The answer is to record the impediment and work with the developer after the standup to resolve it. This is correct because the daily standup is a time-boxed event for inspection and adaptation, not for deep problem-solving; when a technical issue delaying a user story surfaces, the Scrum Master’s primary duty is to note the blocker and facilitate its removal outside the standup to keep the team focused on their sprint goals. On the PMP exam, this scenario tests your understanding of the Scrum Master’s servant-leader role and the distinction between identifying impediments and resolving them in real-time—a common trap is choosing an option where the entire team stops to troubleshoot during the standup, which wastes valuable time. Remember the memory tip: “Spot it, jot it, solve it off the lot”—identify the technical issue delaying the user story during the standup, record it, and address it separately to protect the team’s cadence.
PMP Process — Managing Technical Aspects Practice Question
This PMP practice question tests your understanding of process — managing technical aspects. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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.
During a daily standup, a developer mentions a technical issue that will likely delay a user story by three days. What is the BEST action for the Scrum Master to take?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "best"
Why it matters: Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Record the impediment and work with the developer after the standup to resolve it
The daily standup is for identification, not problem-solving. The Scrum Master should facilitate a separate discussion after the standup to resolve the issue without holding up the team.
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.
✗
Tell the developer to escalate to the project manager
Why it's wrong here
In Scrum, the Scrum Master handles impediments, not a separate PM.
✗
Ask the team to stay after the standup to solve the problem immediately
Why it's wrong here
This would derail the standup's purpose and waste other team members' time.
✗
Assign the issue to the product owner for prioritization
Why it's wrong here
The product owner focuses on value; technical impediments are the Scrum Master's responsibility.
✓
Record the impediment and work with the developer after the standup to resolve it
Why this is correct
The Scrum Master is responsible for removing impediments. Addressing it after the standup is appropriate.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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.
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: Record the impediment and work with the developer after the standup to resolve it — The daily standup is for identification, not problem-solving. The Scrum Master should facilitate a separate discussion after the standup to resolve the issue without holding up the team.
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.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "best". Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
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 →
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. During a daily standup, a developer mentions that a third-party API integration is more complex than anticipated and will take an extra two days. The sprint ends in four days. The product owner is not in the meeting. What should the scrum master do FIRST?
easy
A.Escalate the issue to the project manager immediately.
✓ B.Help the team assess the impact and discuss options to adjust the sprint backlog, then inform the product owner.
C.Remove the task from the sprint and add it to the backlog.
D.Tell the developer to work overtime to complete the task on time.
Why B: The scrum master should facilitate the team in adjusting the sprint backlog and then communicate the impact to the product owner for reprioritization.
Last reviewed: Jun 21, 2026
Question Discussion
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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.
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