Answering: “For the purpose of transparency, when does Scrum say a new Increment must be done?”

Scrum expects a new, Done Increment at least by the end of every Sprint. There is no release Sprint, separate acceptance phase or multi-Sprint cycle before an Increment exists.

Exam Question

For the purpose of transparency, when does Scrum say a new Increment must be done?
(choose the best answer)
A. Before the release Sprint.
B. After the acceptance testing phase.
C. At the end of every Sprint.
D. Every 3 Sprints.
E. When the Product Owner asks to create one.

Correct Answer

C. At the end of every Sprint.

Why This Is the Correct Answer

Transparency in Scrum depends on regularly inspecting real, working product. The Scrum Guide says the entire Scrum Team is accountable for creating a valuable, useful Increment every Sprint. It also notes that multiple Increments may be created within a Sprint, and that the sum of them is presented at the Sprint Review. So the end of the Sprint is the latest point, not the only one. Waiting for a release Sprint, a testing phase or several Sprints would leave long stretches where nobody can see the true state of the product. Frequent Done Increments keep risk visible and let the Product Owner decide when to release.

Why the Other Options Are Wrong

A. Before the release Sprint. Release Sprints are not part of Scrum. Every Sprint already produces releasable work.

B. After the acceptance testing phase. Scrum has no separate testing phase. Testing is part of meeting the Definition of Done within the Sprint.

D. Every 3 Sprints. An Increment is required every Sprint, not every few Sprints.

E. When the Product Owner asks for one. The Product Owner decides when to release, but creating a Done Increment is not optional and does not wait for a request.

Exam Tip

Questions about when an Increment must exist always point to every Sprint. Options mentioning phases or special Sprints come from traditional project thinking.

Key Takeaways

• A Done Increment is required every Sprint.
• Several Increments may be created within one Sprint.
• Phases and release Sprints are not part of Scrum.