SSM Introducing Scrum in SAFe Practice Question
A new Scrum Master joins a SAFe Agile Release Train and notices that the team's Product Owner is rarely available to answer questions or clarify user stories during iterations, causing repeated delays. How should the Scrum Master handle this impediment?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many examinees believe Scrum Masters have no authority to address Product Owner behaviors because the Product Owner sits outside the development team.
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 Product Owner on the importance of availability and engage the Release Train Engineer if the impediment persists.
The Scrum Master must address the Product Owner's lack of availability as a systemic impediment, coaching them on their critical role in defining work and clarifying requirements. If local coaching fails, the Scrum Master should collaborate with the Release Train Engineer to escalate the issue.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Ignore the absence of the Product Owner and allow developers to make random product decisions on their own.
Why it's wrong here
Ignoring the Product Owner's absence leaves the team without product direction, so developers invent requirements and rework accumulates. The Scrum Master must raise and resolve the impediment, not bypass it. Self-organising teams still need a single product authority; random decisions are not a substitute for Product Owner availability and backlog refinement.
- ✓
Coach the Product Owner on the importance of availability and engage the Release Train Engineer if the impediment persists.
Why this is correct
Addressing the issue through direct coaching first respects the individual, while escalating through the Release Train Engineer ensures organizational support if the problem persists. Product Owner engagement is vital for maintaining steady team velocity and delivery flow.
- ✗
Assume the Product Owner responsibilities permanently and prioritize the backlog without consulting business stakeholders.
Why it's wrong here
Permanently assuming Product Owner duties removes the business voice and violates SAFe's separation of accountability; the Scrum Master should surface the impediment to the RTE or management. It is tempting because temporarily covering minor gaps feels pragmatic, yet permanently seizing backlog ownership is the wrong remedy.
- ✗
File a formal human resources complaint against the Product Owner for failing to attend team meetings.
Why it's wrong here
Filing an HR complaint escalates a systemic flow-of-value problem through a punitive channel, bypassing the RTE and ART impediment-removal process; the Scrum Master should raise it there. It is tempting because repeated non-attendance looks like misconduct, but the correct route is coaching and escalation.
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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 Scaled Agile exam blueprint
This SSM practice question is part of Courseiva's free Scaled Agile 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 SSM exam.