PSM III sample questions and practice test for the essay exam
The Professional Scrum Master III (PSM III, often searched as PSM 3) is Scrum.org’s highest Scrum Master certification. Since 2023 it is all essays: 24 written questions in two and a half hours, each describing a complex situation and asking what you would do and why. Graders look for real understanding of Scrum applied to the scenario, not quotes from the Scrum Guide. Our PSM III sample questions let you practice writing those answers and compare them with a model answer.
Try 10 free PSM III sample questions below, no sign-up needed.
PSM III exam at a glance
| Official PSM III exam | ScrumPrep PSM III practice tests | |
|---|---|---|
| Questions | 24 essay questions | 80+ essay questions in the bank; 24 per timed mock |
| Time limit | 150 minutes | 150 minutes in Timed Mode; none in Practice Mode |
| Passing score | Pass or Did Not Pass, graded by Professional Scrum Trainers | Model answer and explanation for every question |
| Question types | Written essay answers only | Written essay answers |
| Price | Official exam fee: $500 per attempt, paid to Scrum.org | ScrumPrep practice tests: $29, unlimited attempts. The exam fee is not included. |
| Based on | 2020 Scrum Guide and real-world experience | The same |
Please note: ScrumPrep sells practice tests, not the exam. The $29 covers our PSM III practice tests only. You book and pay for the official PSM III exam separately with Scrum.org.
What the PSM III exam tests
- Coaching and facilitation: helping teams, Product Owners and leaders improve without taking over.
- Self-managing teams and leadership styles: growing self-management and dealing with command-and-control habits.
- Empiricism and Done: transparency, the Definition of Done and how to use Scrum to manage risk.
- Organizational change: impediments beyond the team, working with management and scaling Scrum.
- Product value and stakeholders: supporting the Product Owner, Product Backlog management and forecasting.
- Scrum values and accountabilities: why each part of Scrum exists and what breaks when it is skipped.
Free PSM III practice: 10 sample essay questions
The PSM III exam is written answers, not multiple choice. Try these 10 questions from the ScrumPrep PSM III question bank: open a question, write or outline your answer, then compare it with what a strong answer covers.
Question 1: Every Sprint has a Sprint Review. What is the purpose and result of this event?
Write or outline your answer first, then compare it with the key points.
What a strong answer covers
Question 2: The Daily Scrum is an event that happens every day. What would be the consequences if it were held every third day?
Write or outline your answer first, then compare it with the key points.
What a strong answer covers
Question 3: What is meant by a team or organization practicing ‘zombie’ or ‘mechanical’ Scrum?
Write or outline your answer first, then compare it with the key points.
What a strong answer covers
Question 4: How is transparency impacted by technical debt? What is the correlation between technical debt and velocity?
Write or outline your answer first, then compare it with the key points.
What a strong answer covers
Question 5: The Developers have not completed a product backlog item by the end of the Sprint. What should the Scrum Team do with the incomplete product backlog item?
Write or outline your answer first, then compare it with the key points.
What a strong answer covers
Question 6: Your Scrum Team has one-month Sprints. The Developers argue that since this period is quite long, a Daily Scrum is a bit too much. They instead want a weekly update meeting. What is your opinion on this?
Write or outline your answer first, then compare it with the key points.
What a strong answer covers
Question 7: Describe two examples of behaviors that self-managing Scrum Teams exhibit.
Write or outline your answer first, then compare it with the key points.
What a strong answer covers
Question 8: Describe the difference between feature and component teams, and how they hold up when viewed from the perspective of the Scrum Guide.
Write or outline your answer first, then compare it with the key points.
What a strong answer covers
Question 9: Scrum Teams often use velocity as a technique to measure historical output. How useful is historical velocity to a Scrum Team for predicting future velocity, even of the next Sprint? Provide two examples of what might cause velocity to be unreliable.
Write or outline your answer first, then compare it with the key points.
What a strong answer covers
Question 10: What is Scrum’s relation to Empiricism / Empirical Process Control?
Write or outline your answer first, then compare it with the key points.
What a strong answer covers
For more free practice, take the free PSM III quiz. For the full question bank with model answers and a timed 24-question mock exam, get the PSM III Exam Prep on this page.
Two ways to prepare: Practice Mode and Mock Exam Mode
- Practice Mode: study at your own pace. Choose how many questions you want in each session, from a short set to all 80+ essay questions, with no time limit and an in-depth explanation after every answer. Progress saves automatically.
- Mock Exam Mode (Timed Mode): sit a full mock exam that mimics the real one: 24 random essay questions in 150 minutes, then compare your answers with the model answers. Every attempt draws a new random set.
- In-depth explanations: every question comes with a model answer and a detailed explanation of what a strong answer covers, so you understand how to reason through each situation, not just what to write.
- Benchmarking: compare your scores with other candidates and see which topics need work.
- Lifetime access with updates whenever Scrum.org changes the exam.
Why ScrumPrep
There is no free Scrum.org practice for PSM III, and the essay format is the part most candidates have never practiced. Our questions are written at PSM III depth, with model answers that show how to structure a complete response. Rated 4.97 out of 5 from more than 4,400 reviews, and backed by our money-back guarantee.
- Trusted since 2016: thousands of candidates have prepared for their certification exams with ScrumPrep.
- Matched to the real exam: questions are written to match the real PSM III exam’s format, difficulty and topics, and checked against the current official exam content.
- Prompt support: questions about an answer or your account? Contact us and we respond promptly.
- Pay once: one payment, no subscription required.
- Study anywhere: practice on your phone, tablet or computer.
PSM III FAQ
Is PSM III the same as PSM 3?
Yes. Scrum.org writes it with Roman numerals, but it is the same exam.
How is PSM III graded?
Professional Scrum Trainers grade each essay answer, then review the whole test. You get a Pass or Did Not Pass result, not a percentage, and grading takes a few weeks.
Do I need PSM II first?
Scrum.org does not require it, but PSM III assumes everything PSM I and PSM II cover, so most candidates hold both first.
Does PSM III expire?
No. It is a lifetime certification with no renewal fee.
Are these real exam questions or dumps?
Neither. Scrum.org’s real questions are confidential, and dumps break its rules and can cost you the certification. These are original questions written to the same format and topics, each with an in-depth explanation.
What if I don’t pass?
Our money-back guarantee covers you. See the guarantee terms.
Read the free PSM III exam guide, or try the free PSM III quiz first. Not ready for essays yet? Start with our PSM II practice tests.
Buying for a team? Bulk discounts are available. Contact us for details.
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