SCRUM MASTER | INTERVIEW PREP
TOP 10
Questions & Answers
Ace your next Agile interview with confidence
WHAT'S INSIDE ↓
■■ Boundary setting ■ Change management
■ Maturity models ■ Stakeholder coaching
Ajo Koshy Joseph
AKJ PM & Agile Coach
Ajo Koshy Joseph | PM & Agile Coach
QUESTION
1 What is the Scrum Master NOT responsible for?
ANSWER
The SM is not responsible for managing people, assigning tasks, tracking individual performance,
or making product decisions. These belong to the Dev Team and Product Owner respectively.
■ PRO TIP: Clarifying boundaries shows deep Scrum understanding.
Ajo Koshy Joseph | PM & Agile Coach 2 / 12
QUESTION
2 How do you onboard a new team to Scrum?
ANSWER
Start with a Scrum basics workshop, co-create team norms, run a lightweight first sprint with
lower commitments, and debrief frequently. Build confidence before raising the bar.
■ PRO TIP: Mention psychological safety as a foundation.
Ajo Koshy Joseph | PM & Agile Coach 3 / 12
QUESTION
3 How do you measure team health and maturity?
ANSWER
Use tools like the Spotify Squad Health Check, Scrum Team Radar, or custom happiness metrics
in retrospectives. Combine qualitative signals with quantitative trend data.
■ PRO TIP: Name a specific tool you have actually used.
Ajo Koshy Joseph | PM & Agile Coach 4 / 12
QUESTION
4 What would you do if the Daily Scrum becomes a status meeting?
ANSWER
Reframe the focus back to the Sprint Goal. Use questions like 'What's blocking us from the goal?'
Switch formats — walking the board, round-robin, or async standups — to restore energy.
■ PRO TIP: Show you coach, not just facilitate.
Ajo Koshy Joseph | PM & Agile Coach 5 / 12
QUESTION
5 How do you deal with an overbearing Product Owner?
ANSWER
Coach the PO on the Scrum Guide's defined boundaries. Facilitate conversations about trust,
team autonomy, and the importance of letting the Dev Team decide how to build.
■ PRO TIP: Frame it as coaching, not confrontation.
Ajo Koshy Joseph | PM & Agile Coach 6 / 12
QUESTION
6 What's your approach to Definition of Done (DoD)?
ANSWER
The DoD should be created collaboratively by the Dev Team, reviewed regularly in retros, and
reflect a shared standard of 'shippable'. It evolves as quality expectations grow.
■ PRO TIP: Highlight that DoD is owned by the Dev Team.
Ajo Koshy Joseph | PM & Agile Coach 7 / 12
QUESTION
7 How do you coach without direct authority?
ANSWER
Use influence over instruction. Ask powerful questions, share data, model the behaviours you
want to see, and create safe experiments. Authority comes from trust, not title.
■ PRO TIP: Reference the servant-leader model explicitly.
Ajo Koshy Joseph | PM & Agile Coach 8 / 12
QUESTION
8 What happens when the team can't finish sprint work?
ANSWER
Avoid blame. In the retrospective, explore causes — over-commitment, unclear requirements,
unresolved impediments — and adjust capacity planning or team practices accordingly.
■ PRO TIP: Show a learning mindset, not a punishing one.
Ajo Koshy Joseph | PM & Agile Coach 9 / 12
QUESTION
9 How do you keep the Product Backlog healthy?
ANSWER
Facilitate regular Backlog Refinement sessions. Ensure items are INVEST-ready (Independent,
Negotiable, Valuable, Estimable, Small, Testable) before they enter the sprint.
■ PRO TIP: Mention INVEST criteria — interviewers love it.
Ajo Koshy Joseph | PM & Agile Coach 10 / 12
QUESTION
10 How do you transition a Waterfall team to Scrum?
ANSWER
Start with education and leadership buy-in. Run a pilot sprint, make wins visible, address cultural
fears directly, and iterate on the transition using Agile principles itself.
■ PRO TIP: Acknowledge the human side of change management.
Ajo Koshy Joseph | PM & Agile Coach 11 / 12
KEEP LEVELLING UP!
Land That
Scrum Master Role!
Go in prepared, confident, and ready to lead.
YOUR PRE-INTERVIEW CHECKLIST
■ Practise answers out loud — not just in your head
■ Review the Scrum Guide 2020 the night before
■ Prepare 3 stories using the STAR method
■ Ask smart questions — it shows strategic thinking
■ Save • ■ Repost • ■ Comment
Ajo Koshy Joseph
AKJ PM & Agile Coach