SSM Supporting Team Events Practice Question
A Scrum Master is facilitating the team's Daily Stand-up. One team member reports that they are blocked because they are waiting on a test environment that another team controls. What should the Scrum Master do to best support the team?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is treating the Daily Stand-up as either a problem-solving meeting or a place to suppress blockers, when it should be a brief synchronization where impediments are surfaced and then addressed afterward.
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
✓
Note the impediment, help the team member identify who can unblock it, and follow up after the stand-up to ensure the dependency is being resolved.
The Scrum Master supports the team by capturing the impediment, helping the team member find the right path to resolution, and following up after the stand-up so the event stays focused and timeboxed. This balances the need for a brief Daily Stand-up with the Scrum Master's accountability for removing blockers and fostering self-management and cross-team collaboration.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Ask the team member to work on a different backlog item until the test environment becomes available, and consider the matter closed.
Why it's wrong here
Switching work may be a reasonable temporary tactic, but treating the blocker as closed ignores the root cause and leaves the dependency unresolved for future iterations. The Scrum Master's responsibility is to help remove the impediment, not just route around it. Without follow-up, the same environment issue will likely resurface and continue to slow the team.
- ✗
Tell the team member that impediments should be raised outside the stand-up so the event is not derailed by dependency discussions.
Why it's wrong here
This response discourages transparency and may cause blockers to go unreported. While the stand-up should stay brief and not become a problem-solving session, surfacing impediments is a legitimate and valuable part of the event. The Scrum Master should capture the blocker and address it after the stand-up, not instruct the team member to withhold it.
- ✗
Immediately leave the stand-up to contact the other team's manager and demand that the test environment be provided right away.
Why it's wrong here
Leaving the stand-up disrupts the event and abandons the Scrum Master's facilitation role for the rest of the team. Escalating aggressively to another team's manager without first understanding the situation can damage working relationships and may not be the fastest or most collaborative path. The stand-up should remain focused and timeboxed, with follow-up handled afterward.
- ✓
Note the impediment, help the team member identify who can unblock it, and follow up after the stand-up to ensure the dependency is being resolved.
Why this is correct
This is correct because the Scrum Master serves the team by removing impediments and facilitating resolution. Capturing the blocker, helping identify the right point of contact, and following up after the event keeps the stand-up timeboxed while ensuring the issue is actively pursued. It also coaches the team member toward self-management rather than taking over the problem entirely.
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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.