This study plan is designed to prepare you for the Professional Scrum Master I (PSM I) exam, combining the Pomodoro Technique and the Forgetting Curve. We will break down your study sessions into manageable, focused intervals while ensuring that you retain knowledge over time. The Pomodoro Technique (working in short, focused intervals with breaks) and the Forgetting Curve (which emphasizes reviewing information before forgetting it) will help you study efficiently and retain key concepts.

Study Plan Overview

Total Duration: 4 weeks (28 days)

Study Hours Per Day: 2 hours (can be adjusted based on your availability)

Breakdown of Time:

• Pomodoro Sessions: Each study session will be divided into 25-minute blocks of focused study time, followed by a 5-minute break.
• Review Sessions: To combat forgetting, there will be review sessions every 2-3 days, using spaced repetition based on the Forgetting Curve.

Week 1: Scrum Framework Fundamentals

Goal: Develop a deep understanding of Scrum’s theory, values, and the structure of the Scrum framework (roles, events, and artifacts).

Day 1: Scrum Theory & Principles

• Focus: Understanding the core principles of Scrum: Transparency, Inspection, and Adaptation.
• Tasks:
  1. Read the Scrum Guide – Scrum Theory section, focusing on the three pillars: Transparency, Inspection, and Adaptation.
  2. Watch a video or attend a webinar explaining Scrum’s core principles.
  3. Create flashcards for key terms like Transparency, Inspection, and Adaptation.
  4. Write a summary or reflection of these concepts with examples of how they might appear in a Scrum setting.
• Pomodoro Sessions:
  • 3 Pomodoros (25 minutes each) for reading and video study.
  • 1 Pomodoro for creating flashcards and reviewing them.

Day 2: Scrum Theory Review & Active Recall

• Focus: Reinforce the understanding of Scrum Theory and the three pillars.
• Tasks:
  1. Active Recall: Use your flashcards to test your understanding of the three pillars.
  2. Create a mind map connecting Scrum Theory with its principles.
  3. Try to explain Scrum’s theory to a friend or study partner to ensure full comprehension.
• Pomodoro Sessions:
  • 2 Pomodoros for active recall and mind map creation.
  • 2 Pomodoros for summarizing your learning and teaching it to someone else.

Day 3: Scrum Roles

• Focus: Understand the roles in Scrum: Scrum Master, Product Owner, and Development Team.
• Tasks:
  1. Read the Scrum Guide section on Scrum Roles.
  2. Create a table or chart to compare and contrast the roles of Scrum Master, Product Owner, and Development Team.
  3. Write down the specific responsibilities and interactions between these roles.
  4. Research and list common challenges in these roles and how Scrum Masters can resolve them.
• Pomodoro Sessions:
  • 3 Pomodoros for reading and note-taking.
  • 1 Pomodoro for summarizing your notes and creating comparisons between roles.

Day 4: Scrum Events

• Focus: Learn about the key Scrum events: Sprint, Sprint Planning, Daily Scrum, Sprint Review, Sprint Retrospective.
• Tasks:
  1. Read the Scrum Guide section on Scrum Events.
  2. Create a detailed chart or timeline for each event, specifying the event’s purpose, duration, participants, and outcomes.
  3. Watch a video showing Scrum Events in practice to visualize the events in action.
  4. Reflect on how these events support team collaboration and continuous improvement.
• Pomodoro Sessions:
  • 3 Pomodoros for reading and creating event charts.
  • 1 Pomodoro for watching event videos and reflection.

Day 5: Scrum Artifacts (Product Backlog, Sprint Backlog, Increment)

• Focus: Understand the Scrum artifacts that help manage work: Product Backlog, Sprint Backlog, and Increment.
• Tasks:
  1. Read the Scrum Guide section on Scrum Artifacts.
  2. Create flashcards for each artifact and define their role within Scrum.
  3. Reflect on how each artifact helps Scrum Teams stay organized, focused, and aligned.
  4. Study examples of Product Backlog Items (PBIs) and how they are created and prioritized.
• Pomodoro Sessions:
  • 3 Pomodoros for reading and creating flashcards.
  • 1 Pomodoro for reflecting on the practical application of these artifacts.

Day 6: Daily Scrum Practice

• Focus: Practice the Daily Scrum and learn how the event works in practice.
• Tasks:
  1. Conduct a mock Daily Scrum (alone or with a study partner).
  2. Focus on the key three questions: What did you do yesterday? What will you do today? Are there any impediments?
  3. Study the role of the Scrum Master during the Daily Scrum and how they facilitate the event.
  4. Reflect on how to ensure team collaboration and focus during this event.
• Pomodoro Sessions:
  • 3 Pomodoros for practicing and refining your understanding of the Daily Scrum.
  • 1 Pomodoro for reviewing notes on Scrum events and identifying areas for improvement.

Day 7: Week 1 Review & Consolidation

• Focus: Review all content from Week 1 and consolidate your knowledge of Scrum theory, roles, events, and artifacts.
• Tasks:
  1. Revisit your notes, mind maps, and flashcards from the past week.
  2. Take a practice quiz on Scrum theory, roles, and events to test your understanding.
  3. Identify any gaps in knowledge and use the spaced repetition technique to review challenging topics.
• Pomodoro Sessions:
  • 4 Pomodoros for review and completing a practice quiz.
  • 1 Pomodoro for identifying weak areas and revisiting them.

Week 2: Scrum Teams & Leadership Skills

Goal: Learn how to develop self-organizing teams, promote collaboration, and provide effective coaching as a Scrum Master.

Day 8: Self-Organizing Teams

• Focus: Understand how to build self-organizing teams and the Scrum Master’s role in fostering autonomy.
• Tasks:
  1. Study the Scrum Guide section on self-organizing teams.
  2. Research how Scrum Masters can promote autonomy by empowering team members to make decisions.
  3. Write examples of how Scrum Masters encourage team collaboration and ownership of tasks.
  4. Reflect on the challenges of self-organization and how to overcome them.
• Pomodoro Sessions:
  • 3 Pomodoros for reading and reflection.
  • 1 Pomodoro for creating practical examples and insights.

Day 9: Scrum Master as a Servant Leader

• Focus: Understand the role of the Scrum Master as a servant leader.
• Tasks:
  1. Read about servant leadership in the Scrum Guide and other resources.
  2. List key differences between traditional leadership and servant leadership in Scrum.
  3. Research how Scrum Masters coach team members and remove impediments to their work.
  4. Practice by writing coaching tips or scenarios where you could act as a servant leader in your team.
• Pomodoro Sessions:
  • 3 Pomodoros for reading and reflection.
  • 1 Pomodoro for writing coaching tips and exploring leadership scenarios.

Day 10: Team Building & Communication

• Focus: Learn how Scrum Masters foster communication and collaboration in teams.
• Tasks:
  1. Study techniques for promoting open communication and feedback in Scrum teams.
  2. Learn about team-building exercises and how they help strengthen team bonds.
  3. Practice active listening and giving constructive feedback in a simulated team setting.
  4. Reflect on how to create a safe environment where team members can speak openly.
• Pomodoro Sessions:
  • 3 Pomodoros for studying communication techniques.
  • 1 Pomodoro for practicing team-building activities and feedback.

Day 11: Conflict Resolution

• Focus: Understand how Scrum Masters resolve conflicts within the team.
• Tasks:
  1. Study common conflict resolution techniques in Scrum.
  2. Reflect on the Scrum Master’s role in facilitating difficult conversations.
  3. Write down strategies for handling team disputes or misunderstandings.
  4. Role-play a conflict resolution scenario to practice how to facilitate resolution.
• Pomodoro Sessions:
  • 3 Pomodoros for studying conflict resolution strategies.
  • 1 Pomodoro for practicing role-playing scenarios.

Day 12: Leadership & Coaching in Action

• Focus: Learn how Scrum Masters provide guidance and coaching to team members.
• Tasks:
  1. Study case studies or examples where Scrum Masters coached teams successfully.
  2. Reflect on the best ways to handle team challenges and support team development.
  3. Prepare a coaching plan for an imaginary team member who needs guidance in their role.
• Pomodoro Sessions:
  • **3

Pomodoros** for reviewing case studies and preparing a coaching plan.

• 1 Pomodoro for summarizing key takeaways from leadership and coaching concepts.

Day 13-14: Week 2 Review & Reflection

• Focus: Review the Scrum Master’s leadership role, team dynamics, and communication.
• Tasks:
  1. Review notes and key concepts from the week.
  2. Take a practice quiz on team building, servant leadership, and conflict resolution.
  3. Spaced repetition: Revisit difficult topics or concepts.
• Pomodoro Sessions:
  • 4 Pomodoros for practice quizzes and reviewing materials.
  • 1 Pomodoro for identifying weak areas and revisiting them.

Week 3: Managing Products with Agility

Goal: Focus on mastering Product Backlog Management, Optimizing the Development Process, and Responding to Customer Feedback in Scrum. You'll learn how Scrum Masters help guide the team in delivering value to customers efficiently and effectively.

Day 15: Product Backlog Management

• Focus: Understand how to manage the Product Backlog and the role of the Product Owner in prioritizing backlog items.
• Tasks:
  1. Read the Scrum Guide section on Product Backlog and its importance in Scrum.
  2. Study how to assist the Product Owner in refining the backlog through Backlog Refinement sessions.
  3. Research the Definition of Ready and how it impacts the Product Backlog.
  4. Create a list of best practices for managing the Product Backlog efficiently.
• Pomodoro Sessions:
  • 3 Pomodoros for reading and note-taking.
  • 1 Pomodoro for creating a list of best practices and reflecting on how Scrum Masters facilitate backlog management.

Day 16: Prioritization Techniques for the Backlog

• Focus: Learn about prioritization techniques used by Product Owners and Scrum Masters, such as MoSCoW, Kano Model, and Value vs. Effort Matrix.
• Tasks:
  1. Study different prioritization models (e.g., MoSCoW, Kano, Value vs. Effort Matrix).
  2. Practice prioritizing a set of user stories using one of the techniques.
  3. Reflect on how Scrum Masters can help the Product Owner prioritize the backlog to ensure value delivery.
  4. Create a sample prioritized backlog for a mock product.
• Pomodoro Sessions:
  • 3 Pomodoros for studying prioritization models.
  • 1 Pomodoro for practicing prioritization with real-world examples.

Day 17: Optimizing the Development Process

• Focus: Understand how Scrum Masters help the team optimize the development process by removing bottlenecks, improving efficiency, and enabling continuous improvement.
• Tasks:
  1. Read about continuous improvement in Scrum, focusing on the Sprint Retrospective.
  2. Learn how Scrum Masters encourage automation in testing, deployment, and other workflows to reduce manual work and errors.
  3. Study how Scrum Masters identify bottlenecks in the development process and work with the team to eliminate them.
  4. Create an action plan for continuous improvement based on the Sprint Retrospective findings.
• Pomodoro Sessions:
  • 3 Pomodoros for studying continuous improvement and bottleneck removal.
  • 1 Pomodoro for creating an action plan based on retrospective insights.

Day 18: Sprint Retrospectives & Continuous Improvement

• Focus: Deep dive into the Sprint Retrospective event and how Scrum Masters lead the team to continuous improvement.
• Tasks:
  1. Study the Sprint Retrospective process and its importance in Inspecting and Adapting team performance.
  2. Research various retrospective formats that help keep retrospectives engaging and productive (e.g., Start-Stop-Continue, 5 Whys, etc.).
  3. Practice facilitating a retrospective by writing out sample retrospective questions and prompts.
  4. Reflect on how continuous improvement is achieved through retrospectives and how it impacts team performance.
• Pomodoro Sessions:
  • 3 Pomodoros for studying retrospective techniques and formats.
  • 1 Pomodoro for practicing retrospective facilitation and reflection.

Day 19: Responding to Customer Feedback

• Focus: Learn how Scrum Masters ensure that teams respond to customer feedback effectively through incremental releases and stakeholder engagement.
• Tasks:
  1. Study how incremental releases help Scrum teams gather early feedback from stakeholders.
  2. Understand how to facilitate regular engagement with stakeholders to align product development with customer needs.
  3. Research the role of the Scrum Master in encouraging the team to be responsive to feedback.
  4. Simulate a stakeholder review and demonstrate how you would facilitate gathering and responding to feedback.
• Pomodoro Sessions:
  • 3 Pomodoros for studying stakeholder engagement and customer feedback strategies.
  • 1 Pomodoro for practicing feedback gathering and responding strategies.

Day 20: Maximizing Product Delivery

• Focus: Learn about the incremental delivery of value and how Scrum Masters help teams maintain a focus on delivering value to customers.
• Tasks:
  1. Study the concept of incremental delivery and how Scrum Master helps teams break work into smaller, manageable chunks.
  2. Learn how to ensure that the team focuses on delivering working increments that add value to the customer.
  3. Practice explaining how Scrum’s approach ensures early feedback, which helps teams stay responsive.
  4. Reflect on how maximizing value delivery enhances customer satisfaction.
• Pomodoro Sessions:
  • 3 Pomodoros for reading and learning about maximizing product delivery.
  • 1 Pomodoro for reflecting on value delivery and its importance in Scrum.

Day 21: Week 3 Review & Consolidation

• Focus: Consolidate all the key concepts related to Product Backlog Management, Development Process Optimization, and Responding to Customer Feedback.
• Tasks:
  1. Review all your notes, flashcards, and mind maps from the week.
  2. Take a practice quiz focused on these topics to test your understanding.
  3. Use spaced repetition to focus on weak areas or concepts that are still unclear.
  4. Reflect on the impact of these Scrum practices on the overall product delivery process.
• Pomodoro Sessions:
  • 4 Pomodoros for review and taking a practice quiz.
  • 1 Pomodoro for identifying areas that need further study and reinforcing weak areas.

Week 4: Exam Preparation and Final Review

Goal: The focus of Week 4 is comprehensive review, using active recall, practice exams, and spaced repetition to prepare you for the PSM I exam.

Day 22: Exam Overview and Key Focus Areas

• Focus: Get familiar with the PSM I exam format, common question types, and the most important topics.
• Tasks:
  1. Study the PSM I exam format, how questions are structured, and the areas most commonly tested.
  2. Review all the key Scrum concepts, including roles, events, and artifacts.
  3. List the areas that require further review and focus on those areas in the following days.
  4. Set a timer and simulate the exam environment by taking a mock exam with a 60-minute limit.
• Pomodoro Sessions:
  • 3 Pomodoros for reviewing the exam format and key topics.
  • 1 Pomodoro for taking a mock exam.

Day 23: Active Recall & Spaced Repetition

• Focus: Focus on active recall and spaced repetition to reinforce all the concepts learned over the past three weeks.
• Tasks:
  1. Use your flashcards and mind maps to practice active recall of important Scrum terms and principles.
  2. Review your practice quizzes and focus on areas where you made mistakes.
  3. Take another mock exam to assess your readiness.
  4. Simulate the exam conditions by taking a timed practice exam.
• Pomodoro Sessions:
  • 4 Pomodoros for active recall and spaced repetition exercises.
  • 1 Pomodoro for taking a mock exam and evaluating your performance.

Day 24: Review Weak Areas

• Focus: Target weak areas from previous practice exams and quizzes.
• Tasks:
  1. Review your incorrect answers from practice exams and quizzes.
  2. Study solutions to mistakes, understanding why the correct answer is right.
  3. Revisit specific topics (e.g., roles, events, artifacts) that you found difficult.
  4. Take a short practice quiz focused on these weak areas.
• Pomodoro Sessions:
  • 4 Pomodoros for reviewing weak areas and studying solutions to mistakes.
  • 1 Pomodoro for taking a short quiz focused on weak areas.

Day 25: Final Full Mock Exam

• Focus: Take a full-length practice exam to simulate the real exam experience.
• Tasks:
  1. Take a timed 60-minute mock exam with questions that closely mimic the PSM I exam.
  2. After completing the exam, review your answers and ensure you understand the reasoning behind them.
  3. Reflect on your performance, and focus on areas where you need improvement.
• Pomodoro Sessions:
  • 3 Pomodoros for taking the mock exam.
  • 1 Pomodoro for reviewing and

reflecting on your performance.

Day 26: Final Review & Relaxation

• Focus: Final review of all key topics and relaxing before the exam.
• Tasks:
  1. Review key concepts one last time using your flashcards.
  2. Take a short quiz to test your knowledge and make sure you’re ready.
  3. Relax and clear your mind before the exam. Get a good night’s sleep to ensure peak performance.
• Pomodoro Sessions:
  • 3 Pomodoros for light review.
  • 1 Pomodoro for relaxation and focusing on a clear, calm mindset.

Final Exam Day

• Focus: Take the exam with confidence!
• Tasks:
  1. Eat a healthy breakfast.
  2. Focus on being calm and confident.
  3. Take your PSM I exam!