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Samantha C.OP
May 27, 2026
I've been using Scrum on my team for 3 years as a developer and recently as an informal Scrum Master. Took the Scrum.org PSM I exam twice now — first time 62%, second time 67%. Need 85% to pass.
I know the Scrum Guide cold. I can recite the events, artifacts, accountabilities. But the scenario questions are what get me. When the question says 'the team is struggling with X, what should the Scrum Master do first?' I keep picking the wrong one.
I think my mental model of what a Scrum Master actually does is off. Any advice on how to think through those scenario questions?
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Mike_T
May 28, 2026
The key realization that clicked for me: Scrum Master serves the team, they don't manage the problem. When two answers seem right, pick the one where the SM facilitates the team solving it rather than the SM solving it directly. 'Coach the team to...' beats 'tell the team to...' almost every time.
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Mike_T
May 28, 2026
The Scrum Guide is necessary but not sufficient. Read Mikhail Lapshin's PSM I preparation notes — they specifically break down the thinking behind the scenario questions. That plus 3-4 practice exams from Scrum.org's open assessments.
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Jordan L.
May 28, 2026
Third time I'd suggest slowing down on each question and asking: does this answer respect self-management? Does it match empiricism? Those two lenses cut through most of the tricky ones.
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