SPS preparation: mock exams under real conditions
Scaled Professional ScrumAdvanced
Scrum.org's SPS (Scaled Professional Scrum™) certification validates your knowledge of the Nexus framework. It is used to have several Scrum Teams work from a single Product Backlog, and produce one integrated Increment. It addresses Scrum Masters, Product Owners and practitioners facing scale.
The syllabus covers the Nexus framework as a whole, how it applies in the field, and the fundamentals of scaling with Scrum.
The official exam has 40 multiple-choice questions, to answer in 60 minutes. The minimum score is 85 %.
On ScrumKata, preparing for the SPS rests on five things.
- Questions matched to the difficulty of the exam.
- Original mock exams and revision questions.
- Timed tests, in the official format.
- Detailed tracking of your progress.
- An explanation for every answer, with the section it draws on.
The format of the SPS exam
40
questions
60 min
long
85%
to pass
300
practice questions
What the certification covers
- The Nexus framework: definition, theory, extensions to Scrum
- Nexus in practice: NIT, events, artifacts
- Scaling fundamentals and dependencies
Sample SPS questions
Here are 3 free questions with their full explanation, exactly what you will find in the practice modes.
What is the purpose of Nexus?
- Coordinating several teams' work around a shared plan
- Standardizing the practices of several Scrum Teams
- Increasing output by adding teams to one product
- Scaling delivered value by reducing the complexity teams encounter as they collaborate
To scale the value a group of Scrum Teams working on a single product can deliver, by reducing the complexity those teams encounter as they collaborate. The aim is neither more coordination nor more output, but delivering an integrated, usable, valuable Increment at least once per Sprint.
Nexus Guide 2021 — Nexus Purpose
Who makes up the Nexus Integration Team?
- A Scrum Master and one or more Development Teams
- One representative from each Scrum Team in the Nexus
- The Product Owner, a Scrum Master, and one or more Nexus Integration Team Members
- The Product Owner, a Scrum Master and at least one key stakeholder
The Product Owner, a Scrum Master, and one or more Nexus Integration Team Members. This composition dates from the 2021 revision: the previous Guide described the team differently, and much circulating training material still offers compositions including Development Teams or stakeholders.
Nexus Guide 2021 — Nexus Integration Team
What is a Nexus?
- A set of teams coordinated by a central steering team
- A group of three to nine teams each working on its own product
- Approximately three to nine Scrum Teams delivering one product, with a single Product Owner and Product Backlog
- A scaling framework applicable to any organization
A group of approximately three to nine Scrum Teams working together to deliver a single product. A Nexus has one Product Owner managing one Product Backlog from which all the teams work.
Nexus Guide 2021 — Nexus Definition
Where these questions come from
Every question is written from the official guides, and carries the section it draws on. We publish no dumps: practising on leaked questions teaches you to recognise a wording, not to reason, and on exam day the slightest rephrasing leaves you stuck. The explanation says why the right answer is right, and why the others are not.
Frequently asked questions about the SPS
How do you prepare for the SPS?
The SPS assesses scaling with Nexus: dependencies between teams, the Integrated Increment, and the extra events and accountabilities the Nexus Guide adds to Scrum. The method that works has four steps: read the official guide from end to end, sit one mock exam to find out where you actually stand, work first on the topics sitting below the 85% threshold, then sit timed mock exams until you clear that threshold consistently. Revising without measuring is working blind.
How do I know I am ready for the SPS?
By your readiness score: the average of your last five SPS mock exams, set against the official 85% threshold. Only mock exams count, never Practice mode, since it shows the answer as you go. ScrumKata also breaks the gap down topic by topic, ranked by its effect on the final score, so you know what to work on and not only where you stand.
What is the format of the SPS exam?
40 questions in 60 minutes, and 85% correct answers to pass. The Mock exam mode on ScrumKata reproduces that format exactly: the same number of questions, the same timer, and no feedback before the end.
Where can I find SPS questions to practise on?
ScrumKata has 300 original SPS questions, spread across topics according to each topic's official weight in the exam, and across difficulty levels. Every question comes with a detailed explanation and a reference to the guide it draws on. Some are free, with no card required.
Is one SPS mock exam enough to prepare?
A mock exam measures, it does not teach. It gives you a score and, if it is well built, the list of your weak topics. What changes the outcome is what you do next: revisit the questions you missed, understand why the right answer is right, and check on the next pass that the idea has stuck. A practice test on its own tells you where you stand, not how to improve.
Are the SPS questions on ScrumKata the real exam questions?
No, and that is deliberate. We publish no dumps. Every question is written from the official guides, with a reference to the section it draws on. Practising on leaked questions teaches you to recognise a wording, not to reason, and on exam day the slightest rephrasing leaves you stuck.
How much does the SPS exam cost?
At the time of writing, Scrum.org charges around $250 per SPS attempt, with no free retake if you fail. Check the current figure on scrum.org, as these prices change. ScrumKata does not sell the certification: you pay Scrum.org directly to sit the exam.
How long does it take to prepare for the SPS?
That depends on where you start far more than on a number of hours. With daily Scrum practice, a few weeks of focused revision is often enough. Without field experience, expect longer. The right marker is not elapsed time but the point where your mock exams clear 85% consistently.
Ready to measure your SPS level?
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Take the 20 free questions