SSM Introducing Scrum in SAFe Practice Question
A Scrum Master is helping a new SAFe Scrum team establish its Iteration cadence. The team wants to skip the Iteration Retrospective for the first two iterations to focus on delivering features, arguing that they need more development time. What is the most appropriate response from the Scrum Master?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is treating the Iteration Retrospective as optional when the team is busy, rather than recognizing it as a mandatory Scrum event that drives continuous improvement.
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
✓
Explain that the Iteration Retrospective is a core Scrum event that enables continuous improvement, and facilitate it as scheduled.
The Iteration Retrospective is a core Scrum event that gives the team a dedicated opportunity to inspect and adapt its process and interactions. In SAFe, these improvements also inform the Inspect and Adapt workshop at the end of the PI. The Scrum Master should uphold Scrum by ensuring the Retrospective occurs as scheduled, while helping the team keep it efficient and valuable so it does not feel like a burden.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Let the team decide by majority vote, since self-organizing teams have the authority to choose which Scrum events to hold.
Why it's wrong here
Self-organization does not grant authority to omit core Scrum events. The Scrum framework defines the Retrospective as mandatory, and the Scrum Master is accountable for ensuring Scrum is understood and enacted. Allowing a vote to skip it would violate Scrum principles and weaken the team's improvement loop. The Scrum Master should coach the team on why the event matters and facilitate it as scheduled.
- ✗
Agree to skip the Retrospectives for two iterations, but require the team to hold a longer retrospective at the end of the PI.
Why it's wrong here
Skipping Iteration Retrospectives undermines the team's ability to inspect and adapt each iteration, which is a core Scrum event. Waiting until the end of the PI to reflect loses opportunities for timely improvement and may allow dysfunctions to persist. The Scrum Master should not trade away a key event for short-term delivery gains, as continuous improvement directly supports long-term velocity and quality.
- ✓
Explain that the Iteration Retrospective is a core Scrum event that enables continuous improvement, and facilitate it as scheduled.
Why this is correct
The Iteration Retrospective is essential for inspecting and adapting the team's process and interactions. In SAFe, it also feeds improvements into the ART's Inspect and Adapt. The Scrum Master should uphold Scrum by ensuring the event occurs, while helping the team keep it time-boxed and focused. Skipping it would undermine empiricism and the team's ability to improve, and it is not negotiable for delivery convenience.
- ✗
Allow the team to skip the Retrospective but replace it with a daily 15-minute sync to discuss improvements.
Why it's wrong here
The Daily Scrum is for synchronizing on progress toward the Sprint Goal, not for retrospective inspection of processes and interactions. Replacing the Retrospective with a daily sync confuses the purpose of the events and removes the dedicated time to reflect on how the team works. The Scrum Master should protect the Retrospective as a distinct event rather than substitute it with another meeting.
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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.