- A
Ask the product owner to prioritize production support requests as part of the sprint backlog and limit work in progress
This acknowledges support work as legitimate and helps the team focus by limiting multitasking.
- B
Instruct the team to work overtime to meet the original sprint commitments
Why wrong: Overtime is unsustainable and reduces quality; it does not address the interruption problem.
- C
Increase the sprint length to four weeks to give the team more time to complete work
Why wrong: Longer sprints reduce feedback frequency and may increase risk; the problem is interruptions, not time.
- D
Remove the Scrum Master position to save costs and let the team self-manage
Why wrong: The Scrum Master is needed to help remove impediments; removing the role would worsen the situation.
Quick Answer
The answer is to ask the product owner to prioritize production support requests as part of the sprint backlog and limit work in progress. This is correct because the root cause of the velocity drop is unplanned multitasking, where the team is handling interruptions in Scrum production support without accounting for that work in their sprint plan. By making support tasks visible in the backlog, the product owner can properly trade off scope against capacity, and limiting work in progress prevents the team from being overloaded. On the CAPM exam, this scenario tests your understanding of the Scrum framework’s built-in mechanisms for handling change—specifically, that all work, including urgent requests, must flow through the product owner’s prioritization. A common trap is to assume longer sprints or more meetings will fix the issue, but the correct response is to make the interruptions transparent and manageable. Memory tip: “If it’s work, it belongs in the backlog—no invisible tasks allowed.”
CAPM Agile Frameworks and Methodologies Practice Question
This CAPM practice question tests your understanding of agile frameworks and methodologies. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A financial services company is adopting Scrum for a critical compliance project. The team has six developers, one product owner, and one Scrum Master. After three sprints, the product owner is frustrated because the team has only delivered 40% of the planned features. The team says they are working full capacity but keep getting interrupted by urgent production support requests from the operations team. The Scrum Master notices that the team’s velocity is dropping each sprint. The product owner insists on increasing the sprint length from two weeks to four weeks to allow more time for delivery. However, the compliance deadline is fixed. The Scrum Master must recommend a course of action. What should the Scrum Master do?
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
Ask the product owner to prioritize production support requests as part of the sprint backlog and limit work in progress
The root cause is that the team is multitasking between sprint work and support requests. Increasing sprint length would delay feedback and hide the problem. The best action is to address the interruptions by having the product owner prioritize support requests as part of the backlog, and possibly allocate a dedicated support person if needed. Removing the Scrum Master is not helpful. Telling the team to work harder ignores the systemic issue. Adding a second daily stand-up adds ceremony, not capability.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Ask the product owner to prioritize production support requests as part of the sprint backlog and limit work in progress
Why this is correct
This acknowledges support work as legitimate and helps the team focus by limiting multitasking.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Instruct the team to work overtime to meet the original sprint commitments
Why it's wrong here
Overtime is unsustainable and reduces quality; it does not address the interruption problem.
- ✗
Increase the sprint length to four weeks to give the team more time to complete work
Why it's wrong here
Longer sprints reduce feedback frequency and may increase risk; the problem is interruptions, not time.
- ✗
Remove the Scrum Master position to save costs and let the team self-manage
Why it's wrong here
The Scrum Master is needed to help remove impediments; removing the role would worsen the situation.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Trap categories for this question
Scenario analysis trap
The Scrum Master is needed to help remove impediments; removing the role would worsen the situation.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
- Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
- Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
- Underline the problem statement mentally.
- Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
- Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A practitioner preparing for the CAPM exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which CAPM exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this CAPM question test?
Agile Frameworks and Methodologies — This question tests Agile Frameworks and Methodologies — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Ask the product owner to prioritize production support requests as part of the sprint backlog and limit work in progress — The root cause is that the team is multitasking between sprint work and support requests. Increasing sprint length would delay feedback and hide the problem. The best action is to address the interruptions by having the product owner prioritize support requests as part of the backlog, and possibly allocate a dedicated support person if needed. Removing the Scrum Master is not helpful. Telling the team to work harder ignores the systemic issue. Adding a second daily stand-up adds ceremony, not capability.
What should I do if I get this CAPM question wrong?
Identify which CAPM exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
This CAPM 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 CAPM exam.
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