CSM Scrum Events Practice Question
Halfway through a two-week Sprint, key market conditions shift drastically, rendering the current Sprint Goal completely obsolete. What is the most appropriate course of action?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates mistakenly believe that only management or the entire team can cancel a Sprint, or that a Sprint must never be interrupted once started regardless of external circumstances.
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 Product Owner has the authority to cancel the Sprint and start a new Sprint Planning event.
When a Sprint Goal loses its meaning due to drastic external changes, continuing the Sprint is pointless because the resulting work will not deliver value. The Product Owner holds the unique authority to cancel the Sprint and immediately initiate a new planning cycle based on updated priorities.
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 Development Team should continue executing the current Sprint Backlog until the two-week time-box expires.
Why it's wrong here
Continuing the Sprint Backlog delivers work against a Goal the market has already invalidated, wasting the remaining time-box. Persisting is right when the Sprint Goal stays valid and only minor scope shifts occur, which is not this scenario.
- ✓
The Product Owner has the authority to cancel the Sprint and start a new Sprint Planning event.
Why this is correct
Only the Product Owner may cancel a Sprint, and doing so is warranted when the Sprint Goal becomes obsolete. Cancelling ends the Sprint, and the team then holds a new Sprint Planning event to select work aligned with the shifted market conditions.
- ✗
The Scrum Master must unilaterally decide whether to continue or terminate the current Sprint cycle.
Why it's wrong here
The Scrum Master facilitates and coaches; authority over the Sprint belongs to the Product Owner, who can cancel it when the Sprint Goal becomes obsolete. Unilateral control fits no Scrum accountability, though a Scrum Master would correctly guide the team through the cancellation discussion.
- ✗
Developers should privately split their time between the old Sprint Backlog and the new market requirements.
Why it's wrong here
Privately splitting effort across old and new work hides the change from the Product Owner and Sprint Backlog, undermining transparency and the single Sprint Goal. Developers self-manage the how, but scope decisions require the Product Owner's re-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.