CSM Scrum Team Roles and Accountabilities Practice Question
A Scrum Team is preparing for its first Sprint. The organization asks who is accountable for establishing the Scrum Team's Definition of Done if the organization has no existing standard. Who should create it?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is attributing the Definition of Done to the Scrum Master or Product Owner, when the Developers are accountable for creating it when no organizational standard exists.
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
✓
The Developers, because they create the Increment and define the quality standard it must meet.
When no organizational standard exists, the Developers must create a Definition of Done suitable for the product. Because they build the Increment, they define the quality criteria it must meet, making the work transparent and verifiable. The Product Owner and Scrum Master participate as team members but do not own this artifact.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
The stakeholders, because they determine what quality means for the product.
Why it's wrong here
Stakeholders provide feedback during the Sprint Review and influence the Product Backlog through the Product Owner, but they do not author the Definition of Done. The quality standard for the Increment is established by the Scrum Team, specifically the Developers, not by external stakeholder consensus.
- ✗
The Product Owner, because the Definition of Done affects product quality.
Why it's wrong here
The Product Owner maximizes product value and manages the Product Backlog, but does not author the Definition of Done alone. Quality standards for the Increment are established collaboratively by the whole Scrum Team, and the Product Owner participates as a team member rather than owning this artifact exclusively.
- ✓
The Developers, because they create the Increment and define the quality standard it must meet.
Why this is correct
If the organization has no standard, the Developers must create a Definition of Done appropriate for the product. They produce the Increment each Sprint, so they define the quality bar it must satisfy. This artifact makes the work transparent and is used to verify the Increment, and the Developers own its creation.
- ✗
The Scrum Master, because the Scrum Master owns all Scrum processes.
Why it's wrong here
The Scrum Master coaches on Scrum and helps remove impediments, but does not unilaterally own process artifacts like the Definition of Done. The Scrum Master ensures the team understands Scrum theory and practice, yet the Definition of Done is created by the team itself, not dictated by the Scrum Master.
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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.