SSM Supporting ART Events Practice Question
During the second day of PI Planning, a team realizes that a critical dependency on another team will likely delay their finishing a Feature. The other team has already finalized their plan. What is the Scrum Master's best course of action?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap is believing that a 'finalized' plan cannot be changed during the event. Candidates might choose to wait for the I&A or the next PI instead of taking immediate action.
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
✓
Facilitate a meeting between both teams and Product Management to renegotiate the plan and scope.
In SAFe, managing dependencies is a dynamic process that continues until the final plan is accepted. Even if a team has 'finalized' their plan, the Scrum Master must facilitate immediate communication to resolve bottlenecks. This ensures the ART's collective plan remains viable and that risks are addressed before the final commitment is made.
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 mark the Feature as 'Blocked' and move it to the next PI's backlog.
Why it's wrong here
Moving the Feature to the next PI without attempting to resolve the dependency is premature and undermines the planning process. The goal of PI Planning is to find ways to deliver the requested value. The Scrum Master should first facilitate a negotiation to see if the dependency can be accommodated.
- ✗
Escalate the issue to the Release Train Engineer to have them force the other team to change.
Why it's wrong here
While the RTE can facilitate, the Scrum Master should first encourage peer-to-peer collaboration and negotiation between the teams. Forcing changes through authority usually damages team morale and ignores the technical realities of the other team's capacity. Direct communication between the involved teams is always the preferred first step.
- ✓
Facilitate a meeting between both teams and Product Management to renegotiate the plan and scope.
Why this is correct
Renegotiation is a core part of PI Planning. By involving both teams and Product Management, the Scrum Master helps find a solution that might involve adjusting scope, shifting priorities, or reallocating resources. This collaborative approach ensures that the most important value is still delivered while respecting team capacities.
- ✗
Record the risk on the ART Risk ROAMing board and proceed with the current team plan.
Why it's wrong here
Recording the risk is necessary, but it does not solve the immediate planning conflict. Simply proceeding with a plan that is known to be unachievable is a failure of the planning process. The Scrum Master must help the team resolve the conflict so they can make a credible commitment.
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.