SSM Supporting ART Events Practice Question
During the Inspect and Adapt event, the ART's metrics show that the predictability measure has dropped for three consecutive PIs. The Scrum Master of one team believes the drop is caused by unplanned work entering mid-PI. Which action best supports the ART in addressing this?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is reacting to a declining metric by adjusting the metric or the commitment rather than using the Inspect and Adapt problem-solving workshop to find and fix the root cause.
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
✓
Help the ART use the problem-solving workshop to analyze the unplanned work trend and identify root causes before agreeing on improvement items.
A sustained drop in predictability is a systemic signal that belongs in the Inspect and Adapt event's problem-solving workshop. There, the ART analyzes data, identifies root causes such as unplanned work, and agrees on improvement items with owners. The Scrum Master supports this by facilitating the analysis and helping the ART turn findings into concrete improvements rather than masking or gaming the metric.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Advise the Release Train Engineer to exclude any team with unplanned work from the next PI Planning session.
Why it's wrong here
Excluding teams from PI Planning would break the collaborative planning the train depends on and punish teams rather than solve the problem. Unplanned work is a systemic signal that should be analyzed, not a reason to remove teams from the event. This action would damage trust and prevent the ART from addressing the real cause.
- ✗
Suggest the team simply commit to fewer objectives next PI so the percentage improves regardless of unplanned work.
Why it's wrong here
Artificially lowering commitments to improve the ratio treats the symptom, not the cause. If unplanned work continues to disrupt plans, the underlying issue remains and will resurface. The Inspect and Adapt event calls for root-cause analysis, not gaming the metric, so this would mislead the ART about actual improvement.
- ✗
Recommend that the ART stop tracking the predictability measure since it is causing unnecessary pressure on teams.
Why it's wrong here
Abandoning the metric removes the ART's ability to inspect a meaningful trend and would hide the very problem that needs solving. Predictability reflects how well the train delivers against committed PI objectives, and dropping it would undermine the data-driven inspection that the Inspect and Adapt event depends on.
- ✓
Help the ART use the problem-solving workshop to analyze the unplanned work trend and identify root causes before agreeing on improvement items.
Why this is correct
The Inspect and Adapt event includes a structured problem-solving workshop where the ART analyzes data, identifies root causes, and agrees on improvement backlog items. Facilitating this analysis for the predictability trend directly addresses the suspected cause and produces actionable, owned improvements, which is exactly the Scrum Master's role in supporting ART events.
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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.