Answering: “Which outcome is expected as a Scrum Team matures?” (PSD)

A maturing Scrum Team tightens its Definition of Done by adding stricter quality criteria. It does not outgrow Sprints, Sprint Reviews or the Scrum Master.

Exam Question

Which outcome is expected as a Scrum Team matures?
(choose the best answer)
A. There is no need for a timeboxed Sprint.
B. A Scrum Master is no longer needed since they are a mature team now.
C. They will improve their Definition of Done to include more stringent criteria.
D. The Sprint Retrospectives will grow to be longer than 4 hours.
E. Sprint Reviews will no longer be needed.

Correct Answer

C. They will improve their Definition of Done to include more stringent criteria.

Why This Is the Correct Answer

For Developers, the Definition of Done is where engineering maturity becomes visible. A young team might include code review and unit tests. Over time it can add integration testing, automated regression, security scans and deployment to a production-like environment. Each addition moves work that used to happen after the Sprint into the Sprint, which cuts the hidden backlog of undone work. The 2017 Scrum Guide said teams were expected to expand their definitions of Done this way, and the 2020 Guide keeps the idea that the Scrum Team improves its Definition of Done as part of increasing quality and effectiveness. Practices like continuous integration make this possible.

Why the Other Options Are Wrong

A. Timeboxed Sprints are no longer needed. Sprints are the container for all other events. No level of maturity removes them.

B. The Scrum Master is no longer needed. Scrum requires all three accountabilities. Even experienced teams have a Scrum Master.

D. Retrospectives grow beyond 4 hours. The Retrospective timebox is at most three hours for a one-month Sprint, and it stays that way.

E. Sprint Reviews are no longer needed. Stakeholder feedback on the Increment is always needed to adapt the product.

Exam Tip

On the PSD exam, connect maturity to engineering quality. Options that remove parts of Scrum are distractors no matter how mature the team sounds.

Key Takeaways

• Maturity shows up as a stricter Definition of Done.
• Engineering practices make stricter criteria achievable.
• No part of the Scrum framework becomes optional.