CSM Scrum Master Core Competencies Practice Question
A stakeholder demands that the Scrum Master provide a detailed progress report at the end of every week. How should the Scrum Master respond?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often suggest creating the report to 'keep the stakeholder happy,' which creates waste and undermines the transparency of existing Scrum artifacts.
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
✓
Invite the stakeholder to the Sprint Review.
The Scrum Master must educate the stakeholder on the Scrum artifacts and the purpose of transparency. Providing a separate, manual report creates redundant effort and misaligns with Scrum's goal of using artifacts like the Burn-down chart or Product Backlog for progress tracking. This preserves the Scrum framework's integrity, ensuring that communication is transparent and consistent across the entire organization, rather than fragmented through unofficial channels.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Create the report to maintain good relations.
Why it's wrong here
Creating custom reports reinforces the idea that Scrum is not transparent enough. It encourages stakeholders to look at manual documents rather than the actual product progress. The Scrum Master should coach stakeholders to look at the Sprint Backlog or the increment itself to gain a true understanding of progress.
- ✓
Invite the stakeholder to the Sprint Review.
Why this is correct
The Sprint Review is the designated event for inspecting progress and gathering feedback. By inviting the stakeholder, the Scrum Master ensures they see actual results, not just a report. This promotes transparency and alignment, enabling stakeholders to understand the product's evolution in context rather than relying on potentially misleading manual summaries.
- ✗
Ask the developers to include more detail in tasks.
Why it's wrong here
Asking developers to increase task detail for reporting purposes is a waste of effort. It distracts them from delivering value and adds no benefit to the product development process. The Scrum Master should focus on helping the stakeholders understand existing Scrum artifacts rather than adding overhead to the developers.
- ✗
Tell the stakeholder they are not allowed access.
Why it's wrong here
Transparency is a pillar of Scrum, and stakeholders should have visibility into the process. Refusing access creates unnecessary friction and suspicion. The Scrum Master should provide visibility in a way that respects the Scrum framework, guiding stakeholders toward the appropriate events and artifacts for meaningful information.
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.