CSM Service to the Product Owner Practice Question
A Product Owner wants to track team performance using 'Velocity' and insists that the Scrum Master use this metric to evaluate individual developer performance. How should the Scrum Master respond?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often suggest the Scrum Master calculate or track velocity for the PO, failing to recognize that velocity is a team-owned planning tool, not a management control mechanism.
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
✓
Educate the Product Owner on why Velocity is for planning and how it should never be used for individual evaluations.
The Scrum Master must clarify that Velocity is a team-level metric for planning, not an individual performance measurement tool. Using it for evaluation damages morale and encourages behavior that inflates numbers rather than delivering value. The Scrum Master should educate the Product Owner on the dangers of this practice and suggest better ways to measure progress and value.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Agree to use the metric but warn the Product Owner that it might cause team conflict.
Why it's wrong here
Agreeing to a harmful practice does not fulfill the Scrum Master's responsibility to protect the team and the process. Using Velocity for individual performance is a known antipattern that distorts data and undermines the collaborative spirit of Scrum. The Scrum Master must firmly guide the Product Owner otherwise.
- ✓
Educate the Product Owner on why Velocity is for planning and how it should never be used for individual evaluations.
Why this is correct
Educating the Product Owner on the correct use of Scrum metrics protects the team from toxic performance management practices. By explaining that Velocity is an average measure of team capacity and not a productivity indicator, the Scrum Master helps the Product Owner make better, more informed management decisions.
- ✗
Suggest using hours worked per developer as a more accurate metric for individual performance.
Why it's wrong here
Tracking hours worked is a legacy management practice that focuses on activity rather than value. It doesn't measure quality, collaboration, or outcomes. Encouraging this practice is just as detrimental as using Velocity improperly and contradicts the core principles of Scrum which emphasize delivering potentially releasable increments.
- ✗
Ask the Developers to increase their velocity by 20% to satisfy the Product Owner's performance goals.
Why it's wrong here
Demanding increased velocity forces teams to cut corners and compromise on quality. Velocity is a result of the team's working process and cannot be arbitrarily increased. This demand shows a lack of understanding of Scrum and will lead to technical debt and a reduction in long-term value.
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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.