CSM Service to the Scrum Team Practice Question
A Scrum Master is serving a Scrum Team that is struggling with internal conflicts. Two Developers frequently argue over technical approaches, and the arguments are escalating and affecting team morale. The Scrum Master wants to help the team navigate this conflict constructively. Which two actions are most appropriate for the Scrum Master to take? (Choose two.)
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is thinking the Scrum Master should resolve the conflict by making a decision or reassigning people, when the role is to coach and facilitate the team's own resolution.
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 Developers on healthy conflict resolution and facilitate a conversation to help them understand each other's perspectives.
The Scrum Master should coach the Developers on healthy conflict resolution and facilitate a conversation, as well as raise the issue in the Sprint Retrospective for team-wide improvement. These actions serve the team by building conflict resolution skills and leveraging the Retrospective for collective adaptation. They empower the team to self-manage and improve communication, rather than relying on the Scrum Master to solve the problem or avoiding it.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Reassign one of the Developers to a different team to eliminate the source of conflict and restore harmony.
Why it's wrong here
Reassigning a team member is a drastic action that should be a last resort and is typically a management decision, not the Scrum Master's. It avoids addressing the underlying conflict and may set a precedent that conflicts are resolved by removing people. The Scrum Master should help the team develop conflict resolution skills rather than sidestep the issue.
- ✓
Coach the Developers on healthy conflict resolution and facilitate a conversation to help them understand each other's perspectives.
Why this is correct
The Scrum Master serves the team by coaching on self-management and interpersonal skills. Facilitating a conversation helps the Developers address the conflict directly and constructively, improving team dynamics. This approach empowers the team to resolve future conflicts and fosters a safe environment, aligning with the Scrum Master's role as a servant-leader and facilitator.
- ✓
Raise the issue in the next Sprint Retrospective and ask the team to brainstorm ways to improve their communication and conflict resolution.
Why this is correct
The Retrospective is a dedicated time for the team to inspect and adapt its processes and interactions. By bringing the conflict to the Retrospective, the Scrum Master enables the whole team to address it collectively and generate improvement actions. This leverages the team's collective intelligence and reinforces the Scrum value of openness, helping them self-manage conflict in the future.
- ✗
Meet with each Developer individually to hear their concerns, then make a decision on the technical approach to end the argument.
Why it's wrong here
Making a technical decision is not the Scrum Master's role; the Developers are responsible for technical decisions. While listening individually can be useful, imposing a solution undermines self-management and does not teach the team how to resolve conflicts. The Scrum Master should facilitate resolution, not act as a technical arbiter.
- ✗
Ignore the conflict, as it is a natural part of self-organizing teams and will resolve itself over time.
Why it's wrong here
Ignoring escalating conflict can damage team morale and performance. While conflict can be healthy, destructive conflict requires intervention. The Scrum Master is responsible for fostering a safe and collaborative environment. Doing nothing neglects this duty and may allow the situation to worsen, eroding trust and psychological safety within the team.
About these practice questions
Courseiva writes every CSM question from scratch — 312 in total, each with an explanation and a wrong-answer breakdown. None are copied from real exams or 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.