CSM Service to the Product Owner Practice Question
The Product Owner is concerned that the Developers are not working on the most valuable items in the backlog. What should the Scrum Master do?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often choose options where the Scrum Master tells the Developers what to work on, violating the Developers' autonomy and the Product Owner's accountability for backlog ordering.
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 to ensure the Developers understand the Product Owner's priorities and the value behind them.
The Scrum Master should facilitate a discussion between the Product Owner and the Developers. It is possible there is a misunderstanding of the backlog order or the value of the items. By ensuring transparency and open communication, the Scrum Master helps the team realign their efforts with the Product Owner's strategic vision and the agreed-upon 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.
- ✗
Instruct the Developers to immediately change their work to match the Product Owner's order.
Why it's wrong here
The Scrum Master should not issue orders to the Developers. Doing so undermines the team's self-management and the collaborative relationship with the Product Owner. The Scrum Master's role is to facilitate understanding, not to command the team's activities or override the Developers' professional judgment.
- ✓
Facilitate a discussion to ensure the Developers understand the Product Owner's priorities and the value behind them.
Why this is correct
Facilitation is the key to resolving misunderstandings. By creating a space for the Product Owner and Developers to discuss priorities, the Scrum Master helps the team see the value behind the backlog items. This alignment ensures the team is focused on delivering the most important features first.
- ✗
Check the team's commit history to see if they are working on unauthorized tasks.
Why it's wrong here
Treating the team with suspicion damages trust and creates a hostile environment. The Scrum Master's role is to foster transparency and collaboration, not to act as an auditor or monitor. This approach ignores the need for professional dialogue and shared understanding of goals within the team.
- ✗
Tell the Product Owner to stop complaining and trust the team's judgment.
Why it's wrong here
Dismissing the Product Owner's concerns is unhelpful and ignores the Product Owner's accountability for value. The Scrum Master should acknowledge the concern and act as a neutral party to help resolve the issue through healthy communication. Ignoring the problem will only lead to further frustration and misalignment.
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.