PMI-ACP Practice Question: Which document acts as the single source of truth for all work to be performed by the…
Which document acts as the single source of truth for all work to be performed by the development team?
⚠ Common exam trap
PMI-ACP often tests the distinction between the product backlog (all potential work) and the sprint backlog (committed work for one sprint), causing candidates to confuse the two or pick the charter as the overarching document.
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
✓
The product backlog.
The product backlog is the single source of truth for all work the development team may perform. It is a prioritized, ordered list of everything that might be needed in the product, owned by the Product Owner and refined continuously. In Scrum and most Agile frameworks, the sprint backlog is derived from the product backlog, and no work should be done that is not represented there.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
The sprint burndown chart.
Why it's wrong here
A burndown chart tracks remaining effort against time within a sprint; it records progress, not the authoritative list of work. It is tempting because it does reflect team workload daily, and would be the right artefact for forecasting sprint completion or spotting scope creep mid-iteration.
- ✗
The communication plan.
Why it's wrong here
A communication plan defines who receives which information, when and through which channel; it contains no work items. It is tempting because it governs stakeholder engagement across the project, and would be correct when the question concerns information flow, reporting cadence or escalation paths.
- ✗
The project charter.
Why it's wrong here
The project charter authorises the project and names the sponsor and high-level objectives; it does not enumerate development tasks. It is tempting because it is a foundational, formally approved document, and would be correct when asked what empowers the project manager to proceed.
- ✓
The product backlog.
Why this is correct
The product backlog is the single source of truth for all work the development team performs, holding every feature, enhancement and fix in priority order. It satisfies the stem's requirement by centralising scope that the team pulls into sprints.
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Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Security Systems Architect · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official PMI exam blueprint
This PMI-ACP practice question is part of Courseiva's free PMI 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 PMI-ACP exam.