CSM Scrum Master Core Competencies Practice Question
A Scrum Team is halfway through a Sprint. The Scrum Master observes that the Developers have stopped using the Daily Scrum to inspect progress toward the Sprint Goal and instead are giving detailed status reports to the Scrum Master. What is the most appropriate action for the Scrum Master?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is assuming the Scrum Master should facilitate or restructure the Daily Scrum, when the event belongs to the Developers and needs coaching, not control.
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 the event on inspecting progress toward the Sprint Goal.
The Daily Scrum is the Developers' event to inspect progress toward the Sprint Goal and adapt the Sprint Backlog. When it becomes a status report to the Scrum Master, the Scrum Master should coach the Developers on its purpose and help them reclaim ownership. This supports self-management and empiricism rather than imposing control or changing the framework.
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 facilitation of the Daily Scrum and ask each Developer three standard questions to restore structure.
Why it's wrong here
Imposing the three questions and taking over facilitation reduces Developer self-management and turns the event into a report to the Scrum Master. The Daily Scrum is for the Developers, and the Scrum Master should teach, coach, and facilitate rather than command. This would reinforce the very behavior that needs correcting.
- ✗
Cancel the Daily Scrum and replace it with a written status update in a chat channel.
Why it's wrong here
The Daily Scrum is a required Scrum event, and replacing it with written updates removes the synchronous inspection and adaptation that enables empiricism. A chat update cannot replicate the Developers' real-time inspection of progress toward the Sprint Goal. Canceling it also undermines the Scrum framework's core events.
- ✓
Coach the Developers on the purpose of the Daily Scrum and help them refocus the event on inspecting progress toward the Sprint Goal.
Why this is correct
The Daily Scrum exists for the Developers to inspect progress toward the Sprint Goal and adapt the Sprint Backlog. When it devolves into status reporting, the Scrum Master should teach the Developers the purpose and help them self-manage the event. This preserves empiricism and keeps ownership with the Developers.
- ✗
Escalate to the Product Owner that the Developers are not collaborating effectively during the Daily Scrum.
Why it's wrong here
The Daily Scrum is for the Developers; the Product Owner does not need to be involved in how they self-manage the event. Escalating to the Product Owner shifts responsibility away from the Developers and the Scrum Master's coaching role. It also risks turning a self-management issue into a management intervention.
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.