SSM Supporting ART Events Practice Question
Two iterations into a PI, a Scrum Master learns that a dependency her team agreed with Team Echo during PI Planning has slipped because Team Echo reprioritized. Her team's next iteration work is now blocked. What is the most appropriate first action?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is believing dependencies can only be renegotiated at PI Planning, which leads to waiting or working around the problem instead of using the ART Sync.
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
✓
Raise the blocked dependency at the ART Sync so the train can help re-plan and restore flow across the affected teams.
When a cross-team dependency slips mid-PI, the Scrum Master should surface it in the train-level coordination event so the affected teams and the ART can re-plan and restore flow. The ART Sync exists for exactly this kind of dependency and impediment management. Acting transparently at the train level is faster and safer than unilateral workarounds, dropped objectives, or waiting until the next PI Planning.
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 her team to build a temporary workaround and deliver it without informing Team Echo or the train.
Why it's wrong here
An undisclosed workaround creates hidden technical debt and may duplicate or conflict with what Team Echo ultimately delivers. It also hides a train-level dependency problem that others need to see. The Scrum Master should promote transparency and coordination, not encourage silent workarounds that undermine the ART's shared plan.
- ✓
Raise the blocked dependency at the ART Sync so the train can help re-plan and restore flow across the affected teams.
Why this is correct
The ART Sync is the recurring train-level forum for surfacing dependencies and impediments that span teams. Bringing the slipped dependency there lets the affected teams and the train re-plan together, which is faster and more transparent than unilateral action. This aligns with the Scrum Master's role in coordinating across the ART and removing obstacles to flow.
- ✗
Ask the Product Owner to remove the blocked features from the team's PI objectives and reallocate the team to unrelated work.
Why it's wrong here
Dropping the features and reallocating the team abandons the agreed PI plan before any attempt to resolve the dependency. This reaction bypasses the coordination mechanisms designed to handle such disruptions. The Scrum Master should first surface the issue for joint resolution rather than unilaterally rewriting the team's PI commitments.
- ✗
Wait until the next PI Planning to renegotiate the dependency, since dependencies are formally managed only at that event.
Why it's wrong here
Dependencies are not managed only at PI Planning; the ART provides recurring coordination events precisely to handle changes during execution. Waiting until the next PI Planning would leave the team blocked for the remainder of the PI and delay the train's objectives. Timely escalation to the ART Sync is the appropriate response.
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.