When a development team determines that it will not be able to finish?

In their answer here, Sarov says:

When achieving the Sprint Goal is unlikely then the Sprint should be cancelled

Let me offer a revised formula

When the Sprint Goal is in danger then invoke your emergency procedure.

1. Change the way the team does the work.
2. Do something different.
3. Get help, usually by offloading backlog to someone else.
4. Reduce scope.
5. Abort the Sprint and replan.
6. Inform management how the emergency affects release dates.

So while cancelling the Sprint is an option, it should be considered only as a last resort.

Cancelling a Sprint when the Sprint Goal is looking unlikely to be met is an extreme position to take. It may ensure you never have a failed Sprint but I don't consider it a formula for success!

It's a bit like saying

When the airliner is in danger of not reaching its destination then immediately conduct a forced landing

From my naive understanding of aviation, it would seem better to - request air traffic control to find an alternative destination - invoke the emergency procedure - etc

The Scrum Guide offers a different formula:

A Sprint would be cancelled if the Sprint Goal becomes obsolete... In general, a Sprint should be cancelled if it no longer makes sense given the circumstances. - Official Scrum Guide

The examples in the Scrum Guide makes it clear the circumstances the authors have in mind are those external to the team. They also make it clear that Sprint cancellation is far from routine:

due to the short duration of Sprints, cancellation rarely makes sense. - Official Scrum Guide

As a Product Owner, I would joke to my Scrum Team that I had a personal goal to one day have the chance to cancel a Sprint, a light-herated way of communicating the idea that a cancelled Sprint is rarely seen in the wild.

Indeed, once (and only once) have the circumstances actually arisen for me. My Scrum Team was halfway through a Sprint whose Sprint Goal related to a compliance project. I was in a meeting with Stakeholders when someone mentioned, almost as an aside, that they cancelled the project that morning because legal counsel had concluded the project's outcomes were unnecessary. But even in these circumstances, we decided as a team to not cancel the Sprint. As is often the case, there were Sprint Backlog items that did not directly relate to the Sprint Goal but everyone still wanted to be completed. Taking out the compliance project items ply left a three days' 'capacity' in the Sprint, and some spikes were played instead, to everyone's satisfaction. A major consideration was not upsetting the Sprint cadence (Mon-Fri etc)

If you decided to earn a certificate at Scrum.org or just learn Scrum better, these quizzes and Questions should greatly help you.

Learn for Professional Scrum Master PSM1 Certification with real questions and answers Quiz

There are two quiz modes: Learning Mode – Each question has an immediate explanation. No time limit. All quiz questions are available. Pass it several times and you will be prepared well for the real assessment. Real Mode – It is very similar to the real assessment. No correct answers and explanations. There are 80 randomly selected questions and 60 minutes. Try it and get the feeling of the real assessment! If you have further Questions, email to get answers.

Question: 1 How is management external to the Scrum Team involved in the Daily Scrum?A: The Scrum Master speaks on their behalf.B: The Product Owner represents their opinions.C: The Development Team self-manages and is the only management required at the Daily Scrum.D: Management gives an update at the start of each Daily Scrum.E: F: Answer:B

Question: 2 A new developer is having continuing conflict with existing Development Team members and creating a hostile environment. If necessary, who is responsible for removing the team member?A: The Product Owner is responsible, because he/she controls the return on investment (ROI).B: The Development Team is responsible, and may need help from the Scrum MasterC: The hiring manager is responsible, because he/she hired the developer.D: The Scrum Master is responsible. because he/she removes Impediments.E: F: Answer:B

Question: 3 What is included in the Sprint Backlog?A: User StoriesB: TasksC: Use CasesD: TasksE: Any of the abover (or others) which are a decomposition of the selected Product Backlog items.F: Answer:E

Question: 4 Which Scrum Value is affected by a lack of trust in the Scrum Team?A: FocusB: RespectC: OpennessD: CourageE: CommitmentF: All of the aboveAnswer:F

Question: 5 When many Development Teams are working on a single product, what best describes the definition of Done?A: It depends.B: Each Development Team defines and uses its own. The differences are discussed and reconciled during a hardening Sprint.C: All Development Teams must have a definition of Done that makes their combined work potentially releasable.D: Each Development Team uses its own but must make their definition clear to all other teams so the differences are known.E: F: Answer:C

Question: 6 As the Sprint Planning meeting progresses, the Development Team sees that the workload is greater than they can handle. which two are valid actions?A: The Development Team works overtime during this Sprint.B: Cancel the Sprint.C: Recruit additional Development Team members before the work can begin.D: The Development Team sensures that the Product Owner is aware, starts the Sprint, and monitors progress.E: Remove or change selected Product Backlog items.F: Answer:D,E

Question: 7 When a Development Team determines that it will not be able to finish the complete forecast, who has to be present when reviewing and adjusting the Sprint work selected?A: The Scrum Master, project manager and Development Team.B: The Development Team.C: The Product Owner and all stakeholders.D: The Product owner and the Development Team.E: F: Answer:D

Question: 8 Who should know the most about the progress toward a bussiness objective or a release?A: The Scurm MasterB: The Product Owner.C: The Development Team.D: The Project ManagerE: F: Answer:B

Question: 9 Which two of the following are true about the Scrum Master role?A: The Scrum Master is responsible for updating the Sprint Burndown.B: The Scrum Master teaches the Development Team to keep the Scrum Meetings to their time-box.C: The Scrum Master assigns tasks to Development Team members when they need work.D: At the Sprint Review, the Scrum Master identifies what has been done and what hast not been done.E: The Scrum Master helps those outside the team interact with the Scrum Team.F: Answer:B,E

Question: 10 what is the main reason for the Scrum Master to be at the Daily Scrum?A: He or she does not have to be there; he or she only has to ensure the Development Team has a Daily Scrum.B: To write down any changes to the Sprint Backlog, including adding new items, and tracking progress on the burn-down.C: To make sure every team member answers the three questions.D: To gather status and progress information to report to management.E: F: Answer:A

Question: 11 When multiple teams work together on the same product, each team should maintain a separate Product Backlog.A: TRUEB: FALSEC: D: E: F: Answer:B

Question: 12 Who creates the definition of Done?A: The Scrum Master as he/she is responsible for the Development Teams productivity.B: The Scrum Team, in a collaborative effort where the result is the common denominator of all members definitions.C: The development organization ( or Development Team if none is available from the development organization).D: The Product owner as he/she is responsible for the products success.E: F: Answer:C

Question: 13 what is the accountablitiy of the Product Owner during Sprint 0?A: Gathering, eliciting, and analyzing the requirements that will be inserted into the Product Backlog.B: There is no such thing as Sprint 0.C: Make sure enough Product Backlog items are refined to fill the first 3 Sprints.D: Determine the composition of the Development Teams so they have the capacity to deliver the completed forecast.E: F: Answer:B

Question: 14 Which best describes the Product Backlog?A: It is baselined to follow change management processes.B: It is allowed to grow and change as more is learned about the product and its customers.C: It contains all foreseeable tasks and requirements from which the Scrum team can develop and maintain a complete project plan.D: It provides just enough information to enable a Scrum team to start the design phase of a product.E: F: Answer:B

Question: 15 when might a Sprint be abnormally cancelled?A: when it becomes clear that not everything will be finishes by the end of the Sprint.B: when the Sprint Goal becomes obsolete.C: When the sales department has an important new opportunity.D: when the Development Team feels that the work is too hard.E: F: Answer:B

Question: 16 Why should the Product Owner be present at the daily scrum?A: To represent the stakeholders point of viewB: He/she does not need to be thereC: To hear about impediments in functionality.D: To participate as a Scrum team member.E: F: Answer:A

Question: 17 Which statement best describes the Sprint Review?A: It is a demo at the end of the Sprint for everyone in the organization to check on the work done.B: It is when the Scrum Team and stakeholders inspect the outcome of a Sprint and figure out what to do next.C: It is used to congratulate the Development Team if it did what it forecast, or to punish the Development Team if it failed to meet its forecast.D: It is a mechanism to control the development Teams activites during the Sprint.E: F: Answer:B

Question: 18 When does a Development Team member become the sole owner of a Sprint Backlog item?A: At the Sprint planning meeting.B: Never. All Sprint Backlog Items are "owned" by the entire Development Team, even though each one may be implemented by an individual development team memberC: Whenever a team member can accommodate more work.D: During the Daily Scrum.E: F: Answer:B

Question: 19 When many Development Teams are working on a single product, what best describes the definition of "Done?"A: Each Development Team defines and uses its own. The differences are discussed and reconciled during a hardening Sprint.B: Each Development Team uses its own but must make their definition clear to all other teams so the differences are knownC: All Development Teams must have a definition of "Done" that makes their combined work potentially releasableD: It depends.E: F: Answer:C