SSM Practice Test 14 — 15 Questions

Question 1

A Scrum Master notices that during the Iteration Retrospective, the same two team members dominate the conversation while others remain silent. The team is not identifying meaningful improvements. What should the Scrum Master do?

Choose an answer to begin — your selection is scored in the full session.

Accepted Answer

Use a structured retrospective format such as silent brainstorming or round-robin to ensure all voices are heard.. The Scrum Master should use structured facilitation techniques to balance participation and surface diverse viewpoints. This helps the team identify more meaningful improvements and fosters psychological safety. Directly confronting individuals, fragmenting the event, or doing nothing would all fail to create an inclusive retrospective environment.

Answer

Let the team continue as is, since the dominant members may simply have more to contribute and the Scrum Master should not interfere.

Answer

End the Retrospective early and schedule a separate meeting with the quiet team members to gather their input privately.

Answer

Ask the dominant members to stop talking so much and explicitly invite the quieter members to speak.

Question 2

An Agile Team new to SAFe has been limiting its Iteration Planning to only the Stories it is certain it can finish, leaving buffer capacity unused each Iteration. The Release Train Engineer notices the team's velocity is flat while other teams on the train are improving. As the Scrum Master / Team Coach, which action best reflects your role in this situation?

Accepted Answer

Coach the team on using its historical velocity and Iteration capacity to plan more realistically, and facilitate the conversation during Iteration Planning.. The Scrum Master / Team Coach serves the team by teaching and facilitating, not by directing work or imposing targets. Using historical velocity and real capacity to plan is a learnable team skill, and the coach's job is to make that learning happen during Iteration Planning. Escalating, reassigning, or inflating the backlog all bypass the team's ownership and fail to build the self-management SAFe expects.

Answer

Escalate to the Release Train Engineer that the team is underperforming and request that the RTE set a minimum number of Story Points per Iteration.

Answer

Reassign the team's capacity planning to the Product Owner so the Product Owner can commit to the right amount of work for the team each Iteration.

Answer

Direct the Product Owner to add more Stories to the Team Backlog so the team is forced to take on additional work each Iteration.

Question 3

A Scrum Master is facilitating the Daily Stand-up for an Agile Team. One team member arrives late for the third time this week and begins giving a detailed status report to the Scrum Master rather than to the team. What is the most appropriate Scrum Master action?

Accepted Answer

Redirect the team member to share relevant information with the team, and address the repeated lateness with the team's working agreements after the event.. The Daily Stand-up belongs to the team and is used to inspect progress toward the Iteration Goals and plan the day's work. The Scrum Master facilitates by keeping the event focused on the team and the timebox, and coaches individual behaviors such as repeated lateness outside the event. Redirecting the status report and addressing the working agreement afterward preserves both the event's purpose and the team member's dignity.

Answer

Accept the detailed status report and update the team's task board personally so the stand-up can finish on time.

Answer

Ignore the lateness because the Daily Stand-up is self-managed, and let the team member continue reporting to the Scrum Master.

Answer

Publicly remind the team member of the stand-up time and ask the team to vote on whether lateness should be allowed.

Question 4

Marcus is the Scrum Master / Team Coach for the Identity Agile Team, which has just finished its first PI Planning on a new Agile Release Train. He wants to establish practices that build the team's self-management over the coming Iterations. Which TWO actions best support this goal? (Choose two.)

Accepted Answer

Facilitate the Iteration Retrospective so the team identifies and owns its own improvement actions.. Self-management is built when the team owns its improvement actions and its decision-making norms. Facilitating the Retrospective and coaching working agreements both transfer ownership to the team, while assigning roles, maintaining the board, or selecting Stories keep authority with the coach. The Scrum Master / Team Coach grows capability by designing conditions for the team to decide, not by deciding for them.

Answer

Take ownership of updating the team's Iteration board daily so it stays accurate for ART-level reporting.

Answer

Assign each team member a specific role in every team event so responsibilities are always covered.

Answer

Decide which Stories the team should pull next based on the ART's highest-priority Features.

Question 5

During a System Demo, a stakeholder challenges an Agile Team's Increment because a Story marked complete does not behave as the stakeholder expected in the integrated environment. The team insists it met its Definition of Done. As the Scrum Master / Team Coach, what is the most appropriate first action?

Accepted Answer

Facilitate a focused conversation after the demo to compare the team's Definition of Done with what the stakeholder actually expected, and capture any gap as an improvement item.. A challenge at the System Demo is feedback to be inspected, not a dispute to be won or escalated. The Scrum Master / Team Coach facilitates a comparison between the team's Definition of Done and the stakeholder's expectation, then helps the team capture the difference as an improvement item. That preserves transparency, keeps ownership with the team and Product Owner, and turns the objection into a concrete adaptation.

Answer

Immediately ask the Product Owner to rewrite the Story's acceptance criteria and reopen it so the team can rework the behavior before the next System Demo.

Answer

Record the stakeholder's objection in the program risks and escalate it to the Release Train Engineer so the ART can address it at the next Inspect and Adapt workshop.

Answer

Defend the team publicly, explaining that the Story met the Definition of Done and that the stakeholder's expectation was out of scope.

Question 6

During a team's Iteration Retrospective, the Scrum Master notices that two team members dominate the conversation while quieter members remain silent. The team must produce actionable improvement items before the timebox ends. What is the most effective facilitation action for the Scrum Master to take?

Accepted Answer

Use a structured format such as silent brainstorming or round-robin to ensure all voices contribute before grouping and prioritizing actions.. The Scrum Master facilitates the retrospective so the team can inspect its process and choose improvements. When a few voices dominate, changing the format to silent brainstorming or round-robin broadens participation without directing content. This preserves team ownership, respects the timebox, and yields actionable items that the whole team understands and supports.

Answer

Ask the dominant members to stop talking so the Scrum Master can interview each silent member one by one.

Answer

Extend the retrospective beyond its timebox until every person has spoken at least twice.

Answer

Record only the dominant members' suggestions and ask the quieter members to submit written feedback after the retrospective.

Question 7

An Agile Team's Scrum Master / Team Coach notices that the team's Daily Stand-up has become a 45-minute problem-solving session where only two developers speak and the rest disengage. The team is missing flow and impediments are not being surfaced to the ART. Which action should the Scrum Master / Team Coach take?

Accepted Answer

Coach the team to keep the stand-up focused on flow and blockers, then take detailed problem-solving to a follow-up conversation.. The Daily Stand-up should synchronize the team and surface impediments within its timebox, not become an extended problem-solving session. Coaching the team to focus on flow and blockers and to park deep discussions for a follow-up preserves the event's value. Forbidding impediments, excluding members, or replacing the stand-up with written updates all undermine coordination and transparency.

Answer

Cancel the stand-up and replace it with a written status update in the team's collaboration tool.

Answer

Shorten the stand-up to 5 minutes and forbid any discussion of impediments so the ceremony stays on time.

Answer

Ask the two vocal developers to stop attending so the quieter team members are forced to speak.

Question 8

A Scrum Master is facilitating a team's first Iteration Retrospective after a challenging Iteration. The team is frustrated and wants to skip the Retrospective to focus on fixing defects. Which TWO actions should the Scrum Master take? (Choose two.)

Accepted Answer

Facilitate the Retrospective with a focus on identifying systemic causes of the defects and actions to improve the team's process.. The Scrum Master should uphold the Retrospective as an essential event and help the team see its value in addressing defects through process improvement. Focusing the Retrospective on systemic causes and actions ensures it is relevant and productive. Cancelling, shortening, or replacing the event would undermine continuous improvement and the Scrum framework.

Answer

Cancel the Retrospective and schedule a defect triage meeting instead, since the team's immediate priority is fixing defects.

Answer

Shorten the Retrospective to 15 minutes and use the remaining time for defect fixing.

Answer

Allow the team to cancel the Retrospective this once, since fixing defects is more urgent and the team can retrospect later.

Question 9

A SAFe Scrum Master / Team Coach is helping an Agile Team improve its collaboration with the System Team and Shared Services. The team frequently encounters delays because they are unsure when to engage these groups. What is the most appropriate action for the Scrum Master to take?

Accepted Answer

Facilitate a working agreement between the team, System Team, and Shared Services that defines when and how to request support, and review it in retrospectives.. The Scrum Master / Team Coach should facilitate effective collaboration between the team and support groups. Creating a working agreement that specifies when and how to engage System Team and Shared Services, and reviewing it in retrospectives, establishes clear expectations and fosters continuous improvement. Avoiding these groups, escalating prematurely, or altering the backlog do not build sustainable coordination and may harm ART flow.

Answer

Instruct the Product Owner to stop putting stories in the backlog that require support from the System Team or Shared Services.

Answer

Tell the team to avoid using Shared Services and instead build all capabilities internally to reduce dependencies.

Answer

Escalate to the Release Train Engineer that the System Team and Shared Services are unresponsive and demand they prioritize the team's requests.

Question 10

During an Iteration Retrospective, the team identifies that their Daily Stand-up consistently runs over 30 minutes and has become a status report to the Scrum Master. The Scrum Master wants to help the team improve this event. What should the Scrum Master do first?

Accepted Answer

Ask the team to review and update their working agreements for the Daily Stand-up, focusing on timeboxing and the purpose of the event.. The Scrum Master should coach the team to self-manage by revisiting working agreements and clarifying the purpose of the Daily Stand-up. This empowers the team to own their process and make sustainable improvements. Cancelling the event, taking over facilitation, or reducing frequency all fail to address the underlying behavioral issue and undermine Scrum principles.

Answer

Take over facilitation of the Daily Stand-up and enforce a strict 15-minute timebox by cutting off anyone who speaks too long.

Answer

Cancel the Daily Stand-up for one week and replace it with written status updates to save time.

Answer

Recommend that the team switch to a weekly status meeting instead of a daily event to reduce time spent in meetings.

Question 11

The Billing Agile Team is mid-Iteration when a production incident pulls two of its five members away for several days. The team will likely miss its Iteration Goal. The Product Owner asks the Scrum Master / Team Coach to tell the team to work overtime to recover the commitment. What is the best response?

Accepted Answer

Facilitate a conversation between the team and the Product Owner to re-forecast the Iteration and possibly descope the lowest-value work.. A capacity shock mid-Iteration is a forecasting problem, not a discipline problem. The Scrum Master / Team Coach helps the team and Product Owner talk openly about reduced capacity, re-forecast the remaining work, and descope the lowest-value items. This preserves transparency, protects sustainable pace, and keeps the Iteration Goal honest instead of turning it into a mandate for overtime.

Answer

Refuse to discuss it and tell the Product Owner that capacity changes are solely the team's concern.

Answer

Quietly extend the Iteration by two days so the team can finish the committed Stories without involving stakeholders.

Answer

Instruct the team to work overtime, because the Iteration Goal is a commitment made at Iteration Planning.

Question 12

A newly formed Agile Team has asked the Scrum Master / Team Coach to decide which team member should facilitate the Daily Stand-up each day, since the team cannot agree on a rotation. Which response best reflects the Scrum Master / Team Coach role?

Accepted Answer

Help the team establish a working agreement for rotating facilitation, and coach individuals as needed so the rotation is effective.. The Scrum Master / Team Coach builds self-managing teams by helping them make and own their working agreements. Facilitating the team's decision about a rotation, then coaching individuals so the rotation works, keeps ownership with the team and develops capability. Assigning a permanent facilitator, doing it personally, or delegating to the Product Owner all create dependency and weaken the team's shared accountability.

Answer

Assign the facilitation duty to the most senior developer on the team, since seniority ensures the stand-up stays focused and on time.

Answer

Ask the Product Owner to facilitate the Daily Stand-up, since the Product Owner already attends and can keep the team aligned to priorities.

Answer

Facilitate every Daily Stand-up yourself so the team can focus purely on technical work and avoid the coordination overhead.

Question 13

During a team's Iteration Retrospective in a SAFe environment, one developer dominates the conversation, repeatedly interrupting others and steering the discussion toward a personal grievance about a colleague. The Scrum Master wants to ensure all voices are heard and the team stays focused on actionable improvements. What is the most appropriate first action for the Scrum Master?

Accepted Answer

Intervene by acknowledging the concern, then use a structured format such as round-robin or silent brainstorming to ensure balanced participation.. The Scrum Master owns the retrospective process and must ensure a safe, balanced environment where all team members can contribute. Using structured facilitation techniques such as round-robin or silent brainstorming directly addresses dominance and interpersonal tension while preserving the team's time for identifying actionable improvements. Escalating or ending the session prematurely avoids the Scrum Master's core responsibility to facilitate the event effectively.

Answer

Report the developer's behavior to the Release Train Engineer and ask them to address it after the retrospective.

Answer

End the Retrospective early and schedule a separate conflict-resolution session with the two developers involved.

Answer

Allow the discussion to continue, then summarize the grievance and ask the team to vote on whether it should become an improvement item.

Question 14

A Scrum Master notices that during the Iteration Retrospective, the same two team members dominate the conversation while others remain silent. The team is not identifying meaningful improvements. What should the Scrum Master do?

Choose an answer to begin — your selection is scored in the full session.

Accepted Answer

Coach the team and stakeholders on the purpose of the Iteration Review as a feedback and collaboration event, and facilitate a structured feedback conversation.. The Scrum Master is accountable for ensuring Scrum events are effective. In the Iteration Review, the team inspects the increment and stakeholders provide feedback to adapt the backlog. When feedback is absent, the Scrum Master should coach participants on the event's purpose and facilitate a structured feedback conversation, thereby enabling inspection and adaptation without overstepping into Product Owner responsibilities.

Answer

Cancel the remaining Iteration Reviews and replace them with written surveys sent to stakeholders after each Iteration.

Answer

Ask the team to stop demonstrating and instead spend the time updating the team's velocity chart for stakeholders.

Answer

Instruct the Product Owner to lead the feedback discussion and document all stakeholder comments.

Question 15

A Scrum Master notices that during the team's Iteration Retrospective, the same two senior developers dominate the conversation while other members remain silent, and no actionable improvements have been produced for three consecutive iterations. What should the Scrum Master do first to improve the effectiveness of this event?

Accepted Answer

Introduce a structured format such as silent brainstorming or round-robin sharing to ensure all voices are heard and to drive toward a small set of owned improvement actions.. The most effective first step is to change how the Retrospective is facilitated so that participation is balanced and outcomes are actionable. Structured formats such as silent brainstorming or round-robin reduce the influence of dominant speakers and help the team identify and commit to a few concrete improvements. This keeps ownership with the team while the Scrum Master improves the event's process and safety.

Answer

Cancel the Retrospective for the next iteration and replace it with a team-building lunch, since the team seems unable to produce improvements.

Answer

Ask the two senior developers to stop talking so much and allow others to speak, then continue the Retrospective as usual.

Answer

Report the issue to the Release Train Engineer and ask them to attend and lead the next Retrospective for the team.