CSM Scrum Master Core Competencies Practice Question
During a Sprint, a stakeholder interrupts the Developers to request an urgent feature addition. How should the Scrum Master facilitate this?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often suggest asking the Product Owner to 'squeeze it in,' which compromises the Sprint Goal and the team's ability to focus on their commitment.
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 stakeholder on the Scrum process and suggest adding the item to the Product Backlog.
The Scrum Master must protect the Sprint Goal and the Developers' autonomy. By coaching the stakeholder to wait for the next Sprint Planning, the Scrum Master maintains the integrity of the Sprint Backlog. This is a core competency, as the Scrum Master acts as a coach and process guardian, ensuring the team remains focused on the commitment made during Sprint Planning rather than succumbing to external pressure that could jeopardize the Sprint outcome.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Add the feature to the current Sprint to satisfy the stakeholder.
Why it's wrong here
Adding unplanned work mid-Sprint disrupts the Developers' flow and jeopardizes the Sprint Goal. The Scrum Master should prevent this behavior, as it undermines the team's commitment and planning process. Consistent scope creep leads to unpredictable velocity and reduces the overall quality of the delivered increment within the timeboxed iteration.
- ✗
Ask the Product Owner to decide if the team should perform the work.
Why it's wrong here
While the Product Owner manages the Product Backlog, they should not dictate mid-Sprint changes that alter the Sprint Backlog. The Scrum Master must intervene to educate the Product Owner on the importance of Sprint stability. The Developers own the Sprint Backlog and must be protected from external task injection.
- ✓
Coach the stakeholder on the Scrum process and suggest adding the item to the Product Backlog.
Why this is correct
The Scrum Master is responsible for teaching stakeholders about the Scrum framework and the value of Sprint timeboxes. Redirecting the request to the Product Backlog ensures transparency and allows for proper prioritization during future planning sessions, protecting the team from distractions while maintaining a healthy relationship with the business stakeholders.
- ✗
Direct the Developers to work on the feature if they have extra capacity.
Why it's wrong here
Instructing the team to add work based on perceived capacity ignores the Sprint Goal. The Scrum Master should facilitate a culture where any spare capacity is used for refining backlog items or improving technical practices, not for unplanned feature development. This prevents the team from becoming a reactive service department.
About these practice questions
Courseiva writes every CSM question from scratch — 312 in total, each with an explanation and a wrong-answer breakdown. None are copied from real exams or 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.