CSM Scrum Master Core Competencies Practice Question
A Scrum Master is working with a Product Owner who frequently changes the Sprint Goal mid-Sprint based on new stakeholder requests. The Developers are frustrated and feel their work is being undermined. What should the Scrum Master do first?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is assuming the Scrum Master should escalate or instruct the Product Owner rather than coach them first to address the behavior.
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
✓
Meet with the Product Owner to understand the reasons for the changes and coach them on the purpose of the Sprint Goal and the impact of mid-Sprint alterations.
The Scrum Master serves the Product Owner by helping them understand and apply Scrum practices. When a Product Owner frequently changes the Sprint Goal, the Scrum Master should first seek to understand the underlying reasons and then coach them on the purpose of the Sprint Goal and the negative impact of mid-Sprint changes on focus and value delivery. This approach respects the Product Owner's role while promoting Scrum principles.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Meet with the Product Owner to understand the reasons for the changes and coach them on the purpose of the Sprint Goal and the impact of mid-Sprint alterations.
Why this is correct
This is the best first step because it addresses the root cause through coaching and collaboration. The Scrum Master helps the Product Owner understand that the Sprint Goal provides focus and coherence, and that changing it mid-Sprint disrupts the Developers' ability to self-manage and deliver a potentially releasable Increment. Understanding the Product Owner's pressures enables more effective coaching.
- ✗
Tell the Developers to ignore the Product Owner's changes and continue working on the original Sprint Goal.
Why it's wrong here
Telling the Developers to ignore the Product Owner is counterproductive and violates Scrum's collaborative nature. The Product Owner is accountable for maximizing value and managing the Product Backlog. The Developers and Product Owner must work together. This action would create conflict and undermine the Product Owner's authority and the team's unity.
- ✗
Instruct the Product Owner to stop changing the Sprint Goal and to respect the Sprint's integrity.
Why it's wrong here
Instructing the Product Owner is not appropriate because the Scrum Master does not have authority over the Product Owner. The Scrum Master should coach and facilitate, not dictate. While the Sprint Goal should remain stable, the Scrum Master must help the Product Owner understand the impact of mid-Sprint changes through collaboration, not commands.
- ✗
Escalate the issue to management, since the Product Owner is not following Scrum.
Why it's wrong here
Escalation should be a last resort, not the first action. The Scrum Master's role is to coach the Product Owner and help them understand Scrum principles. Escalating prematurely can damage trust and does not help the Product Owner learn. The Scrum Master should first attempt to resolve the issue through direct coaching and facilitation.
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.