SSM Supporting ART Events Practice Question
During the Inspect and Adapt problem-solving workshop, a team traces a recurring integration failure to a root cause of inconsistent interface contracts between two teams. The team wants to ensure the corrective action is durable. What is the most appropriate action for the Scrum Master to support?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is choosing manual review, documentation, or escalation over a systemic change that addresses the root cause in the improvement backlog.
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
✓
Add a prioritized improvement backlog item that establishes and validates interface contracts through automated tests.
The Inspect and Adapt problem-solving workshop ends by generating corrective actions that are prioritized into the ART's improvement backlog and planned into the next PI. A durable fix for inconsistent interface contracts is to define them explicitly and enforce them with automated contract tests, which prevents the defect from recurring. This makes the improvement systemic rather than dependent on individual vigilance.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Escalate the issue to the Release Train Engineer to mediate a permanent boundary between the two teams.
Why it's wrong here
Creating a permanent boundary between teams reduces integration and contradicts the ART's purpose of delivering a combined solution. The root cause is inconsistent contracts, not insufficient separation, so isolating teams would worsen the problem. Escalation may be appropriate for removing impediments, but the corrective action should address the contract inconsistency itself through a systemic fix.
- ✓
Add a prioritized improvement backlog item that establishes and validates interface contracts through automated tests.
Why this is correct
The problem-solving workshop produces corrective actions that are prioritized into the ART's improvement backlog and planned into the next PI. A durable fix for inconsistent interface contracts is to define them explicitly and enforce them with automated contract tests, which prevents regression. Recording this as a prioritized improvement item ensures the systemic change is funded, scheduled, and verified rather than left to chance.
- ✗
Document the fix in a one-time email to both teams so they remember the correct interface.
Why it's wrong here
A one-time email is not a durable control and depends on individuals recalling and applying the guidance. Interface inconsistencies typically recur unless addressed systemically, such as through automated contract tests or agreed standards. The corrective action should change the system that produced the defect, not rely on memory or informal communication that will be lost as teams evolve.
- ✗
Assign one engineer to manually review all future integrations between the two teams.
Why it's wrong here
Manual review introduces a human bottleneck and does not scale, and it leaves the underlying contract ambiguity in place. It also depends on the reviewer catching every discrepancy, which is unreliable as volume grows. A durable corrective action changes the system, such as automated validation, rather than adding inspection that masks the root cause and slows delivery.
About these practice questions
This SSM question is part of Courseiva's 385-question bank — original exam-style content with full explanations and wrong-answer analysis, never real exam questions or exam dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
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.