CSM Scrum Team Roles and Accountabilities Practice Question
If a Scrum Team finds that their Scrum Master is absent, can they still hold their Scrum events?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often assume that Scrum events are legally void or must be canceled if the Scrum Master is absent, misunderstanding the team's ability to operate autonomously.
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
✓
Yes, the Scrum Team is self-managing and can run their events.
Scrum events are required for the Scrum Team to function, regardless of whether the Scrum Master is present. The team is self-managing and capable of facilitating their own meetings. While the Scrum Master helps ensure the events are productive, the team's commitment to the process should not depend on the presence of any one individual, reinforcing their independence and maturity.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
No, because the Scrum Master is required to facilitate all events.
Why it's wrong here
The Scrum Master facilitates, but the team can and should facilitate their own sessions. If a team cannot hold an event without the Scrum Master, they are not self-managing. The Scrum Master's goal is to make themselves unnecessary by coaching the team to lead their own events.
- ✗
Yes, but they must record the meeting for the Scrum Master to review later.
Why it's wrong here
This is a bureaucratic requirement that adds no value to the team. The focus should be on the outcome of the event, not on reporting to the Scrum Master. Trusting the team to run their own events is part of developing a mature, self-managing Scrum Team.
- ✓
Yes, the Scrum Team is self-managing and can run their events.
Why this is correct
Self-management means the team is capable of organizing their own work and events. If the Scrum Master is unavailable, the team should proceed as planned to maintain the rhythm and transparency of the Scrum process, demonstrating their commitment to the framework and their own productivity.
- ✗
No, they must reschedule all events until the Scrum Master returns.
Why it's wrong here
Rescheduling interrupts the flow and rhythm of the Sprint, negatively affecting the team's delivery. A mature team understands the importance of the events and maintains their schedule regardless of the Scrum Master's availability. Canceling events shows a lack of understanding of the team's autonomy.
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.