Scrum Master Self-Assessment Quiz

1. How often do I help my team reflect on the “why” behind their work, aligning it with Agile principles?

A) Always – I consistently align the team’s work with Agile principles, ensuring clarity and purpose.

B) Often – I frequently reinforce the importance of Agile principles, though I might miss occasional opportunities.

C) Occasionally – I sometimes discuss Agile principles, but it’s not a consistent focus in my practices.

D) Rarely – I seldom emphasize the “why” behind the work or align it with Agile principles.

2. Do I encourage my team to focus on delivering value early and often rather than aiming for perfection?

A) Always – I regularly advocate for incremental delivery, ensuring early feedback and value realization.

B) Often – I generally promote delivering value early, though perfectionism occasionally creeps in.

C) Occasionally – I encourage delivering value but often let perfectionism or delays take precedence.

D) Rarely – I rarely prioritize value delivery, focusing more on perfect execution or delayed results.

3. How effectively do I use retrospectives to reflect on whether the team is upholding Agile principles?

A) Very effectively – Retrospectives are a consistent platform for ensuring the team is aligned with Agile principles.

B) Fairly effectively – I often use retrospectives for this purpose but may miss deeper reflections.

C) Occasionally – I sometimes reflect on principles but often prioritize tactical discussions instead.

D) Poorly – Retrospectives rarely focus on principles, limiting their value for alignment and growth.

4. Do I regularly align sprint goals with customer and organizational needs?

A) Always – Sprint goals are consistently tied to customer and organizational outcomes.

B) Often – I often use retrospectives for this purpose but may miss deeper reflections.

C) Occasionally –Sprint goals sometimes reflect these priorities, but it’s inconsistent.

D) Rarely – Sprint goals rarely consider customer or organizational priorities.

5. How well do I balance being a mentor, servant leader, and coach based on the team’s needs?

A) Very well – I effectively wear multiple hats, seamlessly adapting to the team’s needs.

B) Fairly well – I can balance roles well but sometimes overemphasize one over others.

C) Sometimes – I occasionally adjust my role but struggle to manage conflicting needs.

D) Poorly –  I primarily focus on one role, often neglecting others.

6. Do I create opportunities for the team to self-organize and solve problems independently?

A) Always – I foster self-organization and encourage independent problem-solving at every opportunity.

B) Often – I frequently allow the team to self-organize but step in more than necessary at times.

C) Occasionally – I sometimes encourage self-organization, but it’s not consistent.

D) Rarely – I seldom allow the team to make decisions or solve problems independently.

7. How effectively do I address and mediate conflicts within the team?

A) Very effectively – I proactively and constructively resolve conflicts, strengthening team dynamics.

B) Fairly effectively – I often address conflicts well, though some issues may linger.

C) Occasionally – I sometimes mediate conflicts but may avoid or delay addressing them.

D) Poorly – I rarely address conflicts, allowing them to escalate or persist.

8. Do I delegate planning tasks or other responsibilities to help my team build ownership?

A) Always – I consistently delegate tasks to foster ownership and accountability.

B) Often – I frequently delegate tasks but occasionally take on responsibilities unnecessarily.

C) Occasionally – I delegate some tasks but prefer to handle most responsibilities myself.

D) Rarely – I seldom delegate tasks, limiting team ownership.

9. How consistently do I establish and maintain a steady sprint cadence with clear goals and responsibilities?

A) Always – I ensure sprints have a clear cadence, defined goals, and consistent responsibilities.

B) Often – Sprints are generally well-structured, though occasional inconsistencies arise.

C) Occasionally – Sprint rhythms exist but lack consistent structure or clarity.

D) Rarely – Sprint cadence and responsibilities are unclear or poorly maintained.

10. Are my Scrum events (e.g., standups, retrospectives) well-structured, productive, and timeboxed?

A) Always – Scrum events are consistently focused, productive, and time-efficient.

B) Often – Scrum events are generally effective but occasionally run off-course.

C) Occasionally – Scrum events sometimes achieve their purpose but often lack focus.

D) Rarely – Scrum events are unproductive, poorly structured, or run over time.

11. Do I use retrospectives to address patterns in feedback and prevent recurring challenges?

A) Always – Retrospectives consistently identify patterns and lead to proactive improvements.

B) Often – Feedback patterns are frequently addressed but not always followed through.

C) Occasionally – Retrospectives sometimes identify patterns but rarely lead to action.

D) Rarely – Retrospectives don’t effectively address patterns or recurring issues.

12. How effectively do I ensure sprint goals remain aligned with the team’s Definition of Done?

A) Very effectively – Sprint goals and the Definition of Done are always aligned.

B) Fairly effectively – Goals and definitions align most of the time but may occasionally drift.

C) Occasionally – Alignment exists but often lacks clarity or consistency.

D) Poorly – Sprint goals and definitions rarely align, leading to confusion.

13. How often do I introduce learning opportunities like retrospectives, workshops, or Agile certifications?

A) Regularly – I consistently organize and promote learning opportunities for my team.

B) Occasionally – I sometimes initiate learning activities but could do it more frequently.

C) Rarely – I rarely organize structured learning opportunities for the team.

D) Never – I do not prioritize learning opportunities as part of my role.

14. Do I encourage my team to share knowledge and skills through initiatives like tech talks or lunch-and-learns?

A) Regularly – I actively support and facilitate opportunities for team knowledge sharing.

B) Occasionally – I encourage knowledge sharing sometimes but not consistently.

C) Rarely – I seldom prioritize or suggest knowledge-sharing initiatives.

D) Never – I do not promote knowledge-sharing activities in my team.

15. How effectively do I promote a culture where feedback is embraced and used for improvement?

A) Very effectively – I ensure feedback is constructive, valued, and acted upon in my team.

B) Fairly effectively – I encourage feedback and improvement but sometimes lack follow-up.

C) Occasionally – I promote feedback occasionally but with limited effectiveness.

D) Poorly – Feedback is seldom emphasized or integrated into our team culture.

17. How often do I help my team focus on delivering value to customers rather than just completing tasks?

A) Always – I ensure our focus is on delivering meaningful value in every sprint.

B) Often – I generally guide the team toward value but occasionally fall back to task completion.

C) Occasionally – I sometimes emphasize value but it’s not a consistent focus.

D) Rarely – I rarely steer the team toward value-based outcomes.

18. Do I integrate customer feedback into sprint reviews to align deliverables with user needs?

A) Always – I make sure customer feedback is consistently reflected in our sprint reviews.

B) Often – I usually integrate feedback but might miss it occasionally.

C) Occasionally – I sometimes include customer feedback but not consistently.

D) Rarely – Customer feedback is rarely incorporated into our reviews or deliverables.

19. Do I prioritize an MVP (Minimum Viable Product) approach to validate ideas early?

A) Always – I consistently advocate for MVPs to test and validate ideas quickly.

B) Often – I frequently push for MVPs but sometimes prioritize larger features.

C) Occasionally – I use MVPs occasionally but not as a regular practice.

D) Rarely – MVPs are rarely used in my team’s approach.

20. How effectively do I measure success based on outcomes like customer satisfaction rather than output metrics?

A) Very effectively – I ensure success is measured by outcomes that reflect true customer and business value.

B) Fairly effectively – I often focus on outcomes, though some output-driven measures remain.

C) Occasionally – I sometimes shift focus to outcomes but still rely on output metrics frequently.

D) Poorly – Success is rarely measured by meaningful outcomes in my team.

21. How often do I encourage team members to take ownership of their tasks and decision-making?

A) Always – I empower my team to take full ownership of tasks and decisions consistently.

B) Often – I encourage ownership frequently but still guide more than necessary at times.

C) Occasionally – I sometimes promote ownership but often step in to direct.

D) Rarely – I rarely encourage my team to take ownership of their work.

22. Do I create a psychologically safe environment where team members feel comfortable sharing ideas and mistakes?

A) Always – I foster a safe and open environment where everyone feels valued and heard.

B) Often – I usually create a safe space, though it may not always feel consistent.

C) Occasionally – I sometimes promote openness but it’s not a strong focus.

D) Rarely – Psychological safety is not a priority in my team culture.

23. How effectively do I support team accountability while allowing autonomy?

A) Very effectively – I maintain a balance of accountability and autonomy for the team.

B) Fairly effectively – I support autonomy but occasionally overstep in enforcing accountability.

C) Occasionally – I promote accountability or autonomy at times but struggle to balance both.

D) Poorly – I rarely encourage accountability or autonomy in the team.

24. Do I facilitate discussions that help the team reflect on their collaboration and decision-making processes?

A) Always – I consistently foster reflective discussions that improve collaboration and decision-making.

B) Often – I frequently encourage such discussions, though some opportunities are missed.

C) Occasionally – I facilitate reflective discussions sometimes, but it’s not a regular focus.

D) Rarely – Reflection on team collaboration and decision-making is not prioritized.

25. How well do I respond to changing priorities or unforeseen challenges during a sprint?

A) Very well – I adapt effectively, keeping the team focused and aligned despite changes.

B) Fairly well – I handle changes well but occasionally find them disruptive.

C) Occasionally well – I sometimes adapt but often struggle with changing priorities.

D) Poorly – I find adapting to change difficult and disruptive for the team.

26. Do I incorporate contingency plans to address potential risks in my sprint planning?

A) Always – I proactively account for risks and build contingency plans into every sprint.

B) Often – I frequently include contingency plans but sometimes overlook smaller risks.

C) Occasionally – I sometimes plan for risks, but it’s not a consistent habit.

D) Rarely – I rarely consider or incorporate contingency plans in sprint planning.

27. How often do I encourage my team to experiment with new ideas and approaches during sprints?

A) Always – I consistently create opportunities for experimentation and innovation.

B) Often – I frequently promote experimentation but sometimes prioritize established approaches.

C) Occasionally – I occasionally support experimentation, but it’s not a regular focus.

D) Rarely – Experimentation is not encouraged or supported in my team.

28. How effectively do I help the team adapt when unexpected challenges arise during a sprint?

A) Very effectively – I guide the team through challenges with minimal disruption to progress.

B) Fairly effectively – I help the team adapt well but may struggle with more complex issues.

C) Occasionally – I sometimes assist with adaptation but often leave the team to manage on their own.

D) Poorly – I rarely help the team adapt, leaving challenges unresolved.

Scoring

• A = 4 points
• B = 3 points
• C = 2 points
• D = 1 point

Total Score: ______ / 112

Results

90-112 (Outstanding Scrum Master): You excel in creating thriving Agile teams and embody the habits of a high-performing Scrum Master. Keep up the great work!

70-89 (Proficient Scrum Master): You’re a strong Scrum Master with great potential. Focus on weaker areas to take your skills to the next level.

50-69 (Developing Scrum Master): You’re building the foundations of a strong Scrum Master but need to grow in key areas. Start with small, focused improvements.

Below 50 (Needs Improvement): There’s significant room for growth. Work on understanding and implementing core Agile principles and practices.

Recommended reading: Recommended reading, such as Scrum: The Art of Doing Twice the Work in Half the Time.