CAPM Agile Frameworks and Methodologies Practice Question
A Scrum Team is halfway through a two-week Sprint when the Product Owner learns that a competitor has released a similar feature. The Product Owner wants to add several new Product Backlog items to the current Sprint to respond quickly. What should the Scrum Master do?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is believing the Product Owner can change the Sprint Backlog at will because they own the Product Backlog.
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
✓
Explain that the Sprint Goal should remain stable, and work with the Product Owner to refine and order the new items for the next Sprint or discuss whether the current Sprint Goal is still valid.
The Sprint Goal provides a fixed focus during the Sprint, and scope may be clarified or renegotiated with the Product Owner as more is learned. The Scrum Master should coach the Product Owner to refine and order new items for upcoming Sprints, or assess whether the new information truly makes the Sprint Goal obsolete. Protecting the Sprint Goal preserves empiricism.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Explain that the Sprint Goal should remain stable, and work with the Product Owner to refine and order the new items for the next Sprint or discuss whether the current Sprint Goal is still valid.
Why this is correct
The Sprint Goal gives the team focus and should not be changed arbitrarily. The Scrum Master should coach the Product Owner to refine and order new items for future Sprints, or if the new information invalidates the Sprint Goal, discuss whether the Sprint should be cancelled. This preserves empiricism and protects the team's focus.
- ✗
Instruct the team to pause current work and immediately begin the new items, since the Product Owner owns prioritization.
Why it's wrong here
The Product Owner owns Product Backlog ordering but does not have the authority to unilaterally change the Sprint Backlog or interrupt the Sprint. The Sprint Goal provides focus and should not be undermined. Directing the team to abandon current work would violate Scrum's structure and could harm the team's ability to deliver a coherent Increment.
- ✗
Cancel the Sprint immediately and start a new Sprint with the updated priorities, because the market change makes the current Sprint obsolete.
Why it's wrong here
Cancelling a Sprint is a drastic action reserved for when the Sprint Goal becomes obsolete. A competitor's release may not invalidate the Sprint Goal. The Product Owner has the authority to cancel, but only after evaluating whether the Sprint Goal still provides value. Immediately cancelling without analysis wastes the team's work and disrupts cadence.
- ✗
Add the new items to the Sprint Backlog and let the Developers decide which current tasks to drop, since they self-manage their work.
Why it's wrong here
While Developers self-manage the Sprint Backlog, the Sprint Goal and Sprint scope should not be changed mid-Sprint without careful consideration. Simply adding items and dropping tasks can destabilize the Sprint and dilute focus. The Scrum Master should facilitate a discussion about the Sprint Goal's validity rather than allowing ad hoc scope changes.
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Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official PMI exam blueprint
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