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The 2020 Update in Tech Management

Learn about The 2020 Update in this comprehensive Tech Management tutorial. Crucial changes.

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1Outdated material warning

Be extremely careful when Googling mock questions. The Scrum Guide was heavily updated in 2020. 'Development Team' was changed to 'Developers'. The 'Daily Standup' was stripped of the mandatory 3 questions. If you study an old 2017 guide, you will fail the modern exam. Ensure all your study material is strictly labeled '2020 Guide'.

2Step-by-Step Breakdown

The Simulation. You must simulate the exact conditions of the exam. Sit down, set a 60-minute timer, and do not look at the Scrum Guide. Train your brain for the time pressure.

Mikhail Lapshin's Quiz. Beyond the official Open Assessments, Mikhail Lapshin's free PSM I mock quiz is widely considered the best community resource for practicing difficult scenario questions.

Dissecting Questions. Read every word carefully. 'Who is responsible for sizing items?' Developers. 'Who is responsible for ordering items?' Product Owner. 'Who ensures the meeting happens?' Scrum Master.

The 'Should' vs 'Must'. Pay attention to verbs. The Scrum Guide uses 'must' for rules (e.g., The Sprint Review MUST take place). It uses 'should' or 'could' for best practices.

Knowledge Check. Mock Question: A Development team is having trouble understanding a complex user story. Who is primarily accountable for ensuring the team understands the Product Backlog items?

→The Scrum Master
→The Product Owner

Reviewing Mistakes. When you fail a mock question, do not just memorize the answer. Go back to the 2020 Scrum Guide, find the exact paragraph that proves the answer, and read the whole section.

Unlearning Bad Habits. The hardest part of the exam for experienced developers is 'unlearning' the bad Scrum their company does. If your company uses Jira Story Points, remember: Story Points are NOT mentioned in the Scrum Guide.

Burn-down Charts. Another trap: Burn-down charts are useful, but they are NOT mandatory in Scrum. The only mandatory artifacts are the Backlogs and the Increment.

The Day Before. Rest. The exam requires intense focus. Ensure your internet connection is stable. Have a glass of water. Trust the Guide.

Summary. Consistent mock testing is the key to passing the PSM I.

Pascual Vila

Frontend Instructor // Code Syllabus

Common Pitfalls & Errors

The Error //

Answering questions based on how your own company 'does Scrum' instead of the Scrum Guide

Wrong: "At my company the manager assigns Sprint tasks, so that must be normal Scrum."
Right: "The Scrum Guide says the Developers plan their own Sprint work — my company's practice is a deviation, not the rule."

The Solution //

The exam only cares about the official Scrum Guide, not your company's Jira workflow, story-point rituals, or manager-led standups. If your workplace has bent or broken Scrum, you have to consciously set that experience aside and answer strictly from the text.

The Error //

Memorizing answers instead of understanding why they're correct

Wrong: "I memorized that the answer to the impediment question is 'Scrum Master'."
Right: "The Scrum Master is accountable because the Scrum Guide says they serve the Developers by removing impediments — I can apply that reasoning to any similar scenario."

The Solution //

The PSM I loves rephrased scenario questions that punish rote memorization. If you only remember 'the answer was B' without knowing which Scrum Guide principle makes B correct, a reworded version of the same question will trip you up. Always trace each answer back to its source paragraph.