CAPM Agile Frameworks and Methodologies Practice Question
A Scrum Team is preparing for its first Sprint. The Product Owner has a prioritized Product Backlog, and the team is defining its Definition of Done. Which two characteristics are essential for a useful Definition of Done? (Choose two.)
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is assuming the Definition of Done is a fixed document owned exclusively by the Product Owner, when it is actually a shared team agreement that can evolve.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
It is a shared understanding among the Scrum Team.
A useful Definition of Done is a shared understanding across the Scrum Team and includes the quality criteria the Increment must meet. It is not created solely by the Product Owner, is not kept confidential from stakeholders, and is not an unchangeable document. These characteristics ensure transparency, alignment, and consistent quality.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
It is a shared understanding among the Scrum Team.
Why this is correct
The Definition of Done is a formal description of the state of the Increment when it meets the quality measures required for the product. It must be shared and understood by the entire Scrum Team—Product Owner, Scrum Master, and Developers—so everyone agrees on what 'done' means. This shared understanding prevents disputes about completeness and ensures transparency.
- ✗
It is created solely by the Product Owner without team input.
Why it's wrong here
The Definition of Done is not created solely by the Product Owner. If the organization has no standard, the Scrum Team creates one. It requires input from the Developers because they perform the work and know what quality measures are needed. Imposing it unilaterally undermines self-management and can result in a definition that is unrealistic or incomplete.
- ✓
It includes quality criteria that the Increment must meet.
Why this is correct
The Definition of Done must include the quality measures required for the Increment, such as testing, code review, documentation, and integration standards. These criteria ensure that work is truly complete and potentially releasable. Without quality criteria, 'done' becomes subjective, and technical debt or defects may accumulate, reducing transparency and value delivery.
- ✗
It is a fixed document that cannot be changed once the Sprint begins.
Why it's wrong here
The Definition of Done is not a fixed, unchangeable document. The Scrum Team can update it as it learns and as quality standards evolve. However, any changes should not reduce the quality bar for the current Sprint's Increment. Treating it as immutable would prevent improvement and could conflict with the Scrum value of adaptation.
- ✗
It is kept confidential from stakeholders to avoid scope creep.
Why it's wrong here
The Definition of Done should be transparent, not confidential. Stakeholders benefit from understanding what 'done' means because it sets expectations about the Increment's quality and releasability. Secrecy would undermine transparency, one of Scrum's pillars, and could lead to misaligned expectations or disputes about whether work is complete.
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Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official PMI exam blueprint
This CAPM practice question is part of Courseiva's free PMI certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the CAPM exam.