CSM® practice questions: Scrum Master core competencies

5 free questions from 25 on this area · answer and explanation for each · no sign-up

These 5 questions come from the Scrum Master core competencies section of our CSM® bank (25 questions on this area, which carries 11% of the real exam). Every question is original, with the correct answer explained and linked to the source it is drawn from.

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1/5 · Scrum Master core competencies

A Scrum Master asks each team member to simultaneously hold up 1 to 5 fingers to show their level of agreement with a proposed decision, so that quieter voices carry the same weight as louder ones. Which facilitation technique is being used?

APlanning Poker

BFist of Five

CRetrospective Starfish

DDaily Scrum status round

Show answer & explanation

B is correct. Fist of Five (or Fist to Five) is a simple, simultaneous-reveal technique that lets a Scrum Master quickly surface the group's true level of agreement, preventing anchoring on the first or loudest opinion. It is commonly used to check consensus before moving forward with a decision.
↗ the Scrum Guide (2020) + Scrum Alliance CSM Learning Objectives (2022/2024) — Scrum Master core competencies

2/5 · Scrum Master core competencies

Per the Scrum Guide (2020), which of the following is explicitly listed as part of the Scrum Master's service to the organization?

ASigning off on the Sprint Backlog before Sprint Planning can end.

BLeading, training, and coaching the organization in its Scrum adoption.

CAssigning story points to Product Backlog items on behalf of the team.

DApproving the technical architecture decisions made by the Developers.

Show answer & explanation

B is correct. The Scrum Guide 2020 states the Scrum Master serves the organization by leading, training, and coaching the organization in its Scrum adoption, planning Scrum implementations, and helping employees and stakeholders understand and enact Scrum and empiricism.
↗ the Scrum Guide (2020) + Scrum Alliance CSM Learning Objectives (2022/2024) — Scrum Master core competencies

3/5 · Scrum Master core competencies · easy

Per the Scrum Guide (2020), what is the Scrum Master primarily accountable for within the Scrum Team?

AWriting the acceptance criteria for each Product Backlog item on behalf of the Product Owner.

BApproving the Sprint Backlog before the Developers begin work each Sprint.

CAssigning daily tasks to Developers and tracking individual velocity for reporting purposes.

DEstablishing Scrum as defined in the Scrum Guide and the Scrum Team's overall effectiveness.

Show answer & explanation

D is correct. The Scrum Guide (2020) names two core Scrum Master accountabilities: establishing Scrum by helping everyone understand its theory and practice, and the Scrum Team's effectiveness by enabling it to improve within the framework. The distractors describe plan-driven, project-manager behaviors that the Guide explicitly does not assign to the Scrum Master.
↗ the Scrum Guide (2020) and Scrum Alliance CSM Learning Objectives — Scrum Master core competencies

4/5 · Scrum Master core competencies · easy

Which of the following is listed in the Scrum Guide (2020) as a way the Scrum Master serves the Product Owner?

AHelping find techniques for effective Product Goal definition and Product Backlog management.

BEstimating the size of Product Backlog items on behalf of the Developers.

CDeciding the order of the Product Backlog whenever the Product Owner is unavailable.

DApproving the Definition of Done before the start of each Sprint.

Show answer & explanation

A is correct. The Scrum Guide (2020) lists several concrete ways the Scrum Master serves the Product Owner, including helping find effective techniques for Product Goal definition and Product Backlog management. The other options describe accountabilities that belong elsewhere in the Scrum Team, not to the Scrum Master acting for the Product Owner.
↗ the Scrum Guide (2020) and Scrum Alliance CSM Learning Objectives — Scrum Master core competencies

5/5 · Scrum Master core competencies · easy

Which statement best describes the servant-leadership stance the Scrum Guide (2020) expects of Scrum Masters?

AThey are leaders whose main duty is tracking task-level status for management reporting.

BThey are leaders whose main duty is negotiating scope on behalf of the Developers with the Product Owner.

CThey are leaders who direct daily work assignments in order to maximize team velocity.

DThey are true leaders who serve the Scrum Team and the larger organization.

Show answer & explanation

D is correct. The Scrum Guide (2020) explicitly frames Scrum Masters as true leaders who serve the Scrum Team and the larger organization, a servant-leadership stance rather than one of directing work or reporting on individuals. The distractors reflect imported command-and-control habits the Guide does not support.
↗ the Scrum Guide (2020) and Scrum Alliance CSM Learning Objectives — Scrum Master core competencies

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Other CSM® areas

The same kind of free sample for every other section of the CSM® bank:

Scrum Team roles, accountabilities & theory34 q Scrum events & activities45 q Service to the Scrum Team, Product Owner, and Organization45 q

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