Answering: “What tactic should a Scrum Team use to divide a group of 100 people into multiple Scrum Teams?” (PSM I)

The best tactic is to ask the people to divide themselves into Scrum Teams. People who do the work are best placed to form teams that are cross-functional and able to deliver.

Exam Question

What tactic should a Scrum Team use to divide a group of 100 people into multiple Scrum Teams?
(choose the best answer)
A. Create teams based on their skills across multiple layers (such as database, UI, etc).
B. Ask the Product Owner to assign the people to teams.
C. Ask the people to divide themselves into teams.

Correct Answer

C. Ask the people to divide themselves into teams.

Why This Is the Correct Answer

Scrum Teams are self-managing and cross-functional. Letting people form their own teams applies those ideas from the start. People know their own skills, working relationships and interests better than any manager or Product Owner. When they are given clear constraints, such as the product to build, team size of typically 10 or fewer and the need for all skills in each team, they can form teams that will be ready to deliver usable Increments. Self-selection also builds ownership and commitment, because people chose their team rather than being placed in it.

Why the Other Options Are Wrong

A. Create teams based on skills across layers such as database or UI. This creates component teams that cannot deliver end-to-end features. Each team would depend on the others.

B. Ask the Product Owner to assign people to teams. Team design is not part of the Product Owner’s accountability. Assignment also undercuts self-management.

Exam Tip

Team-formation questions on Scrum.org exams favor self-organization within constraints. Options where a single person assigns people are usually wrong.

Key Takeaways

• Let people form their own Scrum Teams.
• Give constraints such as team size and needed skills.
• Avoid splitting teams by technical layer.