SSM Supporting ART Events Practice Question
During PI Planning, what is the required outcome if any team member votes two fingers or fewer during the confidence vote?
⚠ Common exam trap
People often think the majority rules in a confidence vote. In SAFe, a single 'low' vote requires the team or train to stop and address the concern, ensuring total alignment.
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
✓
The individual's concerns must be heard and the plan may need to be reworked
The confidence vote is a 'Fist of Five' exercise. If anyone votes two or fewer, it indicates they do not believe the plan is achievable. The person's concerns must be heard and addressed. This may require the team to rework their plan or adjust objectives until everyone reaches at least a three-finger level of confidence.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
The vote is recorded, and the team proceeds with the plan as written
Why it's wrong here
Proceeding without addressing low confidence defeats the purpose of the vote. The confidence vote is designed to ensure that every member believes the plan is realistic. Ignoring low votes leads to hidden risks and likely failure to meet the PI objectives during execution.
- ✗
The Scrum Master must override the vote if the Product Owner is confident
Why it's wrong here
Scrum Masters do not have the authority to override a team member's lack of confidence. Their role is to facilitate the discussion and help the team find a path forward that everyone can support, rather than forcing a false consensus that undermines the team's commitment.
- ✗
The person with low confidence is moved to a different team for the PI
Why it's wrong here
Moving the person does not solve the problem they identified with the plan. The goal is to fix the plan, not remove the person who identified the issue. SAFe encourages transparency and psychological safety, where raising concerns is seen as a contribution to the train's success.
- ✓
The individual's concerns must be heard and the plan may need to be reworked
Why this is correct
When someone votes two or fewer, they must explain their reasoning. The team then discusses how to mitigate those concerns. This might involve reducing scope, adding resources, or changing the approach, ensuring the final plan is one that the entire team genuinely believes they can deliver.
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.