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
Proper story splitting reduces dependencies and improves sprint flow.
- ✗
Have the team self-organize to handle dependencies by assigning a dependency owner.
Why it's wrong here
Self-organization alone does not address the need for smaller, independent stories.
- ✗
Increase the sprint duration to allow more time to resolve dependencies.
Why it's wrong here
Longer sprints may hide the problem but do not eliminate dependencies.
- ✗
Ask developers to manage dependencies during the sprint by coordinating with other teams.
Why it's wrong here
This places the burden on the team without solving the underlying backlog decomposition issue.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
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This CAPM practice question is part of Courseiva's free PMI certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the CAPM exam.