SSM Supporting Team Events Practice Test 3 — 15 Questions

Question 1

Which THREE of the following are essential responsibilities of the Scrum Master during the System Demo? (Select THREE)

Accepted Answer

Ensure the environment is prepared and the team is ready to present their progress.. The System Demo is a critical event for stakeholder feedback and integration validation. The Scrum Master ensures the team is prepared, manages the flow of the demo, and encourages active participation. By coaching the team to present effectively and gathering stakeholder feedback, the Scrum Master ensures the team learns from the demo and adapts their plan for the next iteration or PI.

Answer

Demonstrate all the team's features personally on behalf of the developers.

Answer

Set the goals for the next iteration based on the feedback received during the demo.

Question 2

A team is struggling to keep their Iteration Planning within the allotted time box. What is the most effective way for the Scrum Master to support them?

Accepted Answer

Require the team to prepare by reviewing the backlog before the meeting starts.. Time-boxing is vital to keep the team focused and efficient. When a team consistently goes over time, it indicates a need for better preparation or improved facilitation techniques. By analyzing the root cause—such as lack of backlog readiness—the Scrum Master can help the team improve their processes, ensuring future planning sessions are concise, productive, and respectful of everyone's time.

Answer

Extend the time box to ensure all details are fully discussed and agreed upon.

Answer

Skip the capacity planning portion to save time for user story estimation.

Answer

Invite the manager to facilitate the meeting to ensure it stays on schedule.

Question 3

Which event serves as the primary mechanism for the team to synchronize and address blockers in SAFe?

Accepted Answer

Daily Stand-up. The Daily Stand-up is the dedicated event for team synchronization. By meeting daily for a brief period, the team communicates progress, identifies dependencies, and raises blockers. This regular cadence ensures that the team remains aligned, informed, and capable of addressing issues quickly, which is fundamental to maintaining flow and meeting the iteration objectives.

Answer

Iteration Planning

Answer

Iteration Retrospective

Answer

System Demo

Question 4

During an Iteration Retrospective, the team realizes they have low confidence in their estimates. What is the best way for the Scrum Master to help?

Accepted Answer

Suggest the team spends more time in Backlog Refinement to clarify requirements.. Low confidence in estimates usually stems from ambiguity in requirements or a lack of understanding of the work. The Scrum Master should coach the team on better refinement techniques, like breaking down large stories, or encourage them to talk to the Product Owner earlier. Improving the refinement process directly increases confidence and leads to more reliable, predictable planning in the future.

Answer

Tell the team to simply double all their estimates to be safe.

Answer

Advise the team to stop estimating altogether since it is unreliable.

Answer

Ask the technical lead to provide all estimates to save time.

Question 5

A team is failing to reach their Iteration Goal consistently. What should the Scrum Master focus on to help the team improve?

Accepted Answer

Focus the Retrospective on identifying systemic blockers and improving backlog refinement.. Consistency in meeting iteration goals is a sign of healthy team flow. When a team fails, the Scrum Master should look at the systemic factors: are the stories too large? Is the team over-committing? Are there blockers they aren't addressing? By analyzing these factors and facilitating process improvements in the Retrospective, the Scrum Master enables the team to become more predictable and successful.

Answer

Require the team to work longer hours to meet the goal.

Answer

Change the team members to bring in 'better' talent.

Answer

Lower the Iteration Goals to ensure they are always met, regardless of value.

Question 6

Which THREE of the following are benefits of the Scrum Master fostering cross-team collaboration during PI Planning? (Select THREE)

Accepted Answer

Increased understanding of dependencies between teams.. Cross-team collaboration is fundamental to SAFe, as teams are interdependent. By fostering these connections, the Scrum Master helps manage dependencies, align plans, and share knowledge across the ART. This proactive approach prevents bottlenecks, enables the team to deliver integrated value more smoothly, and ensures that the overall PI objectives are met through a unified, collaborative effort.

Answer

Elimination of the need for the Product Owner role.

Answer

Reduced need for team-level retrospectives.

Question 7

What is the primary role of the Scrum Master during the Iteration Review?

Accepted Answer

Facilitate the event to ensure it is productive and focuses on feedback.. The Iteration Review is a collaborative event focused on progress and feedback. The Scrum Master serves as the facilitator, ensuring that the team showcases their work effectively and that stakeholders can provide useful feedback. By ensuring the event is well-run, the Scrum Master helps the team learn from their stakeholders, which is crucial for refining the backlog and delivering higher-value work.

Answer

Present the team's work to the stakeholders.

Answer

Determine which stories were completed and which were not.

Answer

Defend the team against negative feedback from stakeholders.

Question 8

Which of these is the most effective way for the Scrum Master to encourage team transparency?

Accepted Answer

Ensure the team board is always up to date and reflects current reality.. Transparency is built by making the work and the process visible to everyone. Using tools like the team board, burndown charts, and open communication during team events ensures that nothing is hidden. When the team sees the state of their work, they are empowered to self-organize, resolve issues, and take ownership of their progress, which is the hallmark of a high-performing Agile team.

Answer

Keep all progress information private until the end of the iteration.

Answer

Report all status updates to management on the team's behalf.

Answer

Only show the positive results to stakeholders during the demo.

Question 9

During the Iteration Planning meeting, the Agile Team realizes that a key user story lacks clear acceptance criteria and depends on an external subsystem. What should the Scrum Master encourage the team to do?

Accepted Answer

Remove the story from the iteration backlog until the Product Owner refines the acceptance criteria and resolves dependencies.. The Scrum Master should guide the team to remove the story from the current iteration backlog if it cannot be successfully completed within the timebox. Bringing unrefined work into the execution phase increases technical risk and lowers predictability. Proper backlog refinement ensures stories meet the Definition of Ready before planning begins, protecting team velocity and flow.

Answer

Commit to the story anyway and attempt to clarify the dependencies during the middle of the iteration.

Answer

Accept the story into the iteration but assign it entirely to the external dependency owner.

Answer

Extend the iteration length by two days to allow the Product Owner time to write the missing acceptance criteria.

Question 10

Refer to the exhibit. As the Scrum Master during the middle of the iteration, how should you coach the team regarding their commitment?

Accepted Answer

Facilitate a discussion with the Product Owner to renegotiate scope based on current capacity.. The exhibit shows the team is currently over-committed based on their velocity of 10 points. The Scrum Master must coach the team to reprioritize their focus with the Product Owner. This is critical in SAFe to ensure the team produces high-value, quality increments rather than attempting to finish everything poorly. It encourages the team to practice radical transparency and effective scope management during the iteration.

Answer

Encourage the team to work overtime to ensure all stories are completed.

Answer

Advise the team to drop Story A and focus on completing Stories B and C.

Answer

Ignore the velocity discrepancy as velocity is only an estimate and not a guarantee.

Question 11

Which event in SAFe provides the team the opportunity to demonstrate their work to stakeholders and get feedback?

Accepted Answer

Iteration Review. The Iteration Review is the specific event where the team presents their completed work for the iteration. This event is essential for validating that the team has delivered the intended value and for gathering direct feedback from the Product Owner and other stakeholders. It acts as the primary mechanism for aligning the team's output with the overall Program Increment objectives and business needs.

Answer

Iteration Planning

Answer

Iteration Retrospective

Answer

Daily Stand-up

Question 12

An Agile Team is preparing for their upcoming Iteration Review. A key stakeholder demands a formal, highly polished slide deck and a sign-off document before attending. How should the Scrum Master coach the team to handle this request?

Accepted Answer

Coach the stakeholder on the purpose of the Iteration Review, inviting them to inspect the actual working system increment and provide feedback.. The Iteration Review in SAFe focuses on demonstrating working, tested system increments rather than slide decks or static documentation. The Scrum Master should coach the team to invite the stakeholder to inspect the actual working software and gather direct feedback. Emphasizing working system demos aligns with Agile principles and prevents teams from wasting valuable time on wasteful documentation.

Answer

Comply with the stakeholder by assigning two developers to build a comprehensive presentation deck and sign-off paperwork.

Answer

Exclude the stakeholder from the Iteration Review entirely to prevent them from imposing traditional waterfall review habits.

Answer

Postpone the Iteration Review by one week to give the team adequate time to produce the requested formal management report.

Question 13

During the daily stand-up, a developer states they are blocked because an external vendor has not delivered an API specification. The Scrum Master notices this is the third consecutive day this impediment has been raised without resolution. What immediate action should the Scrum Master take?

Accepted Answer

Take ownership of the impediment, escalate it through appropriate ART channels, and coordinate with procurement or management to unblock it.. When an impediment persists across multiple daily stand-ups and is outside the team's ability to resolve, the Scrum Master must take direct ownership of escalating and removing it. Leaving external blockers unaddressed damages team momentum and demonstrates poor servant leadership. The Scrum Master should leverage their organizational network and escalation channels to engage the vendor management team.

Answer

Tell the developer to call the vendor directly and negotiate a contractual penalty clause to force faster delivery.

Answer

Advise the team to wait patiently for the vendor to respond while pausing all work on dependent backlog items indefinitely.

Answer

Remove the dependent backlog items from the iteration entirely and replace them with unrelated technical debt tasks.

Question 14

During an Iteration Retrospective, the Scrum Master notices that the same two vocal team members dominate the conversation, while quieter members offer no input. Which technique should the Scrum Master use to ensure balanced participation?

Accepted Answer

Utilize silent brainstorming techniques, such as brainwriting on sticky notes, before opening the floor to verbal discussion.. To overcome dominant personalities in retrospectives, the Scrum Master should employ silent writing techniques like brainwriting before verbal discussion. This allows every team member an equal opportunity to generate ideas without interruption or intimidation. Facilitating inclusive participation ensures the team captures diverse perspectives and uncovers root causes that might otherwise remain hidden.

Answer

Ban the two dominant team members from attending future retrospectives so the quieter members feel safer speaking.

Answer

Designate yourself as the sole speaker for the team, summarizing what you believe everyone else experienced.

Answer

Ignore the imbalance, assuming that quiet team members simply have nothing meaningful to contribute to the discussion.

Question 15

During a Team Increment Planning event, an Agile Team struggles to reach consensus on a specific User Story's estimation, and the debate is consuming valuable planning time. What is the most effective action for the Scrum Master to take?

Accepted Answer

Establish a strict timebox for the discussion, and if consensus fails, use the median estimate or defer the story.. The Scrum Master must facilitate productive discussions without taking over the estimation process. Allowing the team to timebox the debate and apply quick estimation techniques keeps the planning cadence moving forward. This matters because getting bogged down on a single story risks missing the overall PI objectives and team commitments.

Answer

Provide the official team estimate yourself to immediately end the unproductive debate.

Answer

Escalate the disagreement directly to the Release Train Engineer for an executive decision.

Answer

Cancel the remainder of the planning session and reschedule it for the following week.