PMP Process — Managing Technical Aspects Practice Question
In a Scrum project, the development team consistently fails to complete all committed stories in each sprint. The daily stand-up meetings are running long and often devolve into problem-solving sessions. As the Scrum Master, what should you do?
⚠ Common exam trap
A common mix-up: candidates confuse the Scrum Master's role as a problem-solver (option D) rather than a facilitator, or think that increasing workload (option B) or eliminating the stand-up (option C) will fix the issue, when the correct approach is to enforce the time-box and redirect detailed discussions to separate sessions.
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 team to keep the stand-up focused and time-boxed, and facilitate separate sessions for detailed discussions
The Scrum Master's role is to enforce the time-boxed nature of the daily stand-up (15 minutes) and prevent it from becoming a problem-solving session, which violates the Scrum Guide. By coaching the team to keep the stand-up focused on the three key questions (what was done, what will be done, and impediments) and facilitating separate sessions for detailed discussions, the Scrum Master addresses the root cause of the long meetings and helps the team improve sprint commitment completion. This aligns with the 'Process — Managing Technical Aspects' domain, as it involves optimizing team workflow and meeting efficiency.
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 team to keep the stand-up focused and time-boxed, and facilitate separate sessions for detailed discussions
Why this is correct
This is the correct approach because it reinforces the core principles of the Daily Scrum, which is a 15-minute time-boxed event for the Development Team to inspect progress toward the Sprint Goal and adapt the Sprint Backlog. By coaching the team to stay focused and facilitating separate, dedicated sessions for detailed discussions and problem-solving, the team maintains the efficiency of the Daily Scrum while ensuring critical issues receive the necessary attention without disrupting the daily sync.
- ✗
Add more stories to the sprint backlog to increase velocity
Why it's wrong here
Adding more stories to the sprint backlog when a team is already struggling is counterproductive and will exacerbate the problem. Velocity is a measure of past performance and capacity, not a lever to pull for increasing output; artificially inflating the backlog will likely lead to increased stress, decreased quality, and further missed commitments, undermining team morale and the ability to deliver value.
- ✗
Cancel the daily stand-up and replace it with email updates
Why it's wrong here
Canceling the Daily Scrum and replacing it with email updates removes a crucial inspection and adaptation opportunity for the Development Team. The Daily Scrum provides a real-time, synchronous forum for team members to collaboratively assess progress, identify impediments, and adjust their plan for the next 24 hours, which asynchronous communication cannot effectively replicate for a self-organizing team.
- ✗
Allow the stand-up to run longer to ensure issues are resolved
Why it's wrong here
Allowing the Daily Scrum to run longer to resolve issues fundamentally misunderstands its purpose and violates its strict 15-minute time-box. The Daily Scrum is designed for quick synchronization and identification of impediments, not for detailed problem-solving. Extending the meeting wastes valuable time for the entire team, reduces focus on daily planning, and prevents team members from engaging in actual work or dedicated problem-solving sessions post-stand-up.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.