CSM Service to the Scrum Team Practice Question
A Scrum Team has just started using Scrum. During the first few Daily Scrums, the Scrum Master notices that the Developers are reporting status to the Scrum Master rather than coordinating with each other. The Scrum Master wants to help the team self-manage. What is the most appropriate action for the Scrum Master to take?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is assuming the Scrum Master should facilitate or take notes to add value, when the real service is coaching the team to self-manage and own the Daily Scrum.
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 the purpose of the Daily Scrum and help them refocus on inspecting progress toward the Sprint Goal and adapting their plan together.
The correct action is to coach the Developers on the purpose of the Daily Scrum and help them refocus on the Sprint Goal. The Scrum Master serves the Scrum Team by fostering self-management and helping the team improve its practices. By guiding the Developers to coordinate with each other rather than report status, the Scrum Master enables the team to take ownership of the event and its outcomes, which is central to the Scrum Master's role.
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 the Daily Scrum by asking each Developer three standard questions to ensure everyone speaks.
Why it's wrong here
While the three questions were once a common technique, they are not mandatory and can turn the Daily Scrum into a status report to the Scrum Master. Facilitating in this way may actually reinforce the reporting behavior rather than encourage the Developers to self-manage and collaborate. The Scrum Master should coach the team to own the event, not control it.
- ✗
Take notes during the Daily Scrum and send a summary to the Product Owner so that stakeholders are informed of progress.
Why it's wrong here
The Daily Scrum is not a status meeting for the Scrum Master to report to the Product Owner. Taking notes and sending summaries reinforces the idea that the Developers report to the Scrum Master, which undermines self-management. This action does not help the team coordinate and may create unnecessary overhead and dependency on the Scrum Master.
- ✗
Cancel the Daily Scrum for a few Sprints until the team is ready to self-organize without the Scrum Master's involvement.
Why it's wrong here
Canceling the Daily Scrum removes a key opportunity for the Developers to inspect and adapt. The Scrum Master should not cancel the event but rather help the team understand its purpose and learn to self-manage within it. Skipping the event would hinder transparency and impediment identification, and it does not address the underlying issue.
- ✓
Coach the Developers on the purpose of the Daily Scrum and help them refocus on inspecting progress toward the Sprint Goal and adapting their plan together.
Why this is correct
The Daily Scrum is for the Developers to inspect progress toward the Sprint Goal and adapt the Sprint Backlog. Coaching the team to self-manage and focus on the Sprint Goal directly serves the Scrum Team. By guiding them to collaborate rather than report status, the Scrum Master fosters self-management, which is a core Scrum value and a key service to the team.
About these practice questions
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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.