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

Doing all the work needed to meet the Definition of Done is what makes an Increment transparent. Reports, tools and lists of undone work do not tell anyone what is truly finished.

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

The Scrum Guide says the Definition of Done “creates transparency by providing everyone a shared understanding of what work was completed as part of the Increment.” If the Developers meet it for every item, anyone looking at the Increment knows exactly what state it is in: usable, verified and releasable. If they skip parts of it, the Increment looks finished but hides risk and rework. That hidden gap is the opposite of transparency. Status reports and tracking tools can describe work, but only completing it to the agreed standard makes the Increment itself honest about what it contains.

Why the Other Options Are Wrong

A. Reporting Sprint progress to stakeholders daily. Daily reports describe activity, not the real state of the Increment. They can make undone work look done.

B. Updating Sprint tasks in an electronic tracking tool. A tool reflects the Sprint Backlog, not the quality of the Increment. Tidy tasks do not prove anything is done.

C. Tracking undone work for a later “hardening” Sprint. Hardening Sprints do not exist in Scrum. Deferring work means the Increment is not done, which reduces transparency.

Exam Tip

When a question asks what makes the Increment transparent, link it to the Definition of Done. Answers about reporting or tools describe the work instead of finishing it.

Key Takeaways

• The Definition of Done gives the Increment its transparency.
• Undone work hides risk behind a finished-looking Increment.
• Tools and reports do not replace finishing the work.