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Vera
Verbal Flashcards

The guide says something specific. Say that.

PSM and CSM questions where common practice is the wrong answer.

What your team does and what the Scrum Guide says are often different.

What Vera actually is

A phone call with someone who is not there. You say the thing out loud, they answer the way a real person would, and you get to do it again — as many times as it takes, with nobody listening.

1She calls youA real phone call, about ten seconds after you tap. Lock screen, headphones, car — wherever you take calls.
2She plays the other personNot a coach reading tips. Scrum Master Certification Review, with someone on the other end who answers back.
3She pushes when you are vagueFollow-up questions, interruptions when you ramble, and a straight read at the end on what landed.
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15 minutes free · no card needed

Start Scrum Review

15 minutes free · no card needed

“What if I am bad at it?”Everyone is, on the first one. That is the entire reason it happens here and not there.
“What if I do not know what to say?”She asks first and follows up on whatever you answer. You never start from a blank page.
“What if it is awkward?”It is, for about twenty seconds. Then it is a conversation, and nobody heard the twenty seconds.

Not practising doesn’t save you anything.

The ticket, the evening, the weeks of applying — all of it is spent before anyone says a word. The practice is the only cheap part, and the only part that changes how the rest goes.

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What she'll actually ask

She asks these the way a real person would, then follows up on whatever you say.

  1. Who is accountable for that, according to the guide?
  2. Is that your team's practice or the guide's position?
  3. What happens if the sprint goal becomes obsolete?
  4. Can the Scrum Master decide that?
  5. What is the timebox, and what happens if you exceed it?
More about this one

Scrum certification exams test the guide, not industry practice, and those diverge constantly — on who owns the backlog, what happens in each event, and what the Scrum Master may decide. People with real Scrum experience often score worse than beginners for exactly this reason. Vera drills the guide's positions and flags when your answer reflects your team rather than the text.

What she listens for

Practice versus textAnswers drawn from your team rather than the guide.
Accountability precisionWho owns what is the most frequently tested distinction.
Event rulesTimeboxes and purposes are specific and easily approximated.
  • PSM I
  • Certified Scrum Master
  • Scrum Guide
  • accountabilities
  • sprint events
  • product backlog ownership
  • timeboxes
  • empiricism
“Half my answers were how we do it at work. The exam does not care how we do it at work.”
Rina K.

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Common questions

PSM or CSM?

Both test the guide. PSM is generally stricter on exact wording — name which you are taking.

Does experience help?

Less than people expect, and sometimes it hurts. Drilling the text is what passes.

How long to prepare?

Short. A few sessions plus reading the guide directly covers most of it.

What if I am bad at it?

Everyone is, on the first one. That is the entire reason it happens here and not there.

What if I do not know what to say?

She asks the first question and follows up on whatever you answer. You never start from a blank page.

What if it is awkward?

It is, for about twenty seconds. Then it is a conversation, and nobody heard the twenty seconds.

Ready to try it?

Your first 15 minutes are free. No card required.

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