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Agile & Scrum Flashcards

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Master Agile methodologies and Scrum framework including sprints, ceremonies, and roles.

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Scrum flashcards, 33 cards. Hand-written and source-checked. The full set is on this page below.

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Practice Agile & Scrum with 6 flashcards using spaced repetition.

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Learning Tips for Agile & Scrum

Learn the Ceremonies

Sprint planning, daily standup, review, retrospective.

Understand Roles

Product Owner, Scrum Master, Development Team.

Know the Artifacts

Product backlog, sprint backlog, increment.

How to Use Flashcards for Agile & Scrum

Start with the Basics

Review the flashcard deck to familiarize yourself with key concepts and terminology.

Use Spaced Repetition

Our system schedules reviews at optimal intervals to maximize long-term retention.

Test Yourself

Use quiz mode to actively recall information and identify areas that need more practice.

Practice Daily

Consistent 15-20 minute daily sessions are more effective than long occasional study periods.

Free Scrum flashcards: 33-card starter set

These cards follow the 2020 Scrum Guide at scrumguides.org: the theory behind Scrum, the five values, the three accountabilities, the five events, and the three artifacts with their commitments. The Scrum Guide is free to read, and this set is an independent study aid written in our own words. It covers the guide only, not other frameworks or certification-specific scenarios.

No signup needed. Progress saves in your browser, and in your account if you sign in. Reviewed 2026-10-17.

Theory and values (5)

What is Scrum in one sentence?

A lightweight framework that helps people, teams and organizations generate value through adaptive solutions for complex problems.

What are the three pillars of empiricism?

Transparency, inspection and adaptation. Scrum is founded on empiricism (knowledge from experience) and lean thinking.

List the five Scrum values.

Commitment, Focus, Openness, Respect and Courage.

What does the Scrum Guide say about the framework being complete?

Scrum is purposefully incomplete: it only defines the parts needed to implement Scrum theory. Specific practices and tools vary by context.

Is it still Scrum if you use only some of its elements?

No. The guide states that Scrum exists only in its entirety and works well as a container for other techniques.

The Scrum Team and accountabilities (9)

What are the three accountabilities in a Scrum Team?

Scrum Master, Product Owner and Developers.

How big is a Scrum Team?

Typically 10 or fewer people. It is one unit with no sub-teams or hierarchies, focused on one product goal at a time.

Who are the Developers?

The people on the team committed to creating any aspect of a usable Increment each Sprint. The role is not limited to programmers.

Developers' responsibilities

Create a plan for the Sprint (the Sprint Backlog), instill quality by adhering to the Definition of Done, adapt their plan each day toward the Sprint Goal, and hold each other accountable as professionals.

Is the Product Owner a person or a committee?

One person, not a committee. They may represent the needs of many stakeholders in the Product Backlog.

Product Owner accountabilities

Maximizing the value of the product: developing and communicating the Product Goal, creating and communicating Product Backlog items, ordering them, and ensuring the Backlog is transparent.

Who has authority to cancel a Sprint?

Only the Product Owner, and typically when the Sprint Goal becomes obsolete.

Who does the Scrum Master serve?

The Scrum Team, the Product Owner and the organization.

Is the Scrum Master a project manager or a team lead?

No. They are a true leader who serves, accountable for establishing Scrum and for the team's effectiveness, by coaching, removing impediments and facilitating events as needed.

Events and timeboxes (11)

What is the maximum length of a Sprint?

One month or less. Sprints are fixed-length events that contain all the other events.

What are the five Scrum events?

The Sprint (a container for all others), Sprint Planning, Daily Scrum, Sprint Review and Sprint Retrospective.

Three topics addressed in Sprint Planning

Why is this Sprint valuable (the Sprint Goal), what can be done this Sprint, and how will the chosen work get done.

Sprint Planning maximum timebox for a one-month Sprint

8 hours. For shorter Sprints the event is usually shorter.

Daily Scrum timebox

15 minutes, held every working day of the Sprint, regardless of Sprint length.

Who must attend the Daily Scrum?

The Developers. If the Product Owner or Scrum Master are working on items in the Sprint Backlog, they participate as Developers.

Purpose of the Sprint Review

To inspect the outcome of the Sprint and determine future adaptations, with stakeholders. It is a working session, not just a presentation.

Sprint Review timebox for a one-month Sprint

A maximum of 4 hours.

Purpose of the Sprint Retrospective

To plan ways to increase quality and effectiveness by inspecting how the last Sprint went regarding individuals, interactions, processes, tools and the Definition of Done.

Sprint Retrospective timebox for a one-month Sprint

A maximum of 3 hours.

When can a new Sprint start?

Immediately after the previous Sprint ends. There is no gap between Sprints.

Artifacts and commitments (8)

Name the three artifacts and the commitment tied to each.

Product Backlog - Product Goal. Sprint Backlog - Sprint Goal. Increment - Definition of Done.

What is the Product Backlog?

An emergent, ordered list of what is needed to improve the product, and the single source of work undertaken by the Scrum Team.

What is Product Backlog refinement?

The ongoing activity of breaking down and further defining items into smaller, more precise ones. It is not an official event.

What does the Sprint Backlog consist of?

The Sprint Goal (why), the Product Backlog items selected for the Sprint (what), and an actionable plan for delivering them (how).

What is the Sprint Goal?

The single objective for the Sprint, created during Sprint Planning. It provides flexibility in the work needed to achieve it.

What is an Increment?

A concrete stepping stone toward the Product Goal. Each Increment is additive to previous ones and thoroughly verified, and must be usable.

Can more than one Increment be created in a Sprint?

Yes. Increments may be delivered to stakeholders before the end of the Sprint; the Sprint Review should not be a gate to releasing value.

What is the Definition of Done?

A formal description of the state of the Increment when it meets the quality measures required for the product. Work that does not meet it cannot be released or even presented at the Sprint Review.

What this set covers

Source version

The Scrum Guide, November 2020 edition

Covered

Empiricism, values, Scrum Team, events and timeboxes, artifacts and commitments

Best used for

Learning the vocabulary precisely before scenario questions or certification-style practice

Not covered

Scaling frameworks, estimation techniques, tools and anything beyond the guide

How to study this set

The Scrum Guide is short, so the aim is precise recall of its wording and numbers. Use the cards to separate what the guide says from what practitioners add on top.

1
Day 1
Read the guide once, then go through all cards. Say each timebox and commitment aloud.
2
Days 2-5
Review daily and focus on cards that discriminate similar items, such as the three commitments and who attends which event.
3
Week 2
Write one scenario for each event (for example, a stakeholder asks for a change mid-Sprint) and answer it using only the guide.
4
Before a certification-style test
Reread the guide the day before and drill the cards you still miss. Only trust the guide, not forum posts.

Spaced repetition schedules each card to come back just before you would forget it, so reviews get shorter as your recall gets stronger. Cards you miss come back sooner.

Common mistakes to avoid

Using old (pre-2020) terminology

The 2020 guide uses "accountabilities" and a single Scrum Team with no separate Development Team, and adds the Product Goal. Older materials differ.

Treating the Scrum Master as a manager

The Scrum Master does not assign work or run the team. The role serves the team, the Product Owner and the organization.

Mixing up timeboxes

The 8, 4 and 3 hour maximums apply to one-month Sprints, with the Daily Scrum fixed at 15 minutes. Shorter Sprints normally have shorter events.

Calling refinement an event

Refinement is an ongoing activity, not one of the five events defined in the guide.

Make your own from your notes

A starter set is a head start, not your whole course. Your class notes, slides and textbook are what your teacher actually tests, so turn them into cards too.

Make one card per event with purpose on the back, and a separate card for its timebox.
Use the guide's own vocabulary (accountability, commitment, Increment) and avoid terms it does not use.
Add scenario cards from your course, with the answer citing which part of the guide applies.
If your notes describe a team practice (e.g. story points), label it as practice, not as part of the guide.

Generate cards from a topic or notes Turn a PDF into flashcards

Scrum flashcards: questions

What changed in the 2020 Scrum Guide?

It is shorter and less prescriptive, removes the distinction between Development Team and Scrum Team, introduces the Product Goal as a commitment for the Product Backlog, and gives each artifact a commitment. Check scrumguides.org for the full change summary.

Is the Scrum Guide free?

Yes, it is freely available at scrumguides.org. The best preparation for any Scrum exam is to read it several times.

Does Scrum have a tester or a deputy product owner?

No. The guide defines only three accountabilities. Developers handle all the work needed for a usable Increment, including testing.

How long should Sprint Planning be for a two-week Sprint?

The guide gives a maximum of eight hours for a one-month Sprint and says it is usually shorter for shorter Sprints, without stating an exact number.

Are these flashcards affiliated with scrum.org or Scrum Alliance?

No. This is an independent study aid based on the public Scrum Guide and does not represent any certifying body.

Sources and review

These cards are an independent study aid, not official exam content, and are not affiliated with or endorsed by any exam body or publisher. They were written by hand and checked against the sources below on 2026-10-17. Always confirm details with your course materials and the current official documents.

The Scrum Guide (2020) — Fetched and checked: values, three accountabilities, event timeboxes, artifacts and commitments, team size, Product Owner and Sprint cancellation. Remaining wording rests on prior knowledge of the guide. No newer official revision was found.
Scrum Guides: home and revision history — Official site of the guide authors; used to confirm the 2020 edition is the current version of the guide.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Scrum is an agile framework for developing products in iterative cycles called sprints.

Yes! Our flashcards cover concepts for CSM and PSM certifications.

Agile is a philosophy/methodology. Scrum is a specific framework that implements agile principles.

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