SkarpChapter 6 of 10
Scrum Events Part 2: Sprint Review and Sprint Retrospective
Follow a Sprint from Increment inspection with stakeholders to team introspection, and see how mixing up Review and Retrospective is an easy way to lose points on the exam.
From Increment to Improvement: Where We Are in the Sprint
End of the Sprint
We are now at the end of the Sprint. Two key Scrum events happen here: Sprint Review and Sprint Retrospective. Both are official events in the current Scrum Guide (2020, still current in 2026).
Two Different Focuses
- Sprint Review: Inspect the product (Increment) with stakeholders and adapt the Product Backlog.
- Sprint Retrospective: Inspect the process, people, and tools with the Scrum Team and adapt how you work.
Exam Trap
Exam questions often swap these two. Use this shortcut:
- Review = product + value + stakeholders.
- Retrospective = process + teamwork + improvement actions.
No Extra Official Events
The Scrum Guide does not define extra end‑of‑Sprint meetings like "demo" or "lessons learned". If they exist in a company, they are not Scrum events and can be exam distractors.
Sprint Review: Purpose and Timebox
Sprint Review: When and Why
The Sprint Review happens at the end of the Sprint, before the Retrospective. Its purpose: inspect the Increment and progress toward the Product Goal, and adapt the Product Backlog.
More Than a Demo
The Review is not just a demo. It is a working session with stakeholders to discuss:
- What was done.
- What changed around us.
- What to do next to maximize value.
Timebox
For a 1‑month Sprint, the Sprint Review is timeboxed to 4 hours or less. Shorter Sprints usually have shorter Reviews, but 4 hours is the only official maximum stated.
Exam Tip: Timebox Misuse
If an exam scenario has a 1‑month Sprint Review longer than 4 hours, it breaks Scrum. Very short Reviews might be allowed but can harm transparency and collaboration.
Sprint Review: Attendees, Agenda, and Output
Who Attends the Review?
Sprint Review attendees:
- Product Owner
- Developers
- Stakeholders (customers, users, sponsors, etc.)
- Scrum Master (facilitator and coach)
Typical Review Flow
Example agenda:
- PO: Sprint goal, what was planned vs. Done.
- Developers: show the working Increment.
- Stakeholders: feedback and questions.
- Discuss changes in the environment.
- Adapt and reorder the Product Backlog.
Outputs of the Review
Key outputs:
- Updated Product Backlog (new items, changed order, refined estimates).
- Shared understanding of value and likely next steps toward the Product Goal.
Misconceptions
The Sprint Review is not just a status report, not a formal sign‑off, and not optional. It is a required Scrum event focused on collaboration and value.
Example: A Sprint Review in a Mobile App Team
Scenario Setup
Team builds a course registration app.
- Sprint: 2 weeks
- Sprint Goal: "Students can search and filter available courses for the upcoming semester."
During the Review
PO: explains the Sprint Goal and which items are Done.
Developers: demo live search and filters in a test environment, showing real working software.
Stakeholder Feedback
Registrar: wants search by professor name.
IT security: mentions a new policy requiring student ID masking in logs (a recent regulatory change).
Adapting the Product Backlog
PO adds new items for professor search and log compliance, then reorders the Product Backlog to address regulatory risk early. This is the core output of the Sprint Review.
Sprint Retrospective: Purpose and Timebox
Retrospective: When and Why
The Sprint Retrospective happens after the Sprint Review and before the next Sprint Planning. Purpose: inspect how the last Sprint went and plan improvements.
Focus of the Retro
The Retrospective looks at people, interactions, processes, tools, and the Definition of Done. It is about how we work, not which features we built.
Timebox
For a 1‑month Sprint, the Sprint Retrospective is timeboxed to 3 hours or less. Shorter Sprints typically use shorter Retrospectives, but 3 hours is the official maximum.
Exam Tip: Skipping Retros
If a team skips Retrospectives because they are "too busy", they are not following Scrum. Continuous improvement is built into Scrum via this event.
Sprint Retrospective: Attendees, Agenda, and Output
Who Attends the Retro?
Only the Scrum Team:
- Product Owner
- Scrum Master
- Developers
External stakeholders usually do not attend. The Retro is a safe space.
Typical Retro Flow
Agenda example:
- Set the stage
- Gather data
- Generate insights
- Decide what to do
- Close and assign owners
Outputs of the Retro
Outputs:
- Concrete improvement actions for the next Sprint.
- Possible updates to the Definition of Done or team working agreements.
Misconceptions
The Retro is not for blame, not for Product Backlog re‑planning, and not optional. It is distinct from the Sprint Review even though both reflect on the last Sprint.
Example: A Sprint Retrospective for the Same App Team
Retro Setup
Same course registration team. After the Review, they hold a Retrospective. Scrum Master starts with a quick check‑in: one word to describe the Sprint.
Finding Problems
They discover frequent waiting for test data, surprise changes for the PO, and two bugs that slipped through despite items being marked "Done".
Insights and Actions
They see that the Definition of Done lacks integration tests, and PO is not involved enough in refining risky items. They plan to update DoD and pair PO with a developer on high‑risk refinement.
Outputs vs Review
The outputs are improvement actions and DoD changes, added to the next Sprint. No stakeholders, no Product Backlog re‑planning. This contrasts with the Sprint Review.
Thought Exercise: Spot the Event (Review or Retro?)
For each situation, decide whether it describes a Sprint Review or a Sprint Retrospective. Think your answer before scrolling.
- The team invites marketing and support staff. They show new features and discuss how recent competitor moves might change priorities.
- Your answer: Review or Retro?
- The Scrum Team only is present. They talk about how their branching strategy caused merge conflicts and agree to try trunk‑based development next Sprint.
- Your answer: Review or Retro?
- A senior manager joins and demands that the team provide a detailed status report for each developer.
- Your answer: Is this even a proper Scrum event? If yes, which one? If not, why?
Suggested answers (check yourself):
- Sprint Review – external stakeholders, focus on features and priorities.
- Sprint Retrospective – Scrum Team only, focus on process and technical practices.
- Likely neither, done correctly – using a Scrum event as a status meeting focused on individuals goes against Scrum values. Exams often expect you to say the Scrum Master should coach the manager and protect the event's purpose.
Quiz 1: Purpose and Attendees
Check your understanding of who attends and why each event exists.
Which statement best describes the **Sprint Review** according to the current Scrum Guide?
- A meeting where the Scrum Team inspects how they worked and creates process improvement actions, without stakeholders.
- A working session where the Scrum Team and stakeholders inspect the Increment and progress toward the Product Goal and adapt the Product Backlog as needed.
- A formal sign‑off meeting where management decides whether to accept or reject the Increment based on detailed documentation.
Show Answer
Answer: B) A working session where the Scrum Team and stakeholders inspect the Increment and progress toward the Product Goal and adapt the Product Backlog as needed.
Option 2 is correct: the Sprint Review is a collaborative working session with stakeholders focused on the Increment, value, and adapting the Product Backlog. Option 1 describes the Sprint Retrospective. Option 3 adds a formal sign‑off and management control that are not part of Scrum.
Quiz 2: Timeboxes and Participation
Check your recall of timeboxes and who should be in which event.
A team runs 1‑month Sprints. Which combination is **fully consistent** with Scrum?
- Sprint Review: 5 hours with only the Scrum Team; Sprint Retrospective: 2 hours with Scrum Team plus key stakeholders.
- Sprint Review: 4 hours with Scrum Team and stakeholders; Sprint Retrospective: 3 hours with Scrum Team only.
- Sprint Review: 2 hours with Product Owner only; Sprint Retrospective: skipped because the team feels mature.
Show Answer
Answer: B) Sprint Review: 4 hours with Scrum Team and stakeholders; Sprint Retrospective: 3 hours with Scrum Team only.
Option 2 matches Scrum: Review timeboxed to 4 hours or less with Scrum Team and stakeholders; Retrospective timeboxed to 3 hours or less with Scrum Team only. Option 1 exceeds the Review timebox and misuses Retro attendees. Option 3 excludes Developers from the Review and skips the Retro, both against Scrum.
Key Terms Review
Use these flashcards to reinforce the differences between Sprint Review and Sprint Retrospective and recall key timeboxes.
- Sprint Review – main purpose
- Inspect the Increment and progress toward the Product Goal with stakeholders and **adapt the Product Backlog** to maximize future value.
- Sprint Retrospective – main purpose
- Inspect how the last Sprint went (people, interactions, processes, tools, Definition of Done) and create **improvement actions** to increase quality and effectiveness.
- Sprint Review – typical attendees
- Scrum Team (Product Owner, Scrum Master, Developers) **plus relevant stakeholders** such as customers, users, and sponsors.
- Sprint Retrospective – typical attendees
- **Scrum Team only**: Product Owner, Scrum Master, Developers. External stakeholders usually do not attend.
- Sprint Review – timebox (1‑month Sprint)
- Maximum **4 hours** for a 1‑month Sprint. Shorter Sprints usually have proportionally shorter Reviews.
- Sprint Retrospective – timebox (1‑month Sprint)
- Maximum **3 hours** for a 1‑month Sprint. Shorter Sprints usually have proportionally shorter Retrospectives.
- Main output of Sprint Review
- An **updated Product Backlog** and shared understanding of value and likely next steps toward the Product Goal.
- Main output of Sprint Retrospective
- A **small set of concrete improvement actions** (and possibly changes to the Definition of Done or working agreements) for the next Sprint.
Key Terms
- Timebox
- A fixed maximum length of time for an activity. In Scrum, each event has a defined timebox to encourage focus and efficiency.
- Increment
- The sum of all Product Backlog items completed during a Sprint and the value of the increments of all previous Sprints. It must be usable and meet the Definition of Done.
- Stakeholder
- A person or group with an interest in the product's outcome, such as customers, users, sponsors, or other impacted parties.
- Product Goal
- A long‑term objective for the Scrum Team's product, providing a target for the Product Backlog.
- Product Backlog
- An ordered list of everything that is known to be needed in the product. It is the single source of work undertaken by the Scrum Team.
- Definition of Done
- A formal description of the state of the Increment when it meets the quality measures required for the product. Work that does not meet the Definition of Done is not considered part of the Increment.