SSM Supporting ART Events Practice Question
Exhibit
{
"ART_Sync_Board": {
"Dependency_ID": "DEP-102",
"Description": "Database Schema Update",
"Provider": "Team-Alpha",
"Consumer": "Team-Beta",
"Needed_By": "Iteration 1.3",
"Status": "Blocked: Hardware Delay"
}
}Refer to the exhibit. As a Scrum Master attending the ART Sync, what is the most appropriate action to take regarding DEP-102?
⚠ Common exam trap
A common trap is suggesting the Scrum Master should fix the hardware issue themselves. The SM's role is facilitation and escalation, not technical troubleshooting or procurement management for the entire train.
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
✓
Highlight the risk to the RTE and discuss potential mitigations
The ART Sync is primarily for coordinating dependencies across teams and identifying risks that require management intervention. In this scenario, a dependency is blocked by an external factor (hardware). The Scrum Master should ensure this is escalated to the Release Train Engineer so it can be addressed at the train level or during a Management Review.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Tell Team-Beta to move the dependent stories to Iteration 1.4
Why it's wrong here
Rescheduling work without understanding the impact on the PI objectives is premature. While it might be necessary later, the first step is to discuss the blockage at the ART Sync to see if the RTE or other stakeholders can resolve the hardware delay more quickly.
- ✗
Direct Team-Alpha to prioritize hardware procurement over coding
Why it's wrong here
Scrum Masters do not give direct orders to teams regarding their technical priorities or procurement tasks. Such decisions are usually handled by the Product Owner or through discussions with the System Architect and RTE to ensure the train's overall priorities are being met correctly.
- ✓
Highlight the risk to the RTE and discuss potential mitigations
Why this is correct
The ART Sync is the venue for surfacing these specific cross-team issues. By highlighting the risk to the RTE, the Scrum Master ensures that leadership is aware of the bottleneck and can provide the necessary support or resources to unblock the dependency before it impacts the PI.
- ✗
Update the Program Board to show the dependency is now resolved
Why it's wrong here
Updating the board to show 'resolved' when the status clearly states 'Blocked' is inaccurate and misleading. The Program Board must reflect the current reality of the train's progress and risks to ensure that planning and adjustments are based on honest and transparent data.
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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.