The correct answer is to escalate the issue to the other team’s manager or the project sponsor to resolve the dependency. This is because the Scrum master’s primary responsibility is removing impediments that block the development team’s progress, and when a developer has already attempted direct communication without success, the Scrum master must use their authority to escalate the blocker up the chain of command. On the Project Management Professional PMP exam, this scenario tests your understanding of servant leadership and stakeholder management within an agile framework, often appearing as a trap where candidates mistakenly advise the developer to keep trying or to wait for the dependency to resolve itself. A common memory tip is to remember the Scrum master as the “impediment bulldozer”—when the team’s own efforts fail, you escalate, not stagnate.
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.
You are the project manager for a software development project using Scrum. During the daily standup, a developer mentions that they are blocked by a dependency on another team's API that is delayed. The developer has already tried contacting the other team but received no response. What should the scrum master do?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Escalate the issue to the other team's manager or the project sponsor to resolve the dependency.
The scrum master is responsible for removing impediments. Option B is correct because the scrum master should escalate the issue to remove the blocker for 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.
✗
Add the issue to the risk register and monitor it.
Why it's wrong here
This is a current impediment, not a future risk; the scrum master should take action.
✓
Escalate the issue to the other team's manager or the project sponsor to resolve the dependency.
Why this is correct
The scrum master should escalate to unblock the team.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Ask the team to work on other tasks until the API is available.
Why it's wrong here
While this might be a temporary workaround, the scrum master should first try to resolve the blocker.
✗
Advise the developer to keep trying to contact the other team.
Why it's wrong here
The scrum master should actively remove impediments, not leave it to the developer.
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: Escalate the issue to the other team's manager or the project sponsor to resolve the dependency. — The scrum master is responsible for removing impediments. Option B is correct because the scrum master should escalate the issue to remove the blocker for 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.
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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