CSM Service to the Scrum Team Practice Question
The Scrum Team is finding it difficult to self-organize because they feel the need to ask their manager for permission before changing their development process. What should the Scrum Master do?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates frequently choose options where the Scrum Master asks the manager to stop, which is confrontational, rather than coaching the manager on the value of autonomy and self-management.
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 manager on the benefits of self-management and how it aligns with the team's ability to deliver value faster.
The Scrum Master must act as a coach to the entire organization, helping them understand that Scrum Teams are self-managing units. By facilitating a conversation about autonomy and the benefits of empirical process control, the Scrum Master helps the manager transition to a supportive role. This is critical for the team to mature, as persistent reliance on external permission prevents true agility and innovation.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Tell the team to ignore the manager and proceed with changes as they see fit.
Why it's wrong here
Encouraging insubordination creates organizational friction and conflict. The Scrum Master must handle this through professional coaching and influence, not by inciting rebellion. A collaborative approach is needed to help the manager understand the value of team autonomy within the Scrum framework, ensuring sustainable support for the team.
- ✓
Coach the manager on the benefits of self-management and how it aligns with the team's ability to deliver value faster.
Why this is correct
Educating the manager on the Scrum framework allows them to shift their focus from directive management to support. When the manager understands that self-management increases team velocity and quality, they are more likely to grant the autonomy required for the team to succeed, ultimately fostering a high-performing culture.
- ✗
Create a formal request form for the team to submit to the manager whenever they want to change a process.
Why it's wrong here
This reinforces the dependency and adds unnecessary bureaucracy, which is the opposite of agile values. The goal of the Scrum Master is to remove impediments, not build structures that sustain them. Bureaucratic processes slow down the team's ability to inspect and adapt, hindering their overall productivity and agility.
- ✗
Invite the manager to every Sprint Planning session so they can approve the team's process changes.
Why it's wrong here
The manager is not a member of the Scrum Team and has no role in directing their process. Inviting them to approve changes further entrenches the lack of autonomy. The team needs to own their process, and the Scrum Master should focus on empowering them to make those decisions independently.
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.