titles, and it does not depend on people outside the team.

Exam Question

What does it mean for a Scrum Team to be cross-functional? (choose the best answer)

• A. The Scrum Team includes skilled individuals who together have all the skills necessary to create value each Sprint.
• B. The Scrum Team includes not only developers but also business analysts, architects, and testers.
• C. The Scrum Team is a virtual team drawing from separate teams of business analysts, architects, developers, and testers.
• D. Developers on the Scrum Team work closely with business analysts, architects, developers, and testers who are not on the team.

Correct Answer

A. The Scrum Team includes skilled individuals who together have all the skills necessary to create value each Sprint.

Why This Is the Correct Answer

This is almost word for word the Scrum Guide definition: “Scrum Teams are cross-functional, meaning the members have all the skills necessary to create value each Sprint.” The key word is together. No single person needs every skill, but the team as a whole can take an item from idea to Done without waiting for outsiders. The Guide also states that “Within a Scrum Team, there are no sub-teams or hierarchies,” and it uses one term, Developers, for everyone doing the work regardless of specialty. Cross-functionality is about capability, not about a list of roles.

Why the Other Options Are Wrong

B. The team includes developers plus business analysts, architects and testers. This defines the team by titles. A team can have all those titles and still lack a skill, or have no such titles and still be cross-functional.

C. A virtual team drawn from separate specialist teams. Members still belong to their home departments, which means hand-offs and split loyalty. That is not one cohesive Scrum Team.

D. Developers work closely with specialists who are not on the team. Relying on outsiders means the team does not have the needed skills itself. It creates dependencies that block a Done Increment.

Exam Tip

If an option lists job titles, it is usually a trap. Scrum.org defines cross-functional by skills inside the team, not by roles.

Key Takeaways

• Cross-functional describes the team’s combined skills.
• Scrum has no job titles inside the team besides Developers.
• Dependencies on outsiders mean the team is not yet cross-functional.