Answering: “What enhances the transparency of an Increment?” (PSM I)

Doing all the work needed to meet the Definition of Done is what makes an Increment transparent. Status reports and tidy task boards describe activity, but only a Done Increment shows what really exists.

Exam Question

What enhances the transparency of an Increment?
(choose the best answer)
A. Reporting Sprint progress to the stakeholders daily.
B. Updating Sprint tasks properly in the electronic tracking tool.
C. Keeping track of and estimating all undone work to be completed in a “hardening” Sprint.
D. Doing all work needed to meet the Definition of Done.

Correct Answer

D. Doing all work needed to meet the Definition of Done.

Why This Is the Correct Answer

Transparency of an artifact means people can trust what they see when they inspect it. The Scrum Guide describes the Definition of Done as “a formal description of the state of the Increment when it meets the quality measures required for the product.” It adds that the Definition of Done creates transparency by giving everyone a shared understanding of what work was completed as part of the Increment. When the Developers do all the work the Definition of Done requires, nothing is hidden behind the word “done”. Stakeholders at the Sprint Review can inspect a real, usable Increment instead of guessing how much testing or integration is still missing.

Why the Other Options Are Wrong

A. Report Sprint progress to stakeholders daily. Daily reports describe effort and activity, not the state of the Increment. A report can sound positive while undone work piles up.

B. Keep Sprint tasks updated in a tracking tool. A tool shows the state of tasks in the Sprint Backlog. It says nothing about whether the resulting Increment meets the quality bar.

C. Track undone work for a later “hardening” Sprint. Hardening Sprints are not part of Scrum. Deferring work means the Increment is not Done, so its true state is hidden from everyone who inspects it.

Exam Tip

When a question asks how to make an Increment transparent, look for the option that mentions the Definition of Done. Reporting, tools and tracking are distractors.

Key Takeaways

• The Definition of Done is the transparency tool for the Increment.
• Undone work hidden in a later Sprint destroys transparency.
• Status updates describe activity, not the product.