SSM Supporting ART Events Practice Question
You are the Scrum Master for Team Delta on an ART. During Iteration 4, Team Delta's Product Owner tells you that a critical API dependency from Team Gamma is not available, putting the Iteration goal at risk. The teams are not co-located. What should you do first to address this impediment?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is assuming that any cross-team dependency must be escalated immediately to the RTE, rather than first attempting resolution at the team level.
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 conversation between the two teams' representatives at the next Scrum of Scrums or in a separate huddle to understand the blocker and agree on a resolution.
The Scrum Master serves the team by removing impediments. When a cross-team dependency threatens the Iteration, the first step is to facilitate direct communication between the affected teams, often through the Scrum of Scrums or a focused huddle. This empowers the teams to resolve the issue at the lowest level. Escalation to the RTE or waiting for the next PI Planning are later options if team-level resolution fails.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Log the dependency in the Program Board and wait for the RTE to address it during the next PI Planning.
Why it's wrong here
Waiting until the next PI Planning is too late; the current Iteration goal is at risk now. The Program Board is a visualization tool, not a resolution mechanism. Logging without action leaves the team blocked. The Scrum Master must actively help remove the impediment, not passively record it for a future event.
- ✓
Facilitate a conversation between the two teams' representatives at the next Scrum of Scrums or in a separate huddle to understand the blocker and agree on a resolution.
Why this is correct
The Scrum Master's first responsibility is to help the team remove impediments. Facilitating a direct conversation between the teams' representatives is the fastest way to clarify the blocker and agree on a resolution. It keeps ownership at the team level and uses the Scrum of Scrums as the designed mechanism for cross-team coordination. Only if this fails should the RTE be involved.
- ✗
Instruct Team Delta to re-plan the Iteration and drop the dependent feature to protect the Iteration goal.
Why it's wrong here
Dropping the feature may be a last resort, but it is not the first step. The Scrum Master should not unilaterally direct the team to re-plan without first exploring whether the dependency can be resolved. This option assumes the dependency is unresolvable and removes the opportunity for cross-team collaboration, which is central to SAFe.
- ✗
Escalate the dependency to the Release Train Engineer (RTE) and ask them to resolve it.
Why it's wrong here
Escalating immediately to the RTE is premature. The Scrum Master should first attempt to resolve the dependency at the team level, using the Scrum of Scrums or direct collaboration. The RTE is a later escalation path when teams cannot resolve it themselves. This option bypasses the team's own problem-solving capability and does not model servant-leadership.
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.