The Scrum Guide 2020 is still the only official version of Scrum, and it is the text that the Professional Scrum Master (PSM) and Professional Scrum Product Owner (PSPO) assessments test. In early October 2026, several Scrum.org blog posts proposed a new guide for teams that work with AI agents. These ideas are worth reading, but none of them is exam content. This article lists seven traps where popular proposals differ from the official text. Last verified: October 2026.
Why the Scrum Guide 2020 debate is news this week
The Scrum Guide 2020 was released in November 2020, so it turns six next month. In the first week of October 2026, the Scrum.org blog published several posts that question parts of it:
- On 2 October, Mehdi Hoseini's post If I Wanted To Write A New Scrum Guide proposed eight changes, including a new "Alignment event", a Value Backlog and humility as a sixth value.
- On 2 October, Matthew Hodgson's post Your AI agents can deliver; Scrum is what governs them described a Product Owner who leads eight AI agents, and argued that Scrum needs no new rules for agents.
- On 6 October, Martin Hinshelwood's post The Role of Agency in Scrum argued that self-management without real decision authority is "theatre".
There is also the Scrum Guide Expansion Pack, with an AI and Scrum guide by Ralph Jocham and Jeff Sutherland (updated January 2026). It treats Scrum as adaptable, while the 2020 guide treats it as immutable. It is not a replacement for the official guide.
Practitioners have debated these questions for years. In a Scrum.org forum thread on changes for the next update of the Scrum Guide, started in 2023 and still active in December 2025, one member proposed six changes. Others pushed back, and one reply summed up the counter-view: "Scrum is simple. Try it as is." For exam candidates, the lesson is the same: the assessments test the text as it is.
The exam facts that have not changed
| Fact | PSM I | PSPO I |
|---|---|---|
| Questions | 80 | 80 |
| Time | 60 minutes | 60 minutes |
| Passing score | 85% | 85% |
| Fee | USD 200 per attempt | USD 200 per attempt |
| Validity | Lifetime, no renewal fee | Lifetime, no renewal fee |
| Source text | Scrum Guide 2020 | Scrum Guide 2020 (plus product ownership topics) |
Sources: PSM I page and PSPO I page on Scrum.org, checked October 2026.
Trap 1: "Scrum has roles"
The proposal. Several authors talk about Scrum "roles", and Hoseini proposes that Scrum should not prescribe any role at all.
Why candidates slip. Most job titles and older study material still say "Scrum Master role".
What the Scrum Guide 2020 says. The guide defines three accountabilities: Product Owner, Scrum Master and Developers. The Scrum Team is one Scrum Master, one Product Owner and Developers. On the exam, prefer "accountability" wording.
Mini-check: Is "Developers" a job title in the guide? No. It is an accountability for anyone who creates the Increment.
Trap 2: "The Daily Scrum is optional or for everyone"
The proposal. Hoseini suggests replacing the Daily Scrum with an "Alignment event" held only when someone asks for it, with all team members required to attend.
What the guide says. The Daily Scrum is a 15-minute event for the Developers, held every working day of the Sprint. If the Product Owner or Scrum Master are actively working on Sprint Backlog items, they take part as Developers.
Mini-check: Must the Scrum Master attend the Daily Scrum? No. The Scrum Master ensures it takes place, but the event is for the Developers.
Trap 3: "There are more artifacts and commitments"
The proposal. New artifacts such as a Value Backlog, an Improvement Backlog, a Definition of Value or a Definition of AI Use.
What the guide says. There are exactly three artifacts, each with one commitment: Product Backlog and the Product Goal, Sprint Backlog and the Sprint Goal, Increment and the Definition of Done. Improvements from the Sprint Retrospective may be added to the Sprint Backlog, but there is no separate improvement backlog. Our article on Definition of Done vs Definition of Ready covers a related trap.
Trap 4: "The Product Vision is a required element"
The proposal. Make Sprint Goal, Product Goal and Product Vision three mandatory levels of goals.
What the guide says. The Product Goal is the long-term objective for the Scrum Team and the commitment for the Product Backlog. The guide does not define a Product Vision artifact. Vision is useful in practice (see product vision, horizons and strategy), but on the PSPO exam the commitment is the Product Goal.
Trap 5: "There are six Scrum values"
The proposal. Add humility as a sixth value.
What the guide says. There are five values: Commitment, Focus, Openness, Respect and Courage. Expect questions that list a plausible sixth value as a distractor.
Trap 6: "Self-management means the team decides everything"
The debate. Hinshelwood argues that teams need real agency, and that managers who dictate Sprint Goals are not doing Scrum.
What the guide says. Scrum Teams are self-managing: they decide internally who does what, when and how. The whole Scrum Team crafts the Sprint Goal during Sprint Planning. But the Product Owner remains accountable for ordering the Product Backlog, and the Developers own the Sprint Backlog. Agency does not remove these accountabilities. The PSM II exam guide shows how this appears in harder scenario questions.
Trap 7: "With AI agents, the agents are accountable"
The debate. Hodgson's eight-agent team shows how agents can do most of the delivery work.
What the guide says, applied to AI. The guide does not mention AI. Accountability stays with people: the Product Owner is one person, not a committee, and the Scrum Team is accountable for creating a valuable, useful Increment every Sprint. Hodgson's own example agrees: he keeps the backlog ordering and release decisions as the only human on the team.
Practice Questions
Question 1
According to the Scrum Guide 2020, who must attend the Daily Scrum?
A. The whole Scrum Team B. The Developers C. The Developers and the Scrum Master D. Anyone with a stake in the Sprint
Answer: B. The Daily Scrum is an event for the Developers.
Question 2
Which of the following is a commitment in the Scrum Guide 2020? (Choose all that apply.)
A. Product Goal B. Definition of Ready C. Sprint Goal D. Definition of Done E. Product Vision
Answer: A, C, D. Definition of Ready and Product Vision are useful practices, but not commitments in the guide.
Question 3
A team uses AI agents to write most of the code. Who is accountable for ordering the Product Backlog?
A. The agent that generates the most backlog items B. The Product Owner C. The Scrum Master D. A committee of stakeholders
Answer: B. The Product Owner remains accountable, and the Product Owner is one person, not a committee.
Question 4
True or false: humility is one of the Scrum values.
Answer: False. The five values are Commitment, Focus, Openness, Respect and Courage.
How to study while the debate continues
Read the community posts to understand the reasoning behind Scrum, but answer the exam from the official text. A simple rule: if an idea is not in the Scrum Guide 2020, it is not the correct answer on PSM I or PSPO I. Read the guide twice, then practise timed questions on our PSM I simulator or PSPO I simulator. The article Scrum Master as impediment remover covers another frequent source of wrong answers.
FAQ
Is there a new Scrum Guide in 2026?
No. As of October 2026, the Scrum Guide 2020 is the latest official version. Blog posts and expansion guides propose changes, but none of them replaces it.
Is the Scrum Guide Expansion Pack tested on PSM I?
No. The Expansion Pack and its AI and Scrum guide are separate documents. The PSM I and PSPO I assessments are based on the Scrum Guide 2020.
Does the PSM exam ask about AI?
The Scrum Guide 2020 does not mention AI. If a question uses an AI scenario, answer it with the same accountabilities, events and artifacts as for any other team.
Should I still use the term "roles" in my answers?
Prefer "accountabilities". The 2020 guide replaced role language with accountabilities, and exam questions use that wording.
Sources
- Scrum.org: If I Wanted To Write A New Scrum Guide (2 October 2026)
- Scrum.org: Your AI agents can deliver; Scrum is what governs them (2 October 2026)
- Scrum.org: The Role of Agency in Scrum (6 October 2026)
- Scrum.org forum: Changes for the next update of the Scrum Guide
- The Scrum Guide 2020
- Scrum Guide Expansion Pack: AI and Scrum
- Scrum.org: PSM I assessment
- Scrum.org: PSPO I assessment