CSM Scrum Team Roles and Accountabilities Practice Question
A newly formed Scrum Team is clarifying who does what. The Developers ask who is accountable for creating a clear, ordered Product Backlog that maximizes the value the product delivers. Which accountability fits best?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is thinking that because stakeholders provide requirements, they also control backlog ordering.
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
✓
The Product Owner, who is accountable for the Product Backlog and its effective management.
The Product Owner is accountable for the Product Backlog, including its content, availability, and ordering. This single accountability ensures the team always works on the most valuable items. The Scrum Master facilitates, the Developers deliver, and stakeholders inform, but only the Product Owner owns backlog clarity and order.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
The Product Owner, who is accountable for the Product Backlog and its effective management.
Why this is correct
The Product Owner is accountable for maximizing product value and for effective Product Backlog management, including clearly expressing items and ordering them. This is a defining accountability in the Scrum Guide, so the Developers should look to the Product Owner for backlog clarity and ordering.
- ✗
The stakeholders, because they provide the requirements and business priorities.
Why it's wrong here
Stakeholders provide input, feedback, and needs, but they are not accountable for the Product Backlog. The Product Owner synthesizes stakeholder input into a clear, ordered backlog. Leaving ordering to stakeholders would fragment decision-making and undermine the Product Owner's accountability.
- ✗
The Scrum Master, because they facilitate all Scrum events and remove impediments.
Why it's wrong here
The Scrum Master facilitates and coaches but does not own the Product Backlog. Ordering backlog items to maximize value is a product decision, not a facilitation duty. Assigning this to the Scrum Master would blur accountabilities and leave the product direction without a single owner.
- ✗
The Developers, because they estimate and select the work they will complete each Sprint.
Why it's wrong here
Developers estimate and self-manage their Sprint work, but they do not own backlog ordering. The Product Owner sets priority; the Developers determine how much they can do. Confusing these two accountabilities is a frequent source of conflict in new teams.
About these practice questions
One of 312 original CSM practice questions on Courseiva, each with a full explanation and wrong-answer analysis — not exam dumps or protected exam content. 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 Scrum Alliance exam blueprint
This CSM practice question is part of Courseiva's free Scrum Alliance 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 CSM exam.