Answering: “You are a Scrum Master employed by the IT department. The IT manager considers adopting Scrum for a new project. He wonders however what the value is in having all team members attend this meeting called “Daily Scrum” every day. The organization already has its employees attending so many mandatory meetings.”

Two outcomes to share are that impediments the Developers cannot solve surface quickly, and that the team keeps a shared, daily plan toward the Sprint Goal. Status reports, task assignment and progress control for managers are not outcomes of the Daily Scrum.

Exam Question

You are a Scrum Master employed by the IT department. The IT manager considers adopting Scrum for a new project. He wonders however what the value is in having all team members attend this meeting called “Daily Scrum” every day. The organization already has its employees attending so many mandatory meetings.
What are two outcomes of the Daily Scrum you inform him about, to express the importance of the Daily Scrum? (choose the best two answers)

• A. During the Daily Scrum the Developers will bring up problems that are hindering their progress, and for which they have no means to resolve. They will inform you as a Scrum Master, so you can take care of them and help the team be more productive.
• B. Through the short, daily alignment of the Daily Scrum the Developers grow and improve a shared understanding of the most important work to be undertaken next, in the next 24 hours, to achieve the best possible progress toward the Sprint Goal. This daily opportunity to inspect and adapt will enable the Developers to best tackle any unforeseen circumstances that might otherwise disrupt the team’s progress.
• C. The Developers will produce a status report indicating what each individual has done the past working day, and how much time that has taken. The accumulated reports will support discussing how the Sprint went at the Sprint Review meeting. It will provide detailed insights into the accuracy of estimates versus actual time spent, which can be used to create better estimates at the subsequent Sprint Planning meeting.
• D. The Daily Scrum serves for the Developers to report to you, as a Scrum Master, all updates on the tasks for the Sprint, as registered in the Sprint Backlog. You can then use the Developers’ updates to plan their work for the next day, making sure that every member is assigned the right tasks.
• E. During the Daily Scrum, the Developers need to update the Scrum board with their current status and progress, at a task level. This is crucial to ensure that the IT manager can go up to the room at any possible time and control the team’s actual progress.

Correct Answer

A and B.

Why This Is the Correct Answer

The Scrum Guide says “Daily Scrums improve communications, identify impediments, promote quick decision-making, and consequently eliminate the need for other meetings.” Option B describes the core purpose: inspecting progress toward the Sprint Goal and adapting the plan for the next day, which helps the team handle surprises. Option A describes the impediment side. When the Developers find problems they cannot resolve themselves, the Scrum Master can help, since causing the removal of impediments is part of the role. For an IT manager worried about meeting overload, the point that the Daily Scrum removes the need for other meetings is especially useful.

Why the Other Options Are Wrong

C. A status report on each person’s work and hours. The Daily Scrum is not a status report, and hours spent are not tracked there. This would turn it into a reporting meeting.

D. Developers report to the Scrum Master, who plans their work. The Developers plan their own work. The Scrum Master does not assign tasks.

E. The board is updated so the manager can control progress. Transparency is for inspection and adaptation by the team, not for management control. Task-level control undermines self-management.

Exam Tip

When asked to explain the value of the Daily Scrum, pick answers about the team’s plan, the Sprint Goal and impediments. Reject anything about reporting to or being controlled by others.

Key Takeaways

• The Daily Scrum keeps the Developers’ plan aligned with the Sprint Goal.
• It surfaces impediments early.
• Good Daily Scrums reduce the need for other meetings.