CSM Scrum Master Core Competencies Practice Question
A stakeholder asks the Scrum Master to add a high-priority feature to the current Sprint. What is the correct response?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates frequently select 'add the item to the Sprint' or 'ask the developers if they have capacity,' which violates the integrity and focus of the ongoing Sprint.
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
✓
Direct the stakeholder to the Product Owner.
The Scrum Master must uphold the integrity of the Sprint. Changes that jeopardize the Sprint Goal are discouraged. By coaching the stakeholder to work with the Product Owner for the next Sprint, the Scrum Master maintains the team's focus and ensures that the Product Backlog management remains transparent and orderly. This protects the team from constant disruption, which is vital for maintaining high productivity and quality standards.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Accept the feature if the team has capacity.
Why it's wrong here
Adding features mid-Sprint disrupts the focus and violates the Sprint commitment. Even if capacity exists, it undermines the planning process. The Scrum Master should ensure that the team focuses on the current Sprint Goal to ensure predictability, which is a key benefit of the Scrum framework for stakeholders.
- ✓
Direct the stakeholder to the Product Owner.
Why this is correct
The Product Owner is responsible for the Product Backlog and its prioritization. By directing the stakeholder to the Product Owner, the Scrum Master respects the roles and responsibilities defined in Scrum. This ensures that backlog changes are evaluated against the overall product vision rather than being impulsively added to a Sprint.
- ✗
Add the feature but remove an equal amount of work.
Why it's wrong here
Swapping items during a Sprint is a common anti-pattern that creates churn and confusion. It complicates the team's commitment and makes progress tracking difficult. The Scrum Master should guide stakeholders to understand that the Sprint is a fixed-duration commitment that should not be changed without a significant reason.
- ✗
Ask the team to vote on the new request.
Why it's wrong here
Voting on scope changes does not respect the Product Owner's authority over the backlog. It also distracts the team from their current work. The Scrum Master should focus on coaching the stakeholders on the Scrum process, ensuring that requests are handled through the appropriate, defined channels during future planning.
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.