CSM Service to the Scrum Team Practice Question
A Scrum Master observes that the Product Owner is consistently unavailable to clarify requirements, leading to team idleness. Which THREE actions should the Scrum Master take?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often suggest the Scrum Master directly takes over Product Owner duties or assigns tasks to the team, failing to realize the Scrum Master must coach the PO and escalate systemic organizational issues.
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 meeting between the team and the Product Owner to discuss the impact of the delays on the Sprint Goal.
The Scrum Master serves the Product Owner by helping them understand the need for clear communication and team engagement. By facilitating a discussion with the team, identifying the impact on the Sprint, and coaching the Product Owner, the Scrum Master addresses the systemic issue of lack of availability. This is critical because a missing Product Owner prevents the team from maintaining flow, causing significant waste and frustration for the developers.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Take over the Product Owner's duties for the duration of the Sprint.
Why it's wrong here
The Scrum Master cannot assume the Product Owner role without violating the separation of duties. This creates a conflict of interest and prevents the Product Owner from learning their role. The Scrum Master must coach the existing Product Owner rather than replacing them, which is essential for organizational development and role clarity.
- ✓
Facilitate a meeting between the team and the Product Owner to discuss the impact of the delays on the Sprint Goal.
Why this is correct
Transparency is a pillar of Scrum. By making the impact visible, the team can express their challenges directly to the Product Owner. This facilitates a shared understanding of the necessity for timely feedback, helping the Product Owner prioritize their presence and support the team's ongoing progress and success.
- ✓
Coach the Product Owner on the importance of their role in supporting the team's progress.
Why this is correct
Coaching the Product Owner on Scrum values and responsibilities is a key Scrum Master duty. Helping them understand how their availability directly influences the team's ability to deliver value is essential for the success of the product and the team. This builds a healthier, more collaborative environment for everyone involved.
- ✗
Encourage the team to make assumptions and proceed without the Product Owner's input.
Why it's wrong here
Encouraging the team to work on assumptions leads to rework and misalignment. The Scrum Master should facilitate communication, not encourage the team to build the wrong thing. Without the Product Owner, the team lacks the necessary business context, which is a fundamental risk to the value of the product.
- ✓
Escalate the issue to the organization to request a more available Product Owner.
Why this is correct
When coaching fails and the Product Owner consistently cannot perform their duties, escalation is a necessary step to protect the Scrum Team. The Scrum Master must ensure the team has the environment required to succeed, and that includes having a Product Owner who can actively engage and guide the work.
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.