Scrum

Scrum is the most popular Agile framework. It organizes work into time-boxed iterations called sprints (usually 2 weeks) with defined roles, events, and artifacts.

Scrum roles:

• Product Owner: Defines what to build (priorities, requirements)
• Scrum Master: Facilitates the process, removes blockers
• Development Team: Builds the product (includes QA!)

Scrum events:

• Sprint Planning: Team selects work for the sprint
• Daily Standup: 15-minute sync on progress/blockers
• Sprint Review: Demo completed work to stakeholders
• Sprint Retrospective: Improve the team's process

Scrum artifacts:

• Product Backlog: Prioritized list of all work
• Sprint Backlog: Work selected for current sprint
• Increment: Working product at end of sprint

QA in Scrum:

• QA participates in all events
• Tests stories within the same sprint they're developed
• Helps define acceptance criteria during refinement
• Maintains and runs automated regression tests
• Reports on quality metrics

Understanding Scrum is essential for any QA role — virtually all modern software teams use some form of Agile/Scrum.