CSM Practice Exam 3 — 20 Questions

Question 1

A Scrum Team is halfway through a two-week Sprint. The Scrum Master notices that the Developers have stopped holding the Daily Scrum because they say it interrupts their flow. What is the most appropriate action for the Scrum Master to take?

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

Accepted Answer

Coach the Developers on the purpose and structure of the Daily Scrum, and help them reinstate it as a daily event.. The Daily Scrum is a mandatory daily event owned by the Developers, used to inspect progress toward the Sprint Goal and adapt the Sprint Backlog. When a team abandons it, the Scrum Master should coach them on its purpose and help them restore it. Allowing omission, escalating to the Product Owner, or substituting a weekly meeting all violate Scrum principles and fail to address the root cause.

Answer

Replace the Daily Scrum with a weekly status meeting led by the Scrum Master to reduce disruption to the Developers' work.

Answer

Allow the Developers to skip the Daily Scrum if they demonstrate that they are self-managing and communicating continuously.

Answer

Escalate the issue to the Product Owner so that the Product Owner can require the Developers to attend the Daily Scrum.

Question 2

A Scrum Team has experienced low stakeholder attendance at their Sprint Reviews for three consecutive iterations. The Developers suggest canceling the Sprint Review and instead sending a written progress report via email. How should the Scrum Master respond?

Accepted Answer

Facilitate a discussion with the Product Owner and team to discover why stakeholders are absent, coaching them to demonstrate tangible value.. The Sprint Review is a collaborative inspect-and-adapt event designed for active stakeholder engagement and feedback, not a status reporting meeting. Replacing it with an email destroys transparency and eliminates the empirical loop. The Scrum Master must coach the team and Product Owner on engaging stakeholders effectively rather than bypassing the core event.

Answer

Approve the email report format temporarily, provided the stakeholders reply with their written feedback within forty-eight hours.

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Escalate the stakeholder absence to senior management and mandate their attendance at all future Sprint Reviews through company policy.

Answer

Agree to cancel the Sprint Review and allocate those four hours directly to the Developers for additional refactoring and technical debt reduction.

Question 3

During the middle of a Sprint, the Development Team realizes they will not be able to complete all the items selected during Sprint Planning. What is the most appropriate course of action according to Scrum?

Accepted Answer

Collaborate with the Product Owner to renegotiate the scope of the Sprint Backlog based on revised capacity.. The Product Owner and Development Team collaborate to renegotiate the scope of the Sprint Backlog. Scrum relies on transparency and inspection, allowing adjustments when new constraints emerge. The Product Owner must understand what can be delivered to maximize value while maintaining a sustainable pace. Canceling the entire Sprint is too extreme for a partial miss, and unilaterally dropping items violates collaborative commitment.

Answer

Cancel the Sprint immediately and schedule a new Sprint Planning meeting to reset the team capacity.

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Work mandatory overtime to ensure all selected Product Backlog items are completed by the end of the Sprint.

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Independently drop the lowest priority items from the Sprint Backlog without consulting the Product Owner.

Question 4

Which TWO of the following statements are accurate regarding the Daily Scrum event? (Choose two.)

Accepted Answer

The Developers can use any structure and techniques they want, as long as their Daily Scrum focuses on progress toward the Sprint Goal.. The Daily Scrum is an internal inspection event for the Developers to synchronize activities and create a actionable plan for the next 24 hours. Because it belongs to them, external stakeholders do not dictate its agenda, and adherence to a strict rigid format is secondary to achieving synchronization and adaptation toward the Sprint Goal.

Answer

The event is strictly a 15-minute timeboxed status report delivered by the Developers to the Scrum Master and Product Owner.

Answer

Management must attend to track individual task completion rates and update enterprise project management tools in real time.

Answer

Developers are strictly required to answer the three legacy questions regarding yesterday, today, and impediments every single day.

Question 5

Which TWO of the following are true regarding the Daily Scrum?

Accepted Answer

It is a 15-minute event for the Developers to inspect progress toward the Sprint Goal.. The Daily Scrum is a brief, 15-minute event for Developers to synchronize their work and adjust their plan for the next 24 hours. It is critical for transparency and immediate adaptation. Understanding these two truths—that it is for the Developers and that it is for planning, not status reporting—is essential for maintaining the autonomy and focus of the Scrum Team during the Sprint.

Answer

It is a mandatory event for the Product Owner to track task completion.

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It is a forum for the Scrum Master to assign tasks to the Developers.

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It is used to update the stakeholder on the team's velocity and burndown charts.

Question 6

A Scrum Team is experiencing low morale and declining velocity because they feel micromanaged by senior leadership during Sprint Reviews. Which TWO actions should the Scrum Master take to serve the team in this situation? (Choose the best TWO answers)

Accepted Answer

Coach senior leadership on the true purpose of the Sprint Review as a collaborative inspection event focused on the increment and adaptation.. The Scrum Master protects the team from external interference and educates stakeholders on effective collaboration. By shifting stakeholder focus away from micromanagement and toward strategic empirical feedback, the Scrum Master preserves team morale and the integrity of the Sprint Review.

Answer

Prohibit senior leadership from attending future Sprint Reviews to shield the team from uncomfortable questioning.

Answer

Cancel all future Sprint Reviews and replace them with private status presentations delivered by the Scrum Master directly to the executives.

Answer

Advise the developers to ignore stakeholder feedback entirely if they disagree with the tone or direction of the executive commentary.

Question 7

Which TWO of the following statements accurately describe the accountabilities of the Scrum Master regarding the Product Owner?

Accepted Answer

Coaching the Product Owner on effective backlog management.. The Scrum Master serves the Product Owner by helping them find techniques for effective Product Backlog management and understanding the need for clear, concise items. This support is crucial because an effective Product Owner directly influences the team's ability to deliver value. By coaching the Product Owner, the Scrum Master ensures the entire Scrum Team operates efficiently towards the product's success.

Answer

Ensuring the Product Owner is available for every Daily Scrum.

Answer

Approving the Product Backlog items before the Sprint.

Answer

Performing all product research for the Product Owner.

Question 8

Which event is considered the primary planning session for the upcoming Sprint?

Accepted Answer

The Sprint Planning.. Sprint Planning is the event that initiates the Sprint. It is here that the Scrum Team defines the Sprint Goal, selects the most valuable items from the Product Backlog, and creates a plan for the Developers to deliver those items. This event sets the entire cadence and commitment for the Sprint, making it the most critical planning point in the Scrum framework.

Answer

The Sprint Retrospective.

Answer

The Daily Scrum.

Answer

The Sprint Review.

Question 9

Which THREE of the following are ways a Scrum Master helps the Product Owner with Product Backlog management?

Accepted Answer

Teaching the Product Owner how to order the backlog for maximum value.. The Scrum Master serves the Product Owner by ensuring they have the tools and skills to manage the backlog effectively. These three actions represent core facilitation and coaching duties. By helping the Product Owner with these activities, the Scrum Master ensures the backlog is a useful, transparent, and manageable tool that supports the team's goals and the organization's product strategy, ultimately leading to higher value delivery for the stakeholders.

Answer

Writing the technical implementation details for the Product Owner.

Answer

Assigning specific story points to every backlog item.

Question 10

A Scrum Master discovers that the team is not holding Retrospectives because they feel they are 'too busy'. Which THREE actions should the Scrum Master take?

Accepted Answer

Explain the value of inspection and adaptation.. The Retrospective is the primary event for process improvement and is mandatory in Scrum. Without it, the team loses the ability to adapt. By emphasizing the long-term benefits of the event, the Scrum Master helps the team prioritize improvement as part of their work. This is essential for building sustainable pace and preventing the accumulation of process inefficiencies that eventually lead to burnout or technical stagnation.

Answer

Respect the team's decision to skip the meeting.

Answer

Report the team to management for non-compliance.

Question 11

Which TWO of the following are effective ways for a Scrum Master to foster self-management in a team?

Accepted Answer

Encourage the team to determine how to turn Product Backlog items into Increments.. Self-management is a central tenet of Scrum. By delegating decision-making and encouraging collective accountability, the Scrum Master helps the team mature. These actions are vital because they shift the team's focus from waiting for instructions to proactive ownership of their work, which leads to higher engagement and better outcomes as they learn to manage their own process, tasks, and interpersonal dynamics.

Answer

Assign specific tasks to individual team members to ensure accountability.

Answer

Require the team to clear all decisions with the Scrum Master first.

Answer

Create a rigid process that the team must follow for every Sprint.

Question 12

The Product Owner asks the Scrum Master to help them negotiate with stakeholders who are demanding a feature be added to the current Sprint. How should the Scrum Master proceed?

Accepted Answer

Coach the Product Owner on how to communicate the impact of the change to stakeholders.. The Scrum Master's role is to ensure the integrity of the Sprint while helping the Product Owner manage stakeholder relationships. Instead of doing the work for the Product Owner, the Scrum Master coaches them on how to handle the negotiation. This empowers the Product Owner to defend the team's focus while remaining professional and transparent with stakeholders about the impact of adding new work mid-sprint.

Answer

Tell the stakeholders that the Scrum Master forbids any changes during the Sprint.

Answer

Allow the stakeholders to present their request to the Developers directly.

Answer

Add the feature to the backlog and inform the team it must be done.

Question 13

An organization is transitioning to Scrum, but middle management is concerned about losing control over individual developer task assignments. How should the Scrum Master address this concern regarding 'Service to the Organization'?

Accepted Answer

Coach management on how Scrum enables transparency and empowers teams to pull work from the Product Backlog.. The Scrum Master must facilitate the transition by demonstrating how self-managing teams increase productivity and agility, ultimately reducing the need for traditional micro-management. By coaching management on the empirical process, the Scrum Master helps them shift focus from task management to value delivery. This service to the organization is crucial because it aligns internal structures with Scrum values, fostering a culture of accountability and transparency that empowers teams to deliver high-quality increments consistently.

Answer

Advise management to continue assigning tasks to ensure individual accountability.

Answer

Request that management creates a new 'Project Manager' role to bridge the communication gap.

Answer

Explain that managers should only interact with the team during the Sprint Review.

Question 14

A Product Owner struggles to order the Product Backlog because key stakeholders continuously demand that their individual features receive top priority. How should the Scrum Master best serve the Product Owner in this challenging situation?

Accepted Answer

Coach the Product Owner on utilizing transparent, value-based ordering techniques and stakeholder alignment strategies to manage conflicting demands.. The Scrum Master facilitates collaboration and coaches the Product Owner on empirical, value-driven techniques like backlog refinement rather than making the ordering decision for them. This empowers the Product Owner to own the backlog completely, maintaining their sole authority over prioritization while protecting the team from competing stakeholder demands.

Answer

Escalate the stakeholder conflicts to senior management to establish a permanent executive prioritization committee for the product.

Answer

Take over the responsibility of ordering the Product Backlog items to relieve the Product Owner from the intense political pressure of stakeholders.

Answer

Instruct the Development Team to reject any stakeholder requests that do not align with their technical preferences and architectural goals.

Question 15

Which activity is a primary way a Scrum Master provides service to the organization concerning the 'Product Backlog'?

Accepted Answer

Helping the Product Owner find techniques for effective Product Backlog management.. The Scrum Master assists the organization in understanding the importance of an ordered, transparent, and refined Product Backlog. By coaching the Product Owner and stakeholders on these concepts, the Scrum Master ensures that the organization focuses on value and empirical feedback. This service is crucial because it ensures that the work being done aligns with organizational goals, prevents waste, and creates a clear, shared vision for the team and the business.

Answer

Writing the technical specifications for every item in the Product Backlog.

Answer

Directly assigning priorities to items in the Product Backlog based on personal preference.

Answer

Limiting the size of the Product Backlog to no more than ten items at a time.

Question 16

A Scrum Master notices that during Sprint Planning, the Product Owner presents a detailed list of tasks for the Developers to implement, and the Developers simply accept them without discussion. The Scrum Master wants to foster a more collaborative planning session. What should the Scrum Master do?

Accepted Answer

Coach the Product Owner and Developers on the purpose of Sprint Planning, emphasizing that the Developers own the Sprint Backlog and should self-manage how to achieve the Sprint Goal.. The Scrum Master should coach the Product Owner and Developers on the purpose of Sprint Planning, emphasizing that the Developers own the Sprint Backlog and should self-manage how to achieve the Sprint Goal. Sprint Planning is a collaborative event, and the Scrum Master serves the team by ensuring that Scrum roles and accountabilities are understood and applied. This coaching enables the Developers to take ownership and improves the effectiveness of the event.

Answer

Take the task list from the Product Owner and redistribute it among the Developers based on their skills.

Answer

Allow the current practice to continue, since the Product Owner is responsible for maximizing value and knows best what needs to be done.

Answer

Suggest that the Product Owner create the Sprint Backlog alone and then hand it to the Developers for execution.

Question 17

A new team member is struggling to understand their role within the Scrum Team. As a Scrum Master, what is the best way to help?

Accepted Answer

Provide the Scrum Guide and schedule a session to clarify team accountabilities.. The Scrum Master is responsible for ensuring the Scrum Team understands its accountabilities. By coaching the new member on the principles of Scrum and the specific roles of Developers, Product Owner, and Scrum Master, the individual gains clarity. This educational approach empowers the team member to contribute effectively while maintaining the structure and values that make Scrum successful, ultimately fostering a more cohesive and productive cross-functional team.

Answer

Assign the new member a set of tasks that align with their previous job title.

Answer

Tell them to watch the other team members and copy their behavior.

Answer

Ask the team to create a new role description for the person.

Question 18

Refer to the exhibit. As a Scrum Master serving the organization, what is the most appropriate action regarding these policies?

Accepted Answer

Facilitate a discussion with leadership to redefine these policies.. These policies reflect a traditional project management mindset that conflicts with Scrum's empirical process. A Scrum Master serves the organization by leading the transformation, identifying how existing policies hinder agility. By engaging with leadership to modify these constraints, the Scrum Master enables the team to focus on value delivery rather than compliance with bureaucratic processes that provide little to no agility benefits.

Answer

Enforce these policies strictly to maintain organizational compliance.

Answer

Ask the team to ignore the policies while continuing their work.

Answer

Advise the PMO to attend the Sprint Review to gain transparency.

Question 19

Refer to the exhibit. A Scrum Master notices this status report for a blocker affecting the team. What should be the Scrum Master's immediate response to serving the team?

Accepted Answer

Help the team reach out to the other involved team to facilitate a collaborative solution.. The Scrum Master's role is to facilitate the removal of blockers, especially those requiring external influence. Escalating to management is a last resort, as the Scrum Master should first try to resolve the dependency through direct communication between teams. By actively working to clear the path, the Scrum Master protects the team from organizational friction, allowing them to focus on delivering value without getting bogged down in external bureaucratic delays.

Answer

Immediately send the escalation to upper management to clear the path.

Answer

Document the delay in the Sprint backlog and adjust the Sprint Goal accordingly.

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Tell the Product Owner that the current Sprint is now a failure and should be cancelled.

Question 20

Who is responsible for ensuring the Scrum Team adheres to the Scrum framework as defined in the Scrum Guide?

Accepted Answer

The Scrum Master. The Scrum Master is accountable for establishing Scrum as defined in the Scrum Guide. They do this by helping everyone understand Scrum theory and practice, both within the Scrum Team and the organization. This accountability is critical because it ensures the team maintains the transparency, inspection, and adaptation required for empirical process control, which ultimately leads to higher team performance and value delivery.

Answer

The Product Owner

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The Developers

Answer

The Organization's Management