CSM Service to the Organization Practice Question
A Scrum Master is helping an organization that has multiple departments, each with its own backlog and priorities, and teams are frequently interrupted by urgent requests from different managers. Which TWO actions best demonstrate the Scrum Master serving the organization in this situation? (Choose two.)
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is focusing on protecting the team from interruptions by rejecting requests, when the deeper service to the organization is helping it redesign how priorities are set and communicated.
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 workshop with department leaders to define how urgent requests should be evaluated and routed through the Product Owner.
The Scrum Master serves the organization by helping it create the conditions for Scrum to succeed. Multiple backlogs and direct requests from various managers create competing priorities and context switching. Coaching the organization on the value of a single ordered Product Backlog and facilitating a workshop to define how urgent requests are routed through the Product Owner address the root cause while respecting the organization's need to respond to emergencies.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Facilitate a workshop with department leaders to define how urgent requests should be evaluated and routed through the Product Owner.
Why this is correct
The Scrum Master serves the organization by facilitating collaboration and helping it design a workable process. A workshop with department leaders can clarify how urgent requests should be assessed, who decides priority, and how the Product Owner is involved. This respects the organization's need to respond to emergencies while protecting the team's focus and the integrity of the Sprint.
- ✗
Recommend that each department assign a liaison to sit with the team and assign tasks directly.
Why it's wrong here
Embedding liaisons who assign tasks directly would further fragment the team's focus and undermine self-management. It does not solve the problem of multiple priorities; it institutionalizes it. The Scrum Master should help the organization centralize prioritization through the Product Owner and reduce the number of channels through which work enters the team.
- ✗
Instruct the teams to reject all requests that do not come from their own manager.
Why it's wrong here
A blanket rejection of requests creates conflict and does not help the organization improve how work is prioritized. The Scrum Master should instead help the organization establish a clear path for requests to be considered by the Product Owner. Simply refusing requests may damage relationships and does not address the underlying problem of competing priorities.
- ✓
Help the organization understand the cost of context switching and the need for a single product backlog with clear prioritization.
Why this is correct
The Scrum Master serves the organization by coaching it on the impact of multiple backlogs and competing priorities. Context switching reduces team focus and throughput. Helping the organization see the value of a single, ordered Product Backlog with one Product Owner creates clarity and allows the team to deliver a coherent Increment. This is a systemic change that addresses the root cause of interruptions.
- ✗
Ask the Scrum Teams to work overtime to absorb the extra requests without changing priorities.
Why it's wrong here
Overtime is unsustainable and masks the real problem of competing priorities. It also undermines the team's ability to maintain a sustainable pace, which is a Scrum principle. The Scrum Master should not use overtime as a solution; instead, they should help the organization address the root cause by clarifying prioritization and protecting the team's focus.
About these practice questions
This CSM question is part of Courseiva's 312-question bank — original exam-style content with full explanations and wrong-answer analysis, never real exam questions or exam dumps. 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.