The correct first step is to facilitate a discussion between the product owner and the development team to renegotiate the sprint goal. This is because the Scrum Master serves as a servant leader who must help the team navigate handling sprint impediments in Scrum without violating framework principles; forcing overtime or escalating outside the team would undermine self-organization and transparency. On the CAPM exam, this scenario tests your understanding of the Scrum Master’s role as a facilitator of negotiation, not a project manager who dictates solutions. A common trap is choosing “escalate to management,” which confuses traditional project management with Scrum’s emphasis on team-level resolution. Remember the mnemonic: “Don’t escalate, facilitate—renegotiate the goal before the sprint is late.”
CAPM Agile Frameworks and Methodologies Practice Question
This CAPM practice question tests your understanding of agile frameworks and methodologies. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
During a Scrum sprint, the development team discovers that a critical dependency on another team's API cannot be resolved until the next sprint. The product owner insists on delivering the current sprint goal without adjusting scope. The team is struggling to meet the definition of done. What should the Scrum Master do first?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "first"
Why it matters: Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Facilitate a discussion between the product owner and team to renegotiate the sprint goal
The Scrum Master should facilitate a discussion with the product owner and team to explore options, such as removing the blocked work or adjusting the sprint goal. The Scrum Master is a servant leader who helps the team and product owner negotiate scope. Ordering the team to work overtime violates Scrum principles. Escalating to management bypasses the Scrum framework. Ignoring the impediment would lead to failure.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
Order the team to work overtime to complete the remaining work
Why it's wrong here
Mandating overtime is not agile; it reduces quality and morale.
✗
Ignore the dependency and ask the team to do their best
Why it's wrong here
Ignoring impediments is not proactive; the Scrum Master should address them.
✗
Escalate the issue to the program manager for resolution
Why it's wrong here
Escalation should be a last resort; the Scrum Master should first facilitate a discussion within the team.
✓
Facilitate a discussion between the product owner and team to renegotiate the sprint goal
Why this is correct
The Scrum Master coaches the team and product owner to collaborate on scope adjustments when dependencies block work.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "first" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
→Underline the problem statement mentally.
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A practitioner preparing for the CAPM exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which CAPM exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Agile Frameworks and Methodologies — This question tests Agile Frameworks and Methodologies — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Facilitate a discussion between the product owner and team to renegotiate the sprint goal — The Scrum Master should facilitate a discussion with the product owner and team to explore options, such as removing the blocked work or adjusting the sprint goal. The Scrum Master is a servant leader who helps the team and product owner negotiate scope. Ordering the team to work overtime violates Scrum principles. Escalating to management bypasses the Scrum framework. Ignoring the impediment would lead to failure.
What should I do if I get this CAPM question wrong?
Identify which CAPM exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "first". Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. During a sprint, the team identifies a critical defect that requires immediate attention. What should the Scrum Master do?
hard
A.Report to management.
B.Add the defect to the product backlog.
✓ C.Allow the team to fix the defect within the sprint if possible.
D.Stop the sprint and restart.
Why C: Option B is correct because agile teams are self-organizing and should handle the defect without compromising the sprint goal if possible. Option A is wrong because stopping the sprint is a drastic measure and should be a last resort. Option C is wrong because adding to the backlog may delay urgent fixes. Option D is wrong because the Scrum Master should not escalate prematurely.
Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
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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.
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