PMP Process — Managing Technical Aspects Practice Question
During a daily standup meeting, a team member mentions that they encountered a technical issue that will delay their task by two days. The project is time-sensitive. What should the scrum master do FIRST?
⚠ Common exam trap
PMP often tests the distinction between servant-leadership and traditional management; candidates may mistakenly choose escalation to the sponsor or schedule updates as first steps, but the scrum master's first duty is to remove impediments.
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
✓
Remove the impediment by helping the team member find a solution or escalating if necessary
In Scrum, the scrum master is a servant-leader whose primary responsibility is to remove impediments that block the team's progress. When a team member raises a technical issue during the daily standup, the scrum master should immediately act to help resolve it or escalate it if it's beyond the team's authority. This aligns with the Scrum principle of clearing obstacles to maintain flow and protect the team's ability to deliver value. Options like overtime, sponsor reporting, or schedule updates do not address the root cause and are not the scrum master's first priority.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Remove the impediment by helping the team member find a solution or escalating if necessary
Why this is correct
As a Scrum Master, the primary responsibility is to facilitate the team's progress by actively removing impediments. This involves collaborating with the team member to brainstorm potential solutions, leveraging organizational resources, or, if the issue is beyond the team's immediate control or influence, escalating it appropriately to management or relevant stakeholders. This proactive approach ensures the team can maintain focus and deliver value without unnecessary delays, embodying the servant leadership aspect of the role.
- ✗
Ask the team member to work overtime to make up for the delay
Why it's wrong here
Asking a team member to work overtime is a reactive measure that fails to address the root cause of the impediment and can lead to burnout, decreased morale, and reduced quality over time. While sometimes necessary in extreme circumstances, it should never be the first response to an impediment. The Scrum Master's role is to remove obstacles and optimize the team's workflow, not to compensate for systemic issues with unsustainable practices.
- ✗
Report the issue to the project sponsor
Why it's wrong here
Reporting the issue directly to the project sponsor is premature and bypasses the Scrum Master's immediate responsibility to resolve impediments at the team level first. Escalation to higher management or the sponsor should only occur after the Scrum Master has exhausted all reasonable avenues for resolution within their sphere of influence or if the impediment requires significant organizational change or resources beyond the team's capacity. Premature escalation can undermine team autonomy and the Scrum Master's problem-solving credibility.
- ✗
Update the project schedule to reflect the two-day delay
Why it's wrong here
Updating the project schedule to reflect a two-day delay is a reactive administrative task that documents the impact of the impediment rather than addressing it. While schedule adjustments may eventually be necessary, the immediate priority for a Scrum Master is to mitigate or eliminate the impediment to prevent further delays and minimize its overall impact. Focusing on scheduling before problem-solving shifts attention from proactive resolution to merely recording consequences, which is not the most effective first action.
Visual reference
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
Courseiva writes every PMP question from scratch — 820 in total, each with an explanation and a wrong-answer breakdown. None are copied from real exams or dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official PMI exam blueprint
This PMP 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 PMP exam.