SSM Introducing Scrum in SAFe Practice Question
A Scrum Master is helping a new SAFe Scrum team understand why they still hold a Daily Stand-up even though the team is distributed across two time zones. A team member suggests replacing it with a weekly written update to save time. How should the Scrum Master respond?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is believing that SAFe drops or makes optional the Daily Stand-up for distributed teams, when the event is retained and merely adapted to the team's context.
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 Daily Stand-up is kept in SAFe to inspect progress toward the Iteration Goal, synchronize the day's work, and surface impediments, and help the team run it effectively across time zones.
The Daily Stand-up remains a core team event in SAFe because it lets the team inspect progress toward the Iteration Goal, plan the day's work, and surface impediments. Distributed teams adapt how they run it, but removing it or making it weekly would break the daily feedback cycle and reduce the team's ability to self-organize.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Replace the Daily Stand-up with a weekly Scrum of Scrums so the team can coordinate through the ART instead.
Why it's wrong here
The Scrum of Scrums is a coordination event for representatives of multiple teams on the Agile Release Train, not a substitute for a single team's Daily Stand-up. It does not help team members synchronize their own daily work or raise team-level impediments. Using it as a replacement would leave the team without daily inspection of progress toward its Iteration Goal, weakening self-organization.
- ✗
Let the team decide, since SAFe leaves the format and frequency of team synchronization entirely to each team.
Why it's wrong here
SAFe does not leave the Daily Stand-up optional; it is one of the core team events that supports the iteration cadence. While teams may adapt timing and format, dropping it or making it weekly removes the daily inspect-and-adapt cycle that keeps work flowing toward the Iteration Goal. The Scrum Master should coach the team on the purpose before allowing the event to be replaced.
- ✗
Agree, because distributed teams cannot benefit from synchronous inspection of progress toward the Iteration Goal.
Why it's wrong here
Distribution does not eliminate the value of the Daily Stand-up; SAFe teams regularly hold it with remote participants using video and collaboration tools. The event exists to inspect progress toward the Iteration Goal and surface impediments daily. Replacing it with a weekly written update would delay problem detection and reduce the team's ability to self-organize, so this response contradicts Scrum practice.
- ✓
Explain that the Daily Stand-up is kept in SAFe to inspect progress toward the Iteration Goal, synchronize the day's work, and surface impediments, and help the team run it effectively across time zones.
Why this is correct
SAFe retains the Daily Stand-up so the team can inspect progress toward the Iteration Goal, coordinate the next day's work, and raise impediments. The Scrum Master's role is to coach the team on adapting the event for a distributed setup, such as rotating times or using visual boards, rather than abandoning the event. This preserves transparency and daily self-organization.
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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.