Answering: “What should the Scrum Team do during the first Sprint?” (PSPO I)

In the first Sprint, the Scrum Team should create at least one valuable, useful Increment. The first Sprint is not a phase for documenting requirements, planning the whole project or designing the architecture.

Exam Question

What should the Scrum Team do during the first Sprint?
(choose the best answer)
A. Create at least one valuable and useful Increment.
B. Analyze, describe, and document the requirements for the subsequent Sprints.
C. Make up a plan for the rest of the project.
D. Define the major product features and a release plan architecture.

Correct Answer

A. Create at least one valuable and useful Increment.

Why This Is the Correct Answer

Every Sprint, including the first, follows the same rules. The Scrum Guide says “The entire Scrum Team is accountable for creating a valuable, useful Increment every Sprint.” Building something that works right away gives the team real feedback on the product, the technology and its own way of working. Architecture and infrastructure still get attention, but they emerge alongside working functionality instead of before it. A first Sprint spent only on analysis or planning would produce documents that cannot be inspected the way an Increment can, which delays learning and adds risk.

Why the Other Options Are Wrong

B. Analyze and document requirements for later Sprints. This is a waterfall analysis phase disguised as a Sprint. The Product Backlog is refined continuously, not up front.

C. Make a plan for the rest of the project. Scrum plans empirically, Sprint by Sprint. A detailed long-range plan made before any delivery will be wrong.

D. Define the major features and a release plan architecture. Big up-front design delays value. Architecture should evolve with the Increments.

Exam Tip

Any question about a “first Sprint” or “Sprint 0” has the same answer pattern: the first Sprint delivers a Done, usable Increment just like every other Sprint.

Key Takeaways

• The first Sprint delivers a usable Increment.
• There is no setup or planning Sprint in Scrum.
• Architecture emerges alongside working product.