Top Scrum Master Interview Questions With Answers in 2022

by Hiration

What are some top Scrum Master interview questions?

According to studies, Scrum is used in 66 percent of Agile methodologies, making it extremely popular. Consequently, a Scrum Master is in high demand and earns a handsome salary.

But what kind of questions can be expected to land a Scrum Master job?

A Scrum Master is in charge of leading the team according to the Scrum framework. In other words, a Scrum Master is responsible for ensuring that everyone understands Scrum both in theory and in practise.

If you want to become a Scrum Master in 2022 and looking for interview questions that can ease your selection process, you have landed at the right place.

Read on to know the most frequently asked questions related to Scrum Master interview questions.

What Is the Purpose of Scrum Interview?


The scrum interview is conducted to check if the candidate is knowledgeable enough about the Scrum framework. Employers would want to analyze how clear and confident you are while expressing your knowledge about the framework.

Whether you are a fresher or experienced person, there are some common factors that interviewers will observe to decide if you are the right candidate for the Scrum job.

You will be judged on the following parameters:

Knowledge of Scrum


It is inevitable that if you are appearing for the Scrum interview, your knowledge of the framework will be tested by the interviewers. How well you are aware of the intricacies of the framework will help you shine bright in the eyes of the interviewer.

Teamwork Abilities


Scrum framework can be successfully applied if the whole team is offering their inputs. For this, your teamwork abilities would play an important role. Interviewers would want to know how well you can perform overseeing your team or working with your team to complete the project on time.

Problem Solving Skills


Handling challenges are a part of a Scrum Master’s life. Whether it is about team handling or urgent changes put forth by the product owners, you need to be ready to face them and come up with instant solutions. The interviewers would test your problem-solving capabilities by asking situational questions.

Critical Thinking Skills


A Scrum Master needs to think critically and come up with ways so that the team also understands the Scrum framework without any room for doubts. Interviews will assess if you have the critical thinking ability to promote your team and become self-organized.

Time Management Skills


As a Scrum Master, it will be your responsibility to ensure that the team does not struggle with meeting deadlines. An effective Scrum Master will help the team optimize their time and energy to meet the project requirements.

Also Read: How to write an eye-catching scrum master resume in 2022?

What Are Some Common Scrum Master Interview Questions and Answers?


To ace any interview in 2022, you'll need a broad idea of what the interviewer could ask. The Scrum interview is not different.

The Scrum Master interview questions are designed to assess your knowledge of the framework and your awareness of the roles and responsibilities that you will be performing as a Scrum Master.

Some common Scrum Master interview questions and answers are given below:

What Is Scrum?


Interviewers will ask this question to make you feel comfortable and confident. You can easily answer this question with utmost confidence but do not forget to stick to the point.

Sample Answer: Scrum is an Agile framework for product development. It is a philosophy, not merely a framework or approach. It allows the teams to learn from their mistakes, self-organize, reflect, and improve.

What Is Agile? Can You Explain Agile in Your Words?


The question might be perplexing because there is no universally accepted definition of Agile. But fret not, we have some ideas about how to frame the answer to this question.

Sample Answer: Agile methodologies and practises are built on ideals and concepts that promote iterative development and cooperation among self-organizing teams. In other words, by delivering functioning software solutions quickly, it focuses on process flexibility and customer satisfaction.

What Are the Roles in Scrum?


Stick to the three most important Scrum roles while answering this question. You can frame your response in the following way:

Sample Answer: Product Owner, Scrum Master, and Scrum Team are the three key positions in Scrum.

  • A product owner is responsible for increasing ROI by identifying product features and prioritizing them.
  • A Scrum Master assumes the role of leader and ensures that the team members choose Scrum.
  • The Scrum team takes care of stakeholders' requirements.

What Are Some Major Principles of Agile?


Sample Answer: Some important principles of Agile are:

  • Customer satisfaction
  • Face-to-face communication
  • Continuous feedback
  • Quick response to changes
  • Sustainable development
  • Collaborative effort

Do You Think Scrum Is Better Than a Traditional Waterfall Process? If So, How?


This question will primarily test your knowledge of Scrum and previous frameworks like Waterfall.

Sample Answer: Scrum is a methodology for implementing Agile ideals, concepts, and attitudes. Scrum provides the freedom to make desired adjustments due to early feedback. Feedback is received earlier in Scrum while feedback is obtained later in Waterfall. While Waterfall may be appropriate for a well-defined process, Scrum is more secure in terms of avoiding risk and ambiguity.

What Is a Scrum Sprint? What Is an Ideal Duration of a Sprint?


This type of question is commonly observed in Scrum Master interviews. To answer this, you can say

Sample Answer: In Scrum, a sprint is a work cycle that is repeated on a regular basis. Within a sprint, whatever has been planned to achieve is reviewed. The duration of the sprint largely depends upon the size of the project and the team working on it. A sprint usually lasts between two and four weeks.

That is not the end of it, but rather the beginning. Depending on your replies and the interviewers' point of view, there might be a lot of questions.

Some other interview questions for Scrum are listed below:

  • What is Scrum-ban?
  • What are sprint 0 and spike?
  • What is user story mapping?
  • What are some of the drawbacks of utilising Scrum?
  • How can a Scrum Master coordinate between several teams?
  • What are Scrum values?

Also Read: How does the job description of a scrum master differ from others?

What Are Popular Entry-level Scrum Questions?


An entry-level person might come with little experience. The questions asked from them would be testing their approach to Scrum-based questions. More than the person's knowledge, it would be checking the methodology.

  • How can you help people of your team produce better stories?
  • When is it appropriate for a Scrum Master to refrain from acting as a facilitator?
  • As a Scrum Master, how will you track sprint progress?
  • What is the objective of the user story in Scrum?
  • As a Scrum Master, how will you help product owners?
  • In Scrum projects, what strategies can you utilise to do estimations?
  • How would you handle any conflict in the team as a Scrum Master?
  • n Scrum, what is the MVP?

What Are Some Mid-level Interview Questions for Scrum Master?


A mid-level Scrum Master possesses some experience based on which the interviewer might test the knowledge and the approach they take to handle Scrum. In the interview, you can expect questions based on situations like this one.

  • What are your thoughts on the product owner assigning a user narrative to team members?
  • Your group is falling behind on its deadlines. What would you do if you were in this situation?
  • What are some of the tools you have used previously in your work as a Scrum Master?
  • What does "Scrum of Scrums" mean?
  • How can you prevent scope creep?
  • What are your thoughts on Waterfall and Agile change management?
  • As a Scrum Master, what would you do when you realize Agile principles are broken?

Also Read: How to make a stellar resume for agile professionals in 2022?

What Kind of Scrum Questions Can You Expect for Senior-level?


You become eligible for a senior-level Scrum Master through your experience. During the personal interview stage of your recruiting process, the interviewer will put your Scrum knowledge and working experience to the test.

The most common Scrum Master questions for senior-level are:

  • Will you be able to cope with a 200-ticket backlog? What measures are you planning to take?
  • Which Scrum artefacts have you experienced firsthand?
  • How has your Scrum Master knowledge evolved over time?
  • How do you feel about retrospective fatigue?
  • How will you overcome stakeholder resistance?
  • What exactly do you mean by "confidence vote"? What is the importance of this?

Are There Any Situational Questions for an Open Scrum Master Job?


As its name suggests, situational questions will put you in a situation, and your response will be assessed. It can be based on how you would handle the team that is reluctant to adopt Scrum or manage the stakeholders.

  • You've just started working as a Scrum Master. The team you'll be working with has never worked with Agile before and is wary of Scrum. They would rather focus completely on coding and would rather not keep track of their progress or attend meetings. What strategies will you employ to encourage and motivate them to implement Scrum?
  • The product manager you'll be working with is solely familiar with Waterfall. He dislikes taking part in Scrum events. What steps would you take to guarantee the Scrum methodology is followed?
  • On the last day of the sprint, you received the story. You've discovered that there are some flaws in the story. Will you mark it as completed, or will you do something else?
  • You have already given stakeholders Scrum training. When the first roadblocks arise after an initial time of attempting to put the principles into practise, you noticed that these colleagues have acquired a strong aversion to continue with Scrum adoption. What are your plans for coping with a circumstance like this?
  • Your team's product owner has continued to add ideas to the backlog, resulting in a total of over 200 requests. As a Scrum Master, how will you handle this?

Also Read: What does a scrum master do on a regular basis?

Are There Any Scrum Master Behavioral Interview Questions?


Behavioral questions are designed to understand how a candidate behaved in a past situation. It expands beyond just skills. Through the Scrum interview questions, interviewers get an idea about how you might behave in different kinds of problems.

Behavioral-based Scrum Master interview questions will assess your team handling and leadership abilities.

  • What would you do to motivate your team members when they feel discouraged?
  • How would you make a new member feel comfortable working with your team?
  • Describe when you faced the biggest challenge in the Scrum Master role. How did you overcome it?
  • Give an example where you made integrating the Scrum process more effective.
  • How will you handle it if a team member disagrees with you regarding using the Scrum framework?
  • Your team failed to meet the goal. How would you take it? How would you report it to your manager?

What Are Scrum Master Technical Interview Questions?


Technical Scrum Master interview questions will check your technical knowledge. As a Scrum enthusiast, you must have a strong understanding of the technical aspect of the Scrum framework.

  • What is automation testing? Do you think it has a place in Scrum?
  • What are some of the major components of Agile?
  • What is a storyboard in the Scrum framework?
  • What does a Scrum burndown chart comprise?
  • What do you understand about velocity in Agile? How do you measure it?
  • What is empirical process control? How is Scrum-based on it?
  • When can one go with the Waterfall model over Scrum?

How Much Does a Scrum Master Make?


Due to the nature of their job, a Scrum Master is well paid. According to Glassdoor, a Scrum Master earns an average salary of $99,492 per year. They also earn an additional cash component of $7,090 annually.

Some top companies that offer high pay to Scrum Masters are Wells Fargo, Bank of America, CACI International, Barclays, and Nisum.

Also Read: What is the salary of a scrum master in 2022?

Key Takeaways


A Scrum Master is a team leader who ensures that the Scrum framework is followed.

  • The role of a Scrum Master is both technical and strategic. They need to know the software and how to implement them to remove any roadblocks.
  • Scrum Master interview questions will check behavioral, situational, and technical aspects.
  • You will have to enhance your knowledge of these three aspects while preparing for Scrum Master interview questions.
  • Interview questions for Scrum Master jobs can vary depending on the years of experience you have.
  • While an entry-level Scrum Master questions will focus on your approach to handling the team, the mid-level or senior level will center around your experience in previous work.

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