Scrum Alliance CSM Practice Test

CSM is Scrum Alliance’s fundamentals certification for people who need to understand Scrum clearly enough to guide healthy team behavior in practice. If you are searching for CSM sample exam questions, a practice test, or an exam simulator, this is the main PM Mastery page to start on web and continue on iOS or Android with the same account.

What this CSM practice page gives you

• A direct route into the PM Mastery simulator for CSM.
• Short drills, mixed sets, and timed practice across Scrum foundations, roles, events, artifacts, and Scrum Master behavior.
• Detailed explanations that show why the strongest Scrum answer is right.
• A clear free-preview path before you subscribe.
• The same account across web and mobile.

CSM exam snapshot

• Vendor: Scrum Alliance
• Official exam name: Scrum Alliance Certified ScrumMaster (CSM)
• Exam code: CSM
• Questions: 50
• Time limit: 60 minutes
• Assessment style: fundamentals and scenario-based Scrum judgment

CSM usually rewards the option that increases transparency, reduces handoffs, protects empiricism, and keeps responsibility with the Scrum Team instead of pushing control outward.

Topic coverage for CSM practice

How to use the CSM simulator efficiently

1. Start with one Scrum domain at a time and run a short drill.
2. Review every miss until you can explain the Scrum principle behind the best answer.
3. Move into mixed sets once you can switch between accountabilities, events, artifacts, and anti-patterns easily.
4. Finish with timed runs to build speed and consistency under exam pressure.

Free preview vs premium

• Free preview: a smaller web set so you can validate the question style and explanation depth.
• Premium: the full CSM practice bank, focused drills, mixed sets, timed mock exams, detailed explanations, and progress tracking across web and mobile.

Need deeper concept review first?

If you want concept-first reading before heavier simulator work, use the companion guide at PMExams.com .

24 CSM sample questions with detailed explanations

These sample questions cover multiple blueprint areas for CSM. Use them to check your readiness here, then move into the full PM Mastery question bank for broader timed coverage.

Question 1

Topic: Domain 4: Artifacts & Commitments

After a major release, the Product Owner tells stakeholders, “The Product Backlog is complete now; we just need to deliver what’s on it.” In Sprint Reviews, stakeholders raise new opportunities and defects based on real user feedback. The Product Owner records these in a separate document but does not add or reorder Product Backlog items, saying changes should wait for “the next project.” Developers are increasingly interrupted by urgent requests that aren’t on the Product Backlog.

What is the most likely underlying cause in Scrum terms?

• A. The Developers are not following the Definition of Done, creating too many defects
• B. The Product Backlog is being treated as a fixed scope baseline, not an emergent ordered list managed continuously by the Product Owner
• C. Stakeholders are changing their minds too often, which Scrum cannot accommodate
• D. Sprint Planning is too short to capture all requirements up front

Best answer: B

Explanation: The Product Backlog is never complete because the product and its environment keep changing and the Scrum Team keeps learning. New information from Sprint Reviews, user feedback, and market changes should continuously update and reorder the Product Backlog under the Product Owner’s accountability. Treating it as “complete” pushes change into side channels and drives unplanned work.

Question 2

Topic: Domain 5: Scrum Master as Servant Leader

A Scrum Team’s Sprint predictability is poor. During Sprints, functional managers regularly pull individual Developers onto “urgent” work and assign tasks directly, bypassing the Product Owner. The Product Owner wants more reliable delivery and faster learning from Sprint Reviews, but management insists these interruptions are “non-negotiable.”

As Scrum Master, what is the best next step to optimize predictability and learning while staying within Scrum?

• A. Cancel the Sprint whenever managers change priorities
• B. Have managers attend Daily Scrum to reassign work
• C. Work with managers and PO to route work via Product Backlog
• D. Plan a fixed interruption buffer and accept ad hoc assignments

Best answer: C

Explanation: The key organizational impediments are command-and-control task assignment and unstable resource allocation that disrupt the Developers’ ability to manage the Sprint Backlog and meet the Sprint Goal. The Scrum Master should help the organization change how work enters the system by partnering with management and the Product Owner so work is transparently ordered in the Product Backlog and selected in Sprint Planning. This supports empiricism, predictable delivery, and meaningful Sprint Reviews.

Question 3

Topic: Domain 5: Scrum Master as Servant Leader

A Scrum Team is doing Sprint Planning right after the Sprint Retrospective. The Scrum Master notices the following draft Sprint Backlog.

Sprint capacity (Developers): 40 pts
Sprint Goal: "Enable customers to reset passwords"
Selected Sprint Backlog items:
- PBI-231 Reset password UI (13)
- PBI-244 Email token service (13)
- PBI-252 Audit logging (11)
Retro improvement: "Add automated smoke test to CI" (5)
Total selected: 42 pts

What is the best next action to incorporate the improvement without overloading the team?

• A. Have the Scrum Master do the CI work so capacity is unchanged
• B. Facilitate adjusting scope to fit capacity while keeping the improvement
• C. Keep the plan and ask the Developers to stretch or work overtime
• D. Defer the improvement until after the Sprint to avoid risk

Best answer: B

Explanation: Retrospective improvements are work and can be added to the next Sprint Backlog, but the team should not hide overload. With 40 points of capacity and 42 points selected, the transparent next step is to collaborate on reducing or reshaping scope so the Sprint Backlog remains realistic while still implementing a meaningful improvement.

Question 4

Topic: Domain 1: Scrum Foundations & Agile Mindset

A Scrum Team is building an e-commerce product. The Product Goal is to reduce cart abandonment, and the current Sprint Goal is “Enable guest checkout.”

At the Sprint Review, the Product Owner highlights that “we’re on track” because 12 Product Backlog Items were completed and demonstrated. No measures or observations are shared about whether guest checkout is reducing abandonment or improving conversion.

What is the most likely near-term impact of this focus on outputs instead of outcomes?

• A. Immediate failure to meet the Definition of Done
• B. A predictable drop in the team’s velocity next Sprint
• C. Automatic achievement of the Sprint Goal once PBIs are done
• D. Reduced transparency about progress toward the Product Goal

Best answer: D

Explanation: Outputs (completed PBIs) show what was delivered; outcomes show the effect in the real world (such as reduced abandonment). When progress is reported only as delivery volume, stakeholders cannot realistically inspect whether the product is moving toward the Product Goal. That reduces transparency and makes Sprint Review decisions less evidence-based.

Question 5

Topic: Domain 4: Artifacts & Commitments

During Product Backlog refinement, the Developers and Product Owner realize a large item (“Customer can manage subscriptions”) is too big to complete in one Sprint. They discuss splitting it into smaller items that still deliver value and can be inspected each Sprint.

Which splitting approach should they AVOID?

• A. Split by technical layers (UI, API, database) as separate items
• B. Split by user workflows, such as “view subscriptions” and “cancel subscription”
• C. Split by thin end-to-end slices, such as “cancel subscription for one plan”
• D. Split by business rules, such as “monthly plan changes” and “annual plan changes”

Best answer: A

Explanation: Vertical slicing creates smaller Product Backlog Items that each deliver end-to-end value and can meet the Definition of Done within a Sprint. Splitting by technical layers usually produces incomplete pieces that are hard to validate with stakeholders and may not result in a usable Increment. Refinement aims for items that can be completed and inspected as working product value.

Question 6

Topic: Domain 3: Events & Timeboxes

During a Sprint, a stakeholder brings an urgent request. The Developers and Product Owner want to accommodate it without undermining the Sprint Goal by adjusting the plan for the Sprint as needed.

In Scrum, what is the term for the Developers’ plan for the Sprint that is updated throughout the Sprint and can be adjusted as more is learned?

• A. Increment
• B. Definition of Done
• C. Product Backlog
• D. Sprint Backlog

Best answer: D

Explanation: Urgent, unplanned work is handled by adapting the plan for the Sprint while protecting the Sprint Goal. In Scrum, that adaptable plan belongs to the Developers and is continuously updated as the Sprint unfolds. This is the Sprint Backlog.

Question 7

Topic: Domain 4: Artifacts & Commitments

A Scrum Team uses a Sprint burndown chart that subtracts story points only when a Product Backlog item is moved to Done. Midway through a 10-day Sprint, the chart is almost flat and then drops sharply near the end.

Exhibit: Sprint burndown (story points remaining)

The Sprint Goal has not changed, and the Product Owner has not added or removed work. The Developers say they have been making steady progress each day and only move items to Done when they meet the Definition of Done.

What is the most likely underlying cause in Scrum terms?

• A. The Daily Scrum is being misused as a status meeting
• B. The Definition of Done is unclear, causing late rework
• C. The Product Owner is changing Sprint scope throughout the Sprint
• D. Sprint Backlog transparency is weak due to coarse progress tracking

Best answer: D

Explanation: A flat burndown followed by a late drop, combined with stable scope and a clear Definition of Done, most strongly suggests a transparency issue in how remaining work is represented. If progress is tracked only as “done/not done” at the PBI level, the burndown can’t provide a useful flow signal for inspection and adaptation during the Sprint.

Question 8

Topic: Domain 5: Scrum Master as Servant Leader

A Scrum Team says, “We do Scrum, but Sprint Reviews are inefficient, so we cancel them and just send stakeholders a written status update. If feedback is needed, the Product Owner will adjust the Product Backlog later.” Stakeholders have recently complained that they only see problems after releases.

Which action should the Scrum Master NOT take?

• A. Replace the Sprint Review with a weekly status email to save time
• B. Facilitate a timeboxed Sprint Review focused on the Increment and next steps
• C. Coach stakeholders and the Scrum Team on the Sprint Review’s purpose
• D. Help the Product Owner make progress and changes transparent via the Product Backlog

Best answer: A

Explanation: Canceling the Sprint Review and substituting a status email is a classic “ScrumBut” that reduces transparency and removes a key inspection-and-adaptation point. The Sprint Review exists to inspect the Increment with stakeholders and adapt the Product Backlog based on what is learned. Restoring that collaboration directly addresses the stakeholders’ “surprise” problem.

Question 9

Topic: Domain 4: Artifacts & Commitments

A Scrum Team regularly finishes all planned coding within the Sprint, but testing, security checks, and release activities are deferred to a separate “hardening Sprint” at the end of each quarter. Stakeholders are frustrated that the Increment shown in Sprint Reviews is not deployable.

Which action suggested to “improve quality” is INCORRECT and the Scrum Team should avoid?

• A. Add a hardening Sprint after every three Sprints to finalize quality
• B. Integrate and test frequently during the Sprint to keep the Increment usable
• C. Update the Definition of Done to include necessary testing and checks
• D. Refine work into thinner vertical slices that can meet the Definition of Done

Best answer: A

Explanation: In Scrum, each Sprint should produce a usable Increment that meets the Definition of Done. Deferring testing and other quality activities to a later “hardening Sprint” reduces transparency and delays inspection and adaptation on real, Done work. Improving quality means building it into the Definition of Done and daily development practices within the Sprint.

Question 10

Topic: Domain 3: Events & Timeboxes

During the Daily Scrum, a Developer reports that the shared test environment is down and the top Product Backlog item in the Sprint is blocked. There are only 2 minutes left in the 15-minute timebox.

Which immediate next step SHOULD AVOID?

• A. Capturing the impediment and having the affected Developers meet right after to coordinate
• B. Having the Scrum Master start working with support groups after the Daily Scrum to remove the impediment
• C. Updating the Sprint Backlog plan for the next day and alerting the Product Owner if the Sprint Goal is at risk
• D. Extending the Daily Scrum to troubleshoot until the environment is restored

Best answer: D

Explanation: The Daily Scrum’s purpose is for Developers to inspect progress toward the Sprint Goal and adapt the plan for the next 24 hours within 15 minutes. When an impediment is discovered, it should be made transparent and addressed outside the event by the right people. Turning the Daily Scrum into a troubleshooting session breaks the timebox and reduces its effectiveness.

Question 11

Topic: Domain 1: Scrum Foundations & Agile Mindset

Mid-Sprint, several stakeholders ask for daily updates and want to “stay closely involved.” To accommodate them, the Scrum Master invites the stakeholders to the Daily Scrum. They regularly ask Developers for status details and propose small scope changes during the 15-minute event.

What is the most likely near-term impact?

• A. Transparency improves because stakeholders see daily work decisions firsthand
• B. Product strategy shifts immediately because stakeholders reprioritize the Product Goal
• C. Daily Scrum turns into status Q&A, slowing plan adaptation and progress
• D. Increment quality increases because stakeholders clarify acceptance criteria daily

Best answer: C

Explanation: The Daily Scrum is primarily for Developers to inspect progress toward the Sprint Goal and adapt the Sprint Backlog plan. Letting stakeholders use it for status and change requests quickly shifts the event away from that purpose. The immediate consequence is reduced focus and less effective daily adaptation, which can slow Sprint Goal progress.

Question 12

Topic: Domain 4: Artifacts & Commitments

A product organization keeps three separate lists: one for new features owned by the Product Owner, one for technical improvements owned by the Developers, and one for stakeholder requests owned by a project manager. Items move between lists during the Sprint.

Which Scrum concept is being violated most directly by this practice?

• A. Sprint Goal as the Sprint’s objective
• B. Product Backlog as the single source of work
• C. Definition of Done as the quality standard
• D. Sprint Backlog as the plan for the Sprint

Best answer: B

Explanation: In Scrum, there is one Product Backlog that contains all known work needed to improve the product, and it is ordered. Splitting work into multiple lists owned by different people reduces transparency and breaks the idea of a single source of work for the Scrum Team.

Question 13

Topic: Domain 4: Artifacts & Commitments

Which statement best describes why the Product Backlog is never complete and how it should be maintained over time in Scrum?

• A. It is fixed after the Definition of Done is agreed
• B. It is completed when all Sprint Backlog items are done
• C. It continuously evolves as more is learned and is refined as needed
• D. It is finalized once the Product Goal is set

Best answer: C

Explanation: The Product Backlog is an emergent artifact for a complex environment, so it must adapt as the Scrum Team and stakeholders learn. New ideas, changing conditions, and feedback from each Increment affect what is valuable next. Therefore it is never “finished” and is maintained through ongoing ordering and refinement.

Question 14

Topic: Domain 3: Events & Timeboxes

Midway through a 2-week Sprint, the Developers say they can meet the Sprint Goal only if they “temporarily relax” quality checks.

Exhibit: Sprint Backlog excerpt

Sprint Goal: Enable customers to reset passwords
PBI: Password reset email flow
- Code complete: Yes
- Peer review: Yes
- Automated tests: 3 failing
- Security scan: Not run
Status on board: Done

What is the best interpretation/next action supported by the exhibit?

• A. Update the Definition of Done for this Sprint to allow failing tests
• B. Let the Product Owner accept it as Done since the Sprint Goal is met
• C. Keep it as Done and plan a hardening Sprint next
• D. Mark it not Done, keep the Definition of Done, and replan within the Sprint

Best answer: D

Explanation: In Scrum, quality should not decrease over time because a usable Increment each Sprint depends on consistently meeting the Definition of Done. The exhibit shows failing tests and an unrun security scan, so calling the work “Done” reduces transparency and creates hidden work. The right move is to keep the Definition of Done intact and adapt the plan/scope to produce a truly Done Increment.

Question 15

Topic: Domain 3: Events & Timeboxes

A Scrum Team has struggled to forecast delivery dates. During a discussion, two approaches are proposed for the next month:

• Approach 1: Start a “Sprint,” but extend it by a few days whenever work isn’t finished so the team can still “complete the Sprint.”
• Approach 2: Use a fixed-length Sprint and treat it as a consistent cadence to inspect progress and adapt the Product Backlog plan each Sprint.

Which approach best reflects the purpose of the Sprint and how it supports predictability?

• A. Freeze the Product Backlog during the Sprint to stabilize forecasts
• B. Extend the Sprint when work isn’t finished to preserve completion
• C. Use the fixed-length Sprint as a regular cadence for inspection and adaptation
• D. Cancel the Sprint whenever scope changes to keep plans accurate

Best answer: C

Explanation: The Sprint is a fixed-length event that provides a consistent rhythm to deliver a Done Increment and to inspect and adapt at least every month. Keeping the timebox stable enables empiricism through frequent inspection and adaptation, which is what improves predictability over time. Extending or frequently resetting the Sprint removes the cadence that Scrum relies on.

Question 16

Topic: Domain 3: Events & Timeboxes

For the past three Sprints, the Developers report in the Sprint Retrospective that they lose 1–2 days waiting for an external security team to approve access to a shared test environment. The Scrum Team cannot change the approval process themselves, and it is repeatedly reducing the ability to meet Sprint Goals.

What is the most Scrum-aligned next step?

• A. Add environment provisioning tasks to the Sprint Backlog
• B. Make the impediment visible and work with management to change it
• C. Extend the Sprint Retrospective until the approval issue is resolved
• D. Ask the Product Owner to prioritize it in the Product Backlog

Best answer: B

Explanation: A recurring delay caused by an external approval process is an impediment that sits outside the Scrum Team’s control. The Scrum Master is accountable for enabling improvements by helping remove impediments and facilitating organizational change. The best next step is to make the issue transparent and engage the right organizational stakeholders to change the system causing the delay.

Question 17

Topic: Domain 5: Scrum Master as Servant Leader

Three Scrum Teams work on one product with a single Product Goal. To “improve coordination,” management assigns a separate Feature Product Owner to each team and has each team maintain its own Product Backlog and run separate Sprint Reviews.

What is the most likely near-term impact of this change?

• A. Faster delivery because each team can optimize locally
• B. Higher quality because each team can define its own Definition of Done
• C. No meaningful impact as long as each team meets its Sprint Goal
• D. Reduced transparency of overall progress toward the Product Goal

Best answer: D

Explanation: For a single product, Scrum relies on a single Product Backlog ordered toward one Product Goal. Creating multiple Product Backlogs and proxy Product Owners fragments the system and quickly reduces transparency into what is most valuable and how the overall product is progressing.

Question 18

Topic: Domain 1: Scrum Foundations & Agile Mindset

Midway through several Sprints, stakeholders frequently message Developers directly with “quick changes” and detailed solution ideas. The Developers say the interruptions are hurting their ability to meet the Sprint Goal, but the Product Owner also wants fast feedback to maximize learning.

What is the best approach to integrate stakeholders effectively without derailing the Scrum Team’s focus?

• A. Create a separate stakeholder backlog and let Developers pull urgent requests
• B. Timebox feedback with the Product Owner; use Sprint Review; update Product Backlog
• C. Invite stakeholders to the Daily Scrum to ask questions in real time
• D. Hold a mid-Sprint demo and re-plan whenever stakeholders request changes

Best answer: B

Explanation: Stakeholders should be engaged frequently, but in ways that preserve the Developers’ focus and the Sprint Goal. Using the Product Owner as the primary channel and leveraging the Sprint Review for inspection integrates feedback with minimal disruption. Feedback then becomes transparent Product Backlog work rather than ad hoc mid-Sprint interruptions.

Question 19

Topic: Domain 4: Artifacts & Commitments

A 10-day Sprint is on Day 7. The Sprint Goal is: “Customers can request a password reset and receive an email link.”

Exhibit: Sprint Backlog board (today)

PB-101 Reset API endpoint.......... Done
PB-102 Email sender integration.... Blocked (security approval pending)
PB-103 Reset email template........ To Do
PB-104 Dark mode toggle............ Done
PB-105 Footer copy update.......... Done

The Developers are concerned the Sprint Goal is at risk. What is the best next step?

• A. Ask the Product Owner to change the Sprint Goal to match completed UI work
• B. Wait for the Sprint Review to discuss the blocked work with stakeholders
• C. Use the Daily Scrum to replan the Sprint Backlog toward the Sprint Goal
• D. Escalate the security approval delay to senior management immediately

Best answer: C

Explanation: The Sprint Backlog shows the only goal-critical integration is blocked and related work is still not started, so progress does not currently support achieving the Sprint Goal. The best next step is to inspect and adapt now by replanning the Sprint Backlog (typically via the Daily Scrum) to maximize the chance of meeting the Sprint Goal and to surface the impediment.

Question 20

Topic: Domain 3: Events & Timeboxes

A Scrum Team suggests changing their cadence to an 8-week cycle so they can “do fewer ceremonies.” The Scrum Master explains that this would reduce how often stakeholders can inspect progress and would increase the risk of building the wrong thing.

Which Scrum concept is the Scrum Master referring to?

• A. Product Goal
• B. Daily Scrum
• C. Sprint
• D. Sprint Review

Best answer: C

Explanation: The Sprint is the event that sets the regular cadence for delivering a Done Increment and getting stakeholder feedback. Scrum limits a Sprint to one month or less; shortening the Sprint generally increases opportunities for inspection and adaptation. Lengthening it generally delays feedback and increases the risk of building the wrong product.

Question 21

Topic: Domain 4: Artifacts & Commitments

A Scrum Team has been tracking refactoring, infrastructure upgrades, and performance/security constraints in a separate “technical backlog” that stakeholders cannot see. The Product Owner wants to maintain transparency about this enabling work and its trade-offs.

Which Scrum concept best matches the appropriate way to represent this work so it is visible and ordered with other needed changes?

• A. Product Backlog
• B. Sprint Goal
• C. Sprint Backlog
• D. Increment

Best answer: A

Explanation: To keep enabling work and non-functional requirements transparent, they should be captured in the Product Backlog as items the Product Owner can order. This makes the trade-offs visible to stakeholders and allows the Scrum Team to inspect and adapt plans based on a single, shared source of upcoming work.

Question 22

Topic: Domain 1: Scrum Foundations & Agile Mindset

A Scrum Team is building a new product in a complex domain, and stakeholders say feedback is arriving too late to manage risk.

Exhibit: Last 12 weeks (Increment delivery log)

Sprint length: 4 weeks
Week 4: Increment shown at Sprint Review
Week 8: Increment shown at Sprint Review
Week 12: Increment shown at Sprint Review

What is the best next action to improve feedback frequency and enable faster adaptation, based on the exhibit?

• A. Shorten the Sprint length while keeping it consistent
• B. Extend the Sprint length to reduce meeting overhead
• C. Keep the Sprint length and require detailed requirements upfront
• D. Keep the Sprint length and add a mid-Sprint stakeholder demo

Best answer: A

Explanation: The exhibit shows stakeholders only see the Increment every 4 weeks, which slows inspection and adaptation. Shortening the Sprint increases the frequency of Sprint Reviews and feedback loops. That reduces the amount of risk carried before learning and makes it easier to adjust the Product Backlog based on new information.

Question 23

Topic: Domain 4: Artifacts & Commitments

A Scrum Team starts a 2-week Sprint tomorrow. The Product Owner is pushing for a fixed delivery date for a set of Product Backlog items, and stakeholders want a “commitment” to all of them in the Sprint.

The Developers say several items are still unclear and they must keep meeting the Definition of Done (automated tests and code review) despite the pressure. They want an estimation approach that improves transparency and supports inspection and adaptation as they learn.

What is the BEST next action?

• A. Ask the Product Owner to estimate items and set the Sprint scope to match the date
• B. Have Developers use relative sizing in refinement and forecast in Sprint Planning
• C. Estimate all work in hours and fully task it out before Sprint Planning
• D. Skip estimation and accept all requested items to protect the relationship

Best answer: B

Explanation: A Scrum Team uses estimation to create transparency and a forecast, not a fixed commitment of scope. Relative sizing by the Developers during refinement and using past performance to forecast in Sprint Planning helps the team inspect what is understood, adapt as new information emerges, and still uphold the Definition of Done under stakeholder pressure.

Question 24

Topic: Domain 4: Artifacts & Commitments

A Scrum Team builds and maintains one product used by Sales and Operations. Stakeholders complain that their requests “keep getting deprioritized.” The Product Owner asks the Scrum Master for help improving transparency and decision-making around the Product Backlog.

Which action should the Scrum Team NOT take?

• A. Split the work into separate Product Backlogs for Sales and Operations, each ordered by its own decision maker
• B. Use Product Backlog refinement with stakeholders to make trade-offs and ordering rationale transparent
• C. Keep one Product Backlog and have the Product Owner order it toward the Product Goal
• D. Have a business analyst collect stakeholder input while the Product Owner remains the final decision maker on ordering

Best answer: A

Explanation: For one product, Scrum relies on a single Product Backlog with one Product Owner accountable for ordering. Splitting into multiple backlogs (or multiple ordering authorities) hides trade-offs and weakens transparency. Better corrections increase shared understanding and keep ordering decisions with the Product Owner.