PMP Practice Exam Question

During a sprint review, the team receives feedback that some features do not meet the customer's quality expectations. What is the best course of action for the Scrum Master to ensure that quality standards are consistently met in future sprints?

A) Extend the sprint duration to allow more time for quality assurance activities.

B) Implement a stricter quality control process and require all features to undergo extensive testing before review.

C) Facilitate a retrospective meeting to identify the root causes of the quality issues and collaboratively develop improvements.

D) Assign a dedicated quality assurance team to handle all testing and quality control activities.

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Best Answer: C) Facilitate a retrospective meeting to identify the root causes of the quality issues and collaboratively develop improvements.

Explanation:

Effective quality management in agile environments involves continuous improvement and collaboration to ensure that the product meets customer expectations. Here’s a detailed analysis of each option:

Why not A: Extend the sprint duration to allow more time for quality assurance activities?

• Extending the sprint duration goes against agile principles of maintaining a consistent and predictable sprint length. It can disrupt the rhythm of the team and does not address the underlying issues causing the quality problems.

Why not B: Implement a stricter quality control process and require all features to undergo extensive testing before review?

• While stricter quality control and extensive testing are important, this approach can lead to bottlenecks and delays if not balanced with agile practices. Quality should be built into the development process, not just checked at the end.

Why not D: Assign a dedicated quality assurance team to handle all testing and quality control activities?

• In agile environments, quality is a shared responsibility among all team members. Assigning a separate QA team can create silos and reduce the sense of ownership and collaboration necessary for continuous improvement.

Why C is the best answer:

• Facilitate a retrospective meeting to identify the root causes of the quality issues and collaboratively develop improvements: This approach aligns with agile principles of continuous improvement, teamwork, and transparency. Retrospectives are a core practice in agile methodologies for reflecting on past work and making actionable plans for improvement.
• The process involves:
• By facilitating a retrospective meeting, the Scrum Master empowers the team to take ownership of quality issues and work collaboratively to enhance their processes. This leads to sustainable improvements and helps build a culture of quality within the team.

By choosing option C, the Scrum Master demonstrates a commitment to agile principles and continuous improvement, ensuring that quality issues are addressed systematically and effectively.