CSM Scrum Team Roles and Accountabilities Practice Question
During a Sprint, the Scrum Master notices that the Developers keep waiting for the Product Owner to assign tasks and resolve every technical disagreement. Which action best reflects the Scrum Master's accountability?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is thinking the Scrum Master should direct people or take over tasks, when the accountability is to coach self-management and remove impediments.
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 Scrum Team on self-management and facilitate the removal of the dependency on the Product Owner for technical decisions.
The Scrum Master serves the Scrum Team by coaching it in self-management and helping it focus on high-value Increments. When Developers defer every technical choice to the Product Owner, the Scrum Master should coach the team and remove that dependency, restoring the Developers' authority over how they do their work rather than issuing orders or taking over.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Coach the Scrum Team on self-management and facilitate the removal of the dependency on the Product Owner for technical decisions.
Why this is correct
The Scrum Master serves the Scrum Team by coaching it in self-management and helping it focus on creating high-value Increments. Here the team is not exercising its authority over technical work, so the Scrum Master should coach the team and address the underlying dependency, enabling the Developers to make their own technical decisions.
- ✗
Instruct the Product Owner to stop assigning tasks and let the Developers self-organize.
Why it's wrong here
Directing the Product Owner is not the Scrum Master's role; the Scrum Master serves through coaching and facilitation, not command. While the observed behavior undermines self-management, issuing orders to the Product Owner replaces one dependency with another and does not help the team learn to resolve its own technical disagreements.
- ✗
Take over assigning tasks temporarily so the Sprint is not delayed, then hand control back later.
Why it's wrong here
The Scrum Master does not assign tasks; doing so would entrench the very dependency that is harming the team. Temporarily acting as a taskmaster may appear to protect the Sprint, but it prevents the Developers from developing self-management and contradicts the Scrum Master's accountability to coach the team.
- ✗
Raise the issue at the Sprint Retrospective only, and take no action during the current Sprint.
Why it's wrong here
The Retrospective is a good venue to inspect and adapt, but the Scrum Master serves the team continuously, not only at Sprint boundaries. Waiting until the Retrospective leaves a harmful pattern unaddressed during the Sprint and delays the coaching that would let the Developers reclaim their technical autonomy.
Visual reference
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.