Product Backlog
The Product Backlog is the ordered, emergent list of work needed to improve the product. For the PSM I exam, the key ideas are that it is the single source of work for the Scrum Team, the Product Owner is accountable for ordering it, refinement is an ongoing activity rather than an event, and its commitment is the Product Goal.
Part of the Scrum Guide chapter index. Read the canonical version inline in the app: Product Backlog on app.prettyscrum.org.
Why this chapter matters for the PSM I exam
The Product Backlog is the single source of work for the Scrum Team. It is emergent, ordered, and owned by the Product Owner. The 2020 Guide added the Product Goal as the commitment that gives the Product Backlog focus.
Direct answer: what is the Product Backlog in Scrum?
The Product Backlog is the continuously evolving list of what is needed to improve the product. It is ordered by the Product Owner, refined over time, and used by the Scrum Team as the single source of work. Its commitment is the Product Goal.
The Scrum Guide text
The Product Backlog is an emergent, ordered list of what is needed to improve the product. It is the single source of work undertaken by the Scrum Team.
Product Backlog items that can be Done by the Scrum Team within one Sprint are deemed ready for selection in a Sprint Planning event. They usually acquire this degree of transparency after refining activities. Product Backlog refinement is the act of breaking down and further defining Product Backlog items into smaller more precise items. This is an ongoing activity to add details, such as a description, order, and size. Attributes often vary with the domain of work.
The Developers who will be doing the work are responsible for the sizing. The Product Owner may influence the Developers by helping them understand and select trade-offs.
Commitment: Product Goal. The Product Goal describes a future state of the product which can serve as a target for the Scrum Team to plan against. The Product Goal is in the Product Backlog. The rest of the Product Backlog emerges to define “what” will fulfill the Product Goal.
The Product Goal is the long-term objective for the Scrum Team. They must fulfill (or abandon) one objective before taking on the next.
Source: 2020 Scrum Guide by Ken Schwaber and Jeff Sutherland, © CC BY-SA 4.0. License.
Key points to remember
- Emergent and ordered.
- Single source of work for the Scrum Team.
- Product Owner is accountable for content, ordering, and availability.
- Commitment: the Product Goal.
- Refinement is an ongoing activity, not an event.
- Developers are responsible for sizing items.
- One Product Goal at a time per Scrum Team.
Common exam trap
A common wrong answer says the Scrum Master orders the Product Backlog or that backlog refinement is a formal Scrum event. Neither is true. The Product Owner orders the backlog, and refinement is an ongoing activity.
PSM I question pattern to watch
Many Product Backlog questions try to blur the line between ordering, sizing, and clarifying work. The Product Owner orders the backlog. The Developers size the work. Both may collaborate, but the accountabilities stay distinct.
Practice this chapter
Then reinforce it with the PSM I sample questions and the adaptive practice test.
Related chapters
Or jump back to the Scrum Guide chapter index or the PSM I hub.
Author: Maurice Heinze (PSM I, certified by Scrum.org). Last updated: 2026-06-05. Scrum Guide content licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.