CAPM Agile Frameworks and Methodologies Practice Question
You are the Scrum Master for a distributed team of 8 developers working on a mobile app. The team uses two-week Sprints and has a stable velocity of 20 story points. In the current Sprint, the team committed to 22 points. By Day 5 of the Sprint (out of 10), the team has completed only 6 points. During the Daily Scrum, several members mention they are blocked by missing API documentation from a third-party vendor. The Product Owner says the vendor promised the documentation by Day 3, but it has not arrived. The developers have started working on other tasks, but they are not well-defined and are causing confusion. What should the Scrum Master do?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many exam-takers think extending the Sprint (Option D) is a valid solution, but Scrum strictly enforces time-boxed Sprints, and altering the duration would break the empirical inspection and adaptation cycle.
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
✓
Facilitate a meeting with the vendor to escalate the issue, and work with the team to re-prioritize the Sprint Backlog, possibly removing low-priority items to achieve a realistic Sprint Goal.
The Scrum Master's primary responsibility is to remove impediments and facilitate the team's progress. By escalating the missing API documentation to the vendor and facilitating a re-prioritization of the Sprint Backlog, the Scrum Master directly addresses the blocker and ensures the team can focus on well-defined, achievable work. This aligns with the Scrum Guide's principle of transparency and adaptation within the Sprint, especially given the team's stable velocity of 20 points and the current 6-point completion rate.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Tell the team to continue working on other tasks and hope the documentation arrives soon.
Why it's wrong here
This is passive and does not address the blocker; it risks incomplete work.
- ✓
Facilitate a meeting with the vendor to escalate the issue, and work with the team to re-prioritize the Sprint Backlog, possibly removing low-priority items to achieve a realistic Sprint Goal.
Why this is correct
The Scrum Master removes impediments and helps the team self-organize to adjust the Sprint Backlog.
- ✗
Ask the Product Owner to remove the blocked stories from the Sprint Backlog without consulting the team.
Why it's wrong here
The Product Owner can reprioritize but should not unilaterally remove items; the team must agree.
- ✗
Extend the Sprint by 3 days to allow the vendor to deliver the documentation and the team to complete the work.
Why it's wrong here
Sprints are timeboxed; extending them undermines the timebox and does not solve the root cause.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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