SSM Supporting ART Events Practice Question
During the ART Sync, the Release Train Engineer asks each Scrum Master to report on team progress toward PI Objectives. The Scrum Master for Team Delta observes that the team's burn-down chart is flattening and two features are blocked by an external vendor. What is the most appropriate action for the Scrum Master to take at this event?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is assuming that the ART Sync is only for status reporting rather than for actively removing cross-team impediments.
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
✓
Escalate the vendor dependency to the Release Train Engineer and ask the team to reprioritize work on unblocked features.
At the ART Sync, Scrum Masters surface impediments and dependencies that affect multiple teams. The vendor blockage is a cross-team dependency that the RTE can help resolve. Simultaneously, the team should focus on unblocked features to protect PI Objectives. This response combines escalation with pragmatic reprioritization, which is consistent with SAFe principles of transparency and relentless improvement.
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 work overtime to recover the schedule and report a positive burn-down at the next sync.
Why it's wrong here
Directing overtime to mask a dependency is a command-and-control response that undermines self-management and sustainable pace. It does not remove the actual blocker and hides the problem from the ART, preventing systemic resolution. The Scrum Master should facilitate transparency, not artificially improve metrics.
- ✗
Wait until the Inspect and Adapt event to raise the vendor issue so the team can present a complete root-cause analysis.
Why it's wrong here
Delaying escalation until the Inspect and Adapt event allows the blockage to persist for the remainder of the PI, jeopardizing PI Objectives. The ART Sync exists for timely impediment removal. While I&A is valuable for systemic problem-solving, immediate blockers require immediate visibility.
- ✗
Ask the Product Owner to remove the blocked features from the Program Board and replace them with new features.
Why it's wrong here
Removing features from the Program Board does not resolve the vendor dependency and may disrupt the ART's plan. The Product Owner manages the Program Backlog, but the Scrum Master's immediate action is to escalate the impediment and help the team maintain flow on other work. Replacing features mid-PI is not a standard ART Sync action.
- ✓
Escalate the vendor dependency to the Release Train Engineer and ask the team to reprioritize work on unblocked features.
Why this is correct
The ART Sync is the forum for surfacing cross-team impediments and dependencies. Escalating the vendor dependency to the RTE allows the ART to address it, while reprioritizing unblocked work keeps the team delivering value. This aligns with the Scrum Master's role of removing impediments and facilitating ART-level transparency.
Visual reference
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.