SSM Supporting Team Events Practice Question
During an Iteration Review in SAFe, a stakeholder from another team questions whether a completed feature will integrate with their system. The team has not yet tested the integration. The Product Owner looks to the Scrum Master. What is the most appropriate action for the Scrum Master to take?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is choosing between deflecting the concern or immediately starting work, when the Scrum Master's role is to facilitate a collaborative decision.
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
✓
Facilitate a brief discussion between the team, the Product Owner, and the stakeholder to clarify the integration risk, then help the team decide how to address it, possibly by adding it to the backlog or scheduling a spike.
The Iteration Review is a feedback and transparency event, and the Scrum Master should help the team engage with stakeholder concerns rather than deflect or abruptly change course. Facilitating a focused conversation among the team, Product Owner, and stakeholder allows the risk to be understood and addressed appropriately. The team and Product Owner then decide whether to add a spike, a backlog item, or another action, keeping ownership with those accountable for the work.
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 team to stop the Iteration Review and immediately begin integration testing to resolve the stakeholder's concern.
Why it's wrong here
Halting the Iteration Review to start testing is disruptive and premature; the team may not have the environment or information ready. It also bypasses the Product Owner's prioritization role and the team's ability to plan work. The Scrum Master should facilitate a discussion and let the team and Product Owner decide the best course, rather than issuing a directive.
- ✗
Ask the team to add the integration test to the next Iteration backlog and move on to the next agenda item.
Why it's wrong here
Adding the test to the backlog is a reasonable follow-up, but doing so without discussion and immediately moving on ignores the stakeholder's concern and the potential risk to the program. The Scrum Master should facilitate a conversation about the impact and next steps, not just log the work. The team and Product Owner need to understand the dependency before committing to a solution.
- ✓
Facilitate a brief discussion between the team, the Product Owner, and the stakeholder to clarify the integration risk, then help the team decide how to address it, possibly by adding it to the backlog or scheduling a spike.
Why this is correct
This response keeps the focus on transparency and collaboration, which are central to the Iteration Review. By bringing the right people together, the Scrum Master helps the team and Product Owner understand the risk and choose an appropriate response, such as a spike or backlog item. It also respects the stakeholder's input and maintains the event's purpose of gathering feedback and adapting.
- ✗
Tell the stakeholder that integration testing is outside the scope of the Iteration Review and suggest they raise it at the next System Demo.
Why it's wrong here
Deferring the concern to a later event may be technically convenient, but it dismisses a legitimate stakeholder question and misses an opportunity for transparency. The Iteration Review is meant to gather feedback, including risks and dependencies. Simply pushing the issue to the System Demo could delay necessary action and damage trust with the stakeholder.
About these practice questions
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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.