CSM Service to the Product Owner Practice Question
A Product Owner is constantly canceling Sprint Planning meetings because they haven't finished the backlog. How should the Scrum Master handle this?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often select answers that advise canceling Sprint Planning permanently or letting the Product Owner skip it entirely, rather than addressing the root cause through coaching.
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
✓
Coach the Product Owner on the importance of Sprint Planning and how to prepare with the team.
The Scrum Master must address this pattern because it prevents the team from planning and disrupts their rhythm. By coaching the Product Owner on the value of refinement and the necessity of planning even with an imperfect backlog, the Scrum Master ensures the team can continue their work. This prevents the Product Owner's lack of preparation from becoming an impediment to the team's ability to deliver value regularly.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Cancel the Sprint Planning and wait for the Product Owner to be ready.
Why it's wrong here
Waiting for the Product Owner causes the team to remain idle and halts value delivery. Sprint Planning is a required event that must happen at the beginning of each Sprint. The Scrum Master should encourage the team to plan with what they have rather than delaying the start of the work.
- ✓
Coach the Product Owner on the importance of Sprint Planning and how to prepare with the team.
Why this is correct
Coaching the Product Owner on how to prepare the backlog through regular refinement ensures they are ready for planning. This also helps them understand that planning is a team event, not just their responsibility. By involving the team in refinement, the Product Owner can prepare for planning more effectively and sustainably.
- ✗
Take over the responsibility of preparing the Product Backlog for the meeting.
Why it's wrong here
Taking over the Product Owner's work prevents them from learning how to manage the backlog themselves. It creates a dependency and removes the Product Owner's accountability. The Scrum Master's role is to support and coach, not to perform the Product Owner's duties, even when they are struggling with their workload.
- ✗
Tell the team they should proceed without the Product Owner.
Why it's wrong here
The Product Owner's participation is essential to clarify the goals and requirements. Proceeding without them ensures a lack of alignment on what the team is working on. The Scrum Master should work to get the Product Owner present and prepared, not suggest that the team work in a vacuum.
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 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.