Are Sprint goals mandatory in Scrum and SAFe?

• A. Only in Scrum
• B. Yes. Sprint goals are mandatory in Scrum and SAFe
• C. No, they are optional
• D. Only in SAFe

Answer: (B)

Sprint goals are a guiding objective for the iteration that anchors what the team intends to achieve. In Scrum, the Sprint Goal is set during Sprint Planning and helps the team select backlog items that collectively move toward a single outcome. It gives the team a clear focus, informs daily work, and provides a concrete reference point for the Sprint Review to determine whether the sprint delivered the intended value. In SAFe, this same idea scales: each iteration has a Sprint Goal at the team level, and those goals align with the broader PI Objectives and program commitments, so multiple teams can coordinate toward a cohesive increment. Because this focus and alignment are central to delivering predictable value and coordinating across teams, Sprint goals are treated as a standard, expected practice in both Scrum and SAFe. Without such a goal, there’s a higher risk of drift and misalignment with business value.