- A
Facilitate a meeting where both developers present their approaches and the team decides.
Facilitating collaboration aligns with agile principles.
- B
Decide on the technical approach yourself to resolve the conflict quickly.
Why wrong: The scrum master should not dictate technical decisions.
- C
Ask the developers to resolve it on their own without intervention.
Why wrong: The conflict is already causing delays; passive approach may not work.
- D
Escalate the issue to the product owner for a decision.
Why wrong: The product owner focuses on value, not technical details.
Question 785 of 892
How a Scrum Master Should Resolve Technical Disagreements
This PMP practice question tests your understanding of process — managing technical aspects. 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.
Two senior developers on your agile team have a disagreement about the best technical approach for a user story. The disagreement is causing delays and tension in the team. What should the scrum master do?
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 where both developers present their approaches and the team decides.
Option A is correct because the scrum master should facilitate a collaborative decision-making process, allowing the team to evaluate both approaches and reach a consensus. Option B is incorrect because the scrum master should not impose a technical solution; that undermines the team's self-organization. Option C is incorrect because leaving the conflict unresolved may cause further delays. Option D is incorrect because the product owner is not responsible for technical decisions; the team should decide.
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.
- ✓
Facilitate a meeting where both developers present their approaches and the team decides.
Why this is correct
Facilitating collaboration aligns with agile principles.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Decide on the technical approach yourself to resolve the conflict quickly.
Why it's wrong here
The scrum master should not dictate technical decisions.
- ✗
Ask the developers to resolve it on their own without intervention.
Why it's wrong here
The conflict is already causing delays; passive approach may not work.
- ✗
Escalate the issue to the product owner for a decision.
Why it's wrong here
The product owner focuses on value, not technical details.
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.
Visual reference
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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.
- →
Process — Managing Technical Aspects — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
- →
Process — Managing Technical Aspects practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
- →
All PMP questions
892 questions across all exam domains
- →
Project Management Professional PMP study guide
Full concept coverage aligned to exam objectives
- →
PMP practice test guide
How to use practice tests most effectively before exam day
Related practice questions
Related PMP practice-question pages
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
People — Leading Projects practice questions
Practise PMP questions linked to People — Leading Projects.
Process — Managing Technical Aspects practice questions
Practise PMP questions linked to Process — Managing Technical Aspects.
Business Environment — Strategy and Value practice questions
Practise PMP questions linked to Business Environment — Strategy and Value.
Business Environment: strategy and project benefits practice questions
Practise PMP questions linked to Business Environment: strategy and project benefits.
PMP fundamentals practice questions
Practise PMP questions linked to PMP fundamentals.
PMP scenario practice questions
Practise PMP questions linked to PMP scenario.
PMP troubleshooting practice questions
Practise PMP questions linked to PMP troubleshooting.
Practice this exam
Start a free PMP practice session
Short sessions build daily habit. Longer sessions build exam-day stamina. Try a timed session to simulate real conditions.
FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this PMP question test?
Process — Managing Technical Aspects — This question tests Process — Managing Technical Aspects — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Facilitate a meeting where both developers present their approaches and the team decides. — Option A is correct because the scrum master should facilitate a collaborative decision-making process, allowing the team to evaluate both approaches and reach a consensus. Option B is incorrect because the scrum master should not impose a technical solution; that undermines the team's self-organization. Option C is incorrect because leaving the conflict unresolved may cause further delays. Option D is incorrect because the product owner is not responsible for technical decisions; the team should decide.
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.
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 →
Same concept, more angles
2 more ways this is tested on PMP
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. Two senior developers on your agile team have a conflict about the technical approach for a user story. This conflict is causing delays. What should the project manager do?
hard- A.Ask the product owner to prioritize the story and bypass the developers' discussion
- B.Decide the technical approach yourself and assign it to the developers
- C.Separate the developers onto different teams to avoid further conflict
- ✓ D.Facilitate a meeting between the developers to discuss and resolve the conflict collaboratively
Why D: PMI recommends conflict resolution through collaboration. The PM should facilitate a discussion to reach a consensus that aligns with project goals.
Variation 2. Two senior developers on your Scrum team have a disagreement about the technical approach for a user story. The disagreement is causing delays in sprint execution. As the Scrum Master, what should you do FIRST?
easy- A.Escalate the issue to the product owner
- B.Remove both developers from the story and assign it to someone else
- C.Decide on the approach yourself to end the conflict quickly
- ✓ D.Facilitate a meeting between the developers to discuss and resolve the issue
Why D: The Scrum Master should facilitate a discussion to help the developers resolve the conflict constructively and reach a consensus.
Keep practising
More PMP practice questions
- During a sprint review, the product owner rejects a completed user story because it does not meet the acceptance criteri…
- During a daily standup, a developer mentions she is blocked by a dependency from another team. The issue was not previou…
- A project manager is leading a digital transformation initiative. Midway through the project, a new regulation is introd…
- Your project is a large infrastructure build. You have completed the planning phase, but the sponsor has put pressure on…
- You are managing a software development project using a hybrid approach. During a sprint review, the product owner reque…
- Your agile project has been experiencing declining velocity over the last three sprints. During the retrospective, the t…
Last reviewed: Jun 21, 2026
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.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.