Sprint Planning
Part of the Scrum Guide chapter index. Read the canonical version inline in the app: Sprint Planning on app.prettyscrum.org.
Why this chapter matters for the PSM I exam
Sprint Planning starts every Sprint. Maximum 8 hours for a one-month Sprint, shorter for shorter Sprints. The whole Scrum Team plans together. Output: the Sprint Goal, the selected Product Backlog items, and a plan to deliver them. The exam tests the timebox and what each role contributes.
The Scrum Guide text
Sprint Planning initiates the Sprint by laying out the work to be performed for the Sprint. This resulting plan is created by the collaborative work of the entire Scrum Team.
The Product Owner ensures that attendees are prepared to discuss the most important Product Backlog items and how they map to the Product Goal. The Scrum Team may also invite other people to attend Sprint Planning to provide advice.
Sprint Planning addresses the following topics:
Why is this Sprint valuable? The Product Owner proposes how the product could increase its value and utility in the current Sprint. The whole Scrum Team then collaborates to define a Sprint Goal that communicates why the Sprint is valuable to stakeholders. The Sprint Goal must be finalized prior to the end of Sprint Planning.
What can be Done this Sprint? Through discussion with the Product Owner, the Developers select items from the Product Backlog to include in the current Sprint. The Scrum Team may refine these items during this process, which increases understanding and confidence. Selecting how much can be completed within a Sprint may be challenging. However, the more the Developers know about their past performance, their upcoming capacity, and their Definition of Done, the more confident they will be in their Sprint forecasts.
How will the chosen work get done? For each selected Product Backlog item, the Developers plan the work necessary to create an Increment that meets the Definition of Done. This is often done by decomposing Product Backlog items into smaller work items of one day or less. How this is done is at the sole discretion of the Developers. No one else tells them how to turn Product Backlog items into Increments of value.
The Sprint Goal, the Product Backlog items selected for the Sprint, plus the plan for delivering them are together referred to as the Sprint Backlog.
Sprint Planning is timeboxed to a maximum of eight hours for a one-month Sprint. For shorter Sprints, the event is usually shorter.
Source: 2020 Scrum Guide by Ken Schwaber and Jeff Sutherland, © CC BY-SA 4.0. License.
Key points to remember
- Maximum 8 hours for a one-month Sprint.
- Three topics: Why (Sprint Goal), What (selected items), How (the plan).
- The Sprint Goal is set during Sprint Planning and is fixed thereafter.
- The whole Scrum Team participates.
- Developers may invite other people to provide expertise.
- Output: the Sprint Backlog (Goal + items + plan).
Common exam trap
The whole Scrum Team plans the Sprint — not just Developers, not just the Product Owner. The Product Owner ensures attendees discuss the most valuable items; the Developers decide how much they can do; the Scrum Master facilitates.
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Author: Maurice Heinze (PSM I, certified by Scrum.org). Last updated: 2026-05-04. Scrum Guide content licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.