CSM Scrum Events Practice Question

Answer analysis

Option-by-option breakdown

For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.

• ✗

  Allow the Product Owner to add the items, but plan to work overtime to meet the commitment.

  Why it's wrong here

  Planning for overtime is unsustainable and contradicts Scrum's emphasis on a sustainable pace. It also assumes the team can reliably deliver more than their forecast, which is unlikely and may lead to burnout and quality issues. The Developers should not be pressured into overcommitting. The Scrum Master should instead help the team and Product Owner find a realistic Sprint Goal that fits the team's capacity.

• ✗

  Instruct the Developers to accept the additional items because the Product Owner represents the stakeholder's interests.

  Why it's wrong here

  The Scrum Master serves the Scrum Team by ensuring Scrum is understood and enacted. Instructing the Developers to accept work beyond their capacity undermines self-management and empiricism. The Developers alone decide how much work they can take on during Sprint Planning, based on their forecast of what is achievable. Overriding their judgment would likely lead to an unsustainable pace and a failed Sprint Goal.

• ✓

  Facilitate a discussion so the Developers and Product Owner agree on a realistic Sprint Goal and a set of items the Developers are confident they can complete.

  Why this is correct

  The Scrum Master should coach the team to collaborate and reach a shared understanding. The Developers have the final say on how much work they can take on, but the Product Owner provides the value context. Facilitating a negotiation helps align expectations, protects the Developers' capacity, and ensures the Sprint Goal is realistic. This approach respects self-management while addressing the stakeholder's needs through prioritization.

• ✗

  Escalate the disagreement to the stakeholders so they can decide which items should be included in the Sprint.

  Why it's wrong here

  Escalating to stakeholders bypasses the Scrum Team's responsibility to self-manage and resolve internal conflicts. The Scrum Master's role is to facilitate the team's own decision-making, not to outsource it. Involving stakeholders in Sprint Planning decisions about capacity undermines the Product Owner's authority and the Developers' autonomy, and it does not teach the team how to handle such situations in the future.