SSM Introducing Scrum in SAFe Practice Question
During PI Planning, a team identifies a significant dependency on another team that is not available until the second iteration of the PI. How should the Scrum Master handle this?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often suggest waiting until the dependency becomes an issue or attempting to solve it alone, rather than using the Program Board for visibility.
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
✓
Document the dependency on the Program Board and coordinate with the other team.
Effective dependency management is a key Scrum Master responsibility. The Scrum Master must ensure the dependency is documented on the Program Board and communicated to the other team's Scrum Master immediately. By raising this early, the teams can negotiate a solution, such as rearranging the order of work, creating a mock, or adjusting their plans, ensuring that the dependency does not become a blocker that halts progress later in the PI.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Ignore the dependency and hope the other team completes their work.
Why it's wrong here
Ignoring dependencies is a recipe for project failure. If a dependency is not managed, it will inevitably become an impediment later in the PI. The Scrum Master must ensure that all dependencies are visible on the Program Board and that clear communication channels are established between the affected teams.
- ✗
Ask the Product Owner to remove the story from the plan entirely.
Why it's wrong here
Removing the story arbitrarily may disrupt the value delivery plan. Before discarding work, the team should explore alternatives like re-sequencing the work or finding a workaround. The Scrum Master facilitates these conversations to ensure the team makes informed decisions about how to maintain flow while managing external blockers.
- ✓
Document the dependency on the Program Board and coordinate with the other team.
Why this is correct
The Program Board is specifically designed to make dependencies transparent. Proactive coordination with the other team's Scrum Master allows for collaborative problem-solving. This ensures that the teams can plan their work around the dependency, reducing the risk of mid-PI surprises and keeping the entire ART on track.
- ✗
Instruct the team to build a placeholder component themselves.
Why it's wrong here
Building a placeholder component might be necessary, but it should be a deliberate decision made through coordination, not an instruction from the Scrum Master. The teams must agree on the strategy so that the work does not result in rework or architectural misalignment later in the process.
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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.