CSM Service to the Product Owner Practice Question
Exhibit
Product_Backlog_Policy_JSON:
{
"Policy": "All items must have a value estimate and effort estimate before they can be considered for a Sprint.",
"Priority": "High",
"Enforcement": "Manual"
}Refer to the exhibit. The Product Owner is struggling to get Developers to adhere to this policy. How should the Scrum Master assist?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often pick options where the Scrum Master enforces the policy or ignores it, failing to recognize that the Scrum Master should facilitate a team-driven evaluation of the policy's value.
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
✓
Facilitate a discussion about the policy to ensure it is understood and supported by the whole team.
The Scrum Master should facilitate a conversation to determine if this policy is adding value or creating unnecessary bureaucracy. If the policy is still deemed useful, the Scrum Master can help the Product Owner and Developers agree on a standard way to estimate and document these items. The goal is to ensure the process serves the team rather than becoming a burden that hinders productivity.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Enforce the policy strictly by blocking the Sprint Planning if items are missing estimates.
Why it's wrong here
Strict enforcement by the Scrum Master creates an adversarial relationship with the Developers. The Scrum Master is a servant-leader, not a policy enforcer. If the team finds the policy difficult to follow, there should be a discussion about its utility and how it can be simplified or improved.
- ✓
Facilitate a discussion about the policy to ensure it is understood and supported by the whole team.
Why this is correct
Facilitating a discussion allows the team to understand the 'why' behind the policy and potentially improve it. If the team agrees on the policy, they are much more likely to follow it. The Scrum Master ensures that everyone's voice is heard and that the process supports team alignment.
- ✗
Change the policy to remove the requirement for value estimates to speed up the planning process.
Why it's wrong here
Changing a policy without consulting the team and the Product Owner ignores the collaborative nature of Scrum. The Product Owner and Developers need to agree on what information is necessary for effective planning. Arbitrary changes made by the Scrum Master undermine the team's ownership of their process.
- ✗
Ask the Product Owner to provide all estimates themselves so the Developers can focus on building.
Why it's wrong here
The Product Owner cannot accurately estimate the effort required for development work; that is the responsibility of the Developers. This separation of concerns is vital for accurate planning. If the Product Owner estimates effort, the plan will be based on inaccurate data, leading to failed sprints.
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.