The correct three actions are to provide the team member with additional training or pair them with a senior developer, facilitate a team discussion to reinforce collective ownership of commitments, and coach the individual on agile estimation and time management. This answer is rooted in the Scrum Master’s servant-leader role, which focuses on removing impediments and fostering self-organization rather than assigning tasks or resorting to punitive measures. On the PMP exam, this scenario tests your understanding of agile team dynamics and the distinction between coaching and command-and-control management—a common trap is choosing to reassign work or remove the member prematurely, which violates the principle of empowering the team to solve its own problems. To remember this, think of the “Three C’s”: Coach the individual, Convene the team, and Cultivate skills—never Control or Cut.
PMP People — Leading Projects Practice Question
This PMP practice question tests your understanding of people — leading projects. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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.
Your agile team is self-organizing, but a team member is consistently missing sprint commitments. The rest of the team is frustrated. As a Scrum Master, which THREE actions should you take?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Coach the team member individually to understand the root cause of the missed commitments
Option A addresses root cause. Option C reinforces team ownership. Option E builds skills. Option B is wrong because the Scrum Master should not assign tasks. Option D is wrong because removing the member is premature.
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.
✗
Assign simpler tasks to the team member to increase their success rate
Why it's wrong here
Assigning tasks contradicts self-organization.
✓
Coach the team member individually to understand the root cause of the missed commitments
Why this is correct
Coaching helps identify and resolve underlying issues.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
Facilitate a team retrospective to discuss the issue and let the team propose solutions
Why this is correct
The team should own its process improvements.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
Provide the team member with additional training or pair them with a senior developer
Why this is correct
Training and pairing can improve skills and delivery.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Remove the team member from the team and replace them with a more capable person
Why it's wrong here
Removal is a last resort; coaching should be tried first.
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 PMP 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.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this PMP question in full detail.
Identify which PMP 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.
People — Leading Projects — This question tests People — Leading Projects — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Coach the team member individually to understand the root cause of the missed commitments — Option A addresses root cause. Option C reinforces team ownership. Option E builds skills. Option B is wrong because the Scrum Master should not assign tasks. Option D is wrong because removing the member is premature.
What should I do if I get this PMP question wrong?
Identify which PMP 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.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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