CAPM Agile Frameworks and Methodologies Practice Question
A software development team is transitioning from a plan-driven approach to Scrum. The Product Owner is enthusiastic but struggles to break down the product backlog into small, independent items. The team frequently encounters dependencies between user stories, causing delays in sprints. What is the best course of action for the Scrum Master to address this issue?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often choose a reactive, team-level solution (like assigning a dependency owner or increasing sprint duration) instead of recognizing that the Scrum Master must coach the Product Owner to prevent dependencies from being created in the first place.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Coach the Product Owner on how to split user stories to minimize dependencies.
The Scrum Master's primary responsibility is to coach the Product Owner and the team on Scrum practices. In this scenario, the root cause is the Product Owner's inability to decompose user stories into small, independent items, which creates dependencies. By coaching the Product Owner on effective story splitting techniques (e.g., using vertical slicing, splitting by workflow steps, or by acceptance criteria), the Scrum Master directly addresses the source of the problem, enabling the team to deliver value incrementally without cross-story delays.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Coach the Product Owner on how to split user stories to minimize dependencies.
Why this is correct
Coaching the Product Owner to split stories along dependency-free seams directly addresses the backlog refinement constraint. Vertical slicing by user value, rather than technical layer, yields independently deliverable items, removing cross-story coupling that stalls sprints. The Scrum Master owns this coaching duty, so the fix targets the root cause rather than scheduling workarounds.
- ✗
Have the team self-organize to handle dependencies by assigning a dependency owner.
Why it's wrong here
Assigning a dependency owner imposes a command-and-control role, contradicting Scrum's self-organisation principle and leaving the underlying backlog structure unchanged. It appeals because visible ownership feels tidy, and it would suit a plan-driven environment where a coordinator manages cross-team interfaces.
- ✗
Increase the sprint duration to allow more time to resolve dependencies.
Why it's wrong here
Lengthening sprints preserves the dependent stories and merely stretches the feedback loop, so delays persist and empiricism weakens. It is tempting because extra time appears to absorb the coordination overhead, but the Scrum Master should instead coach the Product Owner to slice backlog items into small, independent, vertically deliverable stories.
- ✗
Ask developers to manage dependencies during the sprint by coordinating with other teams.
Why it's wrong here
Pushing dependency coordination onto developers during the sprint leaves the backlog structure unchanged, so the delays recur each sprint. It is tempting because self-managing teams do coordinate, but the Scrum Master should coach the Product Owner to split stories along vertical, independently deliverable slices, removing dependencies at refinement.
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