SSM Defining the Scrum Master / Team Coach Role Practice Question

Answer analysis

Option-by-option breakdown

For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.

• ✗

  Instruct the Product Owner to stop adding Stories to the Iteration Backlog until the current work is finished.

  Why it's wrong here

  Directing the Product Owner to stop work ignores the collaborative nature of the team and fails to address the root cause of poor estimation. It creates a siloed environment where the Scrum Master acts as a gatekeeper rather than a facilitator of team flow and shared understanding.

• ✓

  Facilitate a deep-dive session into estimation techniques and the importance of Backlog Refinement.

  Why this is correct

  Facilitating estimation and refinement helps the team uncover hidden complexities and reach a shared understanding of the work. This collaborative process leads to more accurate estimates and reduces the likelihood of overcommitment, aligning with the Scrum Master's role in promoting team-level flow and predictability.

• ✗

  Reduce the team's available capacity for the next three Iterations to ensure they have enough buffer time.

  Why it's wrong here

  Arbitrarily reducing capacity without team consensus avoids the core issue of poor estimation and lack of clarity. While buffers can be useful, they do not solve the underlying problem of taking on unrefined work, which will continue to impact quality and flow regardless of capacity.

• ✗

  Assign the most complex Stories to the most senior developers to ensure they are completed on time.

  Why it's wrong here

  Assigning tasks to specific individuals undermines the principle of self-organization and team accountability. The Scrum Master's role is to facilitate the team in deciding how to distribute work, ensuring that knowledge is shared and that the team grows collectively rather than relying on silos.